THE LOWDOWN ON WHAT'S UP THIS WEEKEND >>>

WEATHER REPORT

Friday: Partly cloudy, hi 65, lo 49
Saturday: Chance of rain 40 percent, hi 65, lo 50
Sunday: Party cloudy, hi 63, lo 48

TRAFFIC ALERT: Utility work on northbound I-5 at Carpenter Road in Lacey from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. Friday. Construction closes three lanes on I-5 in both directions between Gravelly Lake Drive and 48th Street in Tacoma 7 p.m. Friday to 7 a.m. Saturday.

>>> JUNE 17-19: GRIT CITY FEST

Grit City Fest is set to go off all over downtown Tacoma. A full on music and arts throwdown, in the vein of SXSW according to founders Quincy "Q-Dot" Henry and Suzanne Skaar, Grit City Fest kicks off at 6 p.m. Thursday at The Den with a music workshop featuring Ben London of the Recording Academy and Shelli Martineu of Conversify - followed by hip-hop performances by Digga Mac, Name The Uncanny and Strik & Krusal. Later Thursday, check events at Hell's Kitchen and The New Frontier. - Michael Swan

[Downtown Tacoma, $20 weekend pass, $40 VIP, $12 selected single events, gritcityfest.com]

>>> JUNE 18-20: BRUNCH

Even before the Weekly Volcano's Joe Izenman can review the play for print next week, check out local playwright Elliot Weiner's Brunch, opening Friday at Tacoma Little Theatre. A comedy built on friendships and the challenges they create, Brunch is the latest theater gem to come to us via Weiner, who most recently directed TLT's The Star Spangled Girl, Greater Tuna and Tuna Christmas. - MS

[Tacoma Little Theatre, through June 27, 7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, $15, 210 North I Street, Tacoma, 253.272.2281]

>>> JUNE 19: QUIET SHOES WORLD PREMIERE

Directed by Issac Olsen, written by Olsen and Kurt Kendall, and starring Dale Phillips, the film Quiet Shoes centers around a private dick by the name of Savage - Rick Savage. When a suspicious-looking dame enters his life, the dick is thrown into a world of intrigue, cigarettes, shadows, tough guys with iron claws, upstart newsies and crooked cops. In a word: noir. In fashioning this world, Olsen brilliantly utilizes downtown and industrial Tacoma. Around every corner an alleyway looms, and on every horizon great plumes of smoke lurk. It's a thrill to see Tacoma finally used to all its gritty potential. - The Rev. Adam McKinney

[Rialto Theater, Saturday, June 19, 7 p.m., $12, 3105 Ninth St., Tacoma
253.591.5890]

>>> JUNE 20: GLITTER AND BE GAY

If we've already lost your mind to junior high level snickering, it's probably for the best. This event is too classy for you anyway. Sunday, in an extremely rare musical spectacle, the Seattle Men's Chorus and the Seattle Women's Chorus will join forces to offer what's sure to be a stunning tribute to composers Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim - yes... titled "Glitter and Be Gay." Expect music from Bernstein and Sondheim collaborations like West Side Story, along with plenty of other stage composition goodness. - MS

[Pantages Theater, Sunday, June 20, 3 p.m., $39-$52, 901 Broadway, Tacoma, 253.591.5894]

>>> WHERE OUR STAFF IS GOING

MATT DRISCOLL Editor
Will be giving into his neighbors' glares and finally mowing his godforsaken lawn, along with dropping in on the Grit City Festival and barbecuing with his loving (and far too understanding) family on Father's Day.

PAUL SCHRAG Senior Contributor
I'll be making music, working in the garden and heading to Jennifer Johnson's housewarming party Saturday. Sunday I'm going to collapse.

ALEC CLAYTON Arts Critic
This weekend I'll be seeing the premiere of an original play by Elliot Weiner at Tacoma Little Theatre (to review for that other paper, but you may not want to say that).

CHRISTIAN CARVAJAL Theater Critic

I'm seeing Sixties Kicks at Harlequin Productions, then hoping Toy Story 3 doesn't make me cry like Jessica Simpson at a spelling bee.

STEPH DEROSA Columnist
My liver will be recycling three drinks somewhere in Buckley, Bonney Lake or somewhere in eastern Pierce County this weekend.

