MICHAEL SWAN: A QUIET, SUNNY DAY TO SHOOT DOWNTOWN >>>

Spud Goodman and The Tacoma Diaries crew were filming a scene for an upcoming episode this afternoon in front of the Pantages Theater. 

View past TTD episodes here.

WEEKLY VOLCANO: MURMURS IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

Firwood to reopen
Fife's previously incinerated Firwood Roadhouse hopes to re-open its new digs some time in October (fingers crossed) with a new look, a new feel, and a new name: Firwood Rock Lounge.  Located next to Club Kokonut and across the street from some of Tacoma's best eateries, Firwood Rock Lounge aims to shake the old image of a "nightclub" and re-surface as a rock lounge that "adds some nice nightlife to the already fun downtown Tacoma scene," says manager and proprietor Hyon Luv Kil. 

Stay tuned for more specifics and interior pictures of what is replacing that old Drake's space on Pacific Avenue.

Vanilla Bean Café
Tobe Wallawine is relocating her Vanilla Bean Café at 6404 Waller Road E. to the old Black Water Coffee space at 743 St Helens Ave. The remodel will be finished in two to three weeks.

Prime Real Estate
How did Tacoma’s Hell’s Kitchen score Sunny Day Real Estate’s Reunion Tour warm up Wednesday over a Seattle venue?

“I have known Nate (Mendel, SDRE bassist) since we were teenagers playing shows at Community World Theater here in Tacoma,” explains Kitchen booking agent Flash. “I saw they were doing the reunion tour and sent him a text asking if he wanted to golf a couple times while he was up here to rehearse for the tour. He called me 5 minutes later asking if they could do a warm up show at HK.”

How cool is that?

JENNIFER JOHNSON: THE HOTTEST SPOT NORTH OF HAVANA >>>

Last night red, yellow and green lights, zigzagging streamers and paper palm trees transformed The Library at Sanford and Son into the tropical setting for The Prom, a night of dancing and cavorting in the name of charity. It was another successful year for this annual adult fundraising event benefiting CARS, Companion Animal Rescue Society. With “Copacabana” as the theme, partygoers sported all manner of island dress, Cuban linen suits, skimpy showgirl dresses and headpieces of glittery feathers, fruit, and shiny fabric.

Sadly arriving too late to catch band Si Si Si, I was blown away by Anthony Astrada and his band The Toughtimes. Blending blues, punk and surf rock, Astrada worked the crowd as a true showman would.

Later DJ Infinity taught the crowd of flush-faced revelers a 4-step shuffle. Hilarity unfolded. Grinning, laughing and clapping along, even people that swear they don’t dance were caught up by the energy and did a little sashaying.

I took mini-breaks from dancing in the Copa-Feel lounge with delicious teas from Mad Hat Tea Company, icy cold beers, glasses of wines and tasty hor d'oeuvres.

After the king and queen were crowned, the raffle tickets drawn, and my picture taken prom-style, I ended the evening sipping handcrafted martinis at 1022 Lounge.

More Prom photos are at the Photo Hot Spot.

Photography by Steve Dunkelberger

PAUL SCHRAG: MEGA-CHESS GAME DRAWS PROTESTERS >>

That's it. I've had it with these damned socialist artists and their demand that public spaces be available for free to the, um, public.

Take this group of Mega-Chess players, for example, who stormed Tollefson Plaza today to re-enact a legendary chess battle between prodigy and all-around obsessive nut job Bobby Fischer and some fellow from Tacoma. The chess battle, scourge that it was, pitted two teams that moved behemoth chess pieces – pink and green spray painted jobs made from recycled five-gallon buckets and household appliances – around the plaza. Teams were dressed playfully, black and white with embellishments, and bopped a time clock made from a box with people in it.

Damned socialists and their weird ideas.

Other chess battles followed the Bobby Fischer match including a victorious Erik Emery Hanberg.

Thankfully, a group of protesters arrived with picket signs telling these artists or whatever to get over themselves and their demands that public spaces remain free for public use. It's not like all the color and activity has any peripheral benefits for the Plaza, which is so inviting and generally swarmed upon that it's hard to find a place to sit most days.

LINK: More photos from today's Mega-Chess game on the Photo Hot Spot.

MICHAEL SWAN: MONDAY, SEPT. 21, 2009 >>>

1. Sour Owl will fill The Swiss with soulful music at 8 p.m.

2. The Pacific Grill participates in the Share Our Strength's Great American Dine Out through Saturday. The downtown Tacoma restaurant joins thousands of restaurants across the nation to raise funds to help end childhood hunger in America. Pacific Grill is participating by giving its diners who donate a complimentary Julia Child Warm Brown Sundae dessert.

