Weekly Volcano Blogs: Walkie Talkie Blog

Posts made in: April, 2011 (209) Currently Viewing: 41 - 50 of 209

April 7, 2011 at 10:57am

JUDGING BY THE TRAILER: "Arthur"

MOVIES ARE GOOD FOR DULLING THE INNER PAIN >>>

Note: It's time now, once again, for me to break out my jeweler's loupe and take a long, hard, judgmental look at a preview for an upcoming film. Red-band trailers be damned!

Track records for remakes in general are notoriously shaky, but there is no more perilous a redo than those of the comedy genre. Film history is littered with sub-par recreations of comedy films. Trouble seems to plague these endeavors because - unlike action movies or even dramas - a good comedy is such lightning in a bottle. So many intangibles need to fall right in place for the film to be a success (see: the classic Alan Arkin/Peter Falk vehicle, The In-Laws, and its unfortunate remake, starring Albert Brooks and Michael Douglas).

This is why the notion of remaking Arthur is such a tricky proposition. Even with the pedigree that the new Arthur boasts - including the possibly inspired casting of Russell Brand in the Dudley Moore slot and the enlisting of Alan Partridge writer, Peter Baynham, for the screenplay - the resulting product could still teeter on the brink of comedy ruin.

The first observation that can be made about the trailer for Arthur - and, as far as observations about Arthur go, this one's a doozy - is that Arthur doesn't seem to be an alcoholic. Perhaps the movie studio decided to not push this angle in the trailer, but it would be a sharp detour from the original character to remove alcohol from the picture. Russell Brand's Arthur is charming and foppish, to be sure, but that ever-present sway of booze coursing through his system seems notably absent in previews. I can only assume that's not the case in the real flick.

The rest of the cast is populated with greats like Helen Mirren (still gorgeous), as Arthur's nanny; Luis Guzman as the dopey Bitterman; and the preternaturally appealing Greta Gerwig in the Liza Minelli role of Arthur's love interest. There also appears to be a rather troubling performance from Jennifer Garner, as the woman who was arranged to marry Arthur. I'm not sure that I ever need to see Ms. Garner in a trench coat, describing French kissing, or wearing lingerie and being adhered to a magnet bed (!).

Hollywood seems to be betting all their chips on Russell Brand, and this may be the movie that stalls his career. Or cements it.

Just please, for everyone's sake, let it be better than the remake of Alfie.

April 7, 2011 at 11:27am

TONIGHT: Lula Washington Dance Theatre

The Lula Washington Dance Theatre PHOTO: Courtesy

JUST ONE MORE AWESOME THING TO DO IN OLYMPIA >>>

The Lula Washington Dance Theatre - instrumental in creating the mesmerizing movements of the blue-skinned Na'vi tribe in the film Avatar - performs tonight in Olympia at the Evergreen State College.

Choreographer Lula Washington of Los Angeles developed the tribe's signature movements, and she and members of the company wore motion sensors so that their movements could be translated to animation.

Washington was inspired by peoples in Africa and by the Australian Aborigines. "They have a certain way of greeting each other," she says in a press release for the show. "They have a certain way of hunting. They're very, very thoughtful of the environment, and they're very spiritual. That helped to flesh out the kind of movements that I used."

Read Molly Gilmore's full article here.

Lula Washington Dance Theatre

Thursday, April 7, 8 p.m., $20, $15 for seniors, $10 for students, Tickets available at Rainy Day Records, the Evergreen Bookstore, the Communications Building box office, brownpapertickets.com or by phone at 360-867-6833

Experimental Theater, The Evergreen State College, 2700 Evergreen Pkwy. NW, Olympia

360-867-6651 or lulawashington.org

Filed under: All ages, Arts, Culture, Olympia,

April 7, 2011 at 11:41am

KGRG 89.9FM closes a chapter

BUMMER >>>

As a kid who grew up in Puyallup smoking weed out of Mountain Dew cans and requesting songs off Weezer's Pinkerton record (along with plenty of Murder City Devils and Supersuckers) on KGRG, 89.9FM - Green River Community College's radio station - this email pained me to receive today ...

After 22 years of playing Today's Rock and 36+ years on the air overall, 89.9 KGRG-FM, Auburn, will be shutting down its aging transmitter this afternoon, Thursday, April 7th, at 3pm PDT.   On behalf of all the broadcasting students and our staff, we thank you and our audience for the support over the years.

Tune in 89.9FM (also streaming live audio at www.kgrg.com) at 3pm PDT today as we wrap up an historic chapter in college broadcasting.  Long live Today's Rock!

Tom

Tom Evans Krause

Director of Broadcast Operations/Instructor

KGRG-AM & FM

Green River Community College

12401 SE 320th Street

Auburn, WA  98092

253-833-9111 x2190

tkrause@greenriver.edu

Filed under: All ages, Music, History,

April 7, 2011 at 2:44pm

Minus the Bear plays U.P.S. Friday

MINUS THE BEAR: This will be way more rockin' than the time Hillary Clinton was at the UPS Fieldhouse. Publicity photo

INDIE ROCK IN MEMORIAL FIELDHOUSE >>>

The indie music landscape has shifted quite a bit since Minus the Bear formed in 2001. "Indie rock," as a label, is murkier than ever with the dozens of subgenres and mashups that have sprung up from cracks in the cement like so many gangly dandelions. Chillwave, shit-fi, ghostly R&B, hardcore manifestos - a plethora of new and interesting ways of expressing musical creativity that fly in the face of the polished indie rock paradigm. Bands like Minus the Bear and the disappointingly static Death Cab for Cutie have been faced with the accelerated evolution of music and have been given a mandate: evolve or face extinction.

Minus the Bear will play at the University of Puget Sound Memorial Fieldhouse Friday, April 8.

To read Rev. Adam McKinney's full article, click here.

Minus the Bear

with People Eating People
Friday, April 8, 7 p.m., $12 with
UPS ID, $18 general admission
UPS Fieldhouse, North 11th and Union, Tacoma
253.879.3419

Filed under: All ages, Music, Tacoma,

April 7, 2011 at 3:47pm

THE WEEKEND HUSTLE: 2112 in Graham, Saturday Evening Sock Hop, Tacoma Cult Movie Club birthday and the boring lives of our writers ...

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

WEATHER REPORT

Friday: Sun, partial cloud cover, hi 58, lo 41

Saturday: Cloudy, hi 52, lo 45

Sunday: Rain, hi 50, lo 40

>>> APRIL 8: 2112 - A Tribute to Rush

I'm no die-hard fanatic as some Rush fans are, but I can definitely hang with most when it comes to respecting their brilliant lyrics and indisputably ironic musical timing. That's just my opinion. I love Rush. Hell, I'm even playing air guitar to "Freewill" as I write this. Take a listen to 2112 yourself, tonight at the R&R Live in Graham, as David Jaedyn Conley (guitar, vocals, keyboards), Gary Guzman (drums, percussion) and Robert Gardunia ( bass, keyboards) strike the fire under your ass with a both musically and visually stunning live performance. - Steph DeRosa

  • R & R Live, 9:30 p.m., $5, 9807 224th St. E - #120, Graham, 253.375.7155

>>> SATURDAY, APRIL 9: SATURDAY EVENING SOCK HOP

In conjunction with the current Rockwell exhibition, and a slew of other Rockwell-related events throughout the duration of its stay, Saturday the Tacoma Art Museum will host the appropriately titled "Saturday Evening Sock Hop" - billed as a chance to "rock around the clock." Of course, the fine print indicates it's more like 5:30-8:30 p.m., but the Rockwell-inspired snacks, refreshments and cocktails available for purchase should totally make up for it.

