A FULL DAY OF AWESOEM MUSIC >>>

Yesterday from noon to 8 p.m., Music and Art in Wright Park 2010, which began in 1993 as Music in the Park, returned to Tacoma showcasing some of the best bands in the area, including Cities Without Anchors, Si Si Si, James Hunnicutt, Gold Teeth, Twink The Wonderkid, Girl Trouble, Lozen, Pioneers West, Good Gravy, C.F.A, The Dignitaries, Stone Axe, The Speans, I Defy and The Fucking Eagles. There was so much rock in Wright Park; it'd be hard to find any one person who could handle it all. Many did, including photographer Steve Dunkelberger who snapped 700 shots. We posted a good chunk of those in our Photo Hot Spot.

MAWP highlights for the Weekly Volcano were Gold Teeth (most of The Red Hot staff) singing Mudhoney's "Suck You Dry" with small children on the stage banging tambourines, Brad Wingard of Queer the Pitch (Tacoma 1993 represent!) singing with The Speans, K.P. Kendall donning a Mohawk in tribute of the Weekly Volcano readers voting Girl Trouble "Best Punk Band" in our Best of Tacoma 2010 issue, C.F.A.'s quasi-acoustic set, and, hell, everything else.

After The Fucking Eagles closed the day with a blistering set, co-producer Ken Johnson thanked the crowd, vendors, sponsors and bands, stating "see you next year - maybe."

It will be back. You can see it in the eyes of the bands and producers.

LIFE IMITATES ART ONCE AGAIN >>>

Yesterday's Lady Gaga flash mob in Tollefson Plaza was preceded with a press release claiming that the "special event ... will have approximately 300 flashmob participants." The event even had a Tacoma permit number: 10-118.

At approximately 7 p.m. considerably less participants than predicted began to dance in Tacoma's cement space, orchestrated by Vik Chopra, president of DNF Media & Management. They performed to a mega mix of Lady Gaga's hits "Bad Romance," "Poker Face," "Telephone" and "Just Dance."

The Weekly Volcano dispatched photographer Ariane Michelle of AMK Photography to capture the mob. Check out more of her photos in our Photo Hot Spot.

MONDAY, AUG. 23, 2010 >>>

1. PDX band Symmetry/Symmetry's splashy, melodramatic rock seamlessly incorporates electronic elements (including a keenly-employed vocoder), and their songs are impeccably structured, often with crescendos leading to grandiose climaxes worthy of MTV-approved biggies like Muse. It makes complete sense that Uram and Jones have a background in audio production and engineering (pulling shifts at Salem's Marigold Studios), because their stuff sounds polished as hell. Comparisons to Radiohead, U2 and Air producer Nigel Godrich are easy to make, and completely warranted. Check them out at 10 p.m. at The New Frontier Lounge.

2. The Greater Tacoma Community Foundation's Foundation of Art Award, 2008-2010 exhibition features works by the 25 nominees and winners of the Foundation of Art Award. Works range from painting, sculpture, and prints to video, jewelry, and embroidery, among other techniques. The show is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Kittredge Gallery.

3. Ethan J Perry and Connor Garvey perform an all-ages 7 p.m. show at The Mandolin Café.

4. The Jerry Miller Band performs at 8 p.m. inside The Swiss.

5. Rockaraoke - karaoke with live band - hits the Jazzbones' stage at 9 p.m.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

HANGING OUT AT THE LADY GAGA SHOW >>>

Saturday night Lady Gaga rolled into Tacoma with her "Monster Ball" show. Lady Gaga may idolize Cyndi Lauper, but she is more likely to be compared to Madonna as she writes her own songs, and style's it out.

Still, the best style at the show didn't come from the show's participants, but the fans, who in Gaga parlance are known as "little monsters." Photographer Ariane Michelle of AMK Photography snapped shots of the stylish crowd filing into the Tacoma Dome for the show. Check them out in our Photo Hot Spot.

The Weekly Volcano follows Tweeting 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...

Special Lady Gaga in Tacoma Edition!

Aug. 21: Lady Gaga in the 253

"An inaugural message (sent while changing backstage at The Monster Ball in Tacoma) from Tween Gaga"

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

POP OPEN A COLD ONE, LOG ONLINE AND BUY YOUR TICKETS >>>

There is nothing like the Tacoma Craft Beer Festival anywhere on earth. OK, maybe that's an exaggeration, but it's pretty freakin' cool nonetheless. Featuring 100 beers from more than 50 breweries, it is the largest craft beer fest in the South Sound, and a trip to the Foss Waterway Seaport Oct. 1-2 should be on the life lists of every beer lover in Western Washington.

