STEVE DUNKELBERGER: THEATER THURSDAY >>>

Boy Gets Girl
Theater Artists Olympia is premiering Boy Gets Girl by Rebecca Gilman, directed by Tom Sanders. The psychological thriller is basically a stalker’s tale. Theresa Bedell is a journalist for the New York magazine The World and finds herself set up on a blind date with Tony. They have some beers and then go out on a dinner date, but her heart isn’t in it. Tony really doesn’t do it for her, so she breaks things off before they ever get started. Tony, however, sees things differently.

His efforts to win her over step from the desperate to the creepy. He follows her and makes sure she knows that he has been watching her. The show gets dark quickly after that.

[Black Box Theatre, through March 30, 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, $12, Minnaert Center, South Puget Sound Community College, 2011 Mottman Road S.W., Olympia, 360.357.3471]

Man-eating plant
For more musical theater about off-the-wall topics, Tacoma Musical Playhouse’s Youth Theatre is staging Little Shop of Horrors, the sci-fi tale about a man-eating plant and a nitro-huffing dentist who seems to have a bit too much fun at his job.

The topic of two movies, a handful of traveling and regional productions as well as one of the longest-running off-Broadway shows of all time, the show is one of the classics of the stage.

This production features local youth performers Marvin Gold as the floral shop clerk Seymour, Emily Dale as the bombshell dingbat Audrey, Derek Strausbaugh as the skid row floral shop owner Mr. Mushnik, and Bryan Gula as the sadistic dentist Orin Scrivello. The cast is rounded out by Claire Idstrom, Emily Urfirer and Kaytee Brown as the backup doo-wop trio Crystal, Chiffon and Ronette.

[Tacoma Musical Playhouse, 7 p.m. March 28, 2 p.m. March 29, $10, Narrows Theatre, 7116 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.565.6867, www.tmp.org]

That’s a peach
Olympia Family Theatre is staging a stage version of the children's story James and the Giant Peach, a story about a boy who escapes his otherwise dull life by climbing into a peach only to find a world of talking animals and adventure on every corner.

[Minnaert Center, through April 6, 7 p.m. Thursday-Friday, 1 and 7 p.m. Saturday, 1 p.m. Sunday, $8-$15, South Puget Sound Community College, 2011 Mottman Road S.W., Olympia, 360.596.5501]

RON SWARNER: OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND >>>

Joe Izenman produces a cocktail of calculation, sheer nerve, good timing, quick wit, as well as a cataclysm, daily. As one of Tacoma’s most active bloggers the bearded gentle giant posts frequently on his own blog, Izenmania, and is a constant figure on Tacoma blogs, giving a thumbs up or down in the comments section.

But if you ask him what’s his story, he’ll say he’s just a guy rocking Tacoma. He doesn’t mean shaking up the blogosphere, but rather rocking out. Izenman has contributed his guitar, hand drums, melodica, keyboard, and accordion talents to such bands as This Shirt is Pants, Mr. Fusion, and most recently his father’s band Out of Sight, Out of Mind. Dad, Tacoma folk/country mainstay Don Izenman, and his longtime collaborator, bassist Goodwin Trent, added Joe while Trent recovered from surgery. Although Trent is back, Joe still hangs with the folk/ country band that will perform tonight at Rhapsody in Bloom with special guest, and another Tacoma folk music mainstay, Sue Tjardes.

WEEKLY VOLCANO: What’s behind the band name? Is it related to the Edison Electric Institute’s July 2006 study on why overhead power lines should be buried?

JOE IZENMAN: Out of Sight, Out of Mind is part of a running joke about the fact that my dad, Don, lost most of his vision a couple years ago. Their previous group was called Second Sight. So Out of Sight, Out of Mind is really just descriptive: Don’s blind, and Goodwin’s crazy. (To be fair, though, we’re all a little bit nuts.)

VOLCANO: Out of Sight, Out of Mind has been known to cover a country tune or two. What subgenre of country?

