RON SWARNER: GREATEST HITS "UNLEASHED" TOUR >>>

The Mac is back!

Well, I’m only half-right: The Mac (that’s Fleetwood Mac, for those of you who weren’t around in the late ’70s/early ’80s and/or don’t have parents) is back in name, at least. Drummer Mick Fleetwood, bassist John McVie, guitarist/vocalist Lindsey Buckingham and singer Stevie Nicks will bring their Greatest Hits “Unleashed" Tour Saturday, May 16 at the Tacoma Dome.

Beginning March 1 in Pittsburgh, the band will play 44 shows in major markets.

I imagine it will be a whole lot of Buckingham and Nicks tunes such as “Dreams,” “Rhiannon,” “Tusk” and “Go Your Own Way,” but it also means holes to fill without other classics like “Little Lies,” “Say You Love Me” and “You Make Loving Fun.”

Tickets are $49.50 to $149.50 and will go on sale Monday, Jan. 26, 10 a.m. at Ticketmaster outlets.

KRISTA CURRY: FANTASTIC DEALS >>>

Though it's geared toward workingwomen, Junior League of Tacoma’s thrift store, Second Closet, has a variety of merchandise for both men and women (I have to add, I bought a fantastically slutty dress there last summer. It's not all for the workingwoman!)

Steven Grant, who manages the store for the nonprofit group Junior League of Tacoma, declared that, "Everything is priced to go right out the door." He's not exaggerating. A BP (the Nordstrom junior clothing line) green cardigan, size medium, is $6. An adorable brown embroidered blazer, Autograph brand, is $9 in a size 8. A pair of size 6 pinstripe pants, The Limited brand, is $7, and Ann Taylor stretch khakis, also size 6, are $9.50. There are some great dresses including brands such as Tommy Bahama and Ann Taylor.

The men's collection is significantly smaller, but a couple of nice items included a Great Northwest sweater, size medium, for $4 and a pair of Crater Ridge heavy-duty lined snow boots for $7, size 11. Bring it on, Winter Blast '09! (I'm a pessimist.)

Don't miss browsing through the dollar rack, though. While, indeed, many items were priced at $1 for a reason, some were exciting finds. A ribbed Gap turtleneck and American Eagle turtleneck, both size mediums, were in there, as was a Victoria's Secret sweatshirt from their Pink clothing collection, a size small. The sweatshirt even had the $44.50 tag still on it.

Second Closet seems to be oft overlooked, which is a shame. A lot of their items are really fantastic. And the rest? Well, they're only a dollar.

[Second Closet, 1003 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.383.9269]

LINK: Weekly Volcano’s Bargain Guide is Feb. 5. Details here.

MICHAEL SWAN: HAGGARTYS IN THE HOUSE >>>

Initially, Washington officials were saying that as many as 4 to 5 million people might flood the city for Barack Obama's inauguration Tueday, Jan. 20, in Washington, D.C. Even though they have scaled back those figures to between 1.5 to 2 million, Washington is still expecting huge crowds â€" including Tacoman Leonard Haggarty, his brother, Teddy, and another famous Tacoman â€" Justin Peterson (who tends bar at Hell’s Kitchen). The trio will be in Washington, D.C. to see Obama’s inauguration first hand, with help from tickets provided by Congressman Adam Smith’s office â€" a reward of sorts for Haggarty’s hard work and unique story.

Read his story on the Weekly Volcano Web site.

MATT DRISCOLL: ROBERT WASHINGTON IS AS GOOD AS IT GETS >>>

Oh, Robert Washington â€" my favorite black Elvis.

Now, the thing about race is â€" either because of guilt, social conditioning or the plague of political correctness â€" we’re not supposed to mention it. It’s like an unmentionable Elephant in the proverbial room, something we all see but have been told we shouldn’t â€" perhaps best characterized by Stephen Colbert’s claims that “he doesn’t see color.” This is the very reason that â€" until after he’d actually won the Presidency â€" no one in the mainstream media seemed to have the balls to bring up the fact that Barack Obama is an African American. I guess they feared that if they even discussed this obvious truth they’d be branded as racists, despite the fact we were in the midst of the most historic, important and barrier-shattering event of our lifetime. Because of our difficulty discussing race, we couldn’t talk about the biggest event most of us will ever see until after it had happened - and that just seems silly.

So, for a moment at least, let’s be honest. Robert Washington is one hell of an Elvis impersonator. His yearly stops in Olympia have been some of the most memorable performances in the town’s recent history. The man is a master of his craft and â€" a fan of impersonators or not â€" you can’t help but be struck by Washington’s skill for replicating the sound and moves of the King. Plus, the man does back flips on stage. What’s not to like?

But, the thing that makes Washington unique - and the thing that turns people’s heads in a world chock full of Elvis impersonator- is his race. People- whether they’ll admit it or not â€" simply get a kick out of seeing a black Elvis. You can try to say I’m wrong, but you know I’m not.

This week, Robert Washington â€" who was made semi-famous in the documentary Almost Elvis, which followed several Presley impersonators in their quest to win the Images of Elvis World Championship in Memphis, Tennessee â€" will play twice in Olympia, first at the Brotherhood tonight, and then again at the Capitol Theater on Friday, Jan. 16. Washington, born in St. Louis in 1958 and a legitimate Elvis impersonator since 1983, was by far the most endearing character the movie highlighted. He’s good at what he does, and the minute he takes the stage he’s the unquestionable center of attention. Though Washington placed third in the year the movie documents, he has since won the outright championship. He’s the King of Kings.

Tonight the King of Kings will be in Olympia. And he’ll still be black.
Washington leaves an impression that’s impossible to forget. See for yourself. â€" Matt Driscoll

[The Brotherhood, 9 p.m., $5, 119 Capitol Way North, Olympia,360.352.4153]
[The Capitol Theater, doors open at 6:30 p.m., show at 7 p.m., $10-$25, 206 Fifth Avenue SE, Olympia 360.754.5378]

KEN SWARNER: CAKE CHAT >>>

Why we celebrate birthdays with a cake remains a mystery. Supposedly the Greeks presented cakes to Artemis, goddess of the moon â€" maybe the first to say “τι επιθυμήσατε για” (what did you wish for?). In ancient Rome, a person’s 50th birthday featured a honey cake made of wheat flour, grated cheese, honey, and olive oil. The vomitorium was invented shortly thereafter. Germans also used cakes, known as Geburtstagorten to celebrate birthdays. As for the decision to put candles on cakes â€" again historians said the Greeks did this to give Artemis’s offerings the impression the cake glowed like the moon.

Just like other history subjects, however, it’s unlikely this really means squat to the kids who, when you boil it down, just want a second piece of cake.

More than flour and water, a birthday cake represents tradition, security, celebration and love. And yet, not to sound all “Feed the Children-ish,” but not every child has a wish to count on via the magic of candle telepathy. You can’t have your cake and eat it too, and for some kids, they get neither. Until Toni Poulos, that is, decided to do something about it.

The Trenton, Ga., resident started Cakes for Kids in 2008 to provide, on the honor system, cakes for the asking. Parents stressed out, broke, (even lazy I suppose) may request a cake from her organization, which has since baked into more than 11 chapters nationwide, including one based out of DuPont.

Read my story on Mischelle Devine-Nunner and her Free Cakes for Kids aimed at the South Sound on the Weekly Volcano’s Web Site.

BONUS: Wine and beer tastings this week

LAUREN NAPIER: IT'S BROADWAY CALLS >>>

About to head out on tour with Alkaline Trio, Adeline Record’s Broadway Calls is making a stop in Tacoma beforehand. Pop-punk, as a genre, is difficult enough to master, and with only three members it makes completing the equation even more of a feat. Hailing from the landscapes of Rainier, Ore., the three members of Broadway Calls have released two records on Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong’s label and have extensively toured the United States and Canada. If you happen to miss them once, you can pretty much bet the trio will be gracing a stage near you sometime soon. But that doesn’t mean you have any reason to miss their specially-formulated, hard-hitting brand of pop-punk â€" especially tonight at the Viaduct. Anthem after anthem, if you’re singing along at the top of your lungs, be careful not to pop a blood vessel; leave that to the band’s leader, Ty Vaughn â€" catchy crooner extraordinaire.

[The Viaduct, with Shook Ones, Comadre, Perry Acker, Alligators, Thursday, Jan. 15, 7 p.m., $10, 5412 South Tacoma Way, Tacoma, 253.472.1948]

Picture courtesy of Myspace/Jordan Barrow

STEPH DEROSA: I PULL MY HEAD OFF THE BAR AND GIVE YOU MY FAVORITES >>>

In Texas we called ’em “icehouses.” And it meant you didn’t care if your hair was done or if your makeup looked purdy. They served the greasiest of caloric delicacies and the coldest, cheapest beer around. The fanciest of icehouses served Shiner Bock, which was a little pricier because it was considered an import, coming from the distant breweries of Shiner, Texas. All your neighbors and best friends could be found belly up bar top at any given time, and we didn’t consider anything about these places to be trashy or low class. They were simply our local hangouts.

Here in the Pacific Northwest they’re called “dives.”

Jump on the Weekly Volcano Web Site and check my favorites.

PAUL SCHRAG: WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON IN OLYMPIA >>>

As the state legislature returned to Olympia this past week, there was quite a cloud hanging over our poor elected officials. Currently facing a $5.7 billion budget shortfall, and hard choices about how to dole out money offered under proposed state and federal stimulus packages, legislators are no doubt scrambling to prioritize. And they’ve got plenty of help â€" lobbyists, cities, associations, education institutions, industry reps and others are becoming a mob, desperate for money, desperate for help, and desperate for influence over the people holding the purse strings.

We chatted with Rep. Dennis Flannigan, D-27th, for his take on the upcoming year. Read the story on the Weekly Volcano Web site.