STEPH DEROSA: LIVE @ BBC >>>

It may sound like a crazy drive to some of you, but it’s really worth every drop of gas to head out to Beyond the Bridge Café in Sumner.  I’m being 100 percent completely honest and unbiased with you when I tell you that you are really missing out if you don’t catch one of BBC’s monthly live shows. 

I knew no one that worked there before I stopped in for coffee a couple of months ago, I had never heard any of the artists live before Friday night, and (unfortunately) no one has paid me to promote them.  This encouragement I’m throwing at you to show up at next month’s “Live @ BBC” comes simply from the coffee-shop-crush I developed Friday night.

For a measly five dollars I was able to catch a line-up of seven very raw and talented performances.  Fennison James and Brian Johnson made my heart go pitter-patter, while Ashley Brown belted it out to bring it all home for me.

Jordani was by far the best vocalist I heard Friday night.  I promptly purchased her CD and then made sure I let her know how amazing I thought she was.  I even took a little video â€" you know because a studio CD (although is usually very good) never quite does the sound justice like it does when you see it live.

It was an honor to finally see The Cloves live and in person.  Michael, who is also a BBC employee, gave an impromptu speech to the crowded room about the loyalties our community should have in local coffee shops.  It was eloquent, and said perfectly.  Kinda brought tears to my eyes.

Afterward they drug Ben and Tricia (owners of BBC) on stage and sang Ben a heartfelt rendition of “Happy Birthday.”  Tricia presented Ben with a half-eaten piece of banana bread and a candle in it.  Who ate the other half of the Banana Bread, you ask?  Everyone’s favorite MLKBallet queen, Kate Monthy, that’s who.  Way to go, Kate.

The Black Sails (formerly known as The Travis Barker Band. And no, not the drummer Travis Barker from Blink 182)  â€" set out to impress the crowd with his tuning skills before lighting the stage on fire with some wicked guitar work.  I was in complete awe.

Friday night was a fantastic night with a fantastic group of people.  I left before catching the final act (James Coates), as I was ready to finish the night and get home to my family.  So, thank you BBC for all of the fun, all the music, and the shots in my quad-cappuccino milkshake I downed in 4.8 seconds.

LINK: More photos in the Weekly Volcano Photo Hot Spot

STEPH DEROSA: GOOD MIX THIS WEEK >>>

Sumner has recently brought me unexpected happiness.  This little city’s downtown shopping district reminds me of the ambiance that also draws me to the likes of downtown Olympia.  Park your car and stroll through Sumner’s tiny gift shops, bakeries, book shops, retail stores, and restaurants â€" and you’ll see what I’m talking about.  One definite stop along the way that I highly recommend is on Ryan Ave in Sumner called Sorci’s Italian Café and Market. 

Traditional Italian meats, pastas, gelatos, and vino come served with personality at this family-owned café.  This week’s Dinner with DeRosa will be accompanied by Italian wine and plenty of Sorci’s thin crust Italian-style pizza.  I’ll be honest â€" I don’t recommend any of the raviolis, but if pasta is what you have a hankering for â€" then I suggest a serving of their homemade gnocchi.  Let’s eat!

Maria DeVore is one of those people I seem to run into everywhere.  We met at the Love Tacoma cruise a few months ago, and we’ve to bumped into each other at pretty much every fund-raiser held in Tacoma city limits since then.  I finally snapped a shot of her at Zoobilee, along with Charlotte Boutz of Rusty George Creative.  Boutz called her dress a “mullet dress â€" business in the front, party in the back.”  A sense of humor is always welcome at my dinner table.

Outside Friday night’s Live @ BBC (Beyond the Bridge Café), and directly in front of my parked car, sat Fennison James and Brian Johnson.  The two were collaborating on songs, one in particular being “Lorili” â€" a beautiful story of a girl Fennison once loved.  I stopped dead in my tracks and listened to the impromptu session.  Unrehearsed and full of emotion â€" just as any great jam session should be.  These guys are definitely guests this week.

Along with Puget Sound Pizza having great pizza, it is also one of my favorite Tacoma breakfast joints.  My favorite PSP breakfast server is Lyndzi, and she’s a guest at this week’s DWD.  Lyndzi does what any awesome server would do for me â€" She helps me decide what to have for breakfast by giving me a little bit of everything.  It is like asking me to pick my favorite glass of wine at Enoteca when it comes to picking just one thing from that damn PSP breakfast menu.  Granted, this is only if the kitchen isn’t swamped, but just the other day she hooked me up with: One huevos rancheros, one biscuit with gravy, and one slice of French toast. Friggen perfect breakfast, Lyndzi, friggen perfect.   Sometimes a little bit of everything is a lot to ask for, and you made that breakfast easy and awesome for me.

For our listening pleasure Starstruck will be belting out the old-school cover tunes while we mosh on Sorci’s.  This tweenie girl band rocked the streets at the opening day of the 6th Ave Farmers Market a couple of weeks ago.  Rock on, girl bands!  We need more of you around Tacoma, that’s for sure.

Lastly, I’ve found someone that needs a good, carby Italian dinner: Bargain Bucky the Bates skeleton.  He’s lovingly given the name “Bargain Bucky” because he comes from the cheaper side when it comes to the educational skeleton family.  He’s a little shorter, and made from a less-expensive material than the high tech med school type skeletons.  He’s about $300 when others can cost upward of a few thousand dollars.  Fortunately Bucky is not alone in his new Bates home, as his cousin “tabletop Timmy” has been adopted as well.  Timmy is a skeleton of a human body from the chest up â€" and you guessed it â€" he sits on a table.  Sorry Timmy, but you aren’t invited this week, just your cousin Bucky.  A torso is mandatory to be a guest with this fine group of DeRosa guests.

