THE SOUTH SOUND'S NEW NOSHING AND SIPPING SOCIAL CONGLOMERATE >>>

As part of the Weekly Volcano's new Nosh League, you can meet up with like-minded foodies at locally owned restaurants and businesses and take advantage of special discounts, win restaurant gift certificates, and learn tips from chefs and food producers. Nosh League events will take place on a regular basis and will be packed with fun, educational elements - not to mention tons of great, diverse food.  Learn about goat cheese from a local cheese maker. Get turned on to the art of charcuterie by a master. Discover the secrets to perfect pasta making with the help of an expert.

And, of course, eat and drink - with special deals just for you.

In addition to the fun events, Nosh League members will become recognized restaurant raters on the Weekly Volcano Web site. Your reviews will be starred and weighted heavily - and even included in the paper from time to time.

Ready to join?

On Thursday, July 8, the Nosh League will form a Nosh Pit inside Cork! A Wine Bar on Sixth Avenue, where the League will enjoy an amazing spread of cheeses and wines. Sign up for the Nosh League in the Community section on our Web Site.

If you are not a member of the Weekly Volcano's Community yet, join here.

Once you're a member of our site, you may join the Nosh League, where you will discover the details on our wine and cheese tasting night at Cork!

WEDNESDAY, MAY 26, 2010 >>>

1. DJs Sticky J and dAb spin house, techno, trance and remixes during SAX on Sixth's Surreal Ultra Lounge's "I Heart House" night beginning at 9 p.m.

2. Gleaming objects of desire, cars reinforce our ideals of independence and freedom. In our consumer stupor, we neglect the serious threats they pose to our cities and environment. The evolution of transportation from an inspirational entity to a social and environmental burden is no more evident than in Detroit, Mich. Documentarian Aaron Woolf presents this transit history in his compelling film, Beyond the Motor City, at 7 p.m. inside Lecture Hall 3 on The Evergreen State College campus.

3. Professional pole dancing icon and international champion Pantera presents a famous highly athletic routine and answer questions about her experiences in the pole dancing world at 8 p.m. inside Poledello at 708 Broadway, Suite 201, in Tacoma.

4. Jamie Laval and Zac Leger perform an all-ages concert at 8 p.m. inside Traditions Cafe and World Folk Art in Olympia.

5. Kamel Toe Bar and Grill's Jam Night features members of Kashmir, Soul Stripper and special guests beginning at 9 p.m. Kamel Toe has stripper poles, swings and couches for your enjoyment.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

World Folk: How many kinds of folk music can you name? There's Appalachian folk, Irish folk, Czech folk, Southern folk, sixties folk and modern indie folk. Anywhere there are folk, and there is music, there is folk music. "Folk", as a genre description, is about as useful as "rock" or "pop". But that doesn't stop Round Mountain from trying to play all of it. Billing themselves as simply "world folk", New Mexican brothers Char and Robby Rothschild run the gamut, wielding West African harps, Bulgarian bagpipes, and a dozen or so other wind, string and percussion instruments from around the country and the world. Expect both a world music lesson and a damn good performance out of Round Mountain tonight. Wednesday, May 26, 7 p.m., no cover, Mandolin Café, 3923 S. 12th St., Tacoma, 253.761.3482 - Joe Izenman

Neo-Swing: There's excitement circulating T-town with the return of Cherry Poppin' Daddies to Jazzbones tonight. Having ska-ed, skanked and swung for 20 years now, the Daddies recently released Skaboy JFK - an ode to ska that includes reworked numbers from the band's past along with four new tracks. Wednesday, May 26, 9 p.m., $15, Jazzbones, 2803 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.396.9169 - Michael Swan

LINK: More live music in the South Sound

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Edible crayons!

Yikes! Puerto Rican-born man is almost deported to Mexico.

Watch out for the omajinaakoos!

You should probably cancel your trip to Jamaica.

SAD DAY >>>

The Weekly Volcano just received this bit of sad news:

It is with great sadness we announce the closure of Sip. at the wine bar & restaurant in Gig Harbor.  Monday, May 24, 2010 was the last day of operation.

We would like to thank the Sip. Gig Harbor team for their endless devotion and countless hours of hard work. We are pleased that many of our employees will find new homes at our other Sip. and Melting Pot locations.

For guests looking to enjoy the same outstanding service, dining experience and ambiance, we invite you to visit us at the Seattle and Issaquah Sip. locations.

Sincerely,

Lane Scelzi, owner of Washington Restaurant Group

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...

Apolo Ohno

May 25: Apolo Ohno's wandering hand. Good times.

"Saw a cool picture of Julianne, Laila Ali, and your truly.......aww Good Times!" via TweetDeck, 9:35 a.m.

