MATT DRISCOLL: EXPERIMENTS IN NOISE AND SOUND >>>

We all knew it was coming, but yesterday it was made official.

The 14th annual www.myspace.com/olystrangemusic ">Olympia Experimental Music Festival is right around the corner, scheduled to go down in our capital city June 26 â€" 29. Recently those involved with the organization and implementation of the event released the full schedule of bands, artists and musicians set to take the stage.

The lineup’s a doozy.

Here’s a look at it:

Thursday, June 26 at the Eagles Hall Basement (805 4th AVE) 7 p.m.
- www.myspace.com/mangledbohemians ">Mangled Bohemians (Portland, OR)
- Beat Box Fred (Olympia, WA)
- www.myspace.com/midwife222 ">Midwife (Everett, WA)
- Hobby Hobby (Olympia, WA)
- www.myspace.com/thedeadwhite ">Dead White (Olympia, WA)
- Arachnid Arcade (San Francisco, CA)
- www.myspace.com/yourdrugsmymoney ">Your Drugs My Money (Portland, Los Angeles, Fiji)

Friday, June 27 at the Midnight Sun (113 N Columbia ST) 7 p.m.
- Hobby Knife (Eugene, Oregon)
- www.myspace.com/bombsaremakebelieve ">Make Believe Bombs to Blow Up Make Believe Worlds (Iowa City, IA)
- www.myspace.com/redsquirrels ">Red Squirrels (Seattle, WA)
- www.myspace.com/billhorist ">Bill Horist (Seattle, WA)
- www.myspace.com/hydrogenpellets ">Hydrogen Pellets (San Francisco, CA)
- www.myspace.com/benlrobertson ">Ben L. Robertson and Gabe Will (Seattle/Olympia, WA)
- www.myspace.com/deniomusic ">Amy Denio (Seattle, WA)

Saturday, June 28 at the Eagles Hall Basement 7 p.m.
- Big Tom the Lithuanian (Olympia, WA)
- www.myspace.com/lalungs ">L.A. Lungs (Tacoma, WA)
- www.myspace.com/dendritesmusic ">Dendrites (Portland, OR)
- www.myspace.com/deadairfresheners ">Dead Air Fresheners (Portland, OR/Olympia/Seattle/Tacoma, WA)
- www.myspace.com/cranksturgeon ">Crank Sturgeon (Portland, ME)
- www.myspace.com/evangelistasounds ">Evangelista (Los Angeles, CA)
- www.myspace.com/stevefisk ">Steve Fisk & Peter Randlette (Seattle/Olympia WA)

Sunday, June 29 at the Capitol Theater (206 5th Ave SE) 1 p.m.
Eyes and Ears Pacific Vortex - an afternoon matinee of experimental media art and music led by www.myspace.com/ericostrowski ">Eric Ostrowski and Carl Diehl featuring:
- Blood Clot (Olympia)
- www.myspace.com/chaosticmagic ">Chaostic Magic (Seattle)
â€" Devon Damonte
- Jon Behrens,
- Doug Lane
- Bridget 
- Irish
- LoVid,
- noteNdo
- Daniel Heila
- Ryan T. Dunn
- JiRCs
- Mack Mcfarland
- Jesse England

Sunday June 29 at the Eagles Hall Basement 6 p.m.
- Scott Stobbes' Regenbogen (Portland, OR)
- www.myspace.com/goatgirlmusic ">Goatgirl/Queen Shmooquan (Seattle, WA)
- www.myspace.com/forrestfriends ">Forrest Friends (Seattle, WA)
- www.myspace.com/paintingsforanimals ">Paintings for Animals (Seattle, WA)
- www.myspace.com/darwinsbitch ">Darwinsbitch (Oakland, CA)
- Ã" Paon/Geneviève Castrée (Quebec, Canada)
- Soup Purse (Portland, OR)

Much like last year, this year’s Experimental Music Festival will be hosted by Domenica
Clark, a KOAS DJ that knocked ‘em dead last year after taking over for long time curator www.myspace.com/arringtondedionyso ">Arrington De Dionyso. Also like last year, Clark will be helped by L. Jim McAdams, an original founder of the Experimental Music Festival, and the man responsible for booking Saturday night’s show at the Eagle’s Hall.

Highlights of this year’s festival are sure to include audio-collagist Steve Fisk and Peter Randlette, who will reunite at the Experimental Music Festival for their first show in years, and well known female artists Amy Denio and Carla Bozulich, along with her newest band Evangelista.