IZENMAN: We cover a very specific sub-genre of country that I like to call “good country.” If you had a Venn diagram of country, bluegrass and folk, we’d be somewhere in the middle: Tim O’Brien, John Denver, Bob Dylan, even some Little Feat.

Tonight’s show will involve little to no cover work.

VOLCANO: Is this the first time you have collaborated with your dad?

IZENMAN: I first started playing regularly with my dad and brother back in 1999, putting together a few covers to open up for his band, Civil Servants, at Shakabrah Java. That was really the beginning of my experience as a performing local musician. We stopped playing together when I went off to college and my brother got a job, but we reunited last summer for a set at the Proctor Farmer’s Market.

VOLCANO: Tonight the band will tackle some of your material, too. What flows from your pen?

IZENMAN: I have songs about abusive relationships, walking away from love, suicide, and the unpleasantness of war. Oh, and happy things as well. I come back to the theme of self-discovery a lot, and the notion of independence from what other people want you to be. And I try to work the element of hope into even the most horribly depressing of topics.

Mixed in with Sue’s philanderer-rich material (with the occasional touching love song) and Goodwin’s tales of life in Alaska (with the occasional touching love song) and you’ve got fun for all ages.

[Rhapsody in Bloom Florist and Café Latte, Thursday, March 27, 7 p.m., all ages, no cover, $5 suggested donation, 3709 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.761.7673]

BRAD ALLEN: WHAM! >>>

George Michael will play KeyArena July 2.

Will you Go-Go?

Tickets on sale Saturday, April 5, 9 a.m., at Ticketmaster outlets.

MATT DRISCOLL: HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS >>>

In the latest issue of the Weekly Volcano, which hit the streets today, we’re running a story in our Mudroom section about recent recommendations by the Tacoma Human Services Commission regarding the distribution of federal block grant money to local nonprofits. It’s a process that happens regularly, and this year 32 nonprofits applied for funding out of the federal block grant money. While, ultimately, it’s the Tacoma City Council’s decision who gets the cash and who doesn’t, they enlist the help of the Human Services Commission to help make the decision transparent.

To make these recommendations, the Human Services Commission relies on a scoring system, judging all the applications the city receives by the same standards and awarding each application a grade. It’s kind of like elementary school. Perfect applications receive a score of 100.  This year, based on the amount of money available and the number of applications received, a score of 81 or higher was a passing mark. Those applications that scored less than 81 were considered failing.

On the list of applications that failed to meet the threshold of 81, some well known and prominent nonprofits lead the way â€" all likely to miss out on block grant funding thanks to poor scores from the Human Services Commission. Centro Latino, the Salvation Army and the Martin Luther King Housing Development Association all failed by no more than two points. All of their applications were seeking funding for programs that help Tacoma’s homeless population.

While it’s important to note that the City of Tacoma spends $5 million per biennium on social and human services programs out of the general fund, and many of the nonprofits listed above will have other chances to secure funding from the city for their programs; it’s also important to note that homelessness is one of the biggest issues facing Tacoma, and, one way or another, it’s something that has to be dealt with. Programs that help the problem have to be funded somehow.

In the story in today’s Weekly Volcano, Councilman Rick Talbert offered his thoughts on the Human Services Commission’s recommendations. Today, it’s Mayor Bill Baarsma’s turn.

“The purpose of the scoring system is to level the playing field and provide, I believe, a fair and equitable framework for evaluating the competitive applications. The problem for the Human Services Commission is that there has been a 19 percent reduction of CDBG funding during the Bush Administration. Bush has been trying to kill the program since he was appointed President. The scoring system is not new. It focuses on a number of criteria with the most important being outcome based analysis,” says Baarsma.

“Desired outcomes must be identified and the specific programs aimed at achieving those outcomes must be carefully explained. The city staff provides a series of workshops to help agencies understand and complete the requirements in applying for funding. The scoring system has replaced the old system of horse trading and deal making among commission members. It is a vast improvement over the prior system.”

As to whether the failing grades received by Centro Latino, the Salvation Army and the Martin Luther King Housing Development Association will have an impact on Tacoma’s homeless population, Baarsma was quick to point out the $5 million per biennium Tacoma spends out of its own pocket for social and human services programs, and that many of the nonprofits that received failing grades have received funding from this source in the past.