JENNIFER JOHNSON Lifestyles/Leisure Writer
Hitting up Tacoma Boys Friday afternoon for fresh local produce for my Summer Solstice Soiree and house warming party. Sampling Sputnik Donuts at Satellite Coffee after running the White River 5K in Buckley Saturday morning. Then planting bushes from Proctor's Garden Sphere Landscaping in my garden. Before my little party, I'll get my eyebrows waxed at Salon Professionals on 38th Street for a sweet, low price.

KRIS BLONDIN Food/Wine Writer
I am going to the lake to celebrate the husband's birthday with friends, drinks, good food and hopefully some sun.

JOE IZENMAN Music/Theater Critic
Brunch, by local playwright Elliot Weiner. Local Heroes signing at Comic Book Ink. Rocking for KGRG at Jazzbones. The long-awaited return of Coffin Break to Hell's Kitchen. Playing Dungeons and Dragons. So much stuff, it doesn't even get complete sentences.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE MARKET >>>

Sponsored by the Tacoma Farmers Market and Triniti Media, the film below depicts the rising health concerns in Pierce County due to poor nutrition, and how the Tacoma Farmers Markets make healthy and locally-grown food accessible to local residents.

IT'S A SMALL WORLD >>>

A long time ago, in - basically - the same place, I wrote for a snarky, gritty little rag known as the Tacoma Reporter. Even back then, Tacoma was Tacoma. I was a lot younger. The landscape was full of metal and mud wrestling. People still preferred cheap beer. There was a place in Ruston called the Shoboat - no "w".

Times were good.

Matt Youngmark, a supremely talented dude and author and creator of Zombocalypse Now - a nerdy-hip, choose-your-own adventure zombie book conveniently released by Chooseomatic Books - was the editor, er, creative director, er, co-owner, er, all of the above at the Reporter. Basically, he was the guy behind the computer screen 22.5 hours a day, somehow creating a paper every week while running on caffeine and being denied basic human necessities like sleep and food that doesn't come from a vending machine and end in the sound "-os". Before the Reporter, Youngmark was one of the people behind Pandemonium Magazine.

Basically, he was the shit. And he was my boss. And - at least I liked to think - he was my friend.

Anyway, to make a long, somewhat sappy story short - almost a year ago Youngmark sent me a copy of Zombocalypse Now for review in the Weekly Volcano. I told him I'd do it because, let's be honest, a choose-your-own-adventure zombie books for adults is a fucking brilliant idea, and - as I said - he's my friend.

Problem is, I never reviewed the book. Shortly after Youngmark sent it to me - or perhaps right before (it's kind of a blur) - my dad passed away. I only mention this because my dad, Frank Driscoll, as a staff writer at the Reporter, is the person that introduced me to Youngmark and the connection that got me a shot I probably didn't deserve at the paper. Really, if it wasn't for my dad having that job, and the Reporter being desperate and overwhelmed enough to a) give me a chance, and b) keep me around out of sheer desperation even when I made inevitable mistakes, there's a very good chance I wouldn't have the job I do today.

But back to Zombocalypse Now. I carried it around for a long time. I told myself I'd get around to reviewing it. I really did. Eventually, I became ashamed of myself. But even that never spurred me to action. The guilt just grew and grew and grew.

For all I know, Youngmark and I may not even be friends anymore.

Luckily, he's going to forgive me. Why? Well, because I know you. After reading the preceding touching and heartfelt Spew post, you'll be moved enough not only to buy multiple copies of Zombocalypse Now immediately, but to show up Saturday at Comic Book Ink for the "Homegrown Heroes" book signing event and get your multiple copies of Zombocalypse Now signed by Youngmark himself.

That's right! Youngmark will be in attendance, and participating in HIS FIRST EVER BOOK SIGNING! Come meet the legend! And help me move on!

The "Homegrown Heroes" event also includes appearances by members of The Dockyard Derby Dames, local cartoonist Mark Monlux and James Stowe - and plenty more. If I'm not mistaken (and, yes, it is my job to know such things), the Volcano's Joe Izenman is working up some words on the event right now, for publication on Spew soon.

Youngmark blogged about the Homegrown Heroes signing earlier today. Since we're not back on speaking terms yet, I'll just still a few juicy quotes.

"John Munn at Comic Book Ink has been a tremendous supporter of Zombocalypse Now, and I can't tell you how thrilled I am to be signing at his store. I'm not just saying that, either - John was the very first retailer to stock the book, was instrumental in helping me get picked up by Alliance Games and Diamond Comics, and sold books for me at this year's Emerald City Comic Con. Without his tireless support, there's no chance that the book would have had a fraction of the success it's enjoyed so far," writes Youngmark.

"The Homegrown Heroes event is a bit of a homecoming for me, since after 18 years of T-town bliss I moved northward to Seattle last year to be closer to the day job (and shack up with my sweetie)."

Welcome Youngmark back to Tacoma in style, from 2-5 p.m. Saturday. Also, help me erase some of this guilt. Buy the damn book!

Over and out.

FRIDAY, JUNE 18, 2010 >>>

1. Doyle's World Cup Jazz Thing featuring Cliff Colon's Motherfunkers, Kareem Kandi Trio, and All Night Yard Sale begins at 8 p.m. inside the Doyle's tent.

2. Local artists and community members create works of chalk art on the sidewalks and walls of Frost Park in downtown Tacoma during Episode 12, Season 3 of Frost Park Chalk Off running from noon to 1 p.m. Afterward, the world votes for the best chalk creation on Feed Tacoma.

3. The Tacoma Etsy Craft Party featuring handcrafted items from Etsy sellers, giveaways, prize drawings and cupcakes will be held from 3-6 p.m. at hello, cupcake.

4. Renowned theologians, religious scholars and advocates for social justice have shared their thoughts and experiences with participants in order to inspire awareness, challenge preconceived notions, and shed light upon the spiritual journey during the 28^th Annual Spiritual Life Institute "Religion and Violence" Symposium that ends today with a keynote address by Dr. Reza Aslan, associate professor from the University of California, Riverside. Aslan's topic will be "How To Win a Cosmic War" at 7:30 p.m. at Saint Martin's University.  

5. The Tempest Lounge presents Beat Box, a night of '80s New Wave, funk, pop and club classics by resident DJs dAb, Suga Jones and guests beginning at 9 p.m.

LINK: New movies open today

DINING NEWS, NIBBLES AND BITS >>>

The Red Hot On TV: The Food Network's crew filmed inside The Red Hot on Sixth Avenue in early for a Seattle/Tacoma production of their popular show Chefs Vs. City - in which two celebrity chefs compete against two local foodies. The show will finally air tonight at 10 p.m. The Red Hot will be one of five Puget Sound dining establishments featured, and the only one from Tacoma.

Aloha: TNT Diner talks island noshing.

Sipping Out: El Gaucho Tacoma's wine captains Scott Schultz and Mark Gaimster invite you to join them for a wine dinner - sipping and swirling some of their favorite West Coast wineries tonight from 6-9 p.m. For $75, you can sip treats fromBaer Winery, Corvus Cellars, DeLILLE Cellars, Gifford Hirlinger Winery, Justin Vineyards, Owen Roe Winery, Pont 21, Seven Hills Winery, and Sokol Blosser Winery while enjoying the fruits of Executive Chef Kevin Daft's labor. To reserve your space, call 253.272.1510.

Future Things Are Coming: Ravenous Restaurant in downtown Tacoma will feature Airfield Wines from Washington for its third Monday wine tasting dinner July 21 at 6:30 p.m. Five wines will be paired with a four-course dinner. The cost is $50 a person. To reserve your spot, call 253.572.6374.

Food Matters: Top Chef sucks - at least for one reviewer.

LINK: South Sound Happy Hours

LINK: Restaurant coupons

LINK: Join the Nosh League

LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

Psych Rock: The Purrs aren't new to this game. When the Seattle psych-rock band (which needs two hands worth of fingers to count its years together, and recently released its sixth record, Tearing Down Paisley Garden) hits Tacoma this week, they'll know exactly what to do. Jima, The Purrs' singer, will be right at home leading the constructively spacey, dare we say paisley, rock jams; the deadpan vocals adding the perfect lockstep to the band's Velvet Underground-hued, sour, druggy, musically soaring and lamenting disposition. Basically, songs like "It Could Be So Wonderful," and even the band's cover of Lee Hazlewood's "I Move Around," are good EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT HIGH - which for a band often branded as "psychedelic," is saying quite a bit. With Bandolier and Skeletons with Flesh, Friday, June 18, 9 p.m., The New Frontier Lounge, 301 E. 25th St., Tacoma, 253.572.4020 - Matt Driscoll

