MONDAY, APRIL 25, 2011 >>>

1. In Olympia check out The Z-Kamp Experience, with Dub & Jender at the Eastside Club. Or, if that doesn't tickle your musical fancy, browse the Volcano's extensive live local music listings here.

2. Monday night means the New Frontier Lounge in Tacoma's Dome District transforms into the Dana Nicole piano lounge. Expect originals, covers, and all sorts of goodness from 7:30 - 9:30 p.m.

3. The Children's Museum of Tacoma turns 25 this year. Even better, on the 25^th of every month they museum is celebrating by offering a party of some sort - from exciting games and activities to 25-cent admission. Find details here.

4. The Post Pop/Pop Art Exhibition has been running at The Gallery at Tacoma Community College for since February. Still, we know there are folks out there who have yet to see it. We also know it only runs through May 3, so time is getting short. Perhaps today is your day to finally see what the fuss is about?

5. Typically, the Vegan Book Club meets on the fourth Tuesday of the month at King's Books. This month, however, a scheduling conflict necessitated a change - and the VBC meets TODAY! Discuss Melanie Joy's Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows: An Introduction to Carnism starting at 7 p.m.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events int he South Sound

LINK: It's Micro Monday at Magoo's

CHECK OUT HIS IBEAST MIXTAPE >>>

... What all of this shows me is Gazmo has a national grind right now. Granted, he may not be one of best-known 253 artists, but Gazmo looks to be getting a little more national shine than some of us. When I asked him to speak to the people, Gazmo says, "If ya want it, work for it, don't wait for it. Power to the people."

To read Josh Rizeberg's full "What's the Word?" column click here.

WE GOT OFF OUR ASSES >>>

The week includes images from Micro Mondays with DJ Melodica at Magoo's Annex, STINK - Cheese and Meats opening Thursday, Third Thursday Artwalk in downtown Tacoma, the Artifakt show Friday at Hell's Kitchen, the Weekly Volcano Summer Guide photo shoot at Owens Beach Saturday, Dockyard Derby Dames Allstars battle with Canada Saturday, Baby Gramps at Bob's Java Jive Saturday and Gritty City Sirens burlesque show Saturday at Stonegate Pizza.

LINK: More photos from Monday night at Magoo's

LINK: More photos from Artifakt at Hell's Kitchen (NSFW)

LINK: More photos from Saturday's Dockyard Derby Dames bout

LINK: More photos from Baby Gramps show

THE POLLS ARE NOW OPEN >>>

Spring is in the air.

This means lust is in the air - and in the pages of the Weekly Volcano.

Once again, the Volcano is unleashing The Sexy Issue, giving one and all the chance to gaze at the sexiest people in the South Sound - as voted on by all of you, our dear readers.

Our annual celebration of the flesh, The Sex Issue is the Weekly Volcano's way of showcasing the South Sound's sexiest denizens - and by denizens we don't mean celebrities; we're talking about regular dudes and dudettes who just happen to look sexy as hell. Not just cliché sex appeal, of no relation to AXE Deodorant Body Spray campaigns, and certainly much more than mere looks, the Volcano Sexy Issue attempts to answer simple question: What defines sexiness in the South Sound?

This year, we are asking you to nominate the person who makes you all hot and bothered in the following categories: Bartender, Barista, Delivery Person, Real Estate Agent, Athlete, Servicemember, Drummer, Tattoo Artist and Mom.

On Thursday, June 2, the Weekly Volcano will publish The Sexy Issue, immortalizing the sexy, chosen few forever.

Help us find them.

Voting ends May 12 - so help the Weekly Volcano find the South Sound's hottest citizens. Vote today!

Vote for the South Sound's sexiest people (please include where they work):

MOTHER'S DAY MAYHEM >>>

It's become almost routine for Capital Playhouse and Harlequin Productions to open their shows the same weekend. It's OK for them and their patron base, which doesn't overlap to a prohibitive degree. I don't think it costs those companies business at all. Does it limit their casting options? Probably not. There are more than enough good actors in town to go around, though auditions for Prodigal Sun Productions have been sparsely attended. (Why act for 30 people a night when you can act for 300?) The only person it really hurts is me.

Consider this Mother's Day weekend, commencing Thursday, May 5. Capital Playhouse is opening Fame (the show formerly slotted as Kiss of the Spider Woman--good choice, CP). Harlequin Productions debuts Unexpected Tenderness, from play writing legend Israel Horovitz. I'm obliged to see both of those shows; they're "big tickets." Prodigal Sun Productions opens Amy's View, an ambitious three-act drama about an actress of a certain age. The director is a friend of mine, and I'm interested to see what he's done with the material. Riot to Follow had some production delays, so its take on Eurydice opens and closes that same weekend. I probably shouldn't review that production at all (when shows wrap before a review can see print, my role as consumer advocate becomes pointless), but I want to see the show. Despite the date of April 29 listed on Olympia Little Theatre's promotional posters, A Few Good Men opens May 5. (Of course, OLT's banner says Theatre with an R-E but its URL is olympialittletheater.org with an E-R, so perhaps that's par for the course.)

So that makes five shows opening in Olympia in four days. Great for Olympia!--bad for me.

The point is, I can only see so many shows in a weekend before burnout sets in. It's even worse when I'm in a show myself. And while that isn't the case this spring, we're talking about Mother's Day weekend, when I have two mothers to honor: mine and my fiancée's. That makes a Sunday matinee tricky in the extreme. Then my deadline for the print edition is Monday at 5 p.m., and I have a 30-hour-a-week day job.

There's also the editorial perspective to consider. I'm passionate about theater; perhaps you are, too. Or maybe you're in one of these shows, so it's vitally important to you that it get reviewed so your fabulousness can be commemorated. But I think the last time my editor went to a play was to get out of high school English class, and he's not the only guy in town who loves concert and movie reviews more than our narcissistic extravaganzas. It's unrealistic and unreasonable to expect the Volcano to stuff its pages or even its website with five theater reviews in a single week.

I guess what I'm saying is, would it be too much to ask for you guys to peek at each other's season calendars before you plan your own? My two moms and I would be ever so grateful.

A DIARY: 72-HOUR FILM COMPETITION BRINGS JOKES AND YOLKS, FOLKS >>>

Thursday/What are we gonna do?

The text message lit up my phone a few minutes after 7 p.m. The message simply read: "Prop: an egg, line: What are you going to do about it?, location: dock or pier, one character must have a super power." The messenger, my friend Jeff Axtman, sent me this film recipe from inside The Grand Cinema on Thursday night. Marooned at work, I couldn't witness firsthand the kickoff of the 72-Hour Film Competition.

As I served customers their food and refreshments my mind whirred. ... So, our team's short had to center around the above four elements. I haven't participated in this contest since 2007, but that same old momentary flash of panic and confusion raced through me. As long as creativity comes with a deadline, I'll probably always feel this. The last item on the list troubled me the most: How would we visualize superpowers without resorting to time-consuming FX trickery? Despite my worries, I take comfort in the realization that somehow, for better or for worse, my friends and I will greet Sunday night with a finished film.

Axtman's old film school chums, Andy Case and Topher Ruxton, rounded out the rest of our little group. I finished my shift as quickly as possible and headed to The Rock, where my partners had already begun tossing around story ideas. During the 30-minute car ride I contemplated possible scenarios, but still no pieces clicked in place.

At almost 10 p.m. I entered the pizzeria, empty-headed and hoping my crew had something workable. Luckily they did. Case knew he wanted us to tackle comedy this year, yet he prefaced his concept, funnily enough, with, "Please don't laugh." As he explained the plot to me I knew within seconds it could work. It also came packaged with clear logistical perks - a cast of only two characters, minimal locations, and as a bonus, virtually no outlandish props to hunt down. The knots in my stomach loosened -we had our script. The hard part behind us, we spent the rest of the night thinking, Now how many egg-cruciating puns can we squeeze into five minutes? Let's get crackin'.

Friday/Come to Life (or Turn to Life?)

We commenced shooting Friday morning at Axtman's house, where the bulk of the script takes place. After a slow start of positioning lights, rehearsing lines and blocking actors, we found our rhythm, filmmakers again. At a certain point, all our collective energy and concentration begins to live only for the fictional microcosm we've created in this small space. The only reminder of the outside world's existence is a faint droning from the lawnmower next door (curse you, sunshine!). I returned to work that afternoon, leaving the guys to figure out how to photograph an egg dancing inside a carton.

The egg does quite a bit of traveling in the movie, and we wanted the audience to see the world through its "eyes." So Ruxton devised EggCam (patent pending): he attached a wire hanger to the base of a hardboiled egg, and taped the apparatus to the camera's lens hood. The egg manages to scurry through long blades of grass and launch itself at Case's character without looking hokey.

Saturday/Editing

(PHOTO: Case and Ruxton with director Jeff Axtman behind them)

"I came up with a title," Axtman told me in his car. He and I were returning to the Des Moines Marina to rerecord ambient audio for the epic man-versus-egg showdown. (The sea wind played havoc on the camera mic.)

"What is it?" I asked. So far we had all drawn a blank on a good name for our short that didn't give too much away.

"IT Came First," Axtman replied. The phrase references the classic riddle and, since our story contains strains of horror, also harkens back to the shlock '50s B-movies. So we ran with it. (Hey, it was either that or Hardboiled.)  

We walked down the Marina's long pier to find a quiet corner and capture a good chunk of sound. No such luck - we had to contend with a steady stream of planes overhead, and crowds around us soaking up sun. The near-perfect weather may have given us optimal shooting conditions, but we had no time to enjoy it.

We headed back to Axtman's house, where inside Ruxton had taken over the tedious task of logging the several hours of footage in Adobe Premiere Pro. After a day and a half of shooting, we could all kick back a bit, enjoy a beer and watch as the story began to take shape on the computer screen.

(PHOTO: Ruxton editing footage of Case for the 72-Hour Film Competition)

Throughout the rough cut Ruxton, nestled under his headphones, would laugh when he cut two shots in a certain way or included an actor's expression, and made us all huddle around the small monitor to assess his handiwork. Eighteen hours of the contest remain - we still have to find the right music and sound effects, and Axtman has to record all his dialogue for Mr. Egg. Sleep comes after. ...

Sunday/The End

Fortunately we wrapped shooting yesterday - the rains have returned. I spend Easter with family in Federal Way, knowing that up in Burien my teammates have put the last touches on IT Came First. I chat briefly on the phone with Steph DeRosa, who got her own film into The Grand four hours early. It sounds like for her first time the weekend moved very smoothly.

For the more serious filmmakers, this contest is a vacation of sorts. It really demands your full attention, so that for three days all other distractions fade into the background. Already I want another holiday, and can't wait until the viewing party at the Rialto May 6. 

LINK: 72 Hour Film Competition details

HIGHLIGHTS UNCOVERED >>>

Coffee Cake at SideBar Bistro

Friday just after 6 p.m. I dropped by the SideBar Bistro to chat with nicest people in the world and owners JoAnna and Tom  Irick, and to kick off the weekend with one of Tom's martinis. Kate and I shared a chicken enchilada, a spicy delight smothered in cheese. However, it was their coffee cake that knocked me off their wooden chair. Wow. WOW! Chef Liam Riccardo bakes a towering coffee cake that's both sweet and savory - a gooey slice of heaven with cream cheese, sour cream, walnuts and brown sugar that rings in at $5.95, or $39.95. Several of SideBar's neighboring law offices order it whole. And The Irick's text one gentlemen as soon as the coffee cake is pulled from the oven.

And although it's the pastry gods' gift to a big, black cup of coffee, it's also deeply satisfying on its own, consumed on a park bench, slowly and deliberately.

STINK - Cheese and Meat

Kate and I dropped by best bud Kris Blondin's new cheese and meat deli she opened with partner Jack Noble in Tacoma's Triangle neighborhood. I grabbed an order of the mac 'n' cheese AND the grilled cheese - two specials that will change weekly. Opening week, the mac 'n' cheese arrived in a baking dish piled high with mission figs, baby portobellos, Brie, Muenster, rosemary and torchietti. Yup, it sports a sweet side and it works. Tallagio ruled the sandwich, holding the Granny Smith apples and caramelized onions between the multigrain grilled in sage butter - and then some as the cheese oozed on all four sides.

A tip of the hat to STINK's creativity and expertise. Delicious!

I'm wearing my Fat Pants today.

[SideBar Bistro, 1101 Tacoma Ave. S., Tacoma, 253.572.7227]

[STINK - Cheese and Meat, 628 St. helens Ave., Tacoma, 253.555.5555]

ONLINE CHATTER >>>

Today's comment comes from Doug Riddels in response to our preview of Arts Walk XLII and the Procession of the Species.

Riddels writes,

Thank you for the fine article on the Procession of the Species. The weather was beautiful and the event was, as always, spectacular. And thank you for running the lovely photo of my father, Carl Riddels, driving the sea turtle. Sadly, that was Dad's last Procession, as he passed away a few months after the Procession. He drove the sea turtle for five Processions, ever since he moved back to Olympia to be near family in his final years. It was always the high point of his year, and something he enjoyed greatly. Marvelous as this year's Procession was, it had a huge turtle-shaped hole in the middle of it.

TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2011 >>>

1. Get your laughs out with Ha Ha Tuesdays at Jazzbones hosted by Ralph Porter. And after the laughs, stay for DJ Omar starting at 10 p.m., working the comedy crowd into a frenzy.

2. Rafael Tranquillino's rockin' blues jam is held every Tuesday at Stonegate Pizza. Or, if that doesn't tickle your musical fancy, browse the Volcano's extensive live local music listings here.

3. DJ Atom Ant does it Parkland style at Lady Luck's Cowgirl Up Steakhouse and Saloon.

4. The City of Destiny Faith and Film Series continues today at the Grand Cinema with Must There Be Blood. Or, if that's not up your alley, try the Volcano's arts and entertainment calendar here.

5. Author Bethany Maines launches her second novel, Compact with the Devil, at King's Books today. If it's anything like her first effort, Bulletproof Mascara, it's sure to be awesome.

DUMB CRIMINALS DOING DUMB THINGS >>>

Drug-seeking tendencies can run the gamut. There's run-of-the-mill stuff, like pocketing some of your senile grandmother's Percocet; and there's the more dramatic stuff, like that creepy Drug War commercial from the ‘80s where the older brother shakes down the little brother for his allowance money so he can go get high.

And then there's stuff like the following story, which is just too creative, unusual, outside-the-box (and sad) for classification.

According to a story from the Associated Press, the Chelan County Sheriff's office told the Wenatchee World that an unidentified person broke into the Cashmere Museum Friday night, tearing through fence and kicking in the door of a pioneer village exhibit.

What were they after, you ask?

To read this week's full Ragnet, click here.