Mangiamo!

LINK: Dinner with DeRosa archive

NATASHA GORBACHEV: HOTROD-A-RAMA TEASER >>>

The event organizers behind everyone's all-time favorite Tacoma event, Hotrod-A-Rama, were so kind in inviting Carmen and I to the Amocat Speed Emporium's open house in Puyallup yesterday, which is known throughout that land as the Hotrod-A-Rama prefunc.

And these guys and gals certainly did it up.

Hundreds of people showed up. Gorgeous hot rods lined the streets, we ate the tastiest BBQ food, models posed with cars for photo shoots, everyone was a blue-ribbon winner with PBR, and we met some of the nicest people that we can't wait to party with again at the big show.

Here are some pics from this colorful function.

You'd better be damn sure to attend this year's Hotrod-A-Rama, taking place on Aug. 1 and 2 within and around the Swiss Pub, 1904 Jefferson Ave.

You'll also want to consult with this Thursday's Weekly Volcano where I'll give you the full low-down and this fun festival.

Ladies and Gentlemen: Rev your engines now.

ALEC CLAYTON: ODYSSEUS’S GARDEN TALK >>>

The front rooms of Fulcrum Gallery are filled with glass works by Bryan Rubino that are displayed in such a way as to be seen as two unified installations even though it is actual an exhibition of slightly more than a dozen individual works of art. The placement of the pieces adds considerably to their impact, as does the lighting, which requires some fine tuning because the art is reflective and some works have their own light sources; and there is natural light to contend with, which filters through the large front windows. I’m told that the installations look spectacular at night, but I haven’t had the privilege of seeing that for myself. Read my review Thursday in the Weekly Volcano.

Bryan Rubino will give a brief talk with slides at the Fulcrum tonight at 6 p.m.

[Fulcrum Gallery, noon to 6 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Thursdays 6-9 p.m. and by appointment, through Aug. 17, 1308 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Tacoma, 253.250.0520, fulcrum@oliverdoriss.com]

LINK: Previously on Spew

DANIEL BLUE: MEET MATHEW JOST >>>

This Mysterious Sailor is named Mathew Jost.  He sails into town every now and again, and we are hopping that he decides to make this his port of origin.  Fun to the very last drop, Matt is a sea of energy and debauchery mixed into the shape of a broad shouldered and extremely likable fellow.   

Currently working in the Alaskan fishing industry, Mathew is a graduate of Southern Oregon University in Ashland and has traveled the oceans of many continents.  For all his travels, he has spent quite a bit of time here in Tacoma, having lived here for a month just this spring and having spent a summer here during the time that his sister was attending the University of Puget Sound. 

There are very few people that don't find this young man a potential friend-mate, having met up with him at different pool halls around Tacoma, usually by the time I get there he has collected a crew of buddies and fellow pool sharks to drink the night away amongst. 

Matt is passionate about the world outside our urban vs. suburban arguments. Having spent extensive time in Mali, Africa, his perspective and wisdom are enlightening and a breath of fresh air. 

Rumors abound amongst the single women in Tacoma that Mr. Jost will be returning to Tacoma for a long stint, having given himself a hernia under the Alaskan Fish Monger's cruel whip.

LINK: The Tacoma Files archive

SUZY STUMP: 5 THINGS TO DO TODAY >>>

10 A.M. to 6 P.M.: For a good selection of artworks that teeter between "real" art and "home décor" i.e. that caters to a mass market without being too banal- go to Childhood's End Gallery in Olympia. The latest show centers on a travel theme with paintings by Sandy Hurd, serigraphs by Sherry Buckner and photographs by Jim Nilsen. More at the Edge

ALL DAY: Batman isn't a comic book anymore.  Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight is a haunted film that leaps beyond its origins and becomes an engrossing tragedy.  It creates characters we come to care about. See the Movie Clock for theaters and starting times.

7 P.M.: Stan Finkelstein- executive director of the Association of Washington Cities- will be in Ruston tonight to discuss with citizens and the current Ruston town council what it really means to switch from a mayor-council form of government to a council-town manager form of government. Ruston Home has the details.

8 P.M.: Green plays the blues the way they're meant to be played; shuffles in G and slow burning blues without the designer makeover. Green and his band Double Shot will groove their way through standards and originals with style and grace tonight at the Swiss.

9 P.M.: 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 with enough chops to make Kry a bit jealous, and the rest is, well, history. Crazy, drunken, a little off pitch, kicking and jiving history every Monday night at Jazzbones.

LINK: Viva South Sound arts and entertainment calendar
LINK: Live music and DJs
LINK: Movie Clock

JAKE DE PAUL: THE MORNING BREW >>>

1. Getting to know carne asada. (New York Times Magazine)

2. Filmmaker David Lynch has created his own organic coffee (Serious Eats)

3. Blueberries are food of the gods. Pick ‘em yourself. (Crosscut)

LINK: Noshing and sipping around the South Sound

BOBBLE TIKI:BREAKFAST WITH BOBBLE TIKI >>>

THE DAILY WORD

Quondam \KWAHN-duhm; KWAHN-dam\, adjective:
Having been formerly; former; sometime.

USAGE EXAMPLE: A quondam fan of America’s Next Top Model, Bobble Tiki has since changed his allegences to other shows on the tube.

MORNING NEWS

TACOMA: Despite all the dead fish, Wapato is better?

OLYMPIA: Clean and sober softball

SEATTLE:  People trying to save doomed Starbucks locations

UNITED STATES: What did Obama learn in Iraq?

ENVIRONMENT: Wind power in China

JUST BIZARRE: Five year old with a plan

MORE STRANGE NEWS: Parking spot dispute ends in shots fired

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