MICHAEL SWAN: THE WAY HE WORKS >>>

What David Macaulay draws â€" churches, cities, pyramids â€" he draws better than any other pen-and-ink illustrator in the world according to Time magazine. From the pyramids of Egypt to the skyscrapers of New York City Caldecott Medalist and international bestseller Macaulay has demystified the world's great architectural and engineering accomplishments in his elaborately illustrated books that include The Way Things Work, Cathedral City, Castle Pyramid, and Mosque. Five of these titles have been made into popular Public Broadcasting Service programs. In The Way We Work Macaulay tackles his most complex subject yet-the human body.

The Tacoma Art Museum just announced that original work by Macaulay and his new book, The Way We Work, will be on view at the Museum beginning Jan. 17, 2008. Titled David Macaulay: The Way He Works, the show will run through June 14, 2009. “As part of the exhibition,” reads the press release, “Macaulay will design and create a site-specific work at the museum in early January. His past building interventions have been on non-traditional spaces such as gallery floors, ceilings, and walls and incorporated the museum in a unique way.”

LINK: ViVA South Sound arts and entertainment calendar

SUZY STUMP: CASCADE REGIONAL BLOOD SERVICES >>>

Chatting with new BFF Jamie from Cascade Regional Blood Services regarding their blood drives in November I learned that CRBS will launch a program titled Pint for a Pint â€" a program where if you donate a pint of blood you will receive a complimentary pint of beer.

Hurrah!

Enter fast talking announcer guy: You can't redeem until the day after giving blood. Six restaurants will participate, one approximately every two months. You may only donate blood once every 56 days. Vampires may not participate in the program.

More details to follow, probably during the next full moon.

MICHAEL SWAN: WAY TO GO ANGIE! >>>

Weekly Volcano scribe and designer, and most importantly â€" musician, Angela Jossy, has her song “Show Me How" â€" from her album, 
Princess Hero Complex â€" in Tim Farrell’s commercial for his bid for Pierce County Council District 4 (Democrat). Guitarist Bob Crow lays down some sweet guitar work in it, too. Check it here.

The album is available on iTunes, CDbaby and Buzzards CDs in Tacoma. 

BOBBLE TIKI: TONIGHT AT SANFORD AND SON >>>

Bobble Tiki’s high school prom isn’t exactly an event he holds fond memories of. At 17, Bobble Tiki was the definition of awkward. Bobble Tiki’s face was oily, his clothes were cheesy, and his palms sweat like crazy every time he talked to a member of the opposite sex. While all that has changed with age for Bobble Tiki (except the cheesy clothes part), in high school â€" and especially at the prom â€" Bobble Tiki was a mess. Add all that inner awkwardness to the fact that Bobble Tiki has no actual feet â€" and just sways to-and-fro on a spring like contraption, making it awfully hard to slow dance â€" and Bobble Tiki’s high school prom made for one forgettable evening.

Tonight, though, the fine folks at Sanford and Son Antiques are giving Bobble Tiki an opportunity to make new memories â€" prom memories, not full of suckiness and self-loathing.

Aided by the soothing sounds of famous Tacoma band Girl Trouble, with help from rockin’ blues band the Toughtimes and DJ Infinity, prom at the Library at Sanford and Son on Saturday is sure to be an event everyone will be talking about for weekends to come. Based on the success of last year’s Sanford and Son prom, at least, it seems Bobble Tiki isn’t the only slouch in Tacoma who’d like to make a few new positive prom memories.

What’s the deal with prom at Sanford and Son, you ask?

Check out the full story in this week's paper here.

MATT DRISCOLL: MONO IN VCF TONIGHT AT THE JIVE >>>

Mono in VCF is a band from Tacoma, though they don’t always act or sound like it.

Mono in VCF is an indie band, though â€" once again â€" they rarely sound or act like one.

In fact, Mono in VCF is many things â€" a mishmash of sounds, old school recording techniques and aesthetics â€" though succinctly describing the band is nearly impossible. The only certainty, it seems, when it comes to Mono in VCF is this: the band is good. Real good.

Tonight, Mono in VCF will play Bob's Java Jive as part of the Weekly Volcano's monthly Lava Show. Check out the full story in this week's paper here.

[Bob’s Java Jive, Mono in VCF, Library Science, the Story of Light and Dark and DJ Sammy Swell, Saturday, Oct. 18, 8 p.m., $5, 2102 S. Tacoma Way, Tacoma, 253.475.9843]

MATT DRISCOLL: INFAMOUS PUNK BAND SET TO ROCK HK >>>

It was a long time ago, in what’s perhaps best described as a far away place.

Canada, to be exact.

Sometime in late 2004, my sister and I â€" with urging from Paul Wilkerson of the now defunct Tacoma band Who Cares â€" headed north one evening. Who Cares â€" or at least the part of the band that was allowed to travel outside the country â€" had a show in Vancouver, B.C., with legendary punk band the Dayglo Abortions. Wilkerson insisted it was a show not to be missed. Though my sister and I had no money, no real plan, and no idea what to expect, we hopped in the car and made the drive.

While Wilkerson has been known to stretch the truth upon occasion, in this instance he couldn’t have been more dead-on. To say the Dayglo Abortions put on an impressive show that night in their hometown would be an understatement. To say the band owned the stage, the crowd and all the spilled beer, spiked hair, tattoos and piercing in between would be far more accurate.

Tonight the band will play Hell's Kitchen in Tacoma. Check out the full story in this week's Volcano here.

[Hell’s Kitchen, Casey’s Birthday Show with Dayglo Abortions, The Accused, Broken Oars, The Blackout Kings and I Defy, Saturday, Oct. 18, 8 p.m., $10, 3829 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.759.6003]

Picture courtesy of Myspace

SUSY STUMP: LISTEN UP WITCHYPOO >>>

Do you long to be an “ordinary witch” by day who “transforms at night” into some sort of scary pink-robed glittery giggly perky blond pseudo-witch “magical enchantress” thing, perusing your “book of spells” with its plethora of “mysterious compartments” that “hold your secrets,” along with recipes for concocting real potions “you can actually drink”?

You do? Well Jesus with an orgasmic wolf howl and some heavy goth eyeliner, are you ever in luck.

Because just in time for Halloween season and just in time to make a few thousand hyper-Christian parental brows furrow with consternation and spiritual constipation, here comes the Fall Mystical Masquerade Ball and Food Drive. Presented by the Mahlorian Green Craft, those who worship The Green Goddess, this boodown offers cash prizes for the best costumes, music, dancing and a limited Rob Carlos original to the first 100 to float through the door.

Hurrah!

[Town Hall, Saturday, Oct. 18, 7-11 p.m., $18 plus two cans of food for Northwest Harvest, 3715 Bridgeport Way W., University Place]

BOBBLE TIKI: IF THEY BUILD IT, SHE WILL COME >>>

The Tacoma Dome's blog has photos of Celine Dion's crew setting up her stage for tonight's show. You can feel the excitement here.