“I am especially excited about this year because there is a great variety of different experimental music, mostly from regional artists, with an emphasis on artists from Olympia, Seattle, Portland and beyond,” says Clark. “I picked the artists I thought are making the most interesting, out-there, abstract sounds of the highest quality. Also, just like last year, we have a high percentage of female musicians, which is always delightful to have in a music festival of this kind.”

Interesting, abstract, and out-there â€" these are three very appropriate ways to describe the Olympia Strange Music Festival. A few others are “dope as hell,” and “not to be missed.”

So, mark your calendars now. The Olympia Experimental Music Festival will be underway before you know it.

FILM
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Nineteen years after the previous Indy adventure, a film in the same tradition, involving 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. Harrison Ford holds up well as Indy, Cate Blanchett is a sublime femme fatale, Karen Allen is back as Indy's first love, Shia LaBeouf is the boxer with the ducktail. "Same old same old," Indy says, but that's why I liked it. â€" Roger Ebert

Read full review here.
Find a showtime here.

VISUAL ARTS
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
Lynn Di Nino is a funny lady. But you knew that already, didn’t you? She’s clever, and she’s a skilled craftsperson. But that begs the question: does that necessarily make for great art? Cleverness alone often makes for gimmicky, pseudo art.

A good pun â€" visual or literary â€" can be a lot of fun. But is it art? What makes art art?

If I could answer that in 650 words or less, I’d be a genius. Here’s my attempt on her current show at Mineral. â€" Alec Clayton
[Mineral, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesday-Thursday and Saturday noon to 5 p.m., and by appointment, through June 17, 301 Puyallup Ave. Suite A, Tacoma, 253.250.7745]

LINK: The Drug Purse and others in the clubs tonight.
LINK: Let’s eat in Olympia today.

STEVE DUNKELBERGER: NUT JOB >>>

Lakewood Playhouse presents One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest with a free preview performance at 8 p.m. today. This show about a misfit's adventures among mental patients in an asylum is directed by Marcus Walker and features Scott C. Brown as the iconic R.P. McMurphy made famous by Jack Nicholson and Jenifer Rifenbery as the by-the-book nurse Ratched.

[Lakewood Playhouse, through June 22, 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, 5729 Lakewood Towne Center Blvd., Lakewood, 253.588.0042]

BOBBLE TIKI: BREAKFAST WITH BOBBLE TIKI >>>

THE DAILY WORD

Fop \FOP\, noun:
A man who is overly concerned with or vain about his dress and appearance; a dandy.

USAGE EXAMPLE: While football fans already know that Tom Brady was awarded the National Football League’s MVP award last year, for his record setting performance in the Patriot’s almost perfect season, many don’t realize he was also awarded the MPF Award - given to the league’s most pretentious fop.

MORNING NEWS

TACOMA: Confiscated weed

OLYMPIA: Save the Greyhound bus depot

SEATTLE: Doesn't want you to drive

UNITED STATES: He'll pee on you

JUST BIZARRE:That's one way to handle it

MORE STRANGE NEWS: Totally deserved it

THINGS TO DO TODAY
FILM LISTINGS: Look here
MUSIC LISTINGS: Here’s what’s happening
SHOOT THE SHIT: Weekly Volcano forums
TACOMA JAZZ AND BLUES FESTIVAL: Read about it here
SPRINKER NEEDS SOME WORK: Or so they say

STEVE DUNKELBERGER: THEATER THURSDAY >>>

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Lakewood Playhouse is staging One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest adapted by Dale Wasserman from the novel by Ken Kesey. The play centers of an odd-man out of the world named McMurphy, who is a charming rogue who contrives to serve a short sentence in a mental institution rather than prison. He soon runs into trouble with the fierce Nurse Ratched.
[Lakewood Playhouse, through June 22, 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, 5729 Lakewood Towne Center Blvd., Lakewood, 253.588.0042]

My Fair Lady
Federal Way's Centerstage Theater's production of My Fair Lady gets personal as it makes the story of the classic musical about a woman becoming a linguistic lab rat of sorts as her teacher transforms her from a street urchin with a heart of gold into a woman who could pass for a society lady into a story about challenge and love.
[Knutzen Family Theater, through June 1, 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, $8-$25, , 3200 S.W. Dash Point Road, Federal Way, 253.661.1444]

