JAKE DE PAUL: FOOD MATTERS >>>

Tacoma Craft Beer Festival: Pike Brewing will be pouring their Pike IPA and Monk’s Uncle Tripel at the festival, which is Oct. 3 at the Foss Waterway Seaport.

SessionFest: The Red Hot celebrates session beer â€" 5.2 percent ABV and lower craft beers â€" through Saturday.

Happy Anniversary: Toscanos Café and Wine Bar in Puyallup celebrates its fifth year in business with multiple celebrations throughout September, including Mad Scientist Bartender night tonight at 5 p.m.

Need Enough Food For A Big Group?: Try heading to Mexico, creator of the world's largest meatball, cheesecake, and taco.


Today’s South Sound Specials

Half-price wine, Maxwell’s Speakeasy, 454 St. Helens, Tacoma, 253.683.4115.

Half-price Wine Night, Pacific Grill, 1502 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.627.3535.

Tightwad Tuesdays with $2 tacos, $2 beers, and $2 wells, Hell’s Kitchen, 3829 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.759.6003.

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

MICHAEL SWAN: THIS JUST IN >>>

Live Nation welcomes Regina Spektor to the Paramount Theatre on Tuesday, November 3 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $27.50 and $35.00 in advance and go on sale Saturday, Sept. 12 at 10 a.m. at LiveNation.com or charge by phone 877.STG.4TIX.

MICHAEL SWAN: UPCOMING BOOK AND SPOKEN WORD EVENTS >>

Tacoma’s poetry and spoken-word community has been steadily growing in both participants and the quality of their material over the past few years. Here are a few events this week to jot down in your calendar:

King’s Books Downtown Tacoma. Distinguished Writer series and Open Mic with featured poet Lois P. Jones, Sept. 11, 7 p.m. (218 St. Helens Ave., 253.272.8801).

Peninsula Library Gig Harbor. Poetry reading by Tom Crawford, Sept. 10 7 pm. Poetry workshop by Tom Crawford, Sept. 12, 6 p.m. (4424 Point Fosdick Dr. N.W., 253.851.3793).

Speak Your Soul Downtown Tacoma. Poetry Open Mic hosted by Gwendolyn Faye, with featured poet "Q", Sept. 11, 8 p.m., free (Vinum Coffee & Wine Lounge, 1001 Pacific Ave., 253.572.8215).

Here are a couple upcoming book-related events:

Banned Book Club Tacoma. This months pick: Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause Sept. 15 7 p.m., free, must be 21 to enter venue (Tempest Lounge, 913 Martin Luther King Way, 253.272.4904).

Comic Evolution Puyallup. Claudio Sanchez, lead singer for Coheed and Cambria, will sign his newest comic book, Kill Audio, Sept. 16 4:30-6 p.m. (206 S. Meridian, 253.770.6464).

Graphic Novel Book Club Tacoma. Graphic novel enthusiasts discuss Heartbreak Soup by Gilbert Hernandez, Sept. 14 p.m., free, must be 21 to enter venue (Tentwentytwo South Lounge, 1022 S. J St., 253.627.8588).

STEVE DUNKELBERGER: IS THIS ON YOUR RADAR? >>>

Last Saturday I dropped by Applini's Two Clean & Sober Club in Puyallup to catch local comedian Tk Kasnick kill the otherwise sober crowd. Susan Jones, the upcoming star of Living Large headlined the show, supported by the cute and twisted Jaqi Furback.

Have you been to Applini’s yet? Ironically, it's in the same building that used to house Mugs and Jugs sports bar.

Tomorrow night the club continues its Applini Idol contest from 7-10 p.m. A DJ spins every Friday night. Classic rock band Legacy pops in Saturday night. Check out their upcoming events here.

[Applini's Two Clean & Sober Club, 1015 N. Meridian, Puyallup, 253.604.4307]

SUZY STUMP: I SO SAW THIS COMING >>>

Lyle Lovett use to sell out his shows at Pier 62/63 in Seattle in milliseconds. I think he sold out 30 consecutive nights there on year. I could be wrong.

Anyway, Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt are playing an acoustic show at the Pantages Theater Sunday, Oct. 18 at 7:30 p.m. 

Surprise, surprise â€" it’s selling like hotcakes.

So … the Broadway Center has added a 3:30 p.m. matinee show to see the two legendary names.

Tickets are $59, $79, $99 and $129 for both shows. Buy them here.