“I can't predict what the council will do with these recommendations. But remember that the city expends $5 million per biennium on social and human services programs out of the general fund. The programs not funded by the CDBG dollars have received dollars from that source â€" in fact considerable dollars.”

MATT DRISCOLL: IT'S A MOVIE >>>

Tomorrow at the Grand Cinema in Tacoma, Girls Rock! will open for general viewing consumption. The film is a documentary about girls rock and roll camp â€" an idea that started in Portland, but has now spread across the globe. I haven’t seen it yet, but after reading the press release distributed by the wonderful folks at the Grand, I must say I’m excited. Check it out:

“At Rock 'n' Roll Camp, girls ranging in age from eight to 18 are taught that  it's OK to sweat like a pig, scream like a banshee, wail on their instruments with complete and utter abandon, and that "it is 100% okay to be exactly who you are." The girls have a week to select a band, an instrument they may have never played before, and write a song. In between, they are taught by indie rock chicks such as Carrie Brownstein from Sleater-Kinney various lessons of empowerment from self-defense to anger management. At the end of the week, all the bands perform a concert for over 700 people. The film follows several campers: Laura, a Korean adoptee obsessed by death metal; Misty, who is emerging from a life of meth addiction, homelessness and gang activity; and Amelia, an eight-year-old who writes experimental rock songs about her dog Pipi. What happens to the girls as they are given a temporary reprieve from being sexualized, analyzed and pressured to conform is truly moving and revolutionary.”

Sounds pretty kick ass to me. Girls can do that, too.

Check out a trailer for the film here.
And for show times at the Grand go here.

Read the review in the Volcano here.

BILL TIMNICK: DAME LOLA’S NEWS DIGS >>>

Rebecca Dashow shifted her boutique space to its new location in the Stadium District this week.  Dame Lola, a contemporary and “fashion forward” clothing shop, now sports an open concept main display floor, as well as an upper floor salon that Dashow intends to devote to private, by-appointment showings and dressing sessions.

“The set of the store now is more focused on noticing the clothes,” Dashow says of the new space, in which color coded racks of clothes are arranged along the shop’s side walls, while the center section is left open.

“When we were building it we wanted to go with more of an industrial look.”  That way, Dashow, explains, the clothes, rather than the setting, catch the eye.  “It’s the clothes you notice because that’s why you’re here.”

Dashow is also pleased with Dame Lola’s new setting because of  higher traffic in the area, and because the new space has access at both ends of the shop â€" so that clients who use the back parking lot can still walk straight in.

But while some things have changed, others remain the same.  The Dame Lola clothing line still features pieces by individually selected designers.  “You’re going to find designers here you can’t find anywhere else,” Dashow says.

STEPH DEROSA: OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND >>>

Being sans 5 year old last night, Mr. DeRosa and I decided to take advantage of a Tacoma over-21 establishment.  I had every intention of meeting up with Joe Izenman and Kevin Freitas at The Red Hot for dinner, but I was out-voted on the idea of hot dogs for dinner.  (What?  Is he crazy?  How could you turn down The Red Hot???)

Fortunately Bandito Betty was slingin’ beers at The Parkway so we marched on in, ready to slam a few Boundary Bays and throw down some hamburgers.  I think being off-and-on sick for the past month has thrown off my tolerance, seeing as how one IPA got me pretty friggen’ buzzed.  Yikes.

At right about 7 p.m., we swerved down Sixth Avenue to find Joe Izenman accompanying Out of Sight, Out of Mind in a dynamic acoustic treat at Rhapsody In Bloom.

Joe’s dad gets my vote as “Best Dressed” for the evening.  A black sequenced shirt, suspenders, and black converse make my heart go bang-bang-bang-bang.

Joe’s original works were inspirational, heartfelt, and sincerely Izenman.  Yes, I’m making “Izenman” an adjective.  It now means: genuine.  I just might make an entry into Wikipedia about it.