3. The Harmon Brewery and Restaurant kicks off a week of Oktoberfest parties today with a happy hour that begins at 3 p.m. until close and musical guest Steve Stefanowicz from 7-10 p.m.

4. The Classic Greek Theatre of Oregon presents a free staging of Trojan Women by Euripides at 7:30 p.m. inside the Schneebeck Concert Hall at the University of Puget Sound.

5. Wynonna performs with Tacoma Symphony Orchestra at Puyallup Fair beginning at 7:30 p.m.
 

LINK: Live music and DJs in the South Sound

LINK: Local movie starting times

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

MICHAEL SWAN: PUYALLUP FAIR, MONDAY, SEPT. 21, 2009 >>>

Check it: Military Appreciation Day today. Snug.

Stuff to do today
10 a.m.: 4-H Dairy Judging, Large Show Arena (P)

12 p.m.: Recycle with Kids, Hobby Hall

12:30 p.m.: Groovin' Higher Jazz Orchestra, Coca-Cola Stage

2 p.m.: Basketry, Pavilion, 2nd Floor

4 p.m.: Spinning, Pavilion, 2nd Floor

4:30 p.m.: Egg Artistry, Hobby Hall

5:30 p.m.: Daily Parade, throughout grounds

7:30 p.m.: Wynonna with Tacoma Symphony, Grandstand

More things to do today here

Hours
10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday.

Admission
$11 adults, $8 seniors (62 and older) and students (age 6-18); free age 5 and younger. Advance discount tickets at Safeway, Fred Meyer and Columbia Bank.

Parking
$10 Monday-Friday, $12 Saturday-Sunday

Transportation
Pierce Transit “Fair Express” for $3 round trip. Details are here.

More Information
Do their Web site.

MICHAEL SWAN: HOW DO WE KNOW IT’S NOT REALLY KISS >>>

KISS will bring its KISS Alive 35 2009 North American Tour to Seattle’s KeyArena Nov. 1.

How old are these guys now?  Do we really know who’s under that makeup? I hear Dick Cheney spent a summer playing skins while pretending to be Peter Criss. He would have gotten away with it too if he hadn't been scarier than Gene Simmons.

Anyway, the band has a new album, SONIC BOOM. Buckcherry will be the main support on the tour. And tickets go on sale Saturday, Sept. 26 at the KeyArena Box Office, Wherehouse Music, select Fred Meyer Stores, Ticketmaster locations, charge by phone 800.745.3000 or Ticketmaster.com.  Ticket prices haven’t been announce yet.

NEWS TEAM: GOOD MORNING SOUTH SOUND >>>

This Should Turn Them Around: Pierce County might owe jail inmates a refund.

No More Creepy Vans?: City of Lakewood to decide today on switch to fixed cameras instead of roving enforcement for speeders.

TeeVee: Mad Men, 30 Rock nab top Emmys.

Report: U.S. general calls for more troops in Afghanistan.

Stuff Happens: U.S. stocks extend global drop as dollar gains, oil declines.

Weird: Spidey lizard

Disturbing: The most creepy stuff on the web

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

Discuss the above video over happy hour at:

Harmon Brewery and Restaurant
1938 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.383.2739
Happy Hour today: 3 p.m. to close
Drink Special Today: $3 beers, $3 wine, $3 wells, drink of the day: $3 House Margaritas
Food Specials: Appetizers are half off

Oktoberfest begins at Harmon beginning today but I don’t see any signs of it yet. The Harmon debuts a new brew, Killer Brew, Thursday.

LINK: Other South Sound Happy Hours

RON SWARNER: OKTOBERFEST AT DOYLE’S >>>

October means three things: beer, beer and beer. (So does September as many pubs launch their Oktoberfests long before Oct. 1.)

What better place to celebrate these three things than at Doyle’s Public House. The Stadium District English-style bar launched its Oktoberfest Saturday by tapping the firkin â€" the same day the Oktoberfest celebration began in Munich.

Doyle’s celebrates Oktoberfest through Oct. 3 with several events including hard stompin’ Celtic rock band Ockham’s Razor Saturday, Sept. 26.

Beer wise, pints, half liters and full liters of Radeberger Pilsner and Ayinger amber have been tagged as the Oktoberfest beers at Doyle’s. The liter stein is $8 â€" $15 buys the stein for your fireplace.

LINK: Doyle's also hosts a raffle for MS through Sept. 30

Pictured: The lovely Doyle's bartender Leah Alskog