APPLY NOW >>>

The Tacoma Regional Convention + Visitor Bureau is looking to hire a Marketing Coordinator. Here is the job description:

Provide graphic design and creative services for the Marketing + Communications Department to include online eBlasts, major publications, advertising campaigns, website graphics and more! The Marketing Coordinator is also responsible for placing media buys and coordinating co-op ads with TRCVB members in addition to producing video content for social media sites and updating the TRCVB's image library. This position will work collaboratively with the marketing and communications team. 

Visit www.traveltacoma.com/careers for full job description and instructions to apply. Applications due June 23, 2010.

CAPITAL CITY PRIDE >>>

"Come out, come out wherever you are!" (heh, heh) and head on down to Capital City Pride, Olympia's lesbian/gay/bi-/trans pride festival held in Sylvester Park from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 12, and the parade will take place Sunday at noon. Even if the only coming out you'll be doing will happen when you exit your home, there's still plenty for you to do with 70 food vendors, arts & crafts, advocacy and local business vendors, and the follow activities:

Friday, June 11

• CabarGAY! at Jake's on 4th, 7 p.m. Tickets available online or at the door.
• The Urban Onion: DJ Turtledove, 9 p.m., 115 Legion Way
• Dancing at Jake's on 4th Ave., 311 4th Ave. E.

Saturday, June 12

• Pride Festival at Sylvester Park, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Boozegrass, live bluegrass party band, The Urban Onion, 4:30 p.m.
• Pride Film Festival at Capitol Theater, 206 5th. Ave. Word is out, 6 p.m., Priscilla Queen of the Desert, 9 p.m.
• Marlayna McBride & the Jakettes, Jake's on 4th Ave. 7 p.m.
• Masquerade Ball, at 317 4th Ave. E., 18+ event. 9:30 p.m. 

Sunday, June 13

• LGBT Brunch at The Urban Onion, 116 Legion Way
• LGBT Brunch at Cicada, 700 4th Ave.

• Family picnic and entertainment at Sylvester Park, 11 a.m. to noon and following parade. Food booths open.
• Pride Parade starts at noon
• Kim Archer Band at The Urban Onion following parade
• Sunday afternoon Tea Dance at Jake's on 4th Ave.

Come help celebrate all that hard-earned pride.

TACOMA FILM FESTIVAL DEADLINES >>>

Hey filmmakers, The Grand Cinema wants you (yes, you!) to submit a film for their upcoming 2010 Tacoma Film festival, which will be held in various Tacoma venues Oct. 7-14. The deadline to submit a film is Tuesday, June 15. If you are down with this, visit www.TacomaFilmFestival.com for details on how to submit, or call them at 253.572.6062 for more information. All entries must be submitted, paid for, and postmarked by June 15.

Hey artists, The Grand Cinema wants you (yes, you!) to design the 2010 Tacoma Film Festival poster. More details can be found here.

Hey film enthusiasts, new movies opened today.

BRING ON THE WEEKEND >>>

After a much needed, and moderately deserved week off (Hey, making jokes in poor taste takes a toll!), the Weekly Volcano Prefunk is back: a weekly guide to Saturday and Sunday excitement for you and your liver - with a picture of an alcoholic pet thrown in for good measure.

Here we go...

OLYMPIA EXPERIMENTAL MUSIC FESTIVAL @ NORTHERN

Saturday, June 12

For seemingly as long as I can remember, I've been a supporter of - and writing stories about - the annual Olympia Experimental Music Festival. In this - the festival's 16^th year - much has changed since the beginning, yet still more remains the same. Founded by L.  Jim McAdams, and later carried (perhaps to its highest point so far) by Arrington de Dionyso - who I made a yearly ritual out of interviewing during his time as festival headcheese - this year's festival starts Friday at Northern, and will fill the space every night through Sunday with some of the strangest, and all around inspiring, racket you're liable to come across. With this incarnation of the Olympia Experimental Music Festival - which over its history has established itself as the very definition of a DIY event - directed by Nathan Markiewicz, of Tacoma's LA Lungs fame, and wholly supported and sponsored by KAOS and the Olympia Strange Music Society, things are sure to be as off-the-hook as ever.

Saturday night's performance at Northern will feature KnotPineBox, The Sexbots, Aural Resuscitation Unit, Big Tom The Lithuainian, Soup Purse, Horde Of Two and Daniel Menche.

Awesome.

PREFUNK: Honestly, if you mix Prefunkatory drugs into the Olympia Experimental Music Festival mix, it might explode your brain - and not necessarily in a good way. It could be way too much. I'm not saying it's never been done before - because it surely has - I'm just saying be careful out there, strange music fans. Sometimes, when it comes to experimental music and drugs, it's better to be safe than sorry.

