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

Discuss the above video over happy hour at:

Melting Pot
2121 Pacific Ave., downtown Tacoma, 253.535.3939
Happy Hours: 4:30-6:30 p.m., 9-11 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 4-10 p.m. Sunday
Drink Specials: $1 off all draft beers, $4.50 wells, $6 happy hour wines by the glass
Food Specials: Half off bar food items: brie plates, salads, cheese and chocolate fondues

LINK: More South Sound happy hours

NATASHA GORBACHEV: RECOGNIZE YOUR FAVORITE DRINK SLINGER? >>>

I hope you'll allow me to sneak out of my dark, hallowed cavern and sweet social slumber to offer you some sights that will include both tricks and treats.

Last night was the annual Budweiser Bartender's Ball, and after everything that happened at last year’s event, I had to go back for seconds.

This Budweiser Bartender’s Ball took place at the Temple Theater, which was totally tricked out with everything Halloween, a full spread of food, and several bars that were serving up Olympic Eagle Distributing's stellar portfolio of brews and Monster Energy drinks. Speaking of the beer, I was diggin' on Issaquah Brewery's White Frog Ale.

Five hundred bartenders and restaurant-industry friends from Tacoma and throughout the Pacific Northwest were present (I even kissed some dude from Hoquiam), and were all mixing and monster mashing all over in this amazing historic theater. DJ Dave Leu was pumping rump-shaking cuts, and, of course, I had to get the dance party started on the stage.

One of the best, and most hilarious, aspects of this function was that you could send text messages that would appear on big screens for everyone to see. People were blowing that thing up all night, and I can't even begin to describe how funny the posts were.

Most importantly, this Nightmare on St. Helens was a costume party, and the 2009 assortments really showed our natural human preoccupation with gender-bending, body parts, sexiness, spookiness, super heroes and A-and-B-list celebrities. 

Bob Ross won the costume competition, and some of our other favorites were Pam Anderson, Shrek, Dee Snider and, of course, the Octomom.

When all of the beer was gone, hundreds of the freaks took over Doyle's Public House and partied on until closing time. What a night!

I really want to thank Olympic Eagle, Monster Energy and the Temple Theater for hosting such a wicked event. I always laugh so much that my face hurts, and I can continue to believe that this really is one of the best events of the whole year.

Happy Hallloweiner!

LINK: More photos on the Photo Hot Spot

MICHAEL SWAN: TUESDAY, OCT. 27, 2009 >>>

1. The Swiss hosts the Tacoma-Pierce County Democratic Get Out The Vote Rally, with music by True Margrit and the Kim Archer Band beginning at 7 p.m.

2. The darkly comic new Coen brothers film A Serious Man screens at 2:15, 4:40, 6:50 and 9:10 p.m. inside The Grand Cinema. 

3. The Hub’s new Trivia Night with cash prizes begins at 6 p.m.

4. Round Mountain will fill the Mandolin Café with Bulgarian zydeco, klezmer and West African rhythms, wild bagpipes, trumpet and accordion at 7 p.m.

5. The D.A.S.H. Center and Reality Check Dance Troupe kick off Michael Jackson’s This Is It movie premiere inside the Regal Cinema 15 at 9 p.m.

LINK: Live music and DJs in the South Sound

LINK: Local movie starting times

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

ART: THAT AIN'T WORKING >>>

I’m the janitor at the Weekly Volcano World Headquarters. It’s a shitty job. These people are slobs, but the benefits are nice and I steal nickels from the honor candy box every night.

Anyway, for the entire month of November, they asked me to review their office art as well as office art around Tacoma for some “brilliant” art blog series. I get it. My name is Art. They think they’re so clever. It’s a crap idea, but I could use the extra $7.50 a week.

I’ll start with some leaf art thing here at the Volcano office that I’m forced to look at every night. Hell if I’m driving across town in the rain to review some other piece of art.

LEAF THING: It's a nice design with a good use of muted, value-keyed color utilizing pairings of complimentary colors or, more technically, probably what's called split complements. It's not very exciting but not bad.

Oh yeah, the guy with the pile of empty coleslaw containers in his top drawer wanted me to paste something below. Can you believe I’m the one posting this stuff? They gave me the password! â€" weeklyvolcano. Einsteins â€" all of them.
 
Art at Work Month

November 2009 marks the eighth anniversary of Art at Work: Tacoma Arts Month. There is something for everyone to enjoy throughout the month: lectures, music, dance performances, readings, workshops, theater performances, visual art exhibits and more.

Here is today’s highlight:

Mayor Baarsma proclaims November to be "Art at Work Month" in Tacoma at 5 p.m. on the first floor inside the Tacoma Municipal Building.

For a complete Art at Work schedule, click here.

RON SWARNER: IT’S RECORD RELEASE DAY >>>

Wolfmother, Cosmic Egg

R.E.M., Live at The Olympia

Tegan and Sara, Sainthood

Train, Save Me, San Francisco

Atreyu, Congregation of the Damned

Devendra Banhart, What Will We Be

Jack Johnson, En Concert

Stephen Stills, Live at Shepherd’s Bush

The Swell Season, Strict Joy

JENNIFER JOHNSON: THE TACOMA RESTAURANT JOINS THE NEW FALL MENU CLUB >>>

As the leaves fall and the weather changes, so do our cravings and the seasonal availability of produce. As soon as the scent of fireplaces permeates crisp air my desire for roots vegetables, grains and squashes goes through the roof.

Maxwell’s Speakeasy & Lounge has an updated menu for fall, featuring such comfort food as warm breads with blue cheese butter, a braised pork belly soup ala pozole, grilled lamb porterhouse chops, and roasted split chicken (crispy skin outside, ultra tender inside â€" amazing seasoning).

House made fettuccini, French Puy lentils, roasted butternut squash, warm bacon sauce, celery root gratin, and Pinot Noir mushrooms sauce all play an important role in Maxwell’s updated menu.

Roasted parsnip bisque is a delightfully complex soup starring trout smoked in house. A rich brown butter swirl is sprinkled with marcona almonds and fennel sea salt.

Sadly the polenta was replaced with olive oil poached Yukon mashed potatoes â€" luckily they’re like a favorite coat you forgot you had.

The best news: The Walker Burger hasn’t gone anywhere â€" and why would it with its amazing white cheddar, mmm mmm salty bacon, grilled onion aioli, and arugula.

[Maxwell’s Speakeasy & Lounge, 454 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma 253.683.4115]

MICHAEL SWAN: HALLOWEEN PARTY AT THE ROBERT DANIEL GALLERY FRIDAY >>>

Dracula. That intensely sexual, seductively amorous icon of male machismo and magnetism - the hypnotic set of eyes hidden beneath the silk top hat, the broad shoulders and refined neck subtly shrouded beneath the sweeping cape, elegant hands that coax a slow simmer from the blood of his prey, silent footsteps, lingering fingers, full lips that teasingly reveal the orgasmic crescendo of long white teeth hidden behind them.

I have complete confidence my Dracula costume will steal all eyes Saturday night at the Erotic, If You Dare Halloween party at The Robert Daniel Gallery. Although, party organizer T-Dub will try his best to shame me. He will install cages and stripper poles and load them up with hot chicks. Then, he'll adorn the gallery's walls with erotic art. Last, he's invited a dominatrix show from San Francisco, the burlesque troupe Fun Police and a couple of DJs.

Titillated yet? You will once you see the eternal he-hunk Michael Swan.

[The Robert Daniel Gallery, Saturday, Oct. 31, 8 p.m., $25, 2501 Fawcett Ave., Tacoma, 425.246.9477]

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

Discuss the above video over happy hour at:

Johnny’s Dock
1900 E. D St., Tacoma, 253.627.3186
Happy Hour: 4-6 p.m. Monday-Friday
Drink Specials: $3.25 wells, house wines, domestic beer
Food Specials: appetizers "heavily discounted"

LINK: More South Sound happy hours

MICHAEL SWAN: THE SOUTH SOUND WINNERS ARE >>>

The first round of winners of Evening Magazine’s annual Best of Western Washington contest on King5.com have just been announced.  Here they are:

Best Indie Theater
The Grand Cinema, first place

Best Museum
Washington State History Museum, third place
Fort Nisqually Living History Museum, fifth place

Best Local Band
VII Days Clean, fourth place (beat Heart, Visqueen, Vicci Martinez, Little Bill, Death Cab)

Best Art Gallery
Museum of Glass, second place
Fulcrum Gallery, fourth place

Best Fun Place for Kids
Hands On Children’s Museum, first place

Best Day Care
Sumner Valley Preschool, fifth place

Best Children’s Clothing
SugarBabies, first place

Best Vintage and Resale
Vanity Fashion Boutique, second place
Pure Vintage Clothing, fourth place

Best Women’s Boutique
Red Line, fifth place

Best Arts and Crafts
The Bead Factory, first place

Best Book Store
King’s Books, third place

Best Comics
Olympic Cards and Comics, first place
Comic Book Ink, third place

Best Furniture
The Old Cannery Furniture Warehouse, first place
Posh Home, third place

Best Records and CDs
Rainy Day Records, fourth place

Best Wedding Cakes
Celebrity Cake Studio, first place

Best Wedding Caterer
Three Chicks Catering, first place
Gayle Orth Catering, fifth place

Best Wedding Dresses
The Wedding Bell, second place

But it's not over ...

Wednesday, Oct. 28: Health and Fitness, People, Pets

Thursday, Oct. 29: Cheap Eats, Great Meals, Nightlife, Specialty Food and Drink

Friday, Oct. 30: Beauty, Where We Live, Year in Review

LINK: Best of Tacoma 2009

MICHAEL SWAN: WEDNESDAY, OCT. 28, 2009 >>>

1. Alexis St. John’s paintings based on world called the First Place hang at the Mandolin Café.

2. Curator Rock Hushka explores the evolution of contemporary Northwest art in his “Northwest Art Now” lecture at 10:30 a.m. inside the Tacoma Art Museum.

3. A job fair with employers focusing on young adults will be held from 3:30-5:30 p.m. at Goodwill’s new Milgard Work Opportunity Center in Tacoma.

4. 100th Monkey Cindi Kirtland hosts tonight’s 7 p.m. grass roots 100th Monkey Halloween arts party featuring entertainment by Voxxy Vallejo Band and monkey tiles Jason Lee art students inside the Fabulous Fifties Hall.

5. The Kareem Kandi Band performs at 7:30 p.m. inside Pour at Four wine bar.

LINK: Live music and DJs in the South Sound

LINK: Local movie starting times

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide