FILM
Mongol
A ferocious film, blood-soaked, pausing occasionally for passionate romance and more frequently for torture.  As a visual spectacle, it is all but overwhelming, putting to shame some of the recent historical epics from Hollywood.  If it has a flaw, and it does, it is expressed succinctly by the wife of its hero: “All Mongols do is kill and steal.”  At the end of two hours, its hero, not yet known as Genghis Khan, has two more movies to go.  Awesome, if you go for nonstop carnage. Rated R. Three and a half stars. â€" Roger Ebert
[The Grand Cinema, 5:40 p.m., $4.50-$8, 606 Fawcett Ave., Tacoma, 253.593.4474]

SINGER/SONGWRITER
Dave Roberts
On Dave Roberts’ business cards, his title reads: “Songwriter / Entertainer … and all around good guy.” I don’t think I could’ve said it any better myself. At least, that’s not what I would say about myself. I am far from being a good guy.

If you’ve ever had the chance to catch guitarist Dave doing his acoustic cover (with a Mexican flare) thing on any given Tacoma night at any given Tacoma bar, you’ve seen an entertainer at his best.

Dave Roberts will be empowering the Tempest Lounge tonight. This offers up a great opportunity to hang out, listen to the musical stylings of Roberts, and sip on some Tempest tasty cocktails. This event is for the big kids to play, so leave the minors at home. â€" Steph DeRosa
[Tempest Lounge, 8 p.m., no cover, 913 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Tacoma, 253.272.4904]

LINK: Philo Gant and others in the clubs tonight
LINK: Viva South Sound arts and entertainment calendar
LINK: Movie Clock
LINK: Restaurant Guide

BOBBLE TIKI: BREAKFAST WITH BOBBLE TIKI >>>

THE DAILY WORD

Vituperation \vy-too-puh-RAY-shuhn, -tyoo-\, noun:
1. The act or an instance of speaking abusively to or about.
2. Sustained and severely abusive language.

USAGE EXAMPLE: As Tony Ventrella would prove, he possesses the gift of vituperation. Bobble Tiki will never forget when he saw little Tony cuss out that girls track team from Auburn.

MORNING NEWS

TACOMA: Wanna be a cop?

OLYMPIA: Bringing it back

SEATTLE: This just in

UNITED STATES: McCain's sloppy attacks

ENVIRONMENT: Google helps you walk

JUST BIZARRE: One way to get fired

MORE STRANGE NEWS: Nice digs

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

Josh Ott is a bassist. He is also an accountant, math is music.

There are few musicians out there (Bono excluded) who are as passionate about making a difference with their art. For as long as I have known him (10 years?) Josh has been diligently pursuing his voice and its impact on the people around him.

Freshly married and rooted in Tacoma, this hard working artist has recently re-titled his musical project from Glimpse to The Joshua Cain Band. The new songs are about exodus and the trials of a hidden oppression, the new sound is like a Southern Baptist chain gang meeting up with the Pixies in 1989.

Josh is a man of many talents, and one of the original members of the bicycle gang called The Market Street Petal Pansies. 

When pink was the new black, Josh said, "fuck that shit," but now he tries not to swear on stage because his wife doesn't like it. 

There are many reasons why you should find yourself waiting around after shows to meet with Josh, mostly because he is nice and will not make you feel like a dork.

PAUL SCHRAG: HIP-HOP HAPPENING >>>

It was a weird thing this past Monday night. A bunch of hard asses, poets, rappers and street organizers in a room with administrators from the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts, who really don’t know much at all about hip-hop. But that’s not the weird thing. What’s weird is the fairly natural conversation that ensued as BCPA officials shared the results of surveys conducted a few months back. The survey was conducted among dozens of community members, many of them drawn from all corners of Tacoma’s hip-hop family. Information was gathered to figure out how BCPA could safely and effectively host hip-hop shows.

Considering the seeming cultural chasm between participants, this first effort didn’t turn out half bad.