Alternative Rock: Bacon Moon's name may conjure up the fleet of psychedelic bands that sound as if they picked their names from words in a hat (Strawberry Alarm Clock, et al.), but Bacon Moon's music is firmly planted in the lo-fi alternative rock of the early '90s. They have a quality similar to Guided by Voices. As with Robert Pollard's GBV, Bacon Moon possess a preternatural gift for pop structure, for constructing these humble little gems that stubbornly stick in your head - try as you might to shake them loose. With Oxcart and Ralpheene, Friday, June 18, 10 p.m., no cover, Le Voyeur, 404 Fourth Ave. E., Olympia, 360.943.5710 - The Rev. Adam McKinney

Singer-Songstress: It seems that the powers behind bringing sweet-ass bands to town and putting on shows at The Loft at Urban Grace (many of the same faces behind the final incarnation of The Warehouse) have a thing for artists from Portland record label Amigo/Amiga. They've long since established an infatuation with Drew Grow and Pastor's Wives - which blossomed into Grow playing Tacoma more than we probably deserve, with awesome effect; now Kelli Schaeffer is heading to town. At a quarter century of age, but sounding wise beyond her years, Schaeffer is another in a line of genre exploding PDX songsters soon to show Tacoma what people have been talking about. In short, you'll feel like a dolt if you miss this show. With Michael Vermillion, Kirsten Wenlock with Travis Barker, Friday, June 18, 8 p.m., all ages, $8, The Loft at Urban Grace, 902 Market St., Tacoma, 253.272.2184 - MD

LINK: More live music in the South Sound

THIRD THURSDAY ARTWALK TIDBITS >>>

I rode the ART BUS last night that led a group around Tacoma's Third Thursday Artwalk. Here's what I learned:

Cindy Murphy - the energetic owner of the novelty and gift shop Brownie Morrison (it's her porn name: Brownie was her first pet; Morrison was the street she grew up on) - has an ex-husband named Mick Murphy who loves breasts. "He likes boobs. There are boobs on everything," she says. And by everything she means Murphy's collage art that hangs on Brownie Morrison's walls. One of his pieces includes a full nude of Canadian actress Dorothy Stratten, who was the Playboy Playmate of the Month for August 1979.

Brownie Morrison is wacky place to hang out.

Knitter Megan Peters is funny. Peters leads the knitting group that meets every Thursday inside Tacoma Art Place. "Welcome, are you a knitter?" Peters asked a drop-in visitor last night. "No, I'm a crotcheter," replied the visitor. "Oh, you're a hooker," Peters announced to her knitting group.

Earrings by AJAX are for sale inside Tacoma Art Place.

Steve Lawler creates amazing wood re-furniture. His hand-built chairs, tables and lamps are made from recycled and reclaimed wood. His beautiful pieces can be seen - as well as many other talented artisans and craftspeople - at Madera Architectural Elements close to El Gaucho.

Wooden chair by Steve Lawler

Karen Cartwright Correia has cool stuff for you and your home in her shop Flying Monkey Mercantile inside the 253 Collective across from The Swiss. Although she misses her friends and family in Portland, Ore. (she's in Tacoma due to her husband's work,) she admires the creative people in Tacoma - including ART BUS organizer and Speakeasy Arts Cooperative creator Angela Jossy.

Items for sale inside the Flying Monkey Mercantile

The Peabody Waldorf Boutique and Gallery will host the Peabody Preservation Party Saturday, July 10 from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. in its intimate backroom space. Owner Eric Waldman explained the party is a fundraiser to keep the gallery operational, and will include breakdancing, puppet shows, live painting, a bake sale, live music, an auction, raffle and tons of art. If the art hanging on the galleries walls - created by young artists - is any indication of what the party could be, expect a creative, wild time.  

Eric Waldmann

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...

Jessica Simpson

June 17: Shopping confusion with Jessica Simpson

So my friend @mcstephyblanche and I just bought rainbow chard...hmmm?" 8:28 a.m., via UberTwitter

January 30: Seriously, Jessica Simpson. Clean your shit up. You're a mess, girl. Put the Twitter down.

"I meant "orgasm" not orgasim...one of the cute doctors here at the hospital informed me of my misspelled tweet. Hmm...was he hitting on me?" 4:23 a.m., via UberTwitter

January 13: OK. This is actually pretty funny, Jessica Simpson. Point for you.

"Dear elderly man at the gym:its hard 4 me 2 keep composure whilst punching at chipmunk speed when ur ball sack spills out of ur wind shorts" 5:14 p.m., via UberTwitter

Tune in next week for more fun, Twitter Stalking action from the Weekly Volcano.

BONUS JESSICA SIMPSON PHOTO!

February 3: Jessica Simpson always has someone on hand to shoot sexy-time photos. Sometimes, however, she does run out of Proactiv. (Oh snap!)

"I'm gonna bite," 6:59 p.m., via UberTwitter

TW BEGINS SHOOTING THIS WEEKEND AT THE CANNON BALL TRICYCLE DOWNHILL >>>

What you first must understand about TW, AKA Thomas William Smith, owner and proprietor of Renegade Muscle, is that he's the true embodiment of a character. The man talks a mile a minute, has devoted his life to the restoration and customization of vintage bicycles, and seriously digs calendar girls. He really, really wants to talk to you about calendar girls.

The idea, then, that TW would star in his own reality television show is not that ludicrous. Everything else about it, however, is.

From talking with TW, I learn that the basic concept of the show is this: TW takes under his wing a group of at-risk youths. He will teach them the ways of building and customizing bicycles and, when they have done so, their work will be sold at auction for charity. Felony Flats, it'll be called.

How on Earth did this happen?

Read the rest of the story, including details on the first day of shooting at the Cannon Ball Tricycle Downhill Sunday, on our Web site here.

BRING ON THE WEEKEND >>>

I'm going to be brief. The weekend is basically here, I've got a wedding to attend later this afternoon at the Museum of Glass, and Monday marks the official start of summer. There's really very little time to fuck around. The time for freedom is here.

Even though my iPhone weather predictor is calling for rain all weekend, I won't be deterred. That fucking thing is never right. Plus, raining or not - it's the weekend, which by very definition is SO MUCH better than the workweek.

Here's your Prefunk, a weekend primer for you and your liver - with a complimentary picture of an alcoholic household pet thrown in for good measure.

Enjoy.

DIRTYCHANGEUP, NAKED BACON, ZE KRUSTACEANS @ BOB'S JAVA JIVE

Saturday, June 19

Mmmm... bacon.

If it's been a while since you've checked into Bob's Java Jive - say, years and years perhaps - the time has come for you to re-acquaint yourself.

Trust me. It'll be quick. Not much has changed, unless you go back to the smoking-chimp era.

Saturday, you'll have a prime chance to see the Jive in all its glory when three hardworking, relatively modest bands fill the beer-serving coffee pot with a few of their friends, a few regulars, a bartender or two - and, voila! - the entire place feels packed. Tacoma's DirtyChangeUp and Seattle's Naked Bacon are both jam bands (didn't see that coming, did you?); while Tacoma's Ze Krustaceans lean a little more in the surf direction - and just might steal the entire show.

PREFUNK: If you want to be a real rebel, smuggle in your own Red Vines and get at the snaking early, so you're not tempted to buy a handful of them from the bar after two or three PBRs. I can tell you from experience: Heartburn City. It's a bad scene.

As they say, "Licorice before beer, you're in the clear. Beer before licorice, you're probably going to vomit frothy red stomach bile onto a Teddy Haggarty painted wall after the last band."

CANNON BALL TRICYCLE DOWNHILL RACE

Sunday, June 20.

OK. This one has already been touched on a couple times by the Volcano, by writers far more worried about "professionalism" and "accuracy" than me.

The Cannon Ball Tricycle Downhill Race, allegedly organized by T-Town's infamous TW the custom vintage bike maker, will go down Sunday. You can find all the info you need here, here and even here.

PREFUNK: Drinking and driving is never, EVER cool... unless you're on a pink, powder-coated tricycle and wearing assless-chaps and a top hat. Just sayin'. Do your homework, and come prepared!

See you next week.