MICHAEL SWAN: PEARL JAM KICKS OFF TOUR IN SEATTLE >>>

Pearl Jam with special guests Ben Harper and Relentless7 will play the KeyArena in Seattle Sept. 21 and 22. Tickets are $68 and will go on sale Saturday, July 18 at 10 a.m. through LiveNation.com, all Ticketmaster outlets, or charge by phone 800.745.3000.

The band is touring North American in support of their anticipated new release, Backspacer, in stores Sept 20.

A special ticket pre-sale for current members (as of July 7, 2009) of Pearl Jam's Ten Club began Monday, July 13. Visit www.pearljam.com for full details.

MICHAEL SWAN: TODAY’S HAPPY HOUR DISCUSSION TOPIC >>>

LINK: South Sound Happy Hour

MICHAEL SWAN: THURSDAY, JULY 16, 2009 >>>

1. It’s time again for Tacoma’s walk-about-the-town-enjoying-culture-from-five-to-eight-p.m. ritual known at Third Thursday ArtWalk. Tacoma galleries, museums and businesses will host art for your pleasure, including Fulcrum Gallery's Sensibilia Invisibilia show, which is pictured here.

2. CJ Swanson’s abstract paintings are swirls and ribbons of colorful shapes that meander through shallow spaces on the surface of her canvases. Check them out at the Pierce College gallery from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

3. The Washington State History Museum and the Longhouse Education and Cultural Center at The Evergreen State College are presenting the fourth annual In the Spirit: Contemporary Northwest Native Arts Exhibit, a juried art exhibit showcasing the works of contemporary Native artists, with a free opening and reception today at 5 p.m. at the Washington State History Museum.

4. Sky Harbor, A Shattered Hope, Highlight Bomb, Dance For Destruction, The Black Sails and Downpour play an all-ages show at 7 p.m. inside The Viaduct.

5. Afro-Cuban, funk, hip-hop, reggae, rock calypso and everything in between will fill Doyle’s Public House at 7 p.m. when BluMeadows begins to play.

LINK: Live music and DJs in the South Sound

LINK: Local movie starting times

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

MATT DRISCOLL: STEP ONE >>>

As you’ve probably realized, the world is in the middle of an economic crap sandwich right now. Things are tough all over, and â€" while we’d like to be able to say it wasn’t affecting us here at the Weekly Volcano â€" unfortunately it is. (And I’m not just talking about the Top Ramen I’ve been forced to eat at lunch.) We’ve had to trim costs, and that has meant some tough decisions that no one has enjoyed making â€" like combining the Fort Lewis Ranger (another paper we produce here at Swarner Communications) with the Volcano into one. It’s a decision we hated making, but it has allowed us to survive and avoid laying people off â€" which, we believe, is pretty important stuff in the long run.

We know and realize this decision may have caught you off guard, and perhaps even made you wonder what the heck was going on. How could it not? Though the Volcano originally started as the arts and entertainment insert of the Ranger, and has always been inside the Ranger, the Volcano has come a long way since those humble beginnings back in 2001. Combining the South Sound’s only alternative press weekly with a paper geared toward the military was bound to inspire a little head scratching.

But things are getting better â€" and this week, as evidence of the promise of the future and as a gesture to our valued readers â€" we’ve made a step forward.

From this point on, until the economy fully recovers and we’re all back to buying houses we can’t afford (you know, like the good ol’ days), the Weekly Volcano will be a full fledged pull-out of the Ranger â€" meaning you can physically remove the Volcano from its military shell (and hug it, and kiss it, and love it, and read it.) No longer will you need to wade through military news to get the Volcano you crave â€" you can simply go straight for the gooey, creamy, delicious Weekly Volcano center.

It’s like an Oreo, only better. Go ahead, give it a whirl. It’s fun.

And thanks for reading. Just like you â€" we have no intention of letting this “Great Recession” keep us down.

Things are already looking up.

