TALKING THE WAREHOUSE, HOUSE SHOWS AND TACOMA WITH DREW GROW >>>

Talk about a friend of Tacoma - Drew Grow, and even his Pastors' Wives, feel like long-lost soul mates of Grit City. Originally won over by the warmth of the arts-slash-music scene emanating from The Warehouse (R.I.P.), and intrigued enough to come back even after the DIY venue's demise, the pop-sensible, hipster-spiritual Drew Grow and Pastors' Wives will be filling the Loft at Urban Grace this time around - more specifically, Friday. Since many of the same faces in charge of the Warehouse's final incarnation are helping get the Urban Grace Loft off the ground as a venue, Grow's return to their artist-first embrace only makes sense.

We've talked to Grow in the past here at the Weekly Volcano - as recently as January, in fact, but with the Portlander set to kick off a West Coast Tour in our neck of the woods on Friday, and with the semi-recent closing of Grow's favorite T-town venue, The Warehouse, we thought it was high-time to have him back for another round of questioning.

Enjoy.

WEEKLY VOLCANO: Since we covered a lot of ground last time, I want to focus this time around on the current music scene in Tacoma, and - sadly - the demise of the Warehouse, which I know was a favorite venue for you guys. What was appealing about the Warehouse, and since some of the same people involved with the Warehouse are helping out with the Urban Grace Loft shows, have some of the good things about the Warehouse carried over?

DREW GROW: This will be our first Loft show, so I can't really say what all will carry over. I do know that some of the people involved are the same, which is the best part from our perspective. The Warehouse was a hug of a venue because of the kids in that scene.

VOLCANO: What's the difference between a show at an established "venue" and a show at somewhere like the Warehouse, or even the Urban Grace Loft?

GROW: It helps a show feel personal to the musicians when the staff and friends make it personal the way that they did at the Warehouse - I.E. - dinner with the peeps at the venue beforehand, etc. You can't help turning in a warm damn performance. Many show-goers don't realize what a pivotal role they play in the performance they get from the live bands they go hear. Shows at the Warehouse felt like house shows, which as far as I'm concerned are the best shows that happen in music period. I have never been to a house show or heard from anyone who went to a house show or heard from a musician who played a house show that wasn't still giddy the next day from the experience. 

VOLCANO: From a Portlanders perspective, and someone heavily involved in DIY music endeavors, what sense do you get of Tacoma? Obviously, you keep coming back - does it feel like there's something here to be tapped into, or is it just convenient? Have you seen places like Tacoma struggle before with these sorts of problems - fostering a music "scene" while battling to find "venues" - and, if so, do you have any advice?

GROW: Oh, man. Good people are battling it out everywhere. I haven't known a venue, even one at the tope of its game, that wasn't battling to stay alive. It's the same in the other aspects of independent music; money is either directly or indirectly a problem. I have always loved and respected this from artists and those who work at this level. We do it for love as long as possible and then find a way to do it just a little longer. And the experience enriches our lives and our communities beyond measure.

VOLCANO: What do you tell people in Portland about Tacoma when you return home?

GROW: I was just telling my friend Toddy from "The Beauty" to come up and play at The Loft. All of you Tacomans (That can't be right ... it looks like Taco-man) have been really kind to us. The Tacoma music world that we know is a stunning pocket of creative people.

VOLCANO: Speaking of things you've seen work, I should probably ask you about Doe Bay Fest, which really seems to have picked up steam. Obviously, people hatch ideas and endeavors all the time - what has made Doe Bay Fest different? What do you chalk up its initial success to?

GROW: It thrives because the people who are doing it are excellent people. Their idea is good: "Let's get music lovers together and we'll invite our favorite musicians who are also good people and we'll spend three days in one of the most beautiful places there is." It kind of can't go wrong.

VOLCANO: The Tacoma show comes at the start of a West Coast tour. What are you anticipating? Sun and good times? You should know I'm awfully jealous.

GROW: I simply cannot wait to play this tour. (I'm running out of superlatives - stop asking me about things I live). I am lucky to play music with my band. Cookie, Vash and Kris are incredibly huge hearted and brilliant musicians. It wouldn't be an overstatement to say it is the thing I love most. It's been too long. Kicking it off in Tacoma was someone's genius idea.

