STEPH DEROSA: IS THERE A TACOMA STYLE? >>>

I can't stay away from Six Olives for too long, which is exactly why it was time for a little jazz and martini action with the girls. The small plates are perfect for munching, grazing and snacking in the most feminine way possible. It's ironic that I feel I'm a much daintier woman when I don't have to use utensils to eat.

My main partner in crime that night, Gayle Selden, was downing their fabulous Cherry Cokes like they were water. Coke paired with cherry vodka and a red licorice straw makes for a dangerous evening of fun when Gayle's around. Eventually we needed relief, so we paired up and headed to the bathrooms.

Inside the stall we were taken back to a geometric decade of our lives: The 80s. Pink walls, black squares and champagne posters. We loved it. Immediately our conversation turned to all things 80s: Poison, boom boxes*, Hammer-time, Rubik's Cubes, and pinch-rolled acid-washed jeans.

Ugh. That's right, the acid washed jeans. Hell, all the clothes for that matter. Then it hits me: I remember a comment someone had made in passing recently about clothes of the 1980s.

A couple of weeks ago (I have no concept of space or time, so this actually could've been last year or yesterday), yeah a couple of weeks ago we had Bandito Betty's bachelorette party. The group of us girls that were honored enough to be there had plenty of pictures to spread around and share with each other after it was all said and done. We laughed at the memories, recalled drunken moments, and attempted to remind www.myspace.com/thekake ">KAke of Jagermeister shots it seems she had forgotten she downed. While we were rejoicing in our fun weekend, one girl on the outside was presenting us with signs of small-mindedness and jealousy.

She wasn't at the Bandito Bachelorette Bonanza, she was at home in Miami, but she did take a gander at the pictures. The first comment she made was,Was this an 80s party?

What? Are we that out of style? Wow, I sure didn't think we were. I thought we all looked great. We looked like ourselves. Our clothes reflected who we were. And you know what? Besides all that¬" who fuckin' cares if we're out of style?

We live in the Pacific Norwest for Pete's sake. Individuality is embraced and encouraged here. Is there even a style,so to speak? Isn't not having a style the style right now? I can stand on the street in the middle of Tacoma, see 10 people walk by, and none of them look like they're wearing the same style.Tell me honestly (maybe this is just me): if you saw some dude walking past you with feathered hair and a Members Only jacket, wouldn't you say to yourself,That's awesome? To have the huzzah to say,I don't care what people think, THIS is what I'm wearing today is admirable.

As I said, maybe it's just me, but I feel as though being trendy is not as hip here as it is in say, Miami. If trendy is the mentality in Miami, then I don't want to be there. I don't want to be cookie cutter, shallow, fake tan, tons of makeup, judged by my clothes, stuck on some dumb dance floor listening to uncreative, headache-inducing house music that some dude on acid is presenting as his beatz. F that noise.

We exit the bathroom and Gayle agrees with me: To be able to wear whatever the F you want, feel secure, and not become judged is gold. That's right, it's not 80s, you superficial Miami girl, it's GOLD. And it's right here in the great PNW.

Well, it's here in the PNW most of the time, anyway.

*Boom Box: Carmen's nickname in college.

KEN SWARNER: WINO >>>

Last week I discussed wine insecurities â€" namely, challenging you to forget worrying what others think and instead order wine like there is no tomorrow.

If you did your homework (and I know you did), you have started with whites. Wine weirdoes may tell you they only drink red because somewhere along the way they thought they heard only red drinkers are cool. Give me a break. They’re called wine aficionados, not red wine aficionados. To just drink reds equates to just eating the peanut butter. Like the jelly, the whites have a place on the table too. They pair better with certain foods, plus, damn, they taste great.

As I also explained last week, we all taste wines differently in our mouths, so naturally the whites you’ll love will depend on your tongue. Don’t buy into the notion that Chardonnays rule â€" they don’t. They rule with certain food combinations, and certainly on some people’s palettes, but like only choosing reds, only choosing chardonnays severely limits your understanding and experiences.

As you explore whites keep in mind that soil represents everything. If you try a chenin blanc for example and don’t like it, don’t throw out the whole varietals. You may just not like the Chenin Blanc that came from California. You could try a Chenin from South Africa and literally want to take the bottle to bed (but don’t, that’s kind of weird).

Mark Merrill owner of Pour at Four in Proctor gave me a tour of whites recently to highlight the effects terra have on the grapes.

Merrill says the test of a good wine server is someone who can match the right varietals with a meal but customize the brand based on the terra preference of the customer even if the customer has no idea which dirt they like best (so to speak).