P.S. Of course, you can read several Weekly Volcano stories online, too.

ADAM MCKINNEY: WILL OLDIES RADIO SOON BITE THE DUST? >>>

When I was 8-years-old, my parents and I rode in the car as “Yesterday” came over the airwaves. My mother turned it up and slyly looked over at my father while I watched in the back seat. “Who sings this song, Adam?” she asked. “The Beatles,” I responded.

Then came the party trick. “Yes, but which Beatle?” She knew I had the correct answer; we’d discovered this the other day.

“Paul McCartney,” I said, almost as proud as she was.

Thus were the teachings of 97.3FM KBSG, the radio station that boasted “Good Times, Great Oldies.” I’d been listening for as long as I could remember, and the tones and melodies were by then irretrievably burned in my mind.

Fast forward to the present. As I meet with Fastlane Phillips, the former long-time DJ of KBSG, it is to discuss a rather worrisome thought of mine: the death of the oldies. Read what I discovered here.

ANNOUNCER: NEW ORLEANS COMES TO LACEY >>>

Slightly off the main drag of Martin Way in Lacey, a Southern/Creole inspired casual order-at-the-counter dining spot has opened in a spankin’ new retail center. Beau Legs Fish ‘N’ Chips still has a new restaurant gleam, thanks to the shiny linoleum floors and glossy royal blue padded booths. Sparse decoration, a lone flat screen television, and widely spaced seating provide a clean feel to the high-ceilinged space. An enormous curtain separates the public dining area from the kitchen.

Read Jake and Jason de Paul's review of Beau Legs Fish 'N' Chips here.

PAUL SCRAG: BRIAN KENNEY FRESNO AT THE KITCHEN TONIGHT >>>

Brian Kenney Fresno is like Captain Kangaroo for drunk people. He runs a label called Bonghit Records, has a custom guitar that looks like something stolen from GWAR’s backyard dumpster, and sings about things that would make most children and old ladies giggle uncomfortably. So yeah, he’s perfect for Tacoma, and he’ll be at Hell’s Kitchen tonight.

Armed with raisins, projected sing-along lyrics, and his giant super guitar, Fresno seeks to create a performance so dense, with a gravitational pull so great, that even light cannot escape. This black hole of entertainment is so heavy that it ultimately collapses on itself â€" spewing the audience with all that is Fresno.

Did I mention it’s free?

Seriously Tacoma, don’t miss it.

[Hell’s Kitchen, with McMonster the Devastator, Thursday, July 16, 9 p.m., $5, 3829 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.759.6003]

STEPH DEROSA: TROUBLE WITH DEROSA >>>

Widely known as one of Washington’s best restaurants, Pacific Grill ranks high on my list of all-time favorite places to meet friends for lunch.  Nothing sets the last leg of my day off to a better start than a Pacific Grill grilled cheese and a glass of perfectly poured wine.  Actually, screw my friends â€" I could be dining with Fall Out Boy at Pacific Grill and I’d still be happy with the meal in front of me â€" and that’s saying something. To top it all off, Pacific Grill’s owner/chef, Gordon Nacarrato, is one of the calmest, most open-minded and forgiving people known to man.  Knowing this only made me eager to test his patience. Read my interview with him here. 

NEWS TEAM: GOOD MORNING SOUTH SOUND >>>

Can You Deal With This!: Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., muscled Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood over state ferry oversight.

We Will Be Able To Drive Faster!: DOT awards contract for I-5 carpool lanes.

Lowballing Jobless Numbers: U.S. jobless claims slump on timing of auto shutdowns.

Sotomayor Cruising: Testimony likely to wrap up today.

Talking About Giant Steps: Today is the 40th anniversary of the launch of the Apollo 11 mission.

WTF: Waynesville man calls 911 of intent to rob bank.

WTF2: Cat-boy stuns doctors.

Halt! Drop That Penguin!: Penguin deaths prompt sniper aid.