FILM
The Fall
In a Los Angeles hospital, circa 1915, a paralyzed stunt man (LeePace) enthralls an angelic little girl (Catinca Untaru) with an adventure story that her mind supplies extraordinary images for. The film is a mad folly, an extravagant visual orgy, a free-fall from reality into uncharted realms, directed by Tarsem (The Cell). A movie that you might want to see for no other reason than because it exists. There will never be another like it. The R rating should not dissuade bright teenagers from this celebration of the imagination. Four Stars â€" Roger Ebert
[The Grand Cinema, 3:45, 6:20, and 8:50 p.m., $4.50-$8, 606 Fawcett Ave., Tacoma, 253.593.4474]

ROCK
Jerry Miller
Moby Grape was one of the most versatile San Francisco rock bands to emerge out of the summer of love.  Unlike the jam bands of the time, Grape possessed a meticulously unique sound by way of multilayered triple guitar arrangements.  Sadly, through a combination of inner turmoil and bad management decisions, the mighty Moby Grape broke up in 1969.   However, their debut album is still considered one of the best of all time by many critics, in part because of the nimble fingers of guitarist Jerry Miller.  Miller was named one of the top 100 guitarists of all time by Rolling Stone above Eddie Van Halen, Johnny Winter and Randy Rhoads.  The Tacoma native has enjoyed a rich career sharing the stage with countless musicians including members of the Doobie Brothers and more recently Carlos Santana.  Miller now performs with his trio, the Jerry Miller Band. Together, the impressive ensemble performs a mix of blues, jazz, rock and a selection of Moby Grape tunes.  â€" Tony Engelhart
[The Swiss, 8 p.m., 1904 S. Jefferson Ave., 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: Neptune’s Favor and others in the clubs tonight.
LINK: Check out when the movies start here.
LINK: Let’s eat Greek today.

DANIEL BLUE: MEET JOSEPH MONTES >>>

Joseph Montez Montes was born in Michigan in 1983 and moved to Tacoma two years ago.  He took a job as a reporter for the Tacoma News Tribune but has since ended his working relationship with the corporation for reasons he did not discuss.   

He is currently working for MultiCare in an unspecified manner and rediscovering the Tacoma social scene. 

When I asked him what he liked about this town he took some time to formulate his thoughts and carefully said, "the art scene in Tacoma is like any other in America.  It seems impenetrable and arrogant, but if you just take time to know it and the people involved, it will take you in and you too can appear arrogant and impenetrable." 

There seems to be no end to the good things Joseph has to say about this place. 

"It's the kind of town where a guy can walk down the street with a banana in his pants without being questioned for it." 

I asked him immediately if that was a banana in his pants or if he was just happy to see me.  He said, "both." 

I'm happy to see him, too. Joseph is one of us.

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

TACOMA SHOP TALK: Tacoma business networking opportunity.
Tuesday, June 17, 5-7:30 p.m., Paddy Coyne’s, 815 Pacific Ave., Tacoma.

BANNED BOOK CLUB: Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher will be discussed over drinks.
Tuesday, June 17, 7 p.m., Tempest Lounge, 913 MLK Way, Tacoma.

LOCAL LIVING LOUNGE: Support local farmers, organizations and businesses and check out the Local Living Lounge for hands-on community interaction.
Thursday, June 19, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., no cover, Broadway Tacoma Farmers Market, Broadway between Ninth and 11th, downtown Tacoma.

CRUISE WITH LOVE TACOMA: Sold out.
Thursday, June 19.

FROST PARK CHALK CHALLENGE: Tacoma community draws on the sidewalk for prizes and mean looks from the City of Tacoma street sweepers.
Friday, June 20, noon, free, Ninth and Commerce, downtown Tacoma.

BOBBLE TIKI: BREAKFAST WITH BOBBLE TIKI >>>

THE DAILY WORD

Transmogrify \trans-MOG-ruh-fy\, transitive verb:

To change into a different shape or to transform, often with bizarre or humorous effect.

USAGE EXAMPLE: A long time believer in transmogrify, Bobble Tiki often sites the recent documentary “Transformers,” as proof of his views. But Bobble Tiki’s beliefs go farther than that. If all goes as planned, some day soon Bobble Tiki will transmogrify into an ’89 Chevy Lumina with the ability to fight crime and drive through brick walls.

MORNING NEWS

TACOMA: Fight for your right to die

OLYMPIA: Ouch

SEATTLE: Mariners give the OK to boo

UNITED STATES: From Hillary to McCain?

JUST BIZARRE:The mailman and gas prices

MORE STRANGE NEWS: Family friendly sex store

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

JENNIFER JOHNSON: AFFAIRS CAFE & BAKERY >>>

Walking in the door and immediately being confronted by glass cooler display cases overflowing with decadent desserts of all shapes, types and sizes was enough to make me wish I had a metabolism that would let me get away with having a slice of cake with a side of pie for lunch. Reluctantly dragging my eyes away, my companion and I were seated at a small, yet comfortable table along a brick wall. Our position gave us prime people-watching time throughout lunch and allowed us to enjoy the sunlight without needing to keep our sunglasses on during the meal, as a woman at a nearby table did.

Service was quick, polite and on the mark. A $8.25 lunch special consisting of half of a sandwich and a cup of soup sounded good. But it turned out to be uninspired baked turkey and cranberry cream cheese on white bread and was borderline dry. The smoked salmon Caesar salad ($9.50) offered a perfect balance of tart dressing with crisp romaine and moist flavorful fish. Freshly baked focaccia bread was a nice change from typical toasted French rolls.

They are open for breakfast and lunch Monday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday-Saturday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

[Affairs Cafe & Bakery, 2811 Bridgeport Way W., University Place, 253.565.8604]

LINK: Download affairs_breakfast_menu.pdf
LINK: Download affairs_lunch_menu.pdf

SUZY STUMP: WASHINGTON CENTER'S 2008-2009 SEASON >>>

The Washington Center's 2008-09 season looks solid, and we are saving our pennies to see as many shows as we can.

Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra w/ Bravo! Vancouver Chorale
 â€" Oct. 2
Natalie MacMaster
 â€" Oct. 4
Lura
 â€" Oct. 23
American Ballet Theatre II
 â€" Nov. 1
Two Martins
 â€" Nov, 7
Linda Eder
 â€" Nov. 21
Best of the Seattle Comedy Competition
 â€" Nov. 29
Mark Morris Dance Group â€" 
Dec. 5
Movin' Out
 â€" Jan. 11
Los Lobos Acoustic â€" 
Jan. 24
Imani Winds
 â€" Jan. 28
Pilobolus Dance Theatre
 â€" Feb. 5
Sarah Vowell
 â€" Feb. 13
Afro Cuban Allstars
 â€" Feb. 18
Capitol Steps
 â€" Feb. 27
Guitar Blues
 â€" March 6
Seattle Symphony â€" 
March 13
Lauren Weedman in Bust â€" 
March 18-21
Gilligan's Island - The Musical
 â€" March 28
Best of Doo Wop
 â€" April 3
Altar Boyz
 â€" April 8
George Winston
 â€" April 24

LINK: Request a season brochure: 360.753.8586
LINK: Washington Center's Web site

JAKE DE PAUL CORK OPENS TOMORROW >>>

No matter how much you read about wine, there's no substitute for personal experience. But there's often a vast difference between the wine we can consume â€" or afford â€" by ourselves, and the wine we'd like to try given unlimited funds (and a liver of steel). Thus, there exists the beast known as the wine tasting. Whether it's a few bottles on a counter of a wine bar, or a thousand-wine formal event with etched glasses and hors d'oeuvres on silver platters, a tasting is an unparalleled learning opportunity.

Cork!, a wine bar in the space once occupied by Pairings wine bar next to the Rebecca V Art Gallery, will finally open tomorrow. It’s an intimate wine bar where you can sample wines by the glass, half-glass, bottle, and wine flights. They also will serve tapas.

Cork! will host a wine tasting every Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. Tacoma now has another spot to taste, and learn, about wine.

[Cork! 3012 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.212.1492]

CHRISTOPHER WOOD: KENNY FINDS A SWEET STORY IN, WELL, CRAP >>>

An afternoon of stomach-churning carnival rides and greasy vendor food usually has us searching for the nearest Honey Bucket. Squatting in those confining plastic toilets, we probably don’t take time to acknowledge the fact that someone handles all our waste after the festival ends. Such unpleasant thoughts we tend to flush from our minds.

The 2006 film Kenny brings to the surface a subject we normally cringe at: poop and pee. Its eponymous hero installs and cleans public waste receptacles for a living. Almost two hours of excrement â€" sounds like the perfect vehicle for Adam Sandler’s juvenile brand of comedy, right? â€" Kenny actually hails from Australia, and makes its North American premiere at the Grand this Friday. Already having garnered multiple awards and won fans Down Under, Kenny smartly avoids the easy raunchiness of its premise, instead painting an enjoyable and sympathetic picture of a man â€" and occupation â€" that society ignores.

Read Christopher Wood’s review in the Weekly Volcano Thursday. It’s craptastic.

Here’s a preview of the flick:

LINK: The Grand Cinema

LINK: Go see a movie right now.