We'll have a new A/B single with us ... two tracks I am really happy with. One is a bashy, anthemic thing that is going to burn the place down at the shows, and the other sounds like the P-Wives-make-a-cowboy-aria inspired by the Righteous Brothers seminal hit, "Unchained Melody".

Sort of.

[The Loft at Urban Grace, with Big Sur, Valerie Warren, 7:30 p.m., all ages, $10, 902 Market St., Tacoma, thewarehousetacoma@gmail.com]

THURSDAY, MAY 20, 2010 >>>

1. The Brotherhood Lounge in Olympia hosts "Love to Love You Baby," disco and soul music spun by DJs Shannon Action Slacks and Christine beginning at 7 p.m.

2. The sad, drooping vegetable season is over. Bring on the local farmers markets! Specifically, bring on the Broadway Farmers Market, which opens for the season today from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. This year marks 20 years of the Broadway Farmers Market. In a town like Tacoma this is quite an accomplishment - and certainly one worth purchasing some delicious, fresh, local produce over. Rain or shine, the friendly vibe, faces, and (Volcano sponsored) music featuring the Oly Mountain Boys of the Broadway Farmers Market returns this week. You should do the same - on your bike, of course.

3. The 2nd Annual Multicultural Fair and Fashion "Dances of the World" Show features music, dance and fashion from Eastern Europe, Asia, Mexico, Latin America, and the Middle East from 5:30-8:30 p.m. in the College Center on the Pierce College Puyallup campus.

4. The brand spanking new Tacoma theater company Gold From Straw stages its first play, Doubt: A Parable, at 8 p.m. inside the Mecca Building. And we reviewed it here!

5. The folks behind this summer's Urban Art Festival host another benefit show at 9:30 p.m. inside The Swiss featuring a raffle and music by Blanco Bronco, the Revengers, Blame it on the Girl and the JB Quartet.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

WHAT? >>>

"Been dazed and confused
for so long it's not true."
-Led Zeppelin

During the month of May and June well drinks and select beers cost $1 at Longhorn Saloon & Restaurant in Lakewood, all the time. It's not a happy-hour deal or a Thursday night special or some other bullshit promotion designed to get you drunk enough to pay an inflated price later on. Well drinks and select beers cost a $1, all the time. Oh, you'll need to mention the ad in today's issue of the Weekly Volcano. Just a mention is all.

By the way, Bobble Tiki is working on his Fourth of July costume this week. If you have any used Sparklers you'd like to donate, e-mail bobbletiki@weeklyvolcano.com.

Longhorn Saloon & Restaurant

10011 Bridgeport Way SW, Lakewood
253.581.2580

LINK: South Sound happy hours

BETTER THAN A SHOT OF ESPRESSO >>>

The Tacoma Urbanist, who drinks this cocktail, sent us a video of the making of the Amocat Café marketing trailer. Revealed in the video are the "drinks" that will be available at the new downtown Tacoma coffee house, which might open in a couple weeks - you know how those things go.

The video shows the new paint inside one of the three rooms in Amocat - some walls are gold, others are red.  You can also see Amocat owner Morgan Alexander ripping the paper away from the windows during the shot.

Amocat will be using "Go Local" products such as Valhalla Coffee, tea from Mad Hat and many other local products.  However, they flew in New York City-based journalist Heather Robinson (?) to star in this video.

ON AND OFF THE WALL >>>

Free stuff is good stuff in my book, especially if you would normally have to shell out a kidney to buy a ticket. Tacoma's Third Thursday ArtWalk takes to the streets tonight, as it does on the third Thursday of every month, with galleries, museums and businesses swinging open their doors to the commoners.

Here are a few Third Thursday ArtWalk highlights:

If the sadness hasn't reached you, let it be known that the wonderful Two Vaults Gallery will shut its doors at the end of the month. Tonight, will be its last ArtWalk party. Weekly Volcano art critic Alec Clayton has the details. Guitarist Andrew Sherbrooke will try to keep the emotions cheerful.

A kinetic sculpture is a human-powered vehicle that also has an artistic theme.  Thanks to the City of Tacoma and the Tacoma Art Museum, kinetic sculptures are on the move at the annual Zeit-Bike event, "Movable Feats," which runs through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Museum. This year artists - Eric Holdener and Bill Fleming of Olympia and Tacoma artist Scott McGee - have designed bicycle-inspired functional sculptures in honor of National Bike Month. During tonight's Third Thursday ArtWalk from 5:30-7:30 p.m., the three artists will hop on their art and peddle them around Tollefson Plaza.