The TCBF has added a few items for its second year run. Aside from the fact that it's now a two-day event with the addition of Friday night, the festival will spotlight cask ale with their "Firkin Friday at the Fest" booth Friday night featuring a dozen fresh firkins of cask ale, all simultaneously tapped at 6 p.m., for one night only. Saturday, they'll spotlight the canned craft beer movement with the "TCBF Canned Craft Beer Garden for those wishing to imbibe more than 4 ounces at a time.

Tickets are currently available online for $18 here, which is $7 less than the door price. Military with ID will only pay $20 at the door. A two-day pass is $35. Admission includes a souvenir taster glass, plus five six tasting tokens. Additional 4-ounce pours are $1.50.

DONALD GLAUDE IS IN TOWN TOMORROW >>>

Lakewood's Donald Glaude(he now lives in Los Angeles) was playing gigs in the South Sound long before clubs in Miami, New York and Europe. The Lakes High School graduate earned his national rep as an elite, cutting-edge house DJ at underground warehouse raves during the late ‘80s in Western Washington. Playing a highly infectious blend of house and breaks, Glaude is an all-around entertainer rather than a typical stoic spinner: He screams, he pumps his fists and invites the ladies to dance around his decks. Such antics set Glaude's show apart from those of his peers.

Tomorrow night at Jazzbones, Glaude spins with DJ Omar during a birthday party for Calvin Murphy, kingpin of Oceans Grooves DJ conglomerate in Tacoma. It's open to the public.

Calvin's Birthday Party

Tuesday, Aug. 24, 10 p.m., $5
Jazzbones, 2803 Sixth Ave., Tacoma
253.396.9169

TUESDAY, AUG. 24, 2010 >>>

1. Musig Christenson Duo will perform jazz (beginning at 4:30 p.m.) while folks shop for lettuce and the 6th Avenue Farmers Market from 3:30-7:30 p.m.

2. This world's most prestigious amateur golf championship - 110th U.S. Amateur Championship - continues at Chambers Bay from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

3. The 25 New Faces of Independent Film festival continues at The Grand Cinema at 2, 4, 6:15 and 8:15 p.m. Click here for today's schedule.

4. Mary Win and Sea Of Tides perform an all-ages 7 p.m. show at The Mandolin Café.

5. Santeria: A Tribute To Sublime hits Uncle Sam's American Bar & Grill at 8 p.m.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

DINING NEWS, NIBBLES AND BITS >>>

Still Best Chef To Us: Did you know that Gordon Naccarato was named Best New Chef by Food & Wine in 1988? See this year's winners and get the Best New Chefs App here.

Taste This: The ninth annual Taste of the Olympia Farmers Market will be held tonight from 6-8 p.m. All proceeds from the event go to support the Friends of the Olympia Farmer's Market - an organization that helps make the Oly Farmer's Market go.

Deal One: Every Tuesday night Harmon Brewery & Eatery serves a 6-ounce sirloin steak or half pound of rib tips - both on a bed of fries - for $5.

Deal Two: Every Tuesday Hell's Kitchen serves $2 tacos, $2 wells and $2 beers.

Food Matters: It's National Waffle Day! No waffling allowed! Here are 5 recipes.

LINK: South Sound happy hours

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

THE GRAND CINEMA CARES >>>

This just in from The Grand Cinema:

The Grand is happy to host a few more screenings from Filmmaker Magazine's list of best new directors in America.  At 2:00 p.m. and 4:00p.m. today we have the directors in town to screen their short films, mostly an amazing set of documentaries.  For example, at the 4 p.m. screening you'll see, among others, documentaries (about 8 minutes each) on L'Arche, minor league baseball, and 9/11 "truthers".  At 2 p.m. you'll see a series of profiles on amazing people in a series called "American Nobodies", plus two great short dramas with children as their focus, one that played at Sundance. 

At each screening the director will talk about the amazing work at the end of the film.  This is a true experience, far beyond simply attending a film.

And today, for these screenings only, admission is free if you mention this email.  Please show these filmmakers that Tacoma can support great film.  We promise you'll be amazed at what you see.  We wouldn't bring them to the Grand if that wasn't the case.