Take Viognier for example (pronounced vee own yah). The grape is from the Rhone area of France but is finding its way on vineyards around the world. In French soil, the wine is between a dry sauvignon Blanc and a full Chardonnay, according to Merrill. It pairs well with soy, ginger and sweet seafood. From a Washington vineyard, the same varietal has more layers, and is buttery.

Knowing the difference requires tasting wine (damn, more wine â€" life’s unfair). The only way you can really know the difference between grapes grown around the world, and the ones you like best, is to taste, taste, taste.

Cheers.

MATT DRISCOLL: WHO NEEDS SASQUATCH >>>

Much has been made about a certain music festival scheduled to go down at the Gorge this weekend. It’s a big one, and lots of folks will no doubt be making the trek eastward to see it.

But there’s another, much lesser known, music festival scheduled for this weekend â€" and it’s happening right here in Tacoma. It’s called Rain Fest, and it’s proudly presented by the folks over at the www.myspace.com/viaductvenue ">Viaduct. It’ll be three days of hardcore madness starting this Friday.

For a complete list of the fifty bands set to perform at Rain Fest look www.myspace.com/rainfest ">here.

And check out this week’s issue of the Weekly Volcano featuring an interview with Seattle’s Akimbo, one of the many cool bands scheduled to make a Rain Fest appearance.

For the time being, here’s an interview I did with Zack Ellis, one of the people involved with making the Viaduct and Rain Fest tick:

Weekly Volcano: Who is involved with making Rain Fest happen? Who deserves the credit?
Ellis: Matt Weltner, Brian Skiffington and I did the booking, but we have had a lot of help from other people. No one could put this together without help.

WV: What's the idea behind the festival? How old is Rain Fest?
Ellis: The idea is to bring a lot of people to a show and expose them bands that they may not have had a chance to see otherwise, especially not all playing the same show. We want to provide a safe and fun atmosphere for everyone. It’s an awesome vibe! Rain Fest is in its second year. Last year was the first.

WV: Why is there a need for Rain Fest in Tacoma? What hole does it fill?
Ellis: There is nothing else like this anywhere else in Washington. And Tacoma is a perfect location for it since we have a DIY venue that is made for this! Also Tacoma is in the middle of Olympia, Bremerton, and Seattle. It gives people from up here a chance to experience a big festival and see a lot of bands without having to travel to California.

WV: How was the lineup created? Did you try to schedule bands that go well together or is it pretty all over the board? What demographic are you trying to appeal to?
Ellis: The lineup was basically created just by us talking to bands we would all like to see while also taking suggestions from a lot of other people in the area. We try to appeal to a wide variety of people but this is definitely a more underground hardcore/punk type crowd.

WV: Who are some of the bands you’re most excited for?
Ellis: I ‘m most excited to see Ringworm, www.myspace.com/trashtalkfu ">Trash Talk, www.myspace.com/himsa ">Himsa, Killing The Dream, and all the local bands that are playing, especially Barricade who is reuniting for this show!

WV: What are the challenges of running a three day festival? What have you learned?
Ellis: Pretty much everything is a challenge. From booking all the bands, staying on the same page with everyone else, keeping everything organized, and not letting stuff come down to the last minute. We are constantly learning more. But one thing we have learned for sure is that the sooner you start working on it, the better.

WV: What do you expect turnout to be like?
Ellis: We are looking to get just as good of a turnout this year as we did last year if not a little better. We would love to average 300 people per day. Last year we averaged 270.

WV: How crazy do you expect the festival to be for you guys? Is there a lot of behind the scenes stuff you'll be swamped with?
Ellis: The actual days of the shows aren’t too crazy for us. The couple days before and all the stuff that happens before the actual show is when we have the most going on. We just have to keep bands on time and make sure everything is going smoothly and people are having fun at the actual show.

WV: It’s tough to gauge it before the shows, but what do you feel like the reaction has been like? Are a lot of people excited for the shows?
Ellis: There is a pretty solid buzz going on right now, and for the past few months online and just going out to other shows, we hear people talking about Rainfest. We are expecting people to be very stoked and to go nuts!

WV: Does Rain Fest happen once a year, or is it on a different schedule than that?
Ellis: It happens once a year. We schedule it for Memorial Day Weekend each year. It’s a nice 3 day weekend and at a different time than all the other festivals in California and in other parts of the country.

