TUESDAY, JAN. 18, 2011 >>>

1. The Post Pop/Pop Art Exhibition, put on by The Gallery at Tacoma Community College and gallery coordinator Jennifer Olson-Rudenko, is a hell of an idea. The exhibit, which opens today, is a collection of submissions - from professional artists and local school children alike - that will celebrate the time-honored practice of co-opting commercial art for "high art" purposes. It'll make for quite a spectacle - good thing the exhibit runs through May 3.

2. The Karpeles Manuscript Museum has an evolution load of manuscripts from Darwin's Descent of Man; excerpts pertaining to "man's classification," Natural Selection, and Darwin's Theory of Evolution; responses to critics; and letters from Thomas Robert Mathus and Alfred Russsel Wallace. Take a gander at the manuscripts from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

3. Apple pie. Yum. The texture of the apple is wonderfully balanced to showcase softness with a bite. The sweetness and spice complement the natural tartness of the apples, and the cream in the binding adds just the right amount of silkiness. Holding it all together, is an exceptionally lovely crust. And we all know pie pairs well with Broadway Center Executive Director David Fischer's presentations on upcoming shows at the Center. The texture of his voice, the binding of his jokes, the sweetness of his smile make for a lovely afternoon inside the Pantages Theater Lobby, specifically at 4, 5 and 6 p.m. There will be door prizes, too. Sweet!

4. Artist Patty McPhee will discuss adding dimension to paintings during the Rainier League of Arts monthly meeting at 7 p.m. inside the Pierce Co. Library PAC, 3005 112^th St. E.

5. Ur Majesty and Sticky J will spin house music beginning at 8 p.m. inside the Gruv Lounge on Sixth Avenue.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

THE STARS NEVER LIE...STARTING NOW.>>>

So, you thought you were a Virgo for the last 27 years of your life. Well, turns out you were wrong, and really only because astrologers have been too lazy to change the placement of astrological signs, apparently inaccurate for the past 3,000 years.

According to astrologer Parke Kunkle, the moon's gravitational pull has made the Earth "wobble" around its axis, setting the Earth in a different spot in relation to the Sun. The change in equatorial allignment has created nearly a one-month bump in the stars' relative position and with that: a new arrangement of astrological signs.

A debate has begun about changing the zodiac. Not only has nearly every birthday shifted to a new sign, but a new sign has been added to the mix: Ophiuchus, which is represented by Serpentarius the Healer, a man subduing a gigantic snake. (It's pretty sexy.)

The New Zodiac Calendar:

Capricorn: Jan. 20 - Feb. 16
Aquarius: Feb. 16 - March 11
Pisces: March 11- April 18
Aries: April 18- May 13
Taurus: May 13- June 21
Gemini: June 21- July 20
Cancer: July 20- Aug. 10
Leo: Aug. 10- Sept. 16
Virgo: Sept. 16- Oct. 30
Libra: Oct. 30- Nov. 23
Scorpio: Nov. 23- Nov. 29
Ophiuchus: Nov. 29- Dec. 17
Sagittarius: Dec. 17- Jan. 20

A CRITIC ON THE BOARDS >>>

For thousands of nights, since I was seven years old, this has been my milieu.

Above is the view from the wings of a typical Frost/Nixon rehearsal at Tacoma Little Theatre. Notice I'm not sitting in the house waiting to critique the show; I'm a member of the cast. It's my first time working with TLT, but I couldn't tell you how many troupes there have been over the years, and the view almost always looks like this. It's always hurry up and wait. Actors are juiced on coffee and bravado; techies are slurry from lack of sleep. There's the usual backstage rumor mill, inevitably more inflammatory and entertaining than the truth. There are sweet, pretty girls and pop-nerdy boys. There's the murmur of lines being run while flirtations are attempted and sometimes achieved. And as the days tick off the calendar in the run-up to opening night, the cast and crew can tell from the exhaustion level of the director whether it's a good show or not. If the director can barely stand, it means every nuance has been addressed and the show has a chance of success. If he or she seems rested and cocky, say your prayers to Dionysus, 'cause the wings are on fire and we're going down fast.

Our director, by the way, is clearly running on fumes.

As I write this, we're hours away from our final dress rehearsal, which will also be a free preview performance. There'll be guests in the house, probably several. My girlfriend is coming. So is her family. Effectively speaking, the show starts tonight.
After our director's notes last night, I snapped a picture of the stage.

Doesn't look like much, does it? And it won't, till those pesky screens light up and that bare platform is swarmed by moving bodies. I'm in no way concerned about our Frost (James A. Gilletti) or our Nixon (Steve Tarry). I'm not even worried about me, frankly. I'm worried about you. Will you come? Will the show make money? I know TLT could use it. Will fellow Volcano critic Joe Izenman like it? You'll know the moment I do, when his review goes online next Wednesday or Thursday.

It's a hassle. Acting can eat your life if you let it, and it obviously gets in the way of my critiquing schedule, which costs me money and costs other companies reviews. But I love it. I can't give this up, no matter how much I try. It's in my DNA, right next to the cytosine and thymine. As I look at that bare stage, I wonder: What'll I do to help fill the next one?

FORTY FEET OF DELIGHTFUL BOOZE >>>

Last month we reported Ali Kashi, the man behind Cheers South Hill Grill, Greek Café, Blue Olive Ultra Lounge, Bella Vita, Lipstix and several other restaurants (and strip joints) we can't remember, will open another Cheers Bar and Grill in the former McCabe's American Café spot at 2611 Pacific Ave. We bugged Kashi until he felt forced to let us peek inside his $1.5 million project

Kashi and company have gutted the old McCabe's leaving only the large fireplace intact.

Once completed this spring, Cheers Bar and Grill Downtown will look similar to the Cheers on South Hill featuring a large family dining section, four pool tables, four dart games, jukebox, gold machine, 20 high-definition 60-inch televisions, wifi, 400 bottles of booze, 20 beers on tap, and all the UFC fights and NFL games you can stand.

Kashi plans to be open 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., with dining both inside and outside. The bar inside will be 40 feet long.

Kashi mentioned several times that he'll be the only bar downtown with ample free parking.

Stay tuned for more details.

LINK: Does this news make you want to drink?

This week ...

Place: Puyallup's Organic Comfort Food Cafe

Items on menu: Somewhere between 30 and 300, more toward 30

Times I made the server come back to table: 13

Times I had showered that day: Zero

Server slightly victimized by my presence: Of course

Kid's menu: Yes

Alcohol: No

Parking: Street

Available seats: About 40

Hot men eating healthy: None that I could see

Tacoma and Olympia have a handful of organic dining options - and  by "handful" I mean the amount that would fit in a very small toddler's hand. But Puyallup's entire health-conscious community has even fewer options than the neighboring metropolis of T-Town. With a hankering for a meal sans hormones and pesticides, I packed up and headed out to explore what Puyallup had to offer besides deep-fried fair food served on a stick.

With the descriptive of "organic" in the Organic Comfort Food Cafe's name I expected to walk into an establishment where more than 80% of their menu items are made with organic ingredients - and I did.  Much to my giddiness (and what I certainly didn't expect) - they were giving away gluten at no cost!

Item after item on Organic Comfort Food Cafe's menu listed the term "gluten free" in the description. Wow! I wondered how much money they were losing by handing out all that free gluten.

I was twice as shocked when upon the delivery of my PB&J sandwich I realized it was "vegan." These people must be crazy! Someone please, for the love of all things sacred, please tell me how they fit all those tiny veggies into the peanut butter! I mean, I just don't see how broccoli wouldn't at least show up a little in the transparency of the jelly.   

After my meal I nosed around the place looking for more free stuff. I saw fresh flowers on all the tables, organic jelly beans in the candy machine, an Organic Food Shopper's Guide resting on a side desk and a note declaring the cafe as official sponsors of a child in Swaziland ... but no free stuff. 

As I was paying my check I decided to see if I could get more than gluten for free, so I asked my delicate server if she would pay my monthly house mortgage. 

Damn those organic folk sure are picky with their charitable causes. 

[Organic Comfort Food Cafe,  210 W. Pioneer, Puyallup, 253.770.6147]

FUCKIN' A! >>>

This Sunday, Hutch Harris and Kathy Foster's the Thermals will be at Northern in Olympia -- just another amazing show brought to you by Oly's amazing all-ages arts and music space.

Naturally, and as we mentioned yesterday, we'll be previewing the show in this week's Volcano.

The good Rev. Adam McKinney interviewed the Thermals last month and has been sitting on a gold mine of quotes waiting for this moment.