Doubleshot Festival
Northwest Playwrights Alliance and University of Puget Sound are staging their second Annual Doubleshot Festival this weekend at Rausch Auditorium in McIntyre Hall on the UPS campus. All proceeds benefit the Northwest Playwrights Alliance's Festival of New Works and reading series. This year's festival will feature 16 playwrights and directors and more than 60 actors theaters and schools in the South Sound, as well as some of the best talent from Bellingham to Centralia.
[Rausch Auditorium, Friday, May 23, and Saturday, May 24, 7 p.m., $8-$10, University of Puget Sound, McIntyre Hall, 1500 N. Warner, Tacoma, 253.879.3419]

MATT DRISCOLL: HISTORY MAKES HIM HOT >>>

Historic places are great and all, but I like them so much more when they’re “official.” It takes inclusion in a historic list or register of some sort for me to really get excited about an old building, area or structure. Face it, if an old building, area or structure hasn’t made a list of historic places yet, it’s probably not all that historic.

Of course, I’m joking. It’s one of the only things I’m good at.

But seriously, as far as lists of historic places go, the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation’s “Most Endangered Historic Properties” is a pretty big one. The list annually highlights and identifies local historic landmarks in danger of being lost. When a building or landmark makes this list, often times it sparks action from a community or local government and said historic gem is preserved.

This year, Tacoma’ Murray Morgan Bridge makes the list. In fact, the bridge will host what’s being referred to as a “press event” by the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation on Tuesday, May 27 at 11 a.m. Mayor Bill Baarsma and Rep. Dennis Flannigan will help unveil this year’s complete collection of endangered historic properties, and historic preservation fun is sure to be had by all.

Sounds like a hoot, doesn’t it?

Ok. I know what you’re thinking. It’s a “press event.” That makes it sound like Average Joe isn’t invited.

I say wrong, laser-breath.

Let’s face it. It’s the age of the Internet. Anyone with a computer and a Web connection can be a journalist. I say anyone interested should show up next Tuesday â€" and if someone gives you a hard time just snap some photos and write some nasty shit in your blog about them.

That’s what journalists do, right?

BRAD ALLEN: OH SPECIAL DAY >>>

Today I will cattle-prod the oyster ditch with the lap rocket.

Or maybe a little cannonballing the fiddlecove with a park steeple.

I might even pull the station wagon into the old creaky garage.

Those are three way I'm thinking of celebrating Innuendo Day. Thanks for alerting me to this holiday Rusty George. Your postcard made my day.

HARDCORE
Rainfest
Rainfest is a three-day, all-ages festival scheduled to invade Tacoma’s Viaduct this weekend. Think 50 hardcore bands from Friday through Sunday. Think loud and sweaty â€" whether it’s sunny or not. If you’re a fan of hardcore, think about getting your ass to the Viaduct.

As for who all is playing Rainfest, the list is long. Really long. Too long, in fact, to mention everyone here in the Weekly Volcano. Highlights include Seattle’s much talked about and adored, Akimbo, along with Himsa, Whiskey Rebels, President Kennedy is Assassinated, Ringworm, Sojourner, Insubordinate, Killing the Dream, Owen Hart and Paint it Black. That’s just the start. For a full lineup as well as a three-day schedule and ticket information check out www.myspace.com/rainfest. â€" Matt Driscoll
[The Viaduct, Rainfest, Friday, May 23-Sunday, May 25, 1 p.m. start, 5412 South Tacoma Way, Tacoma, www.myspace.com/viaductvenue]

HIP-HOP
Blowfly
Before there was Kool Keith, Old Dirty Bastard or 2 Live Crew â€" 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 Dick" 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 Clarance 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.â€" George Dorn
[Hell’s Kitchen, Blowfly, Antiseen, I Defy and Sok and the Faggots, 9 p.m., $10, 3829 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.759.6003]

BLUEGRASS
Poor Man’s Whiskey
Poor Man’s Whiskey is to bluegrass what the Cramps are to rockabilly. In other words, they maintain the essence of the music but are lyrically campy.

Their tunes are stories of the unconventional kind. Take “PMS,” which looks at the hell some men endure during “that time of the month” or “Death Alley Ass,” which tells the story of a misguided journey into a magic mushroom trip. The outrageously fun band has two discs to peddle, Train To California in 2003 and Roadside Attraction in 2005. In 2007, they did Dark Side of Moonshine, a bluegrass version of Pink Floyds classic album Dark Side of the Moon. See? â€" Tony Engelhart
[Jazzbones, 9 p.m., all ages, $8, 2803 Sixth Ave. Tacoma, 253.396.9169]

LINK: MC TOPR and others in the clubs tonight.
LINK: Let’s eat Italian today.