My favorite part of the evening was Goodwin Trent’s Alaskan-type version of Shel Silverstein’s Dr. Hook and The Medicine Man’s “Cover of The Rolling Stone.”  It was brilliant and entertaining, my friends.  If my hair didn’t look like such crap underneath my hat, I would’ve tipped it their way.

Unfortunately we had to leave after one song with guest guitarist/vocalist Sue Tjardes.

It was good seeing Kevin Freitas and some local Tacoma peeps sip on Rhapsody’s delicious coffee while tapping their feet to some original, local tunes.  Good job guys, and thank you for giving us a great ending to a good night out.

NEOSOUL
Musiq Soulchild
If two Hummers traveling toward each other at 45 miles per hour were to collide, would the impact be as great as that of Musiq Soulchild when he hits a woman’s heart?

The dripping, soulful voiced Musiq channels all the great soulsters that ran through Gamble and Huff’s Philadelphia Sound machine, the city that made Musiq a man, too.

Although he cites every musician on the planet as influences, Musiq's sound is so distinct that "he's never mistaken for anyone else." With a sound that's unique even among the most imaginative R&B cats, he seems to slither through decades of musical innovation with a sound that is neither here nor there: it's rooted in the funk and melodies of Sweet Philly of ’74, sensual landscapes painted by DeBarge in ’78, and lyrical rhythms compliments of Stevie Wonder. On thing is for certain, your woman isn’t on your planet when he’s singing. â€" Suzy Stump
[Emerald Queen Casino, 8:30 p.m., also Saturday, March 29 8:30 p.m., $25-$50 at Ticketmaster, 2024 E. 29th St., Tacoma, 253.594.7777]

COWPUNK
Bob Wayne and the Outlaw Carnies
There are plenty of things wrong with country music. Toby Keith’s Chevy commercials and Keith Urban’s facial hair top the list. Though the genre has gained a place in pop culture â€" a transition jumpstarted by Garth Brooks’ tight fitting black jeans and Billy Ray’s achy breaky heart â€" all the quality and authenticity has been lost in the process.

Bob Wayne and the Outlaw Carnies remind us that it doesn’t have to be like this. Though comparing Wayne to popular country artists is nothing but a discredit to the man who will bring his red-eyed circus to Hell’s Kitchen this Friday, March 28, Wayne is country at heart, and his songs reek of dusty legitimacy. Bob Wayne and the Outlaw Carnies are two parts country, one part punk, and one part booze. â€" Matt Driscoll
[Hell’s Kitchen, Bob Wayne and the Outlaw Carnies, James Hunnicutt and the Revolvers, Hartwood, The Joshua Cain Band, 9 p.m., $5, 3829 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.759.6003]

LINK: Waves & Radiation CD Release Party and other in the clubs tonight.
LINK: Tacoma City Ballet goes Bohemian tonight.
LINK: Let’s eat Asian today.

BOBBLE TIKI: BREAKFAST WITH BOBBLE TIKI >>>

THE DAILY WORD
Hullabaloo \HUL-uh-buh-loo\, noun:
A confused noise; uproar; tumult.

USAGE EXAMPLE: Bobble Tiki couldn’t believe the hullabaloo. All he did, after all, was take off his pants.

MORNING NEWS

TACOMA: Old Town shooting

OLYMPIA: Flood control seed

SEATTLE: Starbucks steals from employees

UNITED STATES:Obama's taxes

THINGS TO DO TODAY
FILM LISTINGS: Look here
MUSIC LISTINGS: Here’s what’s happening

MATT DRISCOLL: FOR ONCE , NOT TALKING ABOUT ELWAY >>>

Tomorrow night at the www.myspace.com/williamruckas ">Acme Grub Cage, Tacoma’s own www.myspace.com/blancobroncoband ">Blanco Bronco will be bringing down the house with www.myspace.com/thetoughtimes ">the Toughtimes. While a vague OJ reference is nearly always good, a throwback indie rock band that tiptoes in Pavement territory but exudes T-town ethos is better. Tomorrow at the Acme Grub Cage you’ll get both from Blanco Bronco.