Weekly Volcano Blogs: Walkie Talkie Blog

Posts made in: August, 2010 (140) Currently Viewing: 131 - 140 of 140

August 29, 2010 at 9:52am

How to do an IPA Fest

PARK IT AT THE PARKWAY TODAY >>>

The Parkway Tavern's fifth annual IPA Festival has one very important added feature this year: a second day. Important because it might thin some of the crowds in desperate search of hop-monsters to drink, and because day one drinkers like myself can do the legwork, and tell you what you need to drink.

First, a couple tips: show up early, sit at the bar, order small, order big. A bar seat is essential for such a packed event. It may feel like the overworked staff is ignoring you and focusing on the line that trails out the door, but trust me, you will be served faster.

As for ordering small and big, 6-ounce tasters are the glass of the day. You may be tempted to get a full pint for a relaxing drink, but if that's your style, the busiest day of the Parkway year might not be the event for you. There are too many different beers to spend so much time and volume on one. But don't shy away from quantity - order two or three at a time for efficiency.

Personally, I try to order in matched pairs - matched by the helpful list of styles and stats on each beer. Here are a few of the showdowns that highlighted Saturday:

Big Time Scarlet Fire v. Black Raven Trickster

On a day of big, giant and in your face imperial IPAs, double IPAs, and dry-hopping, sometimes it's nice to ease into it. Scarlet Fire and Trickster are both straightforward, tasty brews, sitting around the conventional 6.4 percent alcohol content, and a good way to start your beery day.

Dick's Imperial v. Maritime Pacific Double Dry Hopped Imperial

Of course, being me, this is how I actually started my day. Imperial, or double IPAs, are characterized by a very high hop content. Often this bitterness is balanced by a high malt content, which means a high alcohol content.

Frankly, I was expecting the Maritime Pacific to be much more in-your-face, but it did not stand up to the Dick's in a direct showdown. Save the Dick's for drinking with something hoppier, or alone.

Southern Tier Randall v Stone Double Dry Hop

Dry-hopping is a process by which uncooked hops are added to the final beer, largely for smell. Parkway's Randall performs this on-this spot, filtering the beer directly through fresh hops and into the glass.

The Southern Tier was a solid beer, but it loses out here to one of the most interesting brews of the day. Dry hopping tends to give a beer a "floral" smell and taste, but the Stone went a step further, into downright herbal. No, not THAT herb. Either I was hallucinating, or the beer in my hand smelled and tasted exactly like basil, if basil was also beer - which sounds weird, but tastes awesome.

Dogfish Head 90 Minute v. Double Mountain Molten Lava

Another one of those words you hear thrown around by wine fiends at tastings is "earthy." As best I can tell, this means "tastes like dirt, but in a good way." That is the vibe you'll get from the 90 Minute - it tastes, and rightly so, like it was made from products that actually grew from the ground.

The Molten Lava, on the other hand, tasted unexpectedly like coffee. Now, coffee is a pretty common flavor in beers, but it is typically the super-dark beers, the stouts and porters.  To find that flavor so strongly represented in a beer you can see through is unusual, but delicious.

And that's just a start. It seems unlikely that any of the beers on this weekend will be bad, so don't bother listening to me. Just go to The Parkway today between 2 p.m. and 2 a.m. and pick something. It'll be good.

The 5th Annual Parkway IPA Fest

Sunday, Aug. 29, 2 p.m. to 2 a.m., no cover
The Parkway Tavern, 313 N. I St., Tacoma
253.383.8748

Filed under: Food & Drink, Tacoma,

August 30, 2010 at 7:41am

5 Things To Do: Maxi Rad, "Flower Works," Hoodoo and you ...

Maxi Rad

MONDAY, AUG. 30, 2010 >>>

1. Maxi Rad, a no-frills punk rock band from San Francisco, will rock The New Frontier Lounge at 9 p.m.

2. Claudia Riedener's Flower Works, a collection of ceramic botanical plants with references to Art Nouveau sculpted on flat tile bases, is on display from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Mary Boze Gallery. Ring bell at 56th Street side of entrance.

3. Nobody does the Hoodoo like they do. Crescent Moon Gifts hosts an Introduction to Hoodoo Class, a form of African American folk magic, at 6 p.m.

4. Chris Stevens' Surf Monkey will fill The Swiss with blues beginning at 8 p.m.

5. The Kamel Toe Karaoke Idol is still going down at the Kamel Toe Bar and Grill, beginning at 9 p.m.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

Filed under: 5 Things To Do, Music, Arts, Tacoma,

August 30, 2010 at 11:21am

Milk on Wax dropped today

EVERGREENONE AND TODD SYKES CD RELEASE >>>

Remember CD listening parties? We would all gather at a local club, listen to every track while sipping tasty beverages. Ah, the 90s. I was a bit disappointed to hear EvergreenOne and Todd Sykes didn't schedule a listening party for Milk on Wax, which dropped this morning. After listening to the album, three times no less, I'm even more disappointed. The album is fucking great. Kicking back with beers in Hell's Kitchen's back lounge with locals, including the two Tacoma hip-hoppers (check that: three including their resident DJ, Slimrock) responsible for these 12 dope tracks would have been righteous, raising a Pabst high with every T-Town reference.

Hip-hop has always been derivative, sampled. Elements of pre-slavery African tribal music, slavery-era Negro spirituals, Mississippi Delta blues and Motown soul and R& B imbued the earliest forms of hip-hop. But this is less true as the style is reduced to its simplest terms for entrepreneurial interests. The musicality, at some point, vanished. That's not the case with Milk on Wax; it incorporates jazz, blues and funk in its sound. Every word, with every verse contained in every song, is meticulously placed together like Frankenstein manufacturing his monster.

Download EvergreenOne and Todd Sykes' latest here. Then, call up your homies, invite them over for a barbecue and host your own listening party.

LINK: EvergreenOne and Todd Sykes were voted Best in Tacoma 2010

Filed under: Music, Tacoma,

August 30, 2010 at 1:26pm

When grass cries

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

The horror! Smell the screams of mowed grass.

Filed under: Green Crush, Rocket Science,

August 31, 2010 at 7:21am

KEEPING UP WITH THE COFFEEHOUSES: Caffe Dei

Caffe Dei sits on Sixth Avenue in the same building as Gateway to India.

BECAUSE WE NOW HAVE A MILLION IN THE AREA >>>

Neighborhood: Sixth Avenue, Tacoma

Address/phone: 2607 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.572.2550

Hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday

Noshing/Sipping: Vegans, rejoice! Finally, a coffee joint for the fan of Tofurky and baked potato loaf in all of us. Shuanna Holt and Shane Siegfried's Caffe Dei is a combination espresso bar/cafe/neighborhood hang that offers breakfast sandwiches, bagels and spreads, soups, and sandwiches - some vegetarian, some vegan, some gluten-free and all of them are super-delicious - including a killer grilled cheese (cheddar and pepperjack) on baked potato bread. They carry the Mighty-O organic donut out of Seattle in French toast, lemon poppyseed, chocolate cake, blueberry and glazed.

They also happen to makes some of the best espresso drinks around - with healthy ingredients in interesting combinations, then saddled with funny names such as Sasquatch (when Americano meets cappuccino), Arancione Moka (espresso, dark Dutch chocolate, steamed sweetened condensed milk and orange zest) and Abominus (four espresso shots over sweetened condensed milk). Thai coffee, Vietnamese coffee, exotic teas, steeped drinks that includes chrysanthemum flavors, root beer and Izze drinks don the menu board, too.

Standard Cup o' Joe: $1.25-$2

Bean Source: True North Coffee (Seattle) AND Ipsut Creek Roasters (Tacoma) - try them both or combine them, maybe like a waterfall shot drink. Oh, nice.

Crowd: Neighborhood friends, UPS students, writers, wandering gypsies

Soundtrack: The Cardigans, PJ Harvey, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

WiFi: Yes

Bonus Points: Um, Vegan! Plus aromatic spices meet espresso, all sandwiches come with Kettle chips, draw curtain in front of couch for making out, local art (this month Ann Kendall), Macrina bakery goods (delicious!), reading material, jewelry, and the owners are just cool.

The House:

Whatever mood you're in (and coffee drinkers tend to be a moody lot), odds are you'll feel comfortable at Café Dei. Light or dark. Indoors or out. Manic or depressive. Take your pick and you'll be fine.

Out front underneath the tree, there's minimal seating for watching the theater that is Sixth Avenue. Inside, it's deep, sober with concrete floors and gray walls. Up front by the makeout couch, the large windows allow ample light for focused study or a leisurely reading of the Weekly Volcano, while the back darkens up a bit, perfect for overexposing slide film or contemplative hangover recovery. Wooden tables and chairs dot the large space with modern light fixtures above. Huge speakers give hope.

The joint also receives high marks for opening on Sundays.

No animals were harmed or eaten in the writing of this article.

August 31, 2010 at 7:48am

5 Things To Do: 6th Ave Farmers Market, AIDS Walk happy hour, Brotherhood Of The Black Squirrel ...

41 Miles plays the 6th Avenue Farmers Market today.

TUESDAY, AUG. 31, 2010 >>>

1. Chuck Sandru and 41 Miles perform at 3:30 and 5 p.m., respectively, at the 6th Avenue Farmers Market at Sixth Avenue and North Pine Street.

2. Spend some quality time walking through the Harbor History Museum's permanent exhibit that showcases the rich, unique heritage of the Gig Harbor Peninsula through artifacts, photos, personal stories and hands-on interactives from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

3. Join the Pierce County AIDS Foundation for an AIDS Walk happy hour event from 5 to 7 p.m. at Doyle's Public House. A portion of the proceeds from drink specials will be donated to the Pierce County AIDS Walk. You will have the chance to win Sounders tickets and an autographed Sounders FC ball. Dining Out for Life discount cards will be welcome all night.

4. Chalet Bowl in the Proctor District hosts $2 Tuesday where you can bowl for $2 per person per game with a $2 shoe rental and $2.25 Rolling Rocks.

5. They Rise We Die, Levator and Brotherhood Of The Black Squirrel play a 9 p.m. show at Bob's Java Jive.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

August 31, 2010 at 7:49am

Tacoma artists all-star reception Thursday

Nicholas Nyland's "Dog Love," 2009, is part of "The Greater Tacoma Community Foundation's Foundation of Art Award, 2008-2010" show.

BRING YOUR AUTOGRAPH BOOK THURSDAY >>>

Good morning, South Sound! Schools are opening their doors this week: How's it feel to say goodbye to summer and get back on that education grind? Godspeed to all teachers, really.

Speaking of teaching, you could learn a thing or two from the artists who will gather at Kittredge Gallery Thursday night. Tacoma's best will attend the opening reception for The Greater Tacoma Community Foundation's Foundation of Art Award, 2008-2010 Thursday, Sept. 2, 5-7 p.m.Twenty-five artists over the past three years had their art judged by a panel in hopes of grabbing the $7,500 prize.  Chris Sharp and Jeremy Mangan won in 2008 and 2009, respectively. This year, the honor went to Lisa Kinoshita, Tacoma artist and owner of Mineral studio gallery on Puyallup Avenue. Her work, especially her jewelry, is stunning. Past winners and nominees, and the list is impressive, as well as the public, will gather around Kinoshita for several rounds of "She's a jolly good artist," then drink wine I imagine.

The exhibition itself includes work by the 25 nominees featuring works range from painting, sculpture, and prints to video, jewelry, and embroidery, among other techniques. Materials are as diverse as felt, Legos, found cardboard signs, and repurposed books to the more traditional media such as oil, watercolor, ceramics, and photography. The show runs through Saturday, Oct. 2. But why wait when you can enjoy the art with the artists.

Small print: The annual $7,500 award program was established by the Community Foundation in 2008 to honor professional artists living and working in Pierce County, and is made possible through a foundation fund to support the Pierce County art community. Each year nominees are selected by a panel of regional arts professionals and Community Foundation board members. The award winner then creates a commissioned artwork for the foundation. Lisa Kinoshita's commissioned piece for the Community Foundation will be unveiled this fall.

The Greater Tacoma Community Foundation's Foundation of Art Award, 2008-2010 Artists Reception

Thursday, Sept. 2, 5-7 p.m., no cover
Regular Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday, noon to 5 p.m. Saturday
Kittredge Gallery, University of Puget Sound, North 15th Street at North Lawrence Street, Tacoma
Web site

Filed under: Arts, Community, Contest, Tacoma,

August 31, 2010 at 10:43am

Let's think about Art Slam

ART AT WORK IS ALWAYS IN THE WORKS >>>

The Tacoma Arts Commission knows you're a little blue today due to school/rain/construction work. Therefore, they sent out a little blast of excitement today:

The Tacoma Arts Commission seeks South Puget Sound artists to participate in an Art Slam as part of Tacoma's 9th annual Art at Work month. On Nov. 17, from 7 - 9 p.m., visual and performing art submissions will be projected on the big screen of the Rialto Theater, set to a soundtrack of musical accompaniment. Live performances by performing and spoken word artists will be interspersed between segments of the show, followed by a reception.

Artists working in a broad spectrum of media including visual art, music, dance, performance, film and literary arts are encouraged to submit work to be projected during the show. Visual artists are asked to submit up to 10 digital images; performing artists, one 2-minute performing arts piece on DVD or CD to be projected on a large screen. Submission deadline for projected art is Oct. 25, 2010.

Performing artists who are interested in performing live at the Art Slam are asked to submit up to five pieces, each no longer than three minutes in length, for consideration. Work can include, but is not limited to spoken word, dance, poetry, acoustic music and theater. The submitted work must be the pieces that will be performed during the show. Submission deadline for live performances is Oct. 18, 2010.

Entry is open to current residents of the South Puget Sound region. Applications and guidelines for all submissions can be found at www.ArtAtWorkTacoma.com. There is no fee to apply.

Filed under: Arts, Community, Tacoma,

August 31, 2010 at 1:27pm

Heavy drinkers live longer

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

This study claims heavy drinkers live longer lives than nondrinkers. What? WHAT?

LINK: South Sound happy hours

Filed under: Food & Drink, Health,

August 31, 2010 at 2:36pm

From Grand to Grindhouse

"The Beyond"

TACOMA THEATER UNVEILS NEW FILM SERIES >>>

Traditionally snubbed by Hollywood artistes and not often backed by the major studios, horror films have carved out a bloody niche for themselves on the badlands of mainstream cinema. So it makes sense that The Grand Cinema will begin making screen space for this oft-overlooked genre with a new monthly series.

Says Executive Director Philip Cowan, "We spend a lot of time ... trying to bring films to Tacoma that would not otherwise play here. To me, that's one of the best definitions of independent film."

Where else will you possibly come across a gruesome Italian-made schlockfest like The Beyond, or, as we call it in the States, L'aldia - E tu vivrai nel terrore? In stomach-churning detail, director Lucio Fulci shows viewers what happens when you mistakenly build your hotel right over a portal to hell. The aftermath includes, in the words of Beyond distributorsGrindhouse Releasing, "chunk-blowing chain-whippings, sulfuric acid meltdowns, flesh-eating tarantulas," and worst of all, horrid dubbing of foreign actors.

Subtitles distract from the gore anyway.

The Grand will unleash an uncut 35mm print of this carnage Sept. 3 and 4 at 9:09 p.m., with a matinee on Sept. 5 at 4 p.m. Reps from horror magazine Fangoria will also dish out trivia and prizes.

A cult shocker scheduled every month, Cowan believes, should shake up the community's conception of fringe cinema - and of the theater itself.

"Independent films aren't just British period piece films or Scandinavian girls with dragon tattoos," explains Cowan. "If we can attract an audience who maybe has never been to the Grand, I'm all for that. Maybe they'll come back to see a French film another time."

Get a taste of this weekend's mayhem by checking out the Beyond trailer below, and visit www.grindhousereleasing.com.

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