LINK: Weekly Volcano's concert alert

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

Discuss the above video during happy hour at:

Wingers Grill & Bar
5221 Tacoma Mall Blvd., Tacoma, 253.471.WING
Happy Hours: 3-6 p.m., 9 p.m. to close
Drink Specials: $2 dometics, $3 wells/micros
Food Specials: $4 select appetizers

LINK: Other South Sound happy hours

MICHAEL SWAN: WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 9, 2009 >>>

1. Pecha Kucha Night #2 featuring local creative types showing slides in a 6 minute and 40 seconds lecture showing off their knowledge and mad presentation skills will run from 5:30-8 p.m. at The Robert Daniel Gallery.

2. Tacoma artist Chris Sharp explores lettering at The University Gallery at Pacific Lutheran University â€" located on the northwest corner of PLU campus at the intersection of Eighth and 121st Street South â€" through Oct. 7. The opening reception is today from 5-7 p.m.

3. Dr. Patrick Hogan will lecture on Exercise And The Brain featuring exercises that can keep you and your brain engaged and healthy as you age at 6:30 p.m. inside the Gig Harbor Civic Center.

4. The Hub hosts Hump Day with $3 drinks and DH J-Fresh behind the turntables from 7-10 p.m.

5. Every Wednesday at 8 p.m. Doyle’s Public House in Tacoma hosts Knowledge Night where individuals or teams answer two pages of brain teasers, trivia and current events for shirts, tickets and gift certificates.

6. The Jr. Hill Band plays The Swiss at 8 p.m.

7. Award winning blues trombonist Randy Oxford hosts a blues jam every Wednesday at 8 p.m. inside Chopstix.

8. Jazzbones host Reggae Night with Urban EverGreen, Northwest Sons, Quests, and Fatt Chris at 8 p.m.

9. Sax On 6th hosts the Tribute To 9-11 Show featuring spoken word and jazz by Darius Alexander, Marcus Windham, Alex Davis, and Ryan C. at 9 p.m.

LINK: Live music and DJs in the South Sound

LINK: Local movie starting times

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

MATT DRISCOLL: SPICE BAY BUFFET TODAY >>>

I know the Muckleshoot Casino in Auburn is a little out of our usual area, but WTF. Every once in a while I like to fly by the seat of my pants. Turns out there’s more to Auburn than just teenage pregnancy and feelings of hopelessness â€" mainly, the Muckleshoot Casino’s Spice Bay Buffet, which apparently features tastes and delicacies from around the world â€" all under the protection of a sneeze guard.

Today, Wednesday, 9-9-09, Spice Bay Buffet is offering a special dinner deal that allows you to stuff your face for just $9.99. According to the promotional material, this is a chance for you to celebrate like it’s 9-9-09, which make sense, considering it will be 9-9-09.

Unlike when I partied like it was 1999, in 1999, my evening at Spice Bay Buffet tonight will not be cut short by fears that the Y2K bug will soon eradicate life as I know it â€" and, more importantly, leave me unable to sign on to AOL.

[Muckleshoot Casino, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2402 Auburn Way S., Auburn, 800.804.4944]

MATT DRISCOLL: MADISON DRIVE TONIGHT AT THE KITCHEN >>>

Want to feel fucking old in a hurry? And I mean real old. Like, Brett Favre old. First, look at yourself naked in the mirror the next time you get out of the shower. That ought to do it. But, if by some chance that doesn’t’ work, try showing up to Madison Drive’s show at Hell’s Kitchen tonight. Faux hawk rock at its finest, Madison Drive is a Seattle based six-piece band of pierced and tweeting rockers that truly makes me realize just how passed my prime I already am.

Part punk rock, part text message shorthand, Madison Drive has made headway with the kiddies thanks to a well-honed image and ear friendly riffs.

And, of course, taking the stage at Warped Tour didn’t hurt.

I’d go into more depth about what this band sounds like, but Madison Drive’s blasted MySpace page makes my computer crash from a neon and necktie overload. OMG! LOL!

NEWS TEAM: GOOD MORNING SOUTH SOUND >>>

Boobs: Female anti-Iraq War protesters at the Port of Olympia forced to expose their breasts to men.

Just Like The Movies: Key witness in Pierce County Superior Court Judge Michael Hecht trail goes missing.

Through Rain And Sleet But Not by a Pit Bull: Mail restarted after rogue bit pull captured.

Not Like Chocolate And Peanut Butter: Crude oil prices rise as the dollar hits its weakest level this year.

Will The GOP Stay Home?: President Obama will address a joint session of Congress tonight on health care reform.

Bastards: North Korea opens dam flow, sweeping away six in the South.

Hating: Google books deal “bad for biz,” thunders Microsoft.

Not-so-smooth Operator: Cops say robber came back to ask victim for date.

What They Hell?