Pictured here in his natural habitat, (read: the shadowy reaches of a neighborhood bar), the elusive and quixotic artist, rocker icon James Hume is biting his clothing like a rabid animal. Custom clothing for the custom man, James Hume likes the symbol of the skull.
You may have seen his art hanging at places like The Swiss, Sanford and Son, Rampart, and the party he started with his Dead Artist friends: KULTURE LAB. I capitalized that last bit to emphasize its importance, lest we forget how to do things in this town.
The son of the great and mighty television gardener Edward Hume, James grew up to be a total rebel and front man for the hair metal band Roadrunner. After marriage and fatherhood, James decided that San Francisco was a bit hot, and moved back to the cradle of his family in and around Auburn. Tacoma is a natural choice for a man like James, unsatisfied with the depressing Auburn nightlife, he quickly rose in popularity as an artist and a party animal in this rich mecca we call T-town.
James now owns a home in Lakewood and often can be found at art parties, gallery openings and anything hip with his beautiful girlfriend Jennifer.
My wife and I had a rare evening without any of our four kids hanging around the house, so we took off for a sunset dinner on the patio at the Chamber’s Bay Grill located at the Chambers Bay Golf Course (6320 Grandview Dr., University Place) â€" home of the 2015 U.S. Open (if you haven’t heard the hype already, just you wait).
The Grill is fine for a lunch or after an afternoon golf game, but in the future, this spot needs a stellar 4-star restaurant (which is most likely part of the grand scheme of things. Click here for that story.
As for the grill, the food ranks higher than area country clubs. My prime rib tasted better than the $17 price tag, and my wife’s fish sandwich arrived fresh and meaty. The service was sharp and the view gorgeous.
I would like to see the Grill order umbrellas for the patio. The sun beats down heavy on the eating area and a little shade would be helpful.
I would not, could not, at Hell’s Kitchen. I could not, would not, at a Tacoma Little Theatre audition. I will not wear it in the form of a shirt. I will not wear it privately in a miniskirt. I will not wear it at Club Silverstone â€" inside or out. I will not wear if I decided to come out. I do not like wearing clothes as pink as ham. I do not like them, Brad Allen-I-am.
I believed that pink is a color that only girls and really preppy Polo-wearing bastards should wear. I recently received a pink shirt for my birthday. I hate it. I’m going to spray paint it green and give it away at the I Am Hunger event Aug. 24 during the Glassroots Arts Festival.
Press release from Jennevieve Schlemmer and Lynn Di Nino:
Each person is asked to find 3 gently used items and paint them all the same shade of LIME GREEN. Once you have RSVP'd, you will receive the full list of instructions. We need your help.
This is a one-day event, a "yard sale" to raise awareness about all of the objects that come in and out of our lives. Give new life to an object that might otherwise go to a landfill! All objects will be priced at a $5 suggested donation with all proceeds to benefit the EMERGENCY FOOD NETWORK.
If you are interested in participating, please email Lynn Di Nino and you will receive further instructions.
Back in April of this year, Bandito Betty and I raided the dive bar below Puget Sound Pizza then known as Ida’s Pub. On May 15, Ida’s Pub was sold, and is now called The Mix. The exchange has taken place, the attitude has been re-vamped, and the façade has been given a facelift. This is something Carmen Jones and I have been dying to investigate, so into The Mix we went.
New owners Brock and Jon spent more than a month with Buck and Ida (the previous owners), slowly transitioning the business and learning the ropes. These guys seem like two smart cookies that are taking much needed baby steps when it comes to making this bar successful. By not immediately spending money on big fixes, they are prioritizing expenditures and cleaning up as they go.
Friend Beth McBride designed the new logo that now graces The Mix’s
front windows. One of the first things the new owners did was rip down
drapes that once covered the front windows, and rally-up some window
artwork that you can see from the street. McBride graciously credits
Artwork Signs for the implementation of the art and signage.
Due to the kitchen limitations and health department regulations, food
will be frozen or pre-packaged. Oh, and you can still get a Hungry Man
dinner â€" but it will cost you $15. Why the high price? “Because we want
to keep them for ourselves,†states Jon. The Mix is certainly not shy
about sending you to Puget Sound Pizza for some grub; they love their
new pizza-making neighbors.
Fine beers and wines will make their debut appearance at The Mix
starting next week, and you can still quench your thirst with what
liquor Ida’s Pub always had on hand.
Karaoke will be rockin’ the joint Friday and Saturday nights, the free
pool table is not going anywhere, and the new atmosphere is an
all-encompassing one. Brock and Johnathan both emphasized that The Mix
is a neighborhood bar, a fun time, and a place for everyone to
socialize. There is no genre, no demographic, no median income, and no
lifestyle preference. “It’s not so much a pick-up joint as it is just
friends getting together,†notes Brock.
During the day, you have the regulars â€" the Ida’s crowd. At night the
bar is filled with a social swarm of many different people. According
to Brock and Jon, The Mix has been filled to the rim with bar patrons
for the last few weekends â€" and things are only looking up.
What I wanted to know was: What happened to the infamous faux fireplace
Bandito Betty posed in front of for my Bar Exam picture? Well, I found
out that it was sold for a few hundred dollars to a neighborhood man
who apparently wanted it very badly. There were definitely no tears
shed, as Brock and Jon had no quandaries about selling it to him
immediately upon his request.
Sorry Bandito Betty, the fireplace is gone. We’ll simply have to drop
into The Mix and find warmth in the comfort of St. Helen’s fantastic
new neighborhood bar.
[The Mix, 635 Saint Helens Ave., Tacoma, 253.383.4327]
Look, I don't blame some of the folks at Jazzbones. I wouldn't want to clean a damn public bathroom- no matter how much you paid me. And let's just all come to terms with the fact that the ladies room at Jazzbones is always going to be one of the worst public restrooms in Tacoma. Hundreds of drunken idiots are using those facilites on any given weekend, so it's bound to be a torn-up mess by the time I step foot in there.
Guaranteed there's either going to be no toilet paper, or no hand soap, or a clogged toilet, or no paper towels, or a wet floor (not fun for flip-flops), or a toilet that you have to flush by lifting the back lid and pulling up the plug manually. And can I just mention that aside from the handicapped toilet, the only other stall is about as big as a shoebox? I'm not talkin' a big ol' Doc Martin's shoebox either, I'm talkin' 'bout my 5-year-old daughter's shoebox. Seriously, who has hundreds of people inside a venue for a packed live performance and only two girl's stalls? Who does that? Yeah, yeah, I know- there's another bathroom upstairs. But when you're tearin' up the dance floor in front of Bumma Stoge, who wants to haul their ass all the way up to those rooms?
While I waited in the inevitable girls' restroom pee-line, I started to ponder other unbelievable "Who does that?" situations.
Most recent example: Zoobilee last Friday. Steph DeRosa did not dress up as much as some of the other gals. I donned a simple black dress, but accessorized with some hot pink décor. (The small hot pink handbag was on sale, OK?) Well, a woman walked up to me, and this was the conversation: Her: I have that same scarf! Me: Oh cool! Her: I got mine in Santa Cruz. Me: Wow, nice. Her: Where did you get yours? Me: Macy's. Her: Oh, well mine is just like yours but I got it in Santa Cruz. I probably paid too much for it. Me: Yeah but you have a way better story to tell about where you got it! Unlike Macy's. Her: Yeah, and I was staying in a twenty-million-dollar house, so...
Who does that? Who says stuff like that to a complete stranger, and out of nowhere? I just replied, "Oh, cool" and then walked away. What was she trying to prove? Was she threatened by me? Or my stupid Macy's scarf? Was she an insecure money-grubber, or what? Seriously, who says that?
Example number two: Pearly Whites Laser Dentistry on Ruston Way. I have extremely sensitive teeth, so I was looking for a less intrusive way to have my teeth cleaned. I personally went into their Ruston Way office, talked to the receptionist, asked my questions, etc., etc., etc. I made an appointment, but told them that I would be checking in with my dental insurance to make sure that they would cover some of the costs of laser dentistry.
The morning before the appointment at about 10 a.m., I still had not clarified things with my dental insurance, so I called Pearly Whites to reschedule my appointment. Now, just for clarification- my appointment wasn't until 1:30 p.m. the next day, so this was over 24 hours notice. Here's the conversation:
Me: I still haven't spoken with my insurance, so I need to reschedule my appointment I have tomorrow. Them: Do you have a day yet that you want to reschedule? Me: Let me look at my calendar. Them: Make sure it's a day that you are sure you can make it. Me: Excuse me? Them: Make sure it's a day that you know you're not going to have to reschedule. Me: What do you mean? (Disbelief) Them: We don't like it when people reschedule their appointments. That's why we send out reminder cards. Me: Then maybe I should just cancel my appointment altogether. Them: Yeah, and then you can call back and make an appointment when you know you aren't going to cancel.
Who says that? Answer me! I'm appalled that this kind of shit comes out of people's mouths! Especially when they are a business like that-no one NEEDS laser dentistry, it is a luxury and they should come off as appealing and welcoming to the consumer. Am I right? Give me a fucking break.
I could go on and on with examples, mainly with ones about my mother-in-law. People say the dumbest shit to me. I think it's a brain disease that causes people not to think before they open their mouths. In the meantime, here's a video that cheers me up.
While Bobble Tiki’s television watching habits are usually frowned upon here at Weekly Volcano World Headquarters (something about “4 hours of TV a day being bad for you,†or some crap like that), in this instance it proves a blessing. When the Tacoma Art Museum called and asked us to help spread the word about the upcoming Iron Artist Competition â€" which is part of TAM’s A Midsummer’s Night Community Festival on Friday, Aug 8, and will coincide with Showcase Tacoma â€" Bobble Tiki instantly got the reference. Others at the office, not as familiar with the Food Network or Iron Chef Mario Batali’s masterful work, weren’t as quick to get it.
That makes Bobble Tiki the perfect candidate to sound the alarm.
Organized much like the Iron Chef television program, TAM’s Iron Artist Challenge puts local artists in a timed, toe-to-toe art smack down â€" giving all contestants an hour and a pile of surprise material â€" then waiting to see what happens. At the end of that hour, the new “works of art†are displayed to all on hand, and popular vote determines the winner. May the best artist prevail and fun had by all.
Naturally, space is limited and only so many artists can compete. However, TAM’s Public Relations Coordinator Alyssa Rosso tells Bobble Tiki that, as of right now, there’s still room and still time to sign up and compete. Applications can be downloaded here. The deadline to apply is Aug. 1.
While everyone enjoys the thrill of victory â€" even artists â€" the Iron Artists Challenge will only be intensified by its surroundings on Friday, Aug 8. Hordes of people should be downtown anyway â€" thanks to TAM’s A Midsummer’s Night Community Festival and (of course) Showcase Tacoma â€" and the eyes of those hordes will all have a chance to judge the competitions work. That’s a lot of pressure, and a lot of exposure. Throw in a beer garden across the street at Tollefson Plaza, and TAM’s Iron Artists Challenge has the makings of something quite spectacular.
And if we’re lucky maybe something like this will happen again at this year’s Iron Artists Challenge.
From last year’s event, it’s simply known as the “glue gun incident.â€
You’ve all had fair warning â€" and now the time has come. We’ve already received some great submissions for the first volume of Weekly Volcano’s Trax from the 253, but I’d like to give one last shout-out to all other bands:
Friday, Aug. 1 is the final deadline for bands to send me some of their sweet melodic goodness for Trax from the 253 acceptance. We’re compiling a decent representation of all local musical genres, and you should be a part of it. This is a great way to promote your band and support the community, so send your demos our way.
You can either email an mp3, or send via regular mail to:
Weekly Volcano Trax from the 253 P.O. Box 98801 Lakewood, WA 98496
Pictured here in his natural habitat, (read: the shadowy reaches of a neighborhood bar), the elusive and quixotic artist, rocker icon James Hume is biting his clothing like a rabid animal. Custom clothing for the custom man, James Hume likes the symbol of the skull.
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