RON SWARNER: CHECK THEM OUT CHECKING IT OUT >>>

Just another reminder that the South Sound â€" while not loaded with transvestite poetry slams and Ecstacy-poppin' hippie dragon boat races and not-so-underground Hokey Pokey parties â€" does have unique events that have the ability to make you stop and go, “huh, that’s something.”

The Barefoot Collective presents its first 8@8 of 2009 tonight. Nope, not a news program or a thrilling game of “I one the increasing piles of dog crap on Broadway, I two the increasing piles of dog crap on Broadway, I. …” The Collective's 8@8 is a formal event of artists presenting their art form informally to an audience. A training ground for constructive feedback if you will.

Tonight, Andre Bouchard, Kate Monthy, Carrie Goodnight, Jeff Hansen, Luke Smiraldo, Ron Gilbert, Jeanne Douville, Michael Hoover, Katharine Stricker and others show you what they have up their sleeves.

[BareFoot Collective, Monday, Jan. 26, 8 p.m., $5, 1604 Center St., Tacoma, 253.627.2273]

MICHAEL SWAN: MILLER TIME >>>

Guitarist Jerry Miller was a victim of the recent flooding in the Algona area. He lost years of memorabilia from his days of playing guitar in San Francisco's "Summer of Love" shows with Moby Grape. Along with personal items, he lost several guitars, amps and clothing. Sucks.

Miller's friends are organizing a benefit to help with his loses. Waylaid, a local act Jerry occasionally performs in, will back him for this benefit show which will be held Friday, Feb. 6 at Uncle Sam's American Bar & Grill in Spanaway.

[Uncle Sam's American Bar & Grill, Friday, Feb. 6, 8 p.m., 16003 Pacific Ave., Spanaway, 253.507.7808]

MICHAEL SWAN: HOLY SHIT. I WANT ONE. >>>

Try this if you can't read it.

ALEC CLAYTON: TWENTY-FOUR ARTISTS WERE SELECTED >>>

The9th Northwest Biennial at Tacoma Art Museum should represent the very best of Northwest art and provide a good barometer of what regional art in the Northwest is today.

Visit the show, which opens Saturday, and see if you think it accomplishes these lofty goals. Included are some artists who have already gained regional fame, such as Michael Brophy from Portland and Jack Daws from Seattle. Plus a lot of names that may be new to the scene. It’s also a big city show. All but one of the 24 artists â€" selected from a pool of 543 entries â€" are from Seattle and Portland, the only exceptions being Tannaz Farsi from Eugene and Zhi Lin, Sammamish. Nobody from Tacoma or Olympia.

Jurors Rock Hushka, Tacoma Art Museum’s curator of Contemporary and Northwest Art, and Alison de Lima Greene, curator of Contemporary Art and Special Projects at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, say the show includes “artists working in a wide variety of media, including traditional forms, craft-based work, and digital projects were encouraged to apply, as well as artists exploring alternative visual forms such as conceptual and performance works and installations.”

[Tacoma Art Museum, Jan. 31-May 25, 1701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.272.4258]

RON SWARNER: CLEAR THE WAY FOR THE PROPHET OF RAGE >>>

Sure, there was a measure of Jew-baiting and a less-than-high regard for white folk tucked into their albums, but from its inception in the '80s, Public Enemy, through leader Chuck D., exhibited a serious concern for its community and expressed it intelligently. And then there was the sound â€" loud, bombastic, angry and originalâ€" that ruined more than a few sets of my speakers as it demanded to be played at peak volume.

Chuck D. will speak at the Schneebeck Concert Hall on the University of Puget Sound campus at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 4 as part of the university’s celebration of Black History Month. 

Tickets are $10 through the university. Get into the flow at 253.879.3419.

Photo: MySpace

MICHAEL SWAN: JUROR’S CHOICE AWARDS >>>

Juror’s Choice Award recipients have been selected for the Environmental Art Exhibition currently on display at The Gallery on the Tacoma Community College campus.

Congratulations to the following artists:

Carson Mudach, Tenants in Common; Mesa
Zachary Mazur, Beneath the Vernita Bridge
Dorothy McCuistion, Untitled
Jason Sobottka, Rabbit Warren: Fetal Absorption
Crista Matteson, Elmer & His Pumpkins

Honorable Mention recipients:

Frank Dippolito, Salmon in a Box
Melanie Johnson, Light on the Leaves

The exhibition runs through Feb. 27, 2009.

STEPH DEROSA: BLEU CHEESE WEDGE >>>

Price: $8.99
Rating: 2.5 out of 4 croutons

The Swiss was crazy busy last Tuesday for their Inauguration Party. Mr. DeRosa was starving, and we had no patience for waiting in a food line, so down the street to The Rock we went. We breathed a sigh of relief as we found a table inside The Rock Wood Fired Pizza’s bar area. Brian the bartender came right over to greet us. I asked Brian the same annoying question I ask ever server, “What salad should I get?” If an employee of the restaurant thinks it’s good, it must be. Right? Right. In this case he was definitely right. Brian immediately suggested the new Bleu Cheese Wedge stating that it was deceivingly big. Luckily for Brian I like biting into things that are deceivingly big, so I was SOLD.

Description: Two very fresh and crisp iceberg wedges were split apart on a medium-sized plate. Between the wedges a montage of goodies such as tomatoes, bleu cheese crumbles, and The Rock’s pepper bacon were cradled gingerly and covered in a light blanket of homemade bleu cheese dressing. Beside this precious salad baby came a warm, soft roll and a pad of butter.

Taste: I’m a huge fan of the pungent cheeses and peppered bacons, so this was right up my alley. With heavy toppings such as ones noted here, another lettuce besides The Rock’s crisp and hearty iceberg most likely wouldn’t have stood up. There’s no need for wimpy greens or zesty spring herbs, the entire flavor is taken care of right there in all its Bleu-ey, bacon-ey goodness atop a hearty wedge of lettuce.

Conclusion: The textures experienced in this meal (yes, it is big enough to be a meal) satisfy every mealtime pleasurable sensory spot. Laid before you, the Bleu Cheese Wedge is appealing to the eyes, crunchy to the teeth, robust to the taste buds, and stout to the nostril’s sense of smell. This is one of the few salads I’ve had that paired perfectly with a cold beer, and not a glass of wine. It paired perfectly with The Rock’s Jumpin’ Jack Black Porter, to be exact.

Dressing on the Side
I love Texas, I’m proud to have Texan blood, but I’m so glad I don’t live there. I think I would be living an angry life full of assault charges if I had to deal with some of the shallow women there. I’m not sure if they are really THAT self-absorbed and superficial, or if they are simply not given enough positive attention in their lives â€" but goddamn some of those girls are braggers and ungrateful, spoiled brats.

It grinds my gears to hear people talk incessantly about themselves, saying things in the slight, almost as if they want you to pry so that you’ll drool over their lives. Here are some true examples of statements I’ve heard from old friends that make me want to vomit into a Dixie cup:

• “I love my maid except for when she touches my argyle sweater.”
• “My favorite three places are the tanning salon, the nail salon, and Starbucks.”
• “I don’t know what I’d do without the nanny.”

Hearing this mentality come to life makes me want to both cry and scream. Don’t these women have any depth or appreciation for anything else in their lives besides how they look to other people? Thankfully I have a different life and managed to escape that stupidity in my mid-20s. The difference here in the Pacific Northwest is that yeah, people may have a housekeeper or some shit like that, but they don’t brag about it! Here’s an example of what my friends would say here in Tacoma:

• “It’d be cool to have a maid, but who cares if my house isn’t perfect? Besides, I’d rather save money by cleaning the house myself so that I can spend the dime on something more important.”
• “My favorite three places are an indie-owned coffee shop, somewhere where I can watch a local band, and the farmer’s market.”
• “I don’t know what I’d do without Tacoma Wine Merchants, my best friends, and the sun over Mount Rainier.”

[The Rock Wood Fired Pizza and Spirits, 1920 Jefferson Ave., Tacoma, 253.272.1221]

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

JAKE DE PAUL: POOR STAINS >>>

I know how this dog feels. I get that way when I walk into Corina Bakery.