That's right, Tacoma. You no longer have to go to Paris to rent a goofy-looking bike and cruise from gallery to gallery. The Tacoma Art Ride pushes off tonight - at arts critic mass if you will - where riders do the Tacoma Third Thursday ArtWalk on bikes. The kickstand springs up at 6 p.m. in front of Tacoma Bike at 309 Puyallup Ave. by the Tacoma Dome. Then, for two hours, riders will visit venues along the Art Walk route including the Zeit-Bike exhibition at the Tacoma Art Museum.

Viceroy Art Gallery is Tacoma's newest gallery housed inside the Office GO Architects at 711 Court A. The new gallery will focus on emerging artists, such as Scott Olson who will show his whimsical paintings tonight from 5-9 p.m. Also, you can make your mark on the first "Art Wall" installation - an interactive temporary installation made by you.

Fulcrum Gallery opens a new show tonight, which will be accompanied by DJ Bilori's ambient and chill spins. Artist Jeremy Mangan will show his new paintings - two-dimensional structures that serve to draw attention to the hubris, precariousness, and ridiculousness, of human ambition - under the titled Build to Suit. The reception for Mangan will run from 6-9 p.m.

As part of this month's Art Walk, Tacoma Art Supply is hosting a book signing of The Comic Critic Presents Seldom Seen Films by Mark Monlux from 5:30-8 p.m. For this evening only book will be discounted down to $10. Tyrone Patkoski's artwork still hangs inside, too.

And, of course, you can enjoy most of the highlights above on the ART BUS. It's a fun, dry way to see tonight's art.

LINK: Third Thursday ArtWalk Web site

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

A good time with Pearl Jam

Cyclist Floyd Landis says Lance Armstrong used drugs.

Half of California thinks pot should be legalized.

Extremely Casual Fridays

The Weekly Volcano follows the people you're too embarrassed to >>>

Just like most good, new-age, social media applications, Twitter allows people to share and be privy to once personal, almost wholly pointless information about peoples' lives. It's seemingly endless. While Twitter is mostly full of everyday, ho-hum people - just like you and me, sharing info about what type of oatmeal we ate for breakfast and where we get our hair cut - Twitter is also a magnet for the moderately-famous.

Stars of yesterday, illiterate millionaire athletes, former cast members of Saved By the Bell - you can follow them all, intimately, on Twitter.

But, you've got standards. We get that.

That's why we'll do it for you, in a feature we like to call Weekly Volcano Twitter Stalker.

This week, checking in with...

Mark Hoppus

May 19: Mark Hoppus confronts the inevitability of death

"When I die, at my funeral, please please PLEASE do not allow a touching musical tribute to be performed by the Jingle Cats." via UberTwitter, 5:24 p.m.

May 13: Mark Hoppus works on his table manners

"At the last second, my brain couldn't decide between 'thanks' or 'thank you,' so I looked right at the waitress and said 'Thank.'" via Twitterific, 11:44 a.m.

May 8: Mark Hoppus gets competitive

"I gotta say, I'm KILLING IT right now at this trivia game designed for first-graders." via Twitterific, 7:40 a.m

Tune in tomorrow for more tweets from the life of Mark Hoppus (@markhoppus)

TACOMA FILMMAKING CREW READY TO GO >>>

Despite a few major movies filmed in our streets, the Tacoma film industry is in its infancy. It takes more than directors and production crews to build an industry; it takes producers, agents, distribution contacts, dealmakers, lawyers, and an experienced investment community.

Nevertheless, Tacoma-based filmmakers continue to write, shoot and edit their beloved film projects in hopes that a film festival out there will take interest - and maybe, just maybe - launch their filmmaking careers.

One such crew includes writer/director Chad Ruin, actor/producer Joe Rosati and producer Scott Stone, all local filmmaking veterans. Recently the three teamed up to start work on a film based on Ruin's screenplay, A Perfect Life, the story of a homeless man who wishes for the "perfect life," even though he already lived it. According to Ruin's Web site, "A Perfect Life is a glimpse into that one moment we have all had that defines who we are and where our lives will take us, either for the better or the worse."