And, there's been a new development! The Volcano's Nikki Talotta will be reviewing the show - posting her take on the band's first ever Olympia performance to Spew as fast as humanly possible once the Thermals strike their final chord.

Until then, like yesterday, you'll simply have to make due with a bit of music video goodness from the band.

TODAY IN ONLINE TALK >>>

Today's comment comes from ron h in regard to Bobble Tiki's recent column on the band Bodybox, who will celebrate a CD release this Saturday at The New Frontier Lounge.

Ron h writes,
"it is great to watch and listen to these guys. like when kurt would play almost every friday night at the now infamous mocha moo honing his craft. many friday evenings were spent there, it was his second home. and kevin was into filmaking and documenting the the music scene in the greater seattle tacoma area and the scene at the moo. after the mocha moo closed, kevin on bass joined kurt to form a band and then belal joined and bodybox was born. i attend many of their shows and its a treat to listen to them hone their craft and their music is upbeat and lashes out at you one min and the next you are soothed and caressed. if youve never seen them play live, you are missing one of the most creative acts that has come out of this area in quite awhile. do yourself a favor and attend the cd release show and be prepared to enjoy yourself."

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 19, 2011 >>>

1. Everybody loves their dog/cat/ferret/turtle/what-have-you, probably in the embarrassing extreme. And handing over their pet to a veterinary doctor can be an unsettling task. Metropolitan Veterinary Hospital would like to ease your mind. They're hosting an open house from 5-7 p.m. Drop by and discuss the local tick population. They will not laugh at silly questions such as "What's that scab on my dog's belly?" when it's the mutt's bellybutton. Oh, and the adorable creatures and landscape of Alexis St. John will be on display. Have no fear. Met Vet will not pimp expensive gourmet pet foods or doggy conditioner either.

2. In the face of so much going awry on the planet - ice caps are melting, irreversible climate change is looming, and Ricky Gervaisageddon - bonding with your neighborhood in a community garden can be a rewarding experience. To achieve such a bliss, may we suggest attending the Tacoma Community Garden Kickoff from 6-9 p.m. at the Evergreen Tacoma campus, 1210 Sixth Ave. You will learn more about local community garden efforts, as well as give input on the vision and management for new garden locations.

3. The bitchin' cool Puget Sound Book Artists group will gather at 7 p.m. inside Room 020 in the basement of the Collins Memorial Library to hear Chandler O'Leary discuss her book, Local Conditions. 

4. You know what we don't have enough of in the Puget Sound? Eating contests. Sure, we've had hot dog eating contests at The Red Hot, and the Weekly Volcano staff once had a spicy tuna roll challenge at Fujiya back in 2004, but eating contests are a unique modern sport that we should have more of around here. Thankfully, Farrelli's Wood Fire Pizza has invented 20-minute pepperoni Pizza Eating Competitions at all its locations. Tonight at 8 p.m. folks will gather at the www.farrellispizza.com/" target="_blank">Tacoma store to watch freaks down 12-inch pizzas one by one.

5. Bloodhunger, King Of France, Ether, and The Body Rampant will rock Hell's Kitchen beginning at 9 p.m.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Feedbag!

SEAHORSES FOREVER>>>

Happy Humpday! Here's a stupid video to help you forget about your TPS reports and Swingline stapler jams. This video was rumored to be from a recording of a dude ripping on acid, stuck in his coat closet. Sorry. The truth is never as interesting. The video was actually made by comedian, Dan Deacon, who has never even ridden Puff the Magic Dragon. But, don't let that keep you from frolicking in the autumn mist and laughing your ass off at a man with an undeniable passion for seahorses.

LOOKING FOR ARTWORK >>>

This just in from Tacoma's Urban Grace Church (recently featured in the Weekly Volcano, btw):

A Call to Tacoma Artists!

Urban Grace, a church and nonprofit in downtown Tacoma, is looking for artists who would like to display their work in the rotating art galleries in our foyer and parlor areas. If you or someone you know would like to take advantage of this great opportunity to share your gifts of visual art now or in the future please contact Joy Caddock (253) 228.1389 or Bridget Howe at (253) 861.6668. We will be accepting both whole collections and singular pieces. 

Thanks!

Taryn

--

Taryn Kloster

Office Manager

Urban Grace

253-272-2184 x104