WV: If there's one thing people should know about Rain Fest and the Viaduct, what is it?
Ellis: Rain Fest and the Viaduct are both done completely by the kids and for the kids (that saying is totally corny but it’s true). Both are set up and ran by people that have been frequenting hardcore/punk/metal shows for a good number of years and we are just trying to give back to the scene. The Viaduct is the only venue of its kind in Washington. Completely DIY, free of religion, no bar, and all-ages all the time venue. The Viaduct is not just another legion hall; it is a legitimate venue that can compete with the best in Seattle. Still relatively new so the name isn't as well known as Studio 7 and El Corazon.

STEVE DUNKELBERGER: LOCAL SCHOOL FAIR WELL IN ROSTER >>>

The 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle has announces the nominees for its sixth annual 5th Avenue High School Musical Theatre Awards. This high school version of the Tony Awards allows drama students from around Washington to meet, celebrate and honor the exceptional musical theater productions presented during the school year.

Several South Sound students are on the nomination list. They are:

Olympia High School received honorable mentions in the categories of Outstanding Musical Production  and Outstanding for its production of The Music Man. It is also a nominee in the categories of Outstanding Musical Direction, Outstanding Choreography, Outstanding Costume Design, Outstanding Hair and Makeup Design; and a host of individual acting and ensemble awards.

Bellarmine Preparatory is a nominees for Outstanding Orchestration and Hair and Makeup Design for its production of Les Miserables.

Outstanding Scenic Design nominations have been handed to Gig Harbor High School for Damn Yankees and Tumwater High School for Little Shop of Horrors, which also is in contention for Outstanding Program Design honors.

Capital High School is in contention for Outstanding Costume Design for Into the Woods.

The 5th Avenue Awards will be held at 7 p.m. on June 9 at Benaroya Hall, 200 University St. Tickets are available by contacting the drama departments of the nominated schools.

SWING/COUNTRY
Vince Brown
Vince Brown is no stranger to string swing fans in the Northwest. As a part of the Tune Stranglers, Hot Club Sandwich and the duo Red and Ruby with LaVon Hardison, Brown’s nimble fingers have delighted audiences for more than 30 years. Brown will perform tonight at Swing Wine Bar, the converted bungalow overlooking Capitol Lake. â€" Tony Engelhart
[Swing Wine Bar & Café, 6 p.m., no cover, 825 Columbia St. S.W., Olympia, 360.485.2242]

SWING/BLUES
Maia Santell and House Blend
They play an upbeat brand of R&B with a little jump blues and big band jazz thrown in for a party second to none. Santell has been called the Northwest’s queen of swing for her high-energy shows and boisterous vocals.  Yet, unlike so many female singers, she is not a screamer but rather possesses exceptional vocal control that is rich and warm. â€" TE
[Verrazanos Restaurant, 7 p.m., no cover, 28835 Pacific Hwy. S., Federal Way, 253.946.4122]

THE GAME
Knowledge Night
If somewhere in the deep, dark recesses of your noggin there lurks the knowledge that actor Abe Vigoda is six-foot-four and grew up on New York’s Lower East Side, then this listing is for you. Every Wednesday Doyle’s Public House in Tacoma hosts Knowledge Night where individuals or teams answer two pages of brain teasers, trivia and current events for shirts, tickets and gift certificates. It’s a challenging, fun night. â€" Brad Allen
[Doyle’s Public House, 7 p.m. every Wednesday, no cover, 208 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma, 253.272.7468]

LINK: Kapakahi and others in the clubs tonight.
LINK: Let’s eat steak tonight.

BOBBLE TIKI: BREAKFAST WITH BOBBLE TIKI >>>

THE DAILY WORD

Boulevardier \boo-luh-var-DYAY; bul-uh-\, noun:
1. A frequenter of city boulevards, especially in Paris.
2. A sophisticated, worldly, and socially active man; a man who frequents fashionable places; a man-about-town.

USAGE EXAMPLE: While many remember the lovable Mr. Belvedere, what many don’t recall is what a persistent boulevardier he was â€" always fashionably about town looking for a lady friend or two to take back to his quarters.

MORNING NEWS

TACOMA: Twenty bucks for crumbling streets

OLYMPIA: Cowboy Mike

SEATTLE: Forty years later

UNITED STATES: In need of a nudge

JUST BIZARRE: Serious about grass

MORE STRANGE NEWS:Sexy earthquake

THINGS TO DO TODAY
FILM LISTINGS: Look here
MUSIC LISTINGS: Here’s what’s happening
SHOOT THE SHIT: Weekly Volcano forums

GEORGE DORN: BLOWFLY IN THE KITCHEN FRIDAY >>>

Before there was Kool Keith, Old Dirty Bastard or 2 Live Crew - before there was hip-hop, for that matter â€" there was Blowfly. Born 69 years ago in Cochran, Ga,, now Miamiâ€"based Clarence Reid, aka Blowfly, has recorded more than 40 albums during his illustrious career. He got his nickname as a child when his grandmother, after hearing him sing dirty versions of then popular songs â€" like "Suck My D**k" instead of "Do The Twist" â€" said "You is nastier than a blowfly." We won’t go into his response.

In honor of his 69th birthday â€" a very important year for Reid â€" the venerable star has assembled a rag-tag crew of brilliant musicians and has taken to the road again. He’ll take over Hell’s Kitchen this Friday with his whole nasty crew. You’re invited, and warned.

Fact is, Reid is more than a dirty old man. The same man who wrote and rendered songs with titles such as “What a Difference a Lay Makes” and “Porno Freak” has recorded more than a dozen so-called clean albums, and has written songs for musical acts including Gwen McRae, Betty Wright, Sam and Dave, and K.C. and the Sunshine Band. I’m serious.

So-called head cracker, producer, manager and band leader Tom Bowker says Blowfly needs to be recognized as a pioneer. His music has inspired and been sampled by the likes of DJ Quick, who sampled Blowfly cuts as part of “Sweet Black Pussy”; Jurassic 5, who used a Blowfly outro on Quality Control; DMX, who sampled one of Reid’s clean cuts â€" “Nobody But You Babe” â€" for “We in Here”. Old Dirty Bastard (R.I.P.) pays homage to Blowfly on Wu Tang’s 36 Chambers. Atmosphere, Ice Cube and P Diddy, or whatever the hell he’s calling himself these days.

“We want people to understand that blowfly is an originator,” says Bowker. “So many people have sampled him. We’re looking for people to come and pay tribute to the man.”

In 2003, Blowfly was interviewed by Miami-based journalist/drummer Bowker for a cover story in the Broward-Palm Beach New Times. When asked why he hadn't played a Miami area gig in 20 years, Reid replied "I don't have a band down here," to which Bowker replied, "Want one?"

Two months later, Blowfly's new band played Bowker's bachelor party, and it all rolled downhill from there. In 2004, Bowker and Blow joined keyboard player Mr. Lock, ex-everything for Otis Redding’s progeny funk combo The Reddings, guitarist Chris Chavez and bassist Jon-Jon  teamed up to record Fahrenheit 69, Blowfly's first slate of new material since 1988's Blowfly for President.
Fahrenheit 69 featured names such as Afroman, Slug and Bay-area Electroclash freaks Gravy Train!!!!, currently killing it on Oly independent label Kill Rock Stars. The album was produced by former Dead Kennedys frontman and political activist Jello Biafra, who released the album on Alternative Tentacles in June 2005.

This tour will feature mostly the same lineup, with Norwood from Fishbone along for the ride. The original dirty rapper and his crew promise a hell of a show, including Bowker reprising roles as Uncle Tom, which comes complete with a spangled Uncle Sam outfit, which got whole beers thrown at him in Portland, and an alabaster-suited alter-ego known as Major Tom. The rest of the crew bring it in equally absurd fashion.

Bowker says that Blowfly may be old, but this old dirty bastard can still make sonic love to the audience like a tiger on Viagra. Except he’ll be wearing some sort of superhero outfit.

“He’s a living legend and brings it all the way,” says Bowker. “At 69 years old, Blowfly is as potent as any 25-year-old performer you could bring out.”

[Hell’s Kitchen, Blowfly, Antiseen, I Defy and Sok and the Faggots, Friday, May 23, 9 p.m., $10, 3829 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.759.6003]

ROGER EBERT: SAME OLD SAME OLD >>>

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. of the Crystal Skull. Say it aloud. The very title causes the pulse to quicken, if you, like me, are a lover of pulp fiction. What I want is goofy action â€" lots of it. I want man-eating ants, sword fights between two people balanced on the backs of speeding jeeps, subterranean caverns of gold, vicious femme fatales, plunges down three waterfalls in a row, and the explanation for flying saucers. And throw in lots of monkeys.

Read my review here.

Go see it

AMC Narrows Plaza 8
Century Olympia:
Galaxy Uptown Theatre
Lakewood Cinema 15
Lakewood Towne Center 12
Longston Place 14
Regal Martin Village 16
Yelm Cinemas @ Prairie Park

Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures