SETTING OUR CLOCKS TO AUSTIN TIME >>>

It's nearly mid March, meaning the annual SXSW festival is quickly approaching. Every year thousands upon thousands of music industry types (hopeful bands, promoters, label folks, music journalists, sometimes Matt Driscoll) converge on Austin, Tex. for one of the largest and most hyped happenings of the year.

Once again this year the Weekly Volcano is proud and honored to be one of only 40-or-so alternative press papers around the country chosen as an official co-sponsor of the 2011 SXSW Music festival. Later this month the venerable Rev. Adam McKinney and Jason Baxter will both be travelling to Texas, no doubt to partake in too many Lone Star Beers, and also (hopefully) to report back all the SXSW action to you -- from a local perspective.

This week, Baxter caught up with Olympia band Christmas, who are also currently preparing for SXSW. Read that story here.

ONLINE CHATTER >>>

Today's comment comes from "Papa" in regard to our recently published Best of Olympia 2011 Issue, in which both "Sam the Cat Man" and "Dude Man" were featured in blurbs by Scabby McCrusto, who worked specially for the Volcano on Best of Olympia 2011.

Papa writes,

What in the hell are you people thinking? Please explain how Dude Man and Sam the Cat Man have any business being given any type of positive press when those two people alone are some of the biggest problems in our downtown. Try running your business with the two of them doing drug deals, pissing on your building, smashing windows (I saw sam do this in the alley between the Eastside and Jezebels) smoking pot and drinking in public without any regard to those who work, live and depend on downtown to survive. Obviously, you don't have a clue as to how much disrespect both of those people show us and our community each and every day by their actions. You just added more fuel to the fire, thanks a lot!!

THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2011 >>>

1. When your job is making everything from elections to war to environmental disasters into a joke, it really does color your worldview.

"I don't look at the Egyptian protests and think, ‘Is this good for the world or bad for the world?' " says Elaina Newport, co-founder of the Capitol Steps, performing today in Olympia. "I think, ‘Is it funny, and what rhymes with it?'

2. Get your dreadlocked badass on tonight when Witchburn (see above) plays Hell's Kitchen. For the Weekly Volcano's complete list of live local music happenings for today, click here.

3. The always entertaining Billy Shew Band will be at Dawson's Bar and Grill tonight. Get the weekend started early in South Tacoma.

4. Drinking Liberally - the informal gathering of "like-minded left-leaners and true hardcore lefties who want to trade ideas, get more involved, to rant, or just share each other's company" - meets tonight at the Hub at 7 p.m. Considering the political climate, drinking liberally is probably a great idea.

5. If all else fails, don't sleep on dance lessons with Char & Alan every Thursday at Big Whisky Saloon.

MUSICAL GOODNESS IN STORE IN PRINT & ONLINE >>>

As sure as editor Matt Driscoll went about three Charlie Sheen jokes over the line in this week's issue, the coming of Thursday means it's time for a brand-spanking new Weekly Volcano music issue.

Here's a peak at the musical goodness in store in print & online ...

THE NIGHTGOWNS

... This is a dream that is closer than ever to coming to fruition, as the Nightgowns ready themselves to head down to Austin, Texas, for the 25th Annual South by Southwest Music Festival. On March 5, a benefit show will be held at The New Frontier Lounge to send off the band and help out a little bit with the cost of driving down to Texas and staying in roadside motels. It'll be Tacoma's chance to bid them farewell and safe travels and to remind them once more how much we appreciate them. - Rev. Adam McKinney

NEVER SLEEP

South Bend, Indiana's Double B and Seattle, Washington's Dan Fajans - the forces behind Never Sleep - both moved to Olympia in the fall of 2009 to enroll at The Evergreen State College. In addition to providing a college education, Evergreen has served as a launch pad for the duo - leading to high profile shows populated by a large and growing fan base. 

What drives them? Each other.  - Nic Leonard

THEE HEADLINERS

In the case of Portland's Thee Headliners, the breakup happened before the music had even started. Holly Morgan and Jeremy Terry went through a breakup and came out on the other side as a musical duo. They credit their collaboration as the thing that saved their friendship from being swallowed up by the relationship's end. - Rev. AM

CHRISTMAS

Christmas' turbulent garage sound is a far cry from the mawkish schmaltz of holiday standards, though the band's sound is characterized by a juvenile kind of rambunctious joy, with a mongrel's appetite for assimilating worldly influences. - Jason Baxter

PLUS: Better Living Through Music -- DNTSTP!, The Big John Bates Grindshow, Boy and Bean and Masters and Johnson

PLUS: Daily Live Local Music Calendar for the entire South Sound

PLUS: Concert Alert

THE LOWDOWN ON WHAT'S UP THIS WEEKEND >>>

WEATHER REPORT

Friday: Drizzle, hi 46, lo 40

Saturday: Drizzle (part deux), hi 47, lo 35

Sunday: Partially sunny, partially less depressing, hi 46, lo 34

>>> MARCH 3-6: SEWING & STICHERY EXPO

Well holy crap. Honestly, we see an event title like "Sewing & Stichery EXPO" and our eyes instantly glaze over. Sounds like about 13 old ladies in a double wide crocheting death certificates, right? Wrong. Completely false. As it turns out, the Sewing & Stichery EXPO overtaking the Puyallup Fair and Events Center this weekend is freaking gigantic -- "the nation's largest event for sewing enthusiasts," according to hype. Apparently, "The Expo is the foremost venue for the home sewing industry attracting leading authorities including Nancy Zieman, Mary Mulari, Ricky Tims, and Pati Palmer." Do we have any clue who those people are? Of course not. But they sound important. And we're not in the home sewing industry. Maybe, just maybe, after this weekend we will be ...

• Puyallup Fair & Events Center, $10-$12, seminar prices vary, 110 Ninth Ave. SW, Puyallup, sewexpo.com]
  

>>> SATURDAY, MARCH 5: HELL'S BELLES

Mandy Reed (bass guitar), Adrian Conner (lead guitar), Lisa Brisbois (rhythm guitar), Laura D. (drums) and Amber Saxon (lead vocals) currently make up this balls-to-the-wall, all-girl rock-hard revue. I urge you to check out their show tonight at Hell's Kitchen in Tacoma. Breasts, beer and head-bangin' - all of life's pleasures in one place. - Steph DeRosa

• Hell's Kitchen, 9 p.m., $12-$15, 928 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.759.6003

>>> SUNDAY, MARCH 6:HILLSTOMP

Since my first experience with Portland band Hillstomp, I can't help but notice there's not much difference between that bearded duo and my baby-faced toddler. Do they both sing with wild abandon? Yep. Are they dirty and loud? Uh-huh. Do they both bang on cans and buckets and somehow produce a unique, harmonious chunk of sound? You bet. Swampy, electric and bluesy, with a bad-ass junkyard feel, Hillstomp has it.  — Nikki Talotta

• The Spar, 8-11 p.m., NC, 2121 North 30th St., Tacoma, 253.627.8215

>>> WHERE OUR STAFF IS GOING

MATT DRISCOLL Editor
I'll be helping see the Nightgowns off to SXSW Saturday at the New Frontier, which -- on the off chance the hype we've thrown at this event hasn't already been too much for good taste -- should be totally kick ass. I specifically assigned Meat Market correspondent Brett Cihon to show up as well -- mainly so I'll have someone to stand next to (thus making me look like less of a douche).

BRETT CHIHON Meat Market Correspondent/Features Writer
On Saturday I'm cruising over to the New Frontier to give my love to the Nightgowns, Jason Baxter and The Rev. before they all head down to SXSW. Lucky bastards, headed to Texas for a week of boozing and music. I'm sure it sounds more fun than it really is.

CHRISTIAN CARVAJAL: Theater Critic
I'm seeing My Name Is Asher Lev at Lakewood Playhouse this weekend, as I fully intended to do last weekend. This weekend is mostly devoted to wedding plans, as my betrothed and I look for a suitable indoor-outdoor location to get hitched in rainy May.

ALEC CLAYTON: Visual Arts Critic
I'm gonna hustle up to Tacoma to see A Flea in Her Ear at Tacoma Little Theatre.

.

JOANN VARNELL Theater Critic
My weekend starts today as I have completed another year of life. Tomorrow night I'll continue to celebrate at the Drew Grow and the Pastors Wives at Columbia City Theatre. Saturday I'll take easy and then catch the matinee of A Flea In Her Ear at the Tacoma Little Theatre on Sunday.

STEVE DUNKELBERGER Nightlife Correspondent
Kiddo time, A Flea In Her Ear, geocaching and other random stuff.

.

JOE IZENMAN Theater and Music Writer
Comics, comics, comics. And more comics. This weekend is Emerald City Comic Con at the Seattle Convention Center. Nerds shall abound, and I shall be one of them. I'm not going out of my way to meet William Shatner, though. So there.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

ONLINE CHATTER >>>

Today's comment actually comes from Red Hex, in response to a recent comment posted by Rob - which was just one of many that the Rev. Adam McKinney's recent profile on Red Hex generated.

First Rob wrote,

It's funny to hear the young scoots criticizing the "posers" and the "hipsters" then go on to proclaim that this band or that person is not "punk" or whatever. I'm sure the young lads in Red Hex adhere to a strict dress code and a certain vernacular, just like all the other "posers." Here's a little tip - stop worrying about what's "garage" or "indie" or "punk" and you'll sound less retarded.

To which Red Hex replied,

Young scoots? Fuck you pops. Come see our show before talking shit.

OK, OK - Bobble Tiki gets it. He's been a complete bum lately. Like Skippyjon Jones, maybe Bobble Tiki's been lost in spice - only the "spice" was actually booze, various other intoxicants, and copious amounts of self-loathing? But you probably wont be reading stories about Bobble Tiki's recent bender to your toddler at bedtime anytime soon. That'd just be fucked up.

Amazingly, even after finding the empty booze bottle in his desk, the empty cartoon of Newport Reds (what's up with those?) in his office trash bin, and an empty soul upon further inspection, the powers that be here at the Weekly Volcano decided to keep Bobble Tiki on staff. Bobble Tiki suspects it's because, during the heyday, the Swarner Bros erected a wooden statue of Tiki outside the office -- and they're probably just too damn cheap to replace it with a chainsaw carved Steph DeRosa. So the performance goes on ...

However, after returning from a successful, whirlwind, would-be-world-record-if-they-would-have-just-stopped-being-dicks-and-admited-Bobble-Tiki-was-cured-like-he-insisted-instead-of-making-him-jump-the-fence stay at Schick Shadel, Bobble Tiki is back at it - debuting a new column he hopes will reinvigorate his life like an erection lasting longer than four hours. Bobble Tiki can already feel the life pumping back into him. Slowly but surely...

Ladies and gentleman, "Three Questions with Bobble Tiki"

This week ...

Where Sails Meet Rails guitarist and frontman Jake Westhoff

[The New Frontier, Where Sails Meet Rails, with special guests, Friday, March 4, 9 p.m., cover TBA, 301 E 25^th St., Tacoma, 253.572.4020]

FRIDAY, MARCH 4, 2011 >>>

1. In Olympia, the always-fabulous Morgan and the Organ Donors (honored in this year's Best of Olympia Issue) play Le Voyeur tonight.

2. In a vein similar to acts like That Handsome Devil and Reverend Horton Heat, the Big John Bates Grindshow is a celebration and perversion of a variety of genres, including rockabilly, bluegrass and punk, with Big John presiding over the sordid affair in a black top hat. Effort has been made to give the impression of a dark, traveling carnival, and that effort translates to one hell of a sloppy, fun live show. Catch it tonight at Hell's Kitchen. Check here for the Volcano's top-notch calendars of live local music action.

3. Tonight at the Midnight Sun in Olympia, the DNTSTP! crew will bring Olympia the best local hip-hop show of the year. You can count on this one to be packed from front to back the entire night thanks to DNTSTP! and some of Olympia's most exciting and popular hip-hop acts. With Olympia's Never Sleep, Night Fox, Free Whiskey, Messy Club, Q-Storm and Mark Spade all hitting the stage, you've already got enough reason to believe there will be a house-party-style atmosphere and a mosh pit full of hipsters, rowdy college kids and some of Olympia's most beautiful women. Now, what if Seattle's own Mash Hall were thrown into the mix?  Well, you'll have the opportunity to find out because Gatsby, Bruce Illest and the rest of Mash Hall will be making the trip down from the 206 for the night to rock Olympia for the first time in well over a year.

4. Tonight, the powers behind the amazing Peabody Waldorf bring Boy and Bean to the stage with the Warren G. Hardings also lined up. According to the Peabody Waldorf's Facebook page, event organizers expect "bluegrass, folk, swing and some good ol' country," noting that the bill is one close to their hearts. Also, expect special guests not limited to, but likely to include, members of Apricot and the Beginners, Eggplant and the Slumberjack. 

5. On the theatre front, production fanatics have the chance to catch A Flea In Her Ear at Tacoma Little Theater or My Name Is Asher Lev at Lakewood Palyhousse ... among others. Here's a peak at the Volcano's extensive list of local events and arts happenings.

LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

Beyond the Bridge Cafe Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Open Mic Night. All Ages. 7 pm. NC.

C.I. Shenanigans Tacoma - Northend. Ron Sanders. 8 pm.

Dawson's Bar and Grill Tacoma - South. Rock & Roll Magic. 9 pm. NC.

Hell's Kitchen Tacoma - Downtown. The Big John Bates Grindshow, with James Hunnicutt, Hot Roddin Romeos, Angie & The Carwrecks. 9 pm. $5.

• There are some bands that have clearly spent a lot of time fantasizing about the live show they would one day unleash on the public. If the members of the Big John Bates Grindshow were younger, it might be permissible to imagine them in school, tracing the word "Grindshow" over and over in their spiral notebooks. In a vein similar to acts like That Handsome Devil and Reverend Horton Heat, BJBG is a celebration and perversion of a variety of genres, including rockabilly, bluegrass and punk, with Big John presiding over the sordid affair in a black top hat. Effort has been made to give the impression of a dark, traveling carnival, and that effort translates to one hell of a sloppy, fun live show. - Rev. Adam McKinney

Jazzbones Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Janiva Magness. 8 pm. $15.

Le Voyeur Café and Lounge Olympia - Downtown. Morgan and the Organ Donors, Happy Noose. 10 pm.

Mandolin Cafe Tacoma - Central. Blues Redemption. All Ages. 8:30 pm. $5.

Maxwell's Speakeasy Tacoma. Lance Buller Trio. All Ages. 7-10 pm. NC.

The Midnight Sun Olympia - Downtown. DNTSTP! featuring Mash Hall, Free Whiskey, Night Fox, Never Sleep, Messy Club, Q-Storm and Mark Spade. All Ages. Doors at 8:30 pm. $5 after 10 pm.

• Friday night at the Midnight Sun in Olympia, the DNTSTP! crew will bring Olympia the best local hip-hop show of the year. You can count on this one to be packed from front to back the entire night thanks to DNTSTP! and some of Olympia's most exciting and popular hip-hop acts. With Olympia's Never Sleep, Night Fox, Free Whiskey, Messy Club, Q-Storm and Mark Spade all hitting the stage, you've already got enough reason to believe there will be a house-party-style atmosphere and a mosh pit full of hipsters, rowdy college kids and some of Olympia's most beautiful women. Now, what if Seattle's own Mash Hall were thrown into the mix?  Well, you'll have the opportunity to find out because Gatsby, Bruce Illest and the rest of Mash Hall will be making the trip down from the 206 for the night to rock Olympia for the first time in well over a year. Don't sleep on this show, Olympia. And if you think you got what it takes - come stand in the front row. - Nic Leonard

The New Frontier Lounge Tacoma - Dome District. Where Sails Meet Rails. 9 pm.

Northern Olympia - Downtown. Paintings For Animals, Walrus Effect, Babe Lazer, Chung Antique, Toland Wright. All Ages. 8 pm.

O'Callahan's Pub & Grill Key Peninsula. Steve Raible & The Newscasters. 8 pm.

Old General Store Steakhouse & Saloon Roy. Five Dollar Fine. 9 pm.

Peabody Waldorf Gallery Tacoma - Downtown. Boy and Beanm The Warren G Hardings, special guests. All Ages. 8 pm. $6, $4 with SOTA ID.

• As much as a non-mainstream, somewhat fledgling all-ages venue in Tacoma can, the Peabody Waldorf is killing it right now - booking show after show of pure awesomeness. And - perhaps more importantly - the venue is providing yet another place for fostering Tacoma's burgeoning arts and indie music scenes; another locale sure to someday go down in Tacoma hipster lore. This weekend, the powers behind the Waldorf bring Boy and Bean to the stage with the Warren G. Hardings also lined up. According to the Peabody Waldorf's Facebook page, event organizers expect "bluegrass, folk, swing and some good ol' country," noting that the bill is one close to their hearts. Also, expect special guests not limited to, but likely to include, members of Apricot and the Beginners, Eggplant and the Slumberjack. - Matt Driscoll

Stonegate Pizza Tacoma - South. Whole Lotta Licks. 9 pm.

Traditions Cafe and World Folk Art Olympia - Downtown. FOR Benefit, with Tom Rawson. All Ages. 7:30 pm. $10-$25.

Uncle Sam's American Bar & Grill Spanaway. Denim Skillet, Failed Sobriety, Devils Of Loudon. 9 pm.

LINK: More live music tonight in the South Sound

MEALS TO GO >>>

It's been a long day/week/month/year at work, and you're just too damn tired to cook dinner for yourself. The only food around is stale bagels left over from yesterday's morning meeting. And your couch is calling you.

You need take-out.

Everybody loves take-out. Whether you're inspired to order it by convenience or necessity, take-out has become a vital component of the way America eats. Where once there was only pizza, sandwiches, and bad Chinese food, a wealth of delicious take-out options has sprung up in the South Sound - including the Sidebar Bistro.

Owners JoAnna and Tom Irick have created a Dinners To Go menu featuring enchiladas ($9.95), SideBar lasagna ($9.95), barbecue pork spareribs ($10.95), spaghetti and meatballs ($9.95), and vegetarian pasta puttanesca ($8.95). You may add a green or Caesar salad for $3.95, buttered sourdough roll for $1.25 and even grab a bottle of wine to go.

The Dinners To Go menu is available 2-8 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 5-8 p.m. Saturday. Call in your order at 253.572.7227 for a quick route to your couch.

SideBar Bistro

1101 Tacoma Ave. S., Tacoma
253.572.7227