I caught up with Rosati via email. While wearing his actor's hat we discussed A Perfect Life.

WEEKLY VOLCANO: What impresses you most with Chad's screenplay?

JOE ROSATI: The script is a hard-hitting topical drama with phenomenal range and depth. The story is especially relatable given our current economic times. I believe people will love the film. Also, the script has seen great success as a second rounder at the Austin Film Festival, which is recognized world wide as the ultimate accolade for screenwriters. That's impressive.

VOLCANO: In previous films, you went the comedy route. In this film, you're taking on a more serious role. Was it a difficult adjustment?

ROSATI: I'm about as nervous as any performer would be in this situation, as it's both new and challenging - but a canvas  I get to paint at the same time. I have been going over the script and rehearsing with Chad and Scott. Also, I'm more experienced in life and acting and (have) been through some relationships in my life that have prepared me for the role in different ways. I am honored and excited to be cast as the lead.

VOLCANO: Where are you in the filmmaking process?

ROSATI: We're in preproduction right now. We begin filming next month - in various locations throughout Tacoma. Our goal is to have it done in time for the 2011 film festival circuit, which means having a completed project by fall.

VOLCANO: Getting a film accepted into a festival must not be an easy task.

ROSATI: It's certainly not a cakewalk. If you look at festivals like Telluride and others of that caliber, they want you to have it premier at their festival, which is a tough call. First, to get into a festival is no easy task, and then some of the festivals want that "premier" status. They ask you to say no to the other festivals that you may have been accepted to. There's actually a film about the agonizing process of getting a film into a festival called Official Rejection. Check it out here.

VOLCANO: Are you ready for this?

ROSATI: I am. I'm excited. Although we still need a few more key components to the filmmaking project, as well as money to pay the film festival fees. For those who would like to help us, we have set up a donation on PayPal. As I like to say - every cent count.

LINK: Rosati's previous film Limbo

THE BEST PART OF WAKING UP IS MANTHOU NEXT TO YOUR CUP >>>

As we've mentioned ad nauseam, May is Bike Month - also hyped insufferably by Pierce Transit, Pierce County and the city of Tacoma. More specifically, May 17-21 (or this week) has been the Bike to Work Week Commuter Challenge where teams and individuals have competed to see who can ride their bikes to work THE MOST (or something ... ). 

Capping off a week of hot, bike-to-work action, today the Tacoma City Council invites everyone to coffee from 7 to 9 a.m. at the UWT Starbucks and Market Street Satellite Coffee. Even better, as long as you don't mention the word "boycott" the coffee will be FREE, and the City Council will be SERVING IT TO YOU.

PREDICITON: Unknowingly, Joey Lonergan and Spiro Manthou will use this opportunity to film an Internet political campaign ad while handing out coffee, calling it "Two Guys, One Cup (of coffee)." Naturally, the video will go viral, and within a matter of weeks all the kids will be talking about it. Neither Manthou nor Lonergan will ever understand the reference, which is probably for the best.

Coffee With The City Council

Friday, May 21, 7-9 a.m., no cover
UWT Starbucks, 1748 Pacific Ave., Tacoma
Satellite Coffee, 1122 Market St., Tacoma

FRIDAY, MAY 21, 2010 >>>

1. DJs dAb and Suga Jones will spin new wave, '80s, funk, pop and club classics during Beat Box at the Tempest Lounge beginning at 9:30 p.m. Don't be an airhead and miss this bad party.

2. Bike-to-Work Week continues today with a bike fashion show and picnic from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Wright Park. The first 75 bicycle-riding attendees to the picnic will receive a free box lunch from Marlene's Marketplace.

3. Adventure cyclist Willie Weir tells his tale of his five-month journey through post apartheid South Africa at 6 p.m. inside Tacoma Mountaineers Club.

4. PLOP - or the Performance Laboratory for Objects and Puppets - brings the world of innovative puppetry and object theater to downtown Olympia's Northern space at 8 p.m.

5. Hot off his win at the Bay Area Black Comedy Competition Nate Jackson will perform at 8:30 p.m. at the Comedy Underground inside the Big Whisky Saloon in downtown Tacoma.

LINK: New movies open today