NEW "ART PARTY" HITS TACOMA SATURDAY >>>

Cool art and music aren't a bad start to a Saturday evening, but rather than your ex's mixtape and pasting together a photo collage, hanging out at "Some Things Don't Have To Make Sense" makes, well, more sense. Inspired by James Hume and the Dead Artists' Kulture Lab parties in Tacoma a few years back, Scott Hissem, aka brutalpinktutu, aims to bring back the "spirit of art and people" of the Kulture Lab parties.

"I love the fact that (Kulture Lab) brought everything to an art form whether you thought it was or not. Indian food - who ever thought of that as being art, but the way it looked on the table and the way it smelled was beautiful as well as delicious," states Hissem, who cut his event production teeth years ago organizing live music at the former Java Jump in Fife. "I honestly believe that anyone can do art, it just depends on what you see as art. That's the one thing Kulture Lab taught me - everything is art. They brought a brand of art with music, food, and performance to the Tacoma people."

Hissem and his art collective Visualize Tacoma (inspired by Tacoma artist James Bender's "Visualize Tacoma" bumper stickers from the 1990s) will gather artists James Hume, Glewcifer (Laurie Anne Glew), Mandy Vondeadly (Mandy Lundell), Elvis Christ, Elizabeth Labouve - and brutalpinktutu - toss in Seattle punk rockers The Triple Sixes, Tacoma's hip-hoppers the Revengers and DJ Machine_Logic – then add food, drinks and billiards this Saturday inside Malarkey's Pool and Brew in Tacoma.

"I chose Malarkey's because that is a place that I like to go too. Recently they started doing live music and karaoke so I have been going there more frequently," explains Hissem. "Tacoma doesn't really have any places to hold an event other than some of the local clubs or bars. I'm hoping that "Visualize Tacoma" will become a regular type event either at Malarkey's or any venue that will accept us."

The first Visualize Tacoma art party will be free.

"We want everyone to be a part of this," says Hissem. "After all, it is we as people that have to do the visualizing." 

Some Things Don't Have To Make Sense

Saturday, July 10, 9 p.m., no cover
Malarkey's Pool and Brew, 445 Tacoma Ave. S., Tacoma
253.383.3301

The Weekly Volcano follows B & C-list celebrities so you don't have 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.

Today, checking in with...

Sinbad

July 6: Time spares no one - not even Sinbad

"i know i am getting older if i am excited by a knee replacement hahah" 3 hours ago, via TweetDeck

July 4: The "LOL" epidemic reaches Sinbad

"I want to thank all those who watched the repeat of my stand up special and dug it...hey, even if you didn't dig it. Lol" 8:35 p.m., via Echofon

July 4: Overuse of the word "killing" reaches Sinbad

"At the like like restaurant eating breakfast in Honolulu. Killing this shrimp omelet" 4:30 p.m., via Echofon

July 2: We get it, Sinbad; you've got a bum knee...

"Good morning... I feel beat up today. Gotta fly and get my knee drained then off to Hawaii for 2 shows them to Disney world with 15 family" 9:23 a.m., via Echofon

July 1: Sinbad cryptically joins The Revolution?

"yeah i used to dig the man." 2:43 p.m., via Echofon

Tune in tomorrow for more hot Twitter Stalking action from the Weekly Volcano.

NEW DANCE CLUB TO OPEN ON SIXTH AVENUE >>>

The Weekly Volcano drools when we see paper-covered windows in vacant buildings and storefronts; it means something new for Tacoma. Case in point: the Sixth Avenue space that formerly housed Hell's Kitchen. Behind those papered windows the Gruv Lounge & Nightclub owner Jason Rim and crew are building Tacoma's new dance spot.

Long time DJ promoter and co-owner of Ocean Grooves Entertainment Calvin Murphy will be the general manager for the Gruv Lounge & Nightclub. Last week, he confirmed the nightclub would primarily be a DJ oriented electronica music venue with the occasional jazz and other live acts. Murphy was a bit hush-hush on specific acts, but did share electro-mash up, reggae, dubstep, break beats, house, salsa and more would be heard seven nights a week.

"Saturdays are always going to have house music," Murphy promised adamantly.

The building's previous lay-out has been gutted and tailored to the new Gruv featuring elevated DJ booth, raised main stage, hardwood dance floor, private rentable karaoke rooms and VIP suites with bottle service, coat check, and artwork by Jeremy Gregory and other local artists.

Read more...

WEDNESDAY, JULY 7, 2010 >>>

1. Abbey Road LIVE! - a kickass Beatles tribute band with more than 100 songs in their repertoire - will perform at 6:30 p.m. in Pioneer Park at the corner of Commercial and Wilkes in Steilacoom. The nearby Steilacoom Farmers Market will begin at 3 p.m.

2. Tacoma Art Museum presents an exhibition of paintings, prints, and sculpture that explores the impressionist movement and its international influence in The Movement of Impressionism: Europe, America, and the Northwest from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

3. Glass artists Marvin Oliver and Richard Royal are in the Museum of Glass' Hot Shop from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

4. Bird by Snow plays an all-ages show at 7 p.m. inside The Den @ urbanXchange.

5. Blood Of Rome, Oritaks Indrome, and People Die will rock Hell's Kitchen at 9 p.m.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

ROCK: Fifteen months ago I went out on a limb and checked out the classic-rock inspired Midnight Salvage Co., which, at the time, had been on the Tacoma scene for scant more than four months. As I wrote back then, what I found was a "rocking alt-country posse that's staking a claim in this town," although, in hindsight, I like the band's personal description of, "the Heartbreakers meet Replacements meet the Hold Steady" is way better. While my use of the term "rocking alt-country" is a little embarrassing, I'd like to remove attention from that questionable qualification and point to the fact I was right about one thing: Midnight Salvage Co., now in its second year as a band, has definitely staked a claim in Tacoma. Coming to Jazzbones on Hump Day, Midnight Salvage Co is anchored by the co-creative forces of longtime friends Brason Alexander and Bryan Kiehl, who told me upon first introduction, "We've always kind of had that same love for music. And our differences complement each other." He seems to have been correct, even if I'd like to take back my part about "rocking alt-country." Wednesday, July 7, 9 p.m., Jazzbones, 2803 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.396.9169 - Matt Driscoll

EXPERIMENTAL POP: Experimental pop is, to me, an awfully murky term. I suppose it is to pop music whatever progressive rock is to rock music. Faithful readers should know that, whenever faced with a question of progression, I turn to my hippy-dippy dad. Upon being shaken from his "nap-time brain illusion," my father says, "Pop music is a magical, saccharine gnome made of Jujubes and other assorted fictional fruit. It's to be experienced by cattle-milkers with unfurnished teeth." Maybe my dad is right; maybe he's just delusional from lack of Vitamin C. What I do know is Chappo is experimental, but dammit it is pop music. It drags you kicking through the looking glass and onto the dance floor. And you've never danced harder than when you're confused about what you're hearing. With Bird by Snow, Us On Roofs, Caulfield and his Magical Violin, Wednesday, July 7, 7 p.m., all ages, $5, The Den @ urbanXchange, 1934 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.722.9987 - The Rev. Adam McKinney

LINK: More live music in the South Sound tonight

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Ringo Starr is 70 today.

>>> SOUTH SOUND SPECIFIC

Lakewood was called The Prairie in the beginning - an expanse of land about 20 miles square, dotted with small lakes and occasional stands of Garry oak trees. Steilacoom and Nisqually Indians used the Prairie as a ready source of food and held gatherings before the advent of the white hunters, trappers and settlers. (Lakewood Historical Society)

>>> TODAY'S WORD

cynanthropy \si-naen'-thre-pi\ noun

Form of insanity in which patient has delusions of being a dog.

Usage example: "I was all like, dude! Can you turn off that awful LeBron James bullshit? I'll bark like a dog!" Susan didn't giggle, cynanthropically.

>>> NEWS TO US

Prince jumps into a hot tub time machine, declares the Internet "completely over."

Bruce Willis debuts "the manliest scent in the world."

Your mullet is officially illegal.

Morning Spew posts every Monday, Wednesday and Friday on this blog. Sometimes, it even posts in the morning.

Join the Weekly Volcano community today while you shove ice down your pants.

FUTURE THINGS ARE COMING >>>

The Harvey Girls play the all-ages venue The Den in Tacoma this Friday at 7 p.m.

Here is a snippet of what Weekly Volcano scribe Jason baxter wrote in tomorrow's Weekly Volcano: "Portland indie band The Harvey Girls aren't girls at all - they're actually married couple Hiram Lucke and Melissa Rodenbeek. While it might not be the most accurate moniker in the world, their name does serve a distinct purpose (beyond the general band-name imperative of "sounding cool"): in its syntactic construction, it recalls familial groups of yore such as The Everly Brothers - a band that, incidentally, is a favorite of Lucke and Rodenbeek's."

Below is a video of their song "Puss" off their I've Been Watching a Lot of Horror Movies Lately album. Enjoy.

The Weekly Volcano follows B & C-list celebrities so you don't have 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.

Today, checking in with...

July 6: Jewel likes her's with lettuce and tomoto, Heinz 57 and French fried potato, a big Kosher pickle and a cold draft beer, good god ol' mighty which way does Jewel steer for a ... (Jimmy Buffett not pictured)

"Just ate a burger in paradise! Normans Cay, Bahamas" 7:19 a.m., via Twitpic

July 5: Sadly, George drowned later that day...

"George is enjoying our little boat ride around Highbourne Cay " 9:18 a.m., via Twitpic

July 1: Jewel draws like a seven-year-old on her iPad

"Messing around with Draw app on my ipad." 12:28 p.m., via Twitpic

June 25: Jewel falls in love with Zoo animals, feeds them carrots

"Can I take him home?!" 1:42 p.m., via Twitpic

Tune in tomorrow for more hot Twitter Stalking action from the Weekly Volcano

FUTURE THINGS ARE NOT COMING >>>

The Tacoma Third Thursday Artwalk ART BUS has been canceled for July.

"Due to so many back to back Speakeasy Arts Cooperative related events this spring and summer we decided to hold off the July ART BUS until August to ensure the maximum participation and energy," states ART BUS organizer Angela Jossy. "News on the August ART BUS will come soon. We have a great one planned with a few surprises including a special guest tour guide."

LINK: Previously on Spew

THURSDAY, JULY 8, 2010 >>>

1. Canadian wonder-MC Moka Only (aka Ron Contour) has been doing his thing as a rhyme-sayer and microphone master for more than a decade strong. He's bring his Fake Four Tour with Night Fox, Ceschi Ramos, and Open Mic Eagle to The Royal Lounge in Olympia beginning at 9 p.m. Our Non-Stop Hip-Hop column has the details.

2. Now showing at Childhood's End Gallery in Olympia are paintings by Chuck Gumpert and Alfred Currier, plus a group of the very popular half-man, half-bird ceramic sculptures by the husband-and-wife team of John and Robin Gumaelius. The Olympia gallery is open today from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

3. Tacoma Is For Lovers presents Craft Night at 6:30 p.m. inside King's Books. Mirka Hokkanen will teach plastic plate lithography for an hour and a half then everyone can goes nuts with their new knowledge. Call 253.272.8801 and beg sweet pea to let you register. If he's wearing his Trampires' mascot outfit, you have no chance.

4. Theater Artists Olympia's production of Othello is an able retelling of one of Shakespeare's most plot-driven tragedies with a skilled cast in the hands of a smart director.  It boasts technical polish worthy of a much larger, wealthier troupe. It's a nearly flawless production for people who are tired of Shakespeare's Othello.  It hits the stage inside Olympia Little Theatre at 8 p.m. Read the full review here.

5. The No Bullshit Battle Of The Bands series kicks at Hell's Kitchen tonight at 9 p.m.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound