SATURDAY, SEPT. 11, 2010 >>>

1. At 8:45 a.m. the Tacoma Fire Department will honor the heroes and victims of 9/11 at a public remembrance ceremony at the Firefighter's Memorial, 3301 Ruston Way. The program will include speeches by Mayor Marilyn Strickland, Tacoma Fire Chief Ronald W. Stephens and Tom Minor, retired major with the Pierce County Sheriff's Department.

2. King's Books hosts a celebration for the book, Tacoma's Stadium District by Joy Keniston-Longrie, Kelsey Longrie, and Amberose Longrie, at 11 a.m. The book chronicles the development of the neighborhood from old-growth forests to the Stadium District everyone knows today - soap suds in fountains!

3. The Olympia Action Network and the Volunteer Center of Lewis, Thurston and Mason counties will host an epic potluck supper from 4 to 8 p.m. called A Table For Olympia, The grand buffet will be served on Fifth Avenue, which will be closed from Franklin to Washington. Read the full story here.

4. Chances are the three-and-a-half-week summer we just wrapped up left you pining for more. But most of us can't afford a vacation. It's quite a conundrum. Luckily, slack-key guitar master Keoki Kahumoku will be inside the Washington Center at 7 p.m. to bring the laid-back sounds of the islands to the mainland. A multiple Grammy winner, Kahumoku will be joined by fellow slack-keyer Patrick Landeza, ukulele badass Herb Ohta Jr. and Lakewood's Monday ‘Ukulele ‘Ohana.

5. SweetKiss Momma, Death First and James Coates & The Lost Souls perform at 8 p.m. inside Jazzbones.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: The Weekend Hustle

THE WEEKLY VOLCANO RECOMMENDS THESE LIVE MUSIC SHOWS >>>

Big Whisky Saloon Tacoma - Downtown. Redneck parking Lot Party Part III - 2010 Finale featuring Aces Up, Robbie Walden & the Gunslingers, barbecue, beer garden, mechanical bull. 4 pm to 2 am. NC before 6 pm, NC for all military and emergency service personnel before 8 pm.

Cedarwood Dome Milton. Annamercury, JB Quartet, Death Before Decafe. 21+. 8 pm. $5-$7.

Dockside Bistro & Wine Bar Olympia - Downtown. Pianist Scott Cossu. 16+. 7 pm. NC.

Doyle's Public House Tacoma - Stadium District. Vaughn Kreestoe. Funky jazzy soul. 21+. 9 pm. NC.

Hell's Kitchen Tacoma - Downtown. British Steel, Faces Pale, Midnight Idols. 21+. 9 pm. $5.

• Bobble Tiki has the scoop here.

The Hub Tacoma - Stadium District. Myles Crew. 21+. 9 pm. NC.

Jazzbones Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. James Coates & The Lost Souls, SweetKiss Momma, Death First. All Ages. 8:30 pm.

The Loft On Cherry Olympia - Downtown. Dead Prez, Militant Child, Language Arts, DJ B-Girl. 8 pm.

• The legend of immortalized hip-hop revolutionaries Dead Prez spans more than a decade. Voices of vision, afro-centricity, revolution and healthy eating, Dead Prez has always been just under the radar in terms of popular success.  Even today, they're synonymous with power, motivation, empowerment and forward thinking (revolutionary but gangsta, of course). Read my column here for my thoughts on these legendary hip-hoppers. – Jose Gutierrez Jr.
  

Mandolin Cafe Tacoma - Central. Lipbone Redding and the LipBone Orchestra from NYC. All Ages. 7-9 pm. NC.

Northern Olympia - Downtown. Thee Oh Sees, The Maxines. All Ages. 8 pm.

• Thee Oh Sees are not shy about what they do. This is made evident by "Warm Slime," the opening track on their album of the same name. At 13 minutes, it's a vast, towering tribute to '60s psychedelia, warts and all. The one-two bass line pounding on and on and on, while voices in the background chant "all you need is the summertime" and the guitars rise and fall, sometimes sending streams of feedback shooting through the speakers. It's everything that you either love or hate about psychedelic rock, and it's right up in your fucking face, man. They open with "Warm Slime" like a dare, fingering you in the ribs and saying, "You in or out?" Read my full story here. – Rev. Adam McKinney

Northwest Concert Center Puyallup. Asleep At The Wheel. All Ages. 7:30 pm. $9.

The Peabody Waldorf Boutique and Gallery Tacoma - Downtown. Humble Cub Record Release Party with Fall of Electricity (Olympia), Outdoor Voices (Olympia), and Mary Mary (Bellingham). All Ages. 7-10 pm. $5.

• The first time I saw Allan Boothe perform, it was a solo set at a benefit show at The New Frontier for the Squeak and Squawk music festival. His performance was bizarre.  He stood atop an amp, clear across the room from the stage, guitar in hand, back to the crowd. It was strange and playful, though marked by an unmistakable loneliness. This is how I approach the new full-length release from Allan Boothe's full band, Humble Cub. The album features mostly guitar pop, dominated by Boothe's nervously diminutive voice. As the album opens, Boothe laments what a struggle it is to capture and retain happiness, how hard it is to love. Read my full story here. – Rev. AM

Red Wind Casino Yelm. Sonic Funk Orchestra. 21+. 8:30 pm. NC.

The Spar Tacoma - Old Town. Fingertips. 21+. 8 pm. NC.

Uncle Sam's American Bar & Grill Spanaway. The 1st Annual Old School Hot Rod & Chopper Show, with The Great Pretenders, Black Top Demon, 3rd Degree Burn, Fire Fighters Bagpipe Band. 21+. 10 am. $15-$25.

Washington Center for the Performing Arts Olympia - Downtown. Sounds of Aloha. Features Keoki Kahumoku, Herb Ohta Jr., Patrick Landeza and the Monday Ukulele Ohana. All Ages. 7 pm. $12.50-$22.50.

LINK: More live music in the South Sound tonight

FIRST BITE >>>

Less than two weeks past his estimated end of August opening, general manager Brandon Escovedo was all smiles last night at the grand opening party for his latest endeavor, Big Wheel Steakhouse on Steele Street South.

Earlier in the week I had asked Escovedo via text message if Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland would be doing a ribbon cutting. He jokingly responded with "Mayor Joe Wembly (Simpsons)". This is indicative of the laid back calm he conveyed as Just Dirt blasted out song after song on stage while serving staff hustled to keep drinks full and food delivered.

Speaking of tasty eats, Jack in the Box fourth meal has nothing on teriyaki tender tips served after 10 p.m. Super tender and still pink and juicy, these little nuggets of beef arrived piping hot amid paper thin mushroom slices with green onion atop the dish. Lightly toasted crostini acted as a mop for Escovedo's in-house made teriyaki sauce. I cajoled recipe basics from him: pineapple, molasses, brown sugar, and garlic. Exact amounts and remaining ingredients he kept quiet on.

From 8:30-9:30 p.m. the most popular things ordered were bottled Bud Light, crab cakes and rib eye steak. Seafood sounded great to follow the sweet and tangy steak. Three to an order, they arrived on a bed of chopped romaine tossed in a Parmesan Caesar dressing with corn, black bean and chopped jalapeno scattered across. I prefer more crab than cake in my crab cakes and these did not disappoint. Pump and moist, lightly pan seared crab was seasoned wonderfully for this spicy food lover though might be a bit on the hot side for the average bloke. Reddish-orange mild chipotle remoulade added a color pop to the plate.

Party goers spanned the age ranges and societal trends - tan young 20-somethings, 40 and older men in flannel shirts, cougars with deep red lipstick and blond streaks, military men flexing in muscle shirts - you name it, all seemed to be kicking back together and enjoying themselves. 

Big Wheel will be open Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m. to midnight, Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Big Wheel Steakhouse

11401 Steele St. S., Suite 102
Tacoma

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MONDAY, SEPT. 13, 2010 >>>

1. Beyond The Bridge Café hosts Noah Gunderson & The Courage, Robert DeLong and Luke Stevens – presented by the Warehouse folks – at 7:30 p.m.

2. Gate admission to the Puyallup Fair is free today for active, reserve, and retired military and their dependents, and disabled veterans. The gates open at 10 a.m.

3. The North End Neighborhood Council invites the public to attend its annual candidate forum at 6 p.m. inside the Student Union Building Rotunda on the University of Puget Sound campus. Invited candidates include: State Representative candidates Jon Cronk, Jeannie Darneille, Jake Fey, Janice Gbalah, Jon Higley, Laurie Jinkins, Ken Nichols and Jessica Smeall; County Prosecutor candidates Bertha Fitzer and Mark Lindquist; Court of Appeals candidates Marywave VanDeren and Lisa Worswick; District Court candidates Lance Hester, Kevin McCann, Claire Sussman and Karl Williams.

4. The Graphic Novel Book Club meets at 7 p.m. inside the 1022 South lounge to discuss The Girl from H.O.P.P.E.R.S. by Jaime Hernandez over cocktails.

5. The 7 On 7 band performs at 8 p.m. inside The Swiss.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

THE PERFECT 9/11 >>>

When I woke up last Saturday, Facebook was ablaze with remembrances of Sept. 11 and debates about the advisability of constructing an interfaith community center, including a Muslim prayer room, two blocks from Ground Zero.  I don't mind telling you I cried many times over what happened that awful morning, the last time in late December 2001. My mom and I went from Ground Zero to Rockefeller Center.  Flags waved, Arab immigrants sold falafel to rich white businessmen, and defiant children ice skated in the middle of an historic blizzard.  Loudspeakers promised, "War is over, if you want it."  So that's what was on my mind this particular morning, 9/11/2010, as I prepared a simple Thai noodle dish to share at the Table for Olympia community potluck.  Gray skies threatened Olympia's Fifth Avenue, and I wasn't in the mood for conviviality.

We arrived at 4 sharp, disappointed to find only a long, empty table.  A handful of information booths were set up curbside by volunteer organizations like Stand Up for Kids (standupforkids.org), a group that helps the hundreds of homeless and street kids in Olympia get on with their lives.  (This year's Table for Olympia was sponsored by the Volunteer Center and Olympia Action Network.)  A few such kids and homeless adults hovered nearby, waiting for a much-needed meal; but the street looked mostly desolate. Clearly, this event would be delayed until 4 p.m. Olympia Standard Time.

Suddenly, less than an hour later, as the skies cleared beautifully and the temperature touched 70 degrees, there were hundreds of us. Dishes were uncovered, paper plates distributed, and the mingling began. My friend Ben's vegetarian beans were an instant hit, followed quickly by my girlfriend's cucumber salad. Vegans lunged in like Space Invaders. Carnivores formed their own school of 3-D piranha, descending ravenously on a baking dish laden with roast pork, scouring it clean within minutes. I ate till I felt as if I'd swallowed a naked singularity. Waves of people showed up, far too many to count, each with a new buffet of homemade favorites. I gave up. Adam Richman couldn't manage four hours of this bounty. Kobayashi would throw in the towel. But what satisfied most wasn't glutting my friends and myself, it was watching those bedraggled teens and street people approach hesitantly, polite but famished, and eat till they were smiling and full. We were one big happy community, just as event organizers assured us we would be. Mathias Eichler, who instituted Table for Olympia last year and served as this year's media consultant, smiled proudly near the head of the table. It didn't feel like 9/11. It felt like Thanksgiving.

Obviously there should be an annual Day of Remembrance for what happened nine years ago, but it'd be a mistake to devote each and every 9/11 to ruminating over lives lost, the grief we shared, and where we were at 8:46 Eastern Time that morning. Table for Olympia represents the perfect commemoration, as the true strength of our nation isn't our ability to build somber memorial gardens or a matching pair of office skyscrapers - it's our unity, which we construct one community at a time.

SPENDING A FRIDAY NIGHT IN THE MUD >>>

Bandito Betty and I braved the big-breasted and scantily-clad masses in order to report back to you exactly how rockin' Bret Michaels might or might not still be after all his years of bodily abuse.  After waiting in an obscenely long line to stand on a muddy dirt floor (no seats) of the Puyallup fair rodeo grounds, the former Poison singer - now turned reality star - graced us with his presence on stage opening with Poison's "Talk Dirty to Me." One old Poison hit after another kept Bandito Betty and I pumping fists and shakin' ass for the entire hour and a half performance, not missing those absent seats one damn bit.  

Only one new song, "It's My Life," which coincidentally is the theme song to his new reality series beginning this fall on VH1, was played all evening. Yes, there was a lot of television self-promotion, thankfulness for all fans supporting him through his recent near-death experience, and Diabetes-awareness jargon Friday night.  

Old school tunes were belted such as "Every Rose Has It's Thorn," "Unskinny Bop," "Something to Believe In," "Fallen Angel," and lively covers of Lynyrd Skynyrd's' "Sweet Home Alabama" and Sublime's "What I Got."  

Closing out the evening was " Nothing But a Good Time," but not before I pulled out some old roller derby moves and body slammed a disrespectful douchebag who kept shoving all of us pretty ladies around and stepping on our feet. It was a collective meeting of the vaginas as we all sent him kickin' rocks sooner rather than later. I swear, it's something in the Bret Michaels air that brings out the girl power in a crowd.  

He also somehow brings out the panties, but that's another story.

Oh, I also shot a short video of Michael's singing "Talk Dirty To me":

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Happy birthday, Fiona Apple.

What's with our addiction to "reality" TV?

Newt Gingrich finally understands Obama's "Kenyan, anti-colonial" ways.

Watch a video of the San Bruno gas explosion.

LA-based comedian Josh Simpson has come clean as the creator of the @BPGlobalPR twitter that has mocked the oil company since May 19. He said he got the idea while "literally taking a whiz." Brilliant.

Can you regrow a chopped off fingertip?

TAP INTO PERSONAL BEER BREWING STATIONS IN PUYALLUP >>>

Driving down West Stewart in Puyallup on my way to Del's Farm Supply, a big handwritten sign bearing the words "U BREW" caught my eye. Swinging into the tiny parking lot, I spied people tipping back pints through the window. I could see a dark display case acted as a divider for a brewing area and the entry.

I went inside The Station U-Brew.

Owner Steve Samples took time to give me the low down on his operation. First, patrons don't need to prep or clean up. Samples and his staff perform those duties. In between, Samples and crew oversee the three brew stations - complete with bubbling pots, long handled big spoons and gauges  - as patrons navigate through the process. Samples calls it "the homebrew without the mess at your house."

I glanced around the room. Overhead hoods catch smells and heat as the brewing station air turns humid. It seemed odd that the back wall was a full size garage door until the temperature inside rose and it was needed to bring in cool air and refreshed the room. After the heating process, beer transfers into two climate controlled fermentation rooms. Then, the ultra-micro batches are moved to a walk-in cooler for conditioning at 34 degrees. Bonus: When the beer's ready to be bottled it's already at a good drinking temperature.

As the patrons stirred steaming silver pots like witches, they laughed and threw comments at the televised football game.

The cost for 10 gallons rings in at $150, or five gallons for $90 - 50-60 or 30 22-ounce bottles, respectively.

In addition to being a homebrew operation, The Station, which opened in May, is a licensed microbrewery with a taproom and rotating kegs. During my visit $4 pints were filled with Nutella-laced light porter, IPA, jalapeno Mannie's clone, hefeweizen and Mexican lager. The pint prices drop to $3 on Wednesdays and $2.50 on Tuesdays.

The Station U-Brew

1-9 p.m. Sunday-Tuesday, 11 a.m. to close Wednesday-Saturday
211 W. Stewart, Puyallup
253.466.3721

TUESDAY, SEPT. 14, 2010 >>>

1. Pitchfork's Altered Zones claims musician J. Irvin Dally is "an artist of abnormal brilliance, as garrulous and uncouth as the title of his EP, Despistado, would have you believe." He and Michael J. Saalman perform at 10 p.m. inside Le Voyeur in Olympia. Go see for yourself.

2. In 2009 the Serum Run '25 Expedition set out to retrace the original 1925 route across Alaska to deliver lifesaving antitoxin by dog teams to Diphtheria stricken Nome. To prepare for the arduous journey, Washington state musher Von Martin meticulously assembled 1,200 lbs of supplies, trained his team of 12 huskies for hundreds of miles, and made the long midwinter drive to Alaska. What he did not anticipate was the worst Alaskan winter in decades. Martin will discuss his book, A Long Way To Nome: The Serum Run '25 Expedition, through a slide presentation at 7 p.m. inside the Olympic Room at Tacoma Public Library's Main Branch.

3. King's Books has gathered a panel of book club experts who will talk about both their new favorites and overlooked page-turners at 7 p.m. Panelists are Lisa Oldoski, Lisa Bitney and Elise DeGuiseppi from Pierce County Library and Kelda Vath and Rhonda Kristoff from Tacoma Public Library.

4. South 11th, Breaker Breaker One Niner, Know Your Saints and The Triple Sixes rock Hell's Kitchen beginning at 7 p.m.

5. The Surreal Ultra Lounge has moved its I Heart House DJ night to Tuesdays at 9 p.m. DJs Michael Sherman and Big Chuck will spin house while you load up on $6 Berry Bombs.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

NOW WITH ALCOHOL AND MUSIC >>>

Neighborhood: Sixth Avenue Business District

Address/phone: 2717 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.572.9199

Website: Click here

Hours: 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday

Noshing/Sipping: Old-school chicken noodle and vegan black bean with zucchini soups are made in-house and served with a roll. More soups will be offered soon. All for less than $5.50, eight different bagel sandwiches are ramped up with stellar in-house made honey french or red pepper sauce, pesto, cranberry and spiced marinara. Garlic, parmesan, jalapeno cheddar and plain bagels are from Puyallup’s Bagel Boyz. Various sweet pastries are currently provided by Corina Bakery. BBC owners have a goal to be making and baking their own muffins, scones, granola and chocolate chip cookies within two weeks. They’ll offer some gluten-free items at that point.

Not after a coffee, latte, mocha, cappuccino or other coffee bean based beverage? Grab a fresh fruit smoothie, hot cocoa, flavored milk steamers, hot or iced tea, chai, or signature drink – the Sunrise Sunset made from black tea with orange juice and strawberry and raspberry.

Newly added, the BBC serves beer and wine! As of Sept. 13, South American malbec and chardonnay wines are from Salsa de Tango and beers are bottled Dead Guy Rogue, Fat Tire and Alaskan Amber. The beer selection will change when the beer taps are hooked up and it becomes draft city.

Standard Cup o' Joe: 12-ounce cup for $1.70 plus tax

Bean Source: Award winning Caffe D’arte Coffee

Crowd: It varies wildly depending on what’s going on.

Soundtrack: Smart thoughtful lyrics and mellow grooves by Ray Lamontagne, Ryan Adams, Martin Sexton, Ben Harper, Joe Purdy and the like.

WiFi: You know it.

Bonus Points: Since moving their café from Sumner to Tacoma this summer, owners Ben and Trish Rubke are intent on creating a “haven for art, music, free expression, and good coffee.” The BBC will crank up the entertainment next week with grand opening fun: Monday, Sept. 20 Latte Art Competition at 7 p.m. featuring judges Angie Hill of Caffe D’arte, Pat Brown of Satellite Coffee, A.J. Anderson of Valhalla Coffee Company, and Bryan Reynolds of Puyallup Forza; Tuesday, Sept. 21 Kindermusik lessons at 10:30 a.m.; Wednesday, Sept. 22 Caffe D’arte Cupping at 7 p.m.; Thursday, Sept. 23 Unveiling of the Taps at 6 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, Sept. 24-25 The Phoenix show from 8-10 p.m. presenting an underworld of music and dance with Vicci Martinez as the musical guest.

The House:
It’s a love-in. Staff is warm, welcoming and glad you’re there. No snobby espresso shot pullers here. Dark eggplanty purple painted walls run against cream ones, light from a high up window shines in on the coffee counter as a cheerful barista pours foam into a swirled masterpiece atop a latte. An eclectic feel is furthered by mismatched tables and chairs scattered throughout the room; an area at the front windows is reserved for musicians, Friday night open mic and other performances.