STEVE DUNKELBERGER: DO I GET A CUT OF THE ACTION? >>>

Just got an update from a blast from the past. Steven Taylor, the first winner of the Volcano Awards Utility Player honors is well on his way to being "the man" on Broadway.

He just landed a regular spot on the upcoming remake of the TV show The Electric Company! The original cast included Bill Cosby, Rita Moreno and Morgan Freeman. He will be playing Freeman's signature role.

I will be playing Leo â€" Morgan Freeman's old role! Let's hope that my career takes the same path as Mr. Freeman's!

He is also am doing a reading of The Toxic Avenger - The Musical,  written by Joe DiPietro from All Shook Up, I Love you Your Perfect Now Change and Bon Jovi's David Bryan. It will be directed by Tony Award winning director John Random.

He is also making his debut at Carnegie Hall this summer in Showboat. And he is back doing the role of Mufasa in Broadway's Lion King.

CONVERSATION
Chuck Close and Bob Holman
Portrait artist Chuck Close chats up New York School poet Bob Holman in celebration of their collaborative work in A Couple of Ways of Doing Something: Photographs by Chuck Close, Poems by Bob Holman. The two will hold court today in the Pantages Theater â€" the first time Close has been in the Pacific Northwest in 10 years â€" both superstars in their fields, as seen by said exhibit at the Tacoma Art Museum. â€" Suzy Stump
[Pantages Theater, 2 p.m., $10-$15, 901 Broadway, Tacoma, 253.272.4258]

INDIE POP
Little Penguins
The Little Penguins are an indie delight, pure and simple. If people still looked stuff up in dictionaries, when they looked up indie pop there would be the smiling faces of the Little Penguins. Led by Will Hallauer, who in the Little Penguins goes by Will Penguin, this band has that dreamy, easy Sunday afternoon car-ride sound that so many indie acts strive for and so many car commercials pay money for. Hallauer, who you may recognize as the drummer for the Turn-Ons, decided he wanted to be a frontman when creating the Little Penguins, and enlisted Andrew Gaskin on bass, Jerry Peerson on piano, guitar, and vocals, and Garrett Croxon, (Fleet Foxes) behind the kit. The result is worth your attention. â€" Matt Driscoll
[Le Voyeur, The Little Penguins, Tea Cozies, London And The Look, 10 p.m., no cover, 404 E. Fourth Ave., Olympia, 360.943.5710]

LINK: Darren Motamedy and others in the clubs tonight.
LINK: Let’s eat with mom today.

BOBBLE TIKI: END THE DAY SMOOTH >>>

Bobble Tiki is by no means suggesting that spending time with mama on her special day is stressful.   Not at all. It's... what's the word?  Ah yes, a pleasure.  But on the off chance that your nerves are shattered by tonight, remember that the Cedarwood Dome hosts the easy-to-take melodies of Darren Motamedy’s sax.

[Cedarwood Dome, 7-10 p.m., 7404 Pacific Hwy. E., Milton, 253.922.5727]

BRAD ALLEN: BLUE CHEESE TATER TOTS RULE >>>

I snapped this shot last night at 11 p.m. in front of the Pacific Grill. I imagine the desire for Pacific Grill's blue cheese stuffed tater tots overwhelmed a cyclist to a point he ditched his helmet and rain slicker in a cement planter for instant gratification inside the downtown restaurant.

By the way, the Pacific Grill has the best onion rings in the South Sound.

BLUES
Mark Riley
Riley is a blues connoisseur in every sense of the word whose playing reflects the sounds of the Delta prior to Muddy and Wolf.  The BB Award winner’s heroes are the likes of Lightnin’ Slim and Blind Lemon Jefferson, but he is equally influenced by British guitarists Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Peter Green.  As a slide player, he’s one of the best in town and digs deep into the blues vaults to perform obscure songs by Robert Johnson, Elmore James and Lightnin’ Hopkins with authenticity and a flair second to none.  While he has five CDs out, to experience Mark Riley is to see him live. â€" Tony Engelhart
[The Swiss, 8 p.m., no cover, 1904 S. Jefferson Ave., downtown Tacoma, 253.572.2821]   

MUSIC
Rockaraoke
If you give Tacoma a microphone it knows what to do with. That much is proven night in and night out at karaoke joints all over town. Now, give Tacoma a microphone and a live band, and you have Rockaraoke at Jazzbones every Monday night. Fun is always had by all, and booze is consumed at an alarming pace. â€" Suzy Stump
[Jazzbones, 9 p.m., no cover, 2803 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.396.9169]

LINK: Greta Jane and the Vince Brown Band and others in the clubs tonight.
LINK: Let’s eat Greek today.

STEPH DEROSA: BACJELORETTE PARTY >>>

Bandito Betty has filled out the application, paid the membership dues, and practiced the secret handshake in order to become part of the illustrious club called MARRIAGE.  The only thing left to do was to give her a proper initiation.  An initiation that involved embarrassment, harassment, and lude public mockery.  This was an initiation most people would call a bachelorette party â€" and we did it Tacoma style.

The people I invited to this week’s Dinner with DeRosa are the people who helped us tear the initiation night up right.

Our first stop was at Enoteca next to Tacoma Wine Merchants.  My hopes were to snag the front pillow booth next to the window, and that’s exactly what we did.  Melody Livingston fed us fine cheeses and poured hearty glasses of oaky wine until we were feeling warm, blissful, and ready to roll.  It’s at this point the paparazzi was hot on our tail.

After stopping by Meconi’s for another quick bite and a few more bottles of wine, the gang decided that our bachelorette initiation would be null and void if we didn’t mark our presence at Chopstix. Newly married Fame Frazier (yes, that’s her real name, not her porn one) gladly took our money at the door.   A Billy Joel impersonator was due to arrive soon so we hurried away to our VIP table up front. (By the way â€" thanks to the Weekly Volcano anyone with a military ID can get into Chopstix free after 9:30 p.m. all during the month of May. That right there is some cool shit, yo.)

On the way to our table we ran into the Weekly Volcano’s very own Tabitha Johnson from the sales office.  I couldn’t help but look at her cleavage.  I’m inviting her to DWD and paying five bucks goes to the first person that goes motorboating.

After doing the cliché bachelorette thing at Chopstix, our underground sources texted us with word of a private party being held at the humble abode of Sanford and Son’s Cheryl and Alan.   Narrowly escaping a high-speed paparazzi chase, we finally arrive safely to the party on Broadway.  I’ve had Cheryl and Alan to Dinner with DeRosa before, so this time I’m inviting the malicious bottle of Jagermeister Cheryl strong-armed everyone into drinking.  That nasty shit needs to be thrown out my window when it arrives for dinner. 

One of my favorite parts of the evening was running into my next DWD guest: Linda DeSantis-Lapping.  I always love seeing her and hearing what she’s been up to.  I admire where she’s been and what she’s done in life.  I admire her freedom and independence.  She carries herself with dignity and security in knowing that she doesn’t have to impress anyone â€" yet she naturally impresses most everyone.

As we were leaving the party we received word from the Weekly Volcano’s World Headquarters that paparazzi had discovered our whereabouts, and regrettably they were able to catch an unfortunate shot of me getting out of the car.

The night was amazing, and for all you perverts out there it ended with whipped cream and pillow fights all night long as we danced in our lace panties with the blinds wide open. 

Mangiamo!

BOBBLE TIKI: BREAKFAST WITH BOBBLE TIKI >>>

THE DAILY WORD

Pleonasm \PLEE-uh-naz-uhm\, noun:
1. The use of more words than are necessary to express an idea; as, "I saw it with my own eyes."
2. An instance or example of pleonasm.
3. A superfluous word or expression.

USAGE EXAMPLE: After much discussion, the Weekly Volcano has decided to issue a South Sound Advisory â€"be on the lookout for pleonasm. The Weekly Volcano isn’t sure, but we believe we picked up pleonasm after too many rum and cokes on South Tacoma Way. Unlike other things the Weekly Volcano has contracted on South Tacoma Way, there’s no rash or discharge with pleonasm, only excessive use of words. Beware the spread of pleonasm, and protect yourself.