Participants gathering at Theater on the Square, including Fab 5’s Eddie Summlin, poet and emcee Josh Rizeberg, Felony Entertainment’s Ms. Jessy, JD from Way Out Records, and cable-TV sensation Rick Ross, dropped pearls and engaged BCPA officials in a search of common ground. Executive Director David Fischer and BCPA education and outreach coordinator (and brilliant poet, mind you) Lucas Smiraldo deftly managed the discussion and recorded feedback for future use. Fischer presented attendees with a cost breakdown that included sharing costs for use of BCPA facilities and a partnership proposal that included provisions to split profits between community producers â€" that means hip-hop gets to share. Fischer proposed starting small, at Theater on the Square, with a few shows per year. Build slowly, disprove fears about hip-hop, and bigger shows at larger BCPA venues could conceivably follow. Though no final outcomes emerged, something really nice happened â€" a seemingly odd group of people began to build. A list of names was taken, from which an advisory group, consisting of members of the local hip-hop community, will be formed. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

LINK: Previously in the Weekly Volcano

JENNIFER JOHNSON: SHOPPING FOR LOCAL DESIGNERS >>>

In the process of writing articles about fashion (which I love) and shopping (which I hate, believe it or not) and focusing on local designers, shop and boutique owners, entrepreneurs and artists for those articles, I’ve met, briefly, via e-mail and phone and sometimes (rarely) in person, some very amazing people, mostly women, who live and create in the Puget Sound area.

I think it is very important to support and promote local designers and locally owned businesses. I have often been able to say, with pride, when given a compliment on a piece of jewelry or clothing, that, yes, I love it too, and I bought at so and so’s shop and it’s made by such and such Tacoma resident. The closer things are to us, the more real value they have since we can see them, touch them and feel linked to them and often interact with the people who create them. I used to make jewelry and had a hard time finding anyone or anywhere (besides Grateful Dead shows) that would help facilitate a sale for me. That was 15 years ago and luckily business has changed a bit, as have consumers, thank heavens. Many mainstream shops and stores are taking chances on smaller design businesses, and direct artist and commission-based sales. In August, two such designers will get a bit of the spotlight: Earth, Wind & Wire by Mandi Wickline and Lobe Lollies by Marianne Hurlow. Both design and create custom jewelry that is sold at Marlene’s Market and Deli in Tacoma.

I pretty much despise mass produced soulless products; yet some are simply unavoidable. So while I still haven't figured out where to get comfy bras that aren't churned out in chemical spewing factories, I bet someone will soon. At least I’ll have fantastic jewelry in the meantime.

LINK: In The Bag column

NATASHA GORBACHEV: LUNCH ON THE RUN >>>

Starting Monday, July 28, Marcia's Silver Spoon Cafe will have quick take-out items available at the cash register.

One of the only complaints that they get at this perfect, family-owned cafe is their customers sometimes don't have enough time to get lunch because the restaurant is too busy. Being the community-minded folks that they are, Marcia's has taken steps to remedy that.

They'll offer salads and sandwiches, freshly prepared every morning, that are already boxed up and ready to go in their cooler. Just ask for these items at the counter. Their homemade soups will always be ready as a quick lunch item, too.

You can also call in your to-go orders to be picked up at a specified time. Give them a buzz at 253.472.0157.

Thank you, Marcia's family, for catering to those of us who are so freakin' busy and in a time crunch for the lunch rush.

Eat often and always at Marcia's Silver Spoon Cafe.

[Marcia’s Silver Spoon Café, 2601 S. Tacoma Way, Tacoma]

LINK: Weekly Volcano's Restaurant Guide

BRAD ALLEN: DRINK O’CLOCK >>>

It’s getting close to quitting time here at Weekly Volcano World Headquarters, which means my mind inevitably turns to just one thing: booze.

That’s why I write Drink of the Week.

To get the South Sound’s mouth watering, here’s a look at the tasty, fruity concoction I guzzled for this week’s Drink of the Week.

It’s called the “Brewer’s Punch,” and you’ll find it at the Harmon.

It was so good I almost downed the whole damn thing before I remembered to grab a picture. As you can tell by the picture's quality, I was already a wee bit tipsy. That's a good thing.

Check out tomorrow’s print version of the Weekly Volcano to see what’s in this delightful alcoholic nectar.

MATT DRISCOLL: ALSO HAS ENORMOUS EYEBROWS >>>

If you find yourself in a crosswalk in DC, watch out for Novak!

Just sayin'.