April 30: Apolo Ohno enjoys the family life, and shills weight loss products

"Spending quality time with fam & friends. Just met a woman who bought my 8zone product & lost 12 lbs...Raina - you've a great story! Thnk u!" via TweetDeck, 9:13 p.m.

April 26: Apolo Ohno switches seats with greatness.

"I'm not kidding you....just traded seats with pee wee Herman...the one and only." via TweetDeck, 5:23 p.m.

Tune in tomorrow for more tweets from the life of Apolo Ohno (@ApoloOhno)

VOTE NOW >>>

Once again, the Volcano's readers' poll will be the engine that drives Best of Tacoma 2010. Think you know the best band, restaurant, politician, blog or thrift store? Want to help spread the word about the best bike shop, make-out spot or bar in our area? Cast your vote here. The results of our ultra-scientific survey will be published in the Weekly Volcano Best of Tacoma issue July 29, 2010.

And yes, we did say "our area" - as in Pierce County, not just T-Town. In a shocking turn of events, we've opened up the voting to all of Pierce County this year. You'll get the same Grit-City-style coverage you've come to expect from the Volcano Best of Tacoma, but our Best Of readers' poll net will be cast even further. It should make for some interesting competitions.  If you say the best restaurant is in Gig Harbor, so be it. If the best villain is in Lakewood, then vote it so.

THE PRIZE!

All ballots must be received by Wednesday, June 30 at 5 p.m. Those that arrive before the deadline will be eligible to win a $200 gift certificate to El Gaucho restaurant and a night at the Hotel Murano. The winning ballot will be chose at random. We'll announce the winner of our random drawing, as well as the winners of this survey at the Best of Tacoma Premiere Party Wednesday, July 28 at Masa restaurant on Sixth Avenue.

Person in Tacoma you most want to make-out with? Cast your vote here.

The Best of Tacoma 2010 is sponsored by Click Cable TV.

SEE IT FIRST >>>

Academy Award nominee and 2010 Indie Spirit Film Festival winning documentary The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardener will screen Sunday, June 6 at 2:30 p.m. inside The Grand Cinema. The Grand will screen this film before its official release, which is nice.

LINK: Learn more about the film

The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner clip from Just Media on Vimeo.

THURSDAY, MAY 27, 2010 >>>

1. A handful of superhuman androids escape off-world servitude and return to Earth, and it's up to a disillusioned cop to stop them, permanently. In other hands, or a few more years deeper into the '80s, Blade Runner might have ended up just another sci-fi actioner with might restoring right, but the 1982 movie was based on a Philip K. Dick novel and director Ridley Scott was more ambitious - especially in "The Director's Cut" version, which screen at 7 p.m. inside the Tacoma Public Library's Main Branch.

2. Beginning at 6 p.m. Nestle up to pianist Mr. D in El Gaucho's piano lounge, sip on a cocktail or glass of wine while the D-ster works "The Girl From Ipanema" and watch the fortunate in the dining room eat giant slabs of delicious meat.

3. Bernard Shaw's famous play Major Barbara dismantles a cherished idea: "Right is right; and wrong is wrong; and if a man cannot distinguish them properly, he is either a fool or a rascal." Anyone in tonight's Tacoma Little Theatre audience, who believes this, is, like the twit who speaks it, in for a good moral tweaking by this socialist-capitalist-diabolical play, which begins at 7:30 p.m.

4. The Lakewood Playhouse offers a pay what you can performance of John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath, adapted by Frank Galati, at 8 p.m.

5. Megaton Leviathan, Bloodhunger, Christian Mistress and Throne Of Bone lay down some lovely metal inside Hell's Kitchen beginning at 9 p.m. Expect your cell structure to be different when you leave HK.

LINK: TCC's Chamber Orchestra, Schoolhouse Rock Live!, Tacoma Farmers Market and other events

DINING NEWS, NIBBLES AND BITS >>>

Prime Night: Goodfellas Italian Steakhouse in Lakewood offers a full prime rib dinner for $14 every Thursday.

It's Back: The Varsity Grill has brought back its monthly Martini Club, which will be held tonight from 5-7 p.m. Your $5 allows you free appetizers and $5 martinis. Drink up at 114 Broadway in downtown Tacoma.

Meat Buddies: Pour at Four in Tacoma's Proctor District hosts a complimentary BBQ Wines for Memorial Day tasting tonight from 5:30-8 p.m.

Nosh League: Join our local foodie club then join us for our first outing July 8.

Future Things Are Coming: Primo Grill hosts a grilling cooking class June 26 from 2-4 p.m. The $65 fee includes recipes and instruction, lunch with a glass of wine, tax and gratuity. Reserve your spot at 253.383.7000.

Food Matters: The New York Times reviews Epicurious and Big Oven, two cooking apps.

LINK: Restaurant coupons

LINK: Wine and beer tastings, dinners and events

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

LINK: Send us your restaurant and lounge news