BOOZE AND BOOTY SCAVENGER HUNT @ Speakeasy Arts Co-op

Sunday, June 13

This is one you'll have to RSVP to attend, and plop down a $10 entry fee, but it may be totally worth your while. A mix of pirate costumes (does that EVER get old?), good times, scavenging, photography and drinking, the Booze and Booty Scavenger Hunt starting at 2 p.m. at Tacoma's Speakeasy Arts Cooperative has all the making for a Sunday spectacular - and a startlingly early bedtime, as being buzzed on Sunday by 4 p.m. rarely leads to late nights.

Here's a taste from the description (note the team aspect, and "competitive" nature):

A day of capers, treasure-hunting, photo-missions and bar-hopping for your pleasure, treasure and rewards. Teams will be formed and be sent off to collect as many points as possible. Points can be earned by finding booty, schmoozing local bartenders, and completing photo assignments (activities and locations.) Earn your team 20 extra points if you are dressed like a pirate. 10 if you at least make a nod toward it. No driving will be allowed, and your team must stick together. The hunt may lead you downtown, through Hilltop, and toward Stadium district. The team who finishes with the most points wins the cash prize (tbd. The more, the merrier!). Many other gift certificates and prizes will be awarded. At the 6pm finish line, join again at Speakeasy for drinks, mingling, and counting your loot as all the photos of the day are projected in a larger than life slide show, points are tallied and prizes awarded. Please email moonevent@live.com to RSVP. Sponsored by The Acme, PSP, 1022, The Corner Bar and Malarkey's. Other stops may include the Hob Nob, The Mix, Doyle's, The Silverstone, The Swiss, The Parkway, The Hub.

PREFUNK: Look, this is a competition, right? A competition for booze and booty. I know you're no loser, and if you're going to do something - YOU MIGHT AS WELL DO IT RIGHT. Or at least cheat.

If the purpose is booze and booty, and grabbing as much of both as possible, I see no reason why you can't start early. Sure, the official event doesn't kick off until 2pm, but why wait? Start procuring booze and booty as early as Saturday night, that way when game time rolls around - you'll be ready!

See you next week.

IT'S TRUE (Hopefully) >>>

UPDATE EDITOR'S NOTE 5:52 p.m.: Just got a second text message from the powers that be at Hell's Kitchen saying they "jumped the gun a bit" on the Melvins announcement. Apparently, the show is not set in stone yet. We shall keep you posted.

We just recieved word that the Melvins, who haven't played Hell's Kitchen in almost four years, will be back in town Sept. 27, playing Hell's Kitchen.

Fucking awesome.

That is all.

BAIR DRUG HAS REOPENED AS BAIR BISTRO >>>

The hamburger is simple. The hamburger is the girl next door, the one I grew up with in the Lakewood neighborhood of Oakbrook. Between us there is no drama, no distance, no complexity. We're good together because we know each other inside and out. The hamburger is my heart and soul.

Standing outside The Bair Drug & Hardware Store in Steilacoom today - now called Bair Bistro - I was thinking about hamburgers: about great ones and poor ones, and the places I've had them. Lost in my own internal reverie, I didn't notice I was in the middle of a pack of - for lack of a better word - old ladies. They were chatting reverishly about why they love The Bair Drug & Hardware Store that Sarah Cannon of Fircrest reopened last month, after it had been dark more than two years. Clutching their purses tight, they agreed that no matter how many loft developments get thrown up, no matter how many wine bars or architectural studios are crammed into the old blocks, that Bair is Pierce County's historical tenderloin. If alive, pharmacist W.L. Bair and his wife, Hattie, no doubt would be proud to hear such a statement 115 years after they opened it.

I, too, have found memories of Bair - having sipped many a milkshake there since the '70s.

I also have a new Bair memory - The Bair Burger ($9.99). It's good. It's not the best burger in the world by any stretch of the imagination, but the Bair itself is a great spot to eat one - a perfect wedding of food and place. When I asked for my burger bloody rare, the Bair kitchen did it right. My waitress didn't even cluck her tongue at me, and I didn't receive a food-safety lecture on the hazards of eating under-cooked beef. More important, no one told me I couldn't have it rare - as has been happening more often lately in restaurants. It seems many owners are terrified of a customer suing them because they picked up spongiform encephalopathy or some kind of carnivorous intestinal fluke from eating a hamburger done less than Branch Davidians-well-done. It's sad.

Lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickles and mayo joined the rare treat, all nestled inside a Kaiser roll.

Tasty, indeed.

Bair Bistro swings open the antique doors 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday from breakfast, lunch, espresso and soda fountain fare.

Breakfast consists of scrambles, omelets, fancy egg dishes such a Benedict and Florentine, as well as smoked salmon potato pancakes, French toast dipped in orange-zested batter, and malted Belgian waffles. Oatmeal, fruit and granola are available for those watching something. They also boast serving real maple syrup.

Besides the awesome burger, lunch includes salads, sandwiches and soups. The Papa Bair sandwich ($8.49) - caramelized onions, mushrooms, bell peppers, pepperoncini, and havarti, with choice of ham, turkey or roast beef - sounds tasty. If the peppers throw you for a loop, choose the Mama Bair.

And if summer ever arrives, grab a stool at Bair's soda fountain for a "Root Bair Float," malted milkshake, sundae or banana split.

After my lunch of burger and crispy onion rings, I couldn't imagine hitting the Fountain. Maybe next time, because I'll be back.

It's early, but I still remember the Bair Burger fondly.

Bair Bistro

1617 Lafayette St., Steilacoom
253.588.9668

SATURDAY, JUNE 12, 2010 >>>

1. The Grand Cinema will screen the rockumentry Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage at 9:15 p.m.

2. The artist formerly known as Rejjie will display his hand-built ocarina (whistle) ceramics series and combine it with a potluck from 6-9 p.m. inside the Library at Sanford and Son Antiques.

3. As part of the indie rock Squeak and Squawk festival on this weekend at The New Frontier Lounge, MLKBallet will present their latest MOVE! contemporary dance showcase, with live music by Goldfinch, Travis Barker and Olivia de la Cruz at 8 p.m.

4. The Capital City Pride festival continues today from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Sylvester Park in downtown Olympia with food, information booths and music from Kimya Dawson (1 p.m.), Captain Smartypants (2 p.m.) and others.

5. Maurice the Fish Records hosts a showcase of its talent from 5-7 p.m. inside The Matador in downtown Tacoma.

LINK: Concert go on sale today

DINING NEWS, NIBBLES AND BITS >>>

Market Time: You can find cut herbs, seasonal fruits and vegetables, fresh fish and baked goods along with live entertainment, free crafts for the kids and gardening advice from master gardeners from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Proctor Farmers Market.

Grand Re-Opening: The Safeway at 1112 S. M St. holds a grand re-opening party celebration today with discounts.

Wine Tasting: Water to Wine in Gig Harbor hosts a Graham Beck wine tasting today from 2-5 p.m. More wine tastings can be found here.

Happy Hour: GoodFella's Italian Steakhouse in Lakewood offers $5 appetizers and half-off drinks from 4-7 p.m. today. More South Sound happy hours can be found here.

Future Things Are Coming: Asado on Sixth Avenue in Tacoma will host a Peay/Failla/Turley wine dinner Thursday, June 24 at 6 p.m. The cost is $85 per person. Reserve your spot at 253.272.7770.

Food Matters: Backyard chickens deserve a taste of yuppie life, too. Designer coops start at only $440.

LINK: South Sound happy hours

LINK: Restaurant coupons

LINK: Join the Nosh League

TACOMA TWILIGHT CRITERIUM >>>

Think all bike racing has to offer is stories of Lance Armstrong blood doping between romps with Sheryl Crow?  Think again.  Better yet, let the first Tacoma Twilight Criterium prove it to you. A criterium, or crit, is a short, intense bike race - usually less than 5K - run on closed-off city streets.  The Tacoma Twilight Criterium, a first for Tacoma, will feature seven categories of racing, a beer garden (for spectators), an art bike parade beginning at 7:20 p.m. and an appearance by Olympia JR Celski.

Tacoma Twilight Criterium

Saturday, June 12, 3-11 p.m., free
Downtown Tacoma, starts at Eighth and Pacific

LIVE MUSIC IN TACOMA TONIGHT >>>

Here are two bands worth catching tonight at the Squeak and Squawk Music Festival.

Indie Pop: Two super nice guys play super cute music with super dark lyrics. I lived with one of them for a while in an insane house full of frogs and turtles. We ate frosting and rode a tandem bicycle. It sounds cute, but it was actually a depressing and lonely time in our lives. Now take that story and apply it to Terrordactyls' music. While the guys play ultra-friendly toy piano and kazoo, songwriter Michael Cadiz's lyrics reveal more subterranean complexities. You will adore them while they sing about two friends who murder each other because the summer ended. With Typhoon, Makeup Monsters, and Xylophones, Saturday, June 12, 6 p.m., all ages, $7, The Squawk Box, 745 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma - Heather Thomas Loepp

Electro Rock: Unfortunately I missed the days when one could smoke in a bar or club. Shortly before the law was passed to ban smoking indoors, an underage me snuck in a smoking session inside a local lounge. It was grey and candlelit, and it felt right to feel so bad. It took much longer before I could dance in public. It's still a rare occurrence. Reporter makes dance music as smoky and sinful and longing as my earlier crime. In all its caged-in smolder and swagger, it may be enough to make me reconsider the dance floor. With Strength, Saturday, June 12, 10 p.m., $8, The New Frontier Lounge, 301 E. 25th St., Tacoma, 253.572.4020 - The Rev. Adam McKinney

LINK: More live music tonight in the South Sound