MORNING NEWS

TACOMA: Welcome home

OLYMPIA: Vaccine debate goes to court

SEATTLE: Silly nudists

UNITED STATES: Political ring tones

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

MICHAEL SWAN: SEE YOUR FUTURE, BE YOUR FUTURE >>>

WALKABILITY LECTURE AND DISCUSSION: Pedestrian advocate Dan Burden will discuss how to make Tacoma a more walkable city.
May 12, 7 p.m., no cover, University of Washington-Tacoma Carwein Auditorium, downtown Tacoma.

BROWN BAG LUNCH TALK: Bill the REI staffer will motivate and educate you concerning cycling.
May 13, noon to 1 p.m., no cover, City of Tacoma Municipal Building Room 248, 747 Market Street, downtown Tacoma.

CITY OF DESTINY AWARDS: Tacoma honors citizens who do a lot for nothing.
May 13, 7 p.m., Jason Lee Middle School.

NEW TACOMA NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL MEETING: Help make downtown Tacoma a safer, more dynamic living space.
May 14, 5:30 p.m., no cover, Tacoma City Hall, 747 Market St., downtown Tacoma.

TACOMA FARMERS MARKET/LOCAL LIVING LOUNGE: Support local farmers, organizations and businesses and check out the Local Living Lounge for hands-on community interaction.
May 15, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., no cover, Broadway Tacoma Farmers Market, Broadway between Ninth and 11th, downtown Tacoma.

LIVABLE COMMUNITIES FAIR: It's all about going green, being prepared for emergencies and watching Ciscoe live.
May 17, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., no cover, Tacoma Dome exhibition Hall, 2727 East D St., Tacoma, 253.798.7477.

STEVE DUNKELBERGER: VOYEUR TOUR OF TACOMA >>>

In honor of nationally recognized walking advocate Dan Burden’s lecture on making Tacoma a more walkable city tonight, I present my downtown Tacoma walking tour. 

The best place to start the downtown Tacoma voyeur tour is the heart of the theater district at Ninth and Broadway. The clean, wedge-shaped Tully’s coffeehouse is always filled with a mix of government suit-jockeys walking over from City Hall between meetings and artsy folks running out to grab a squat between artistic inspirations.

This is the headquarters of any walking tour around downtown Tacoma since it generally has ample parking for anyone willing to swing around the block a few times.  Besides, with its expansive windows, Tully’s makes for good people-watching too.

One of the best urban walks through downtown heads south along Broadway to see the deli windows and gallery displays at places such as Pastrami’s in the Rhodes Center at 11th and Broadway and the Woolworth Windows across the street. People are funny while they eat, especially if passersby press their faces against the large panes of glass and stare at them as they stuff their faces with cured meat and chips. A handful of street-side businesses along Broadway provide ample material for voyeurs in the making. One standout is the Opti Staffing office at 13th and Broadway, where there always seems to be an ample stable of attractive women hanging around the receptionist’s desk in hopes of landing a job. The floor-to-ceiling windows make this office a massive fishbowl, prime for people watching from a legally safe distance.

The next stop on the tour is the Starbucks at 15th and Commerce, next to the Convention Center station for the Tacoma Link line. Those java peddlers and the customers they serve never disappoint any voyeur seeking to spy a clever exchange, smitten flirting or eavesdrop on a private conversation. Consistently having people break up with their girlfriends, cheat on their husbands, battle their credit card company or gripe about their bosses for all the world to hear is a tell-tale sign of being a great urban destination.

At the corner of 15th and Commerce is the Rainier Pacific Bank. This branch and bank headquarters at Pacific Avenue and 15th Street always seems to have a heavy gaggle of attractive looking 20-somethings loitering around the information desk. Walkers can’t help but look at the eye candy available within. Watch but don’t touch. This is a walking tour not a grocery store. You aren’t allowed to thump the melons anywhere along the tour. Sorry for not explaining this earlier. My apologies. I thought that was understood.

Taking a left takes walkers back to the Theater District via Pacific Avenue, where walkers will see their share of desk workers sitting at their street-side workstations as they fiddle with their hair or clandestinely pick their noses while they talk on the phone, apparently oblivious to the fact that the people they see walking along the street outside their window can also see them. Others have wised up a bit and turned their desks away from the window only to allow passersby to look at what information is displayed on their computer screens. Some window-office dwellers in Tacoma’s Financial District, for example, are spending excessive time in Yahoo chat rooms and checking sports scores.