  • Tacoma Art Museum, 5:30-8:30 p.m.,$10 members, $20 non-members, $30 couples, 1701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.272.4258 

>>> SUNDAY, APRIL 10: Tacoma Cult Movie Club Turns Two

Honestly, this one's really tripping us out. We swear (like TOTALLY swear!) we were just working on a one-year retrospective of the Tacoma Cult Movie Club. Now ... BOOM! The club is two. Kids these days; they grow up so fast. Originally created by the Tacoma-legendary Reverend Colin and Tobin Ropes, and now with the venerable poster design skill of Holland Hume on board (yes, he of the creepy Billy Maze Volcano cover of 2009, and the vomiting Lee Harvey Oswald Volcano cover of 2009), there's no stopping this beast. Just like the poster reads, "They said it could be stopped. They were wrong." Sunday, celebrate in style starting at 4 p.m. with a kickass raffle and a potluck at the Acme Grub Cage ... not to mention the all time best TCMC flicks, as voted on by you!

  • Acme Grub Cage, 4 p.m., no cover, 1310 Tacoma Ave. S., Tacoma, 253.272.1892

>>> WHERE OUR STAFF IS GOING

NIKKI TALOTTA Features Writer
I'll be tearing my hair out waiting to see if the undertaker, I mean underwriter, approves our home loan. While my head may be wrapped in worry, when it comes to bartending, I will try to remain cool and composed. Just cut me a little slack if I accidently pour you a whiskey seven instead of a whiskey sour.

Joe Izenman Theater and Music Writer
Every week Driscoll asks "Got any awesome plans for the weekend?" And this time I can finally confidently and authoritatively say... no. That's right, kids, it's time for apartment cleaning and laundry. Woooooo!

BRETT CHIHON Meat Market Correspondent/Features Writer
Going to the Great American Casino to check out Broadway Joe's Nightclub. Every time I head to a casino meat market I lose $50. I'm hoping the Volcano starts covering my losses....

CHRISTIAN CARVAJAL: Theater Critic
Having sent out a stack of wedding invitations, I wait with bated breath to find out whether I added sufficient postage. Also, I'm seeing Theater Artists Olympia's revival of Cannibal! the Musical, at which the punctuation of which our copy editor will balk. Grammar sucks.

ALEC CLAYTON: Visual Arts Critic
Sunday we'll be at the PFLAG meeting in Olympia to hear Rosalinda Noreiga's presentation on "The Roots of Violence."

STEVE DUNKELBERGER Meat Market Photographer

Taking the kiddos Geocaching around Fort Steilacoom on Saturday, then maybe a night going stag around T-town Saturday night. Church in the morning so it won't be too late.

JOANN VARNELL Theater Critic
The husband and I will be watching Lost, Season 1, and wondering why we didn't jump on that bandwagon sooner. We'll also be thanking Netflix for being able to watch episode after episode with no waiting or commercials.

JENNIFER JOHNSON Food and Lifestyles Writer
Going to hit Smooth & Juicey for an afternoon pick-me-up followed by Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser in Lakewood and then game night at a friend's house. After being sick for a month, I am finally getting back to the gym Saturday morning. I feel both dread and elation. Spending the Saturday evening playing Scrabble with friends. Sunday I'll enjoy church and then relax. 

MATT DRISCOLL Editor
I'm embarrassed to admit it, but my wife and I are all strung out on House on DVD. I think we're somewhere late in season five. It never really gets any less ridiculous. I honestly don't know why we're still watching it. But, all of that said, we'll probably totally watch some House this weekend while hoping to hear good news about the actual, physical house we're lusting after. It's all very exciting. 

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

April 7, 2011 at 4:49pm

THIS WEEK'S VOLCANO MUSIC SECTION: SP, Minus the Bear, Wreck of the Zephyr, Juice Radio and more ...

GOODNESS IN STORE IN PRINT & ONLINE >>>

Usually, I make up hardships we've had to overcome in any given week to put out this week's music section, just as a cute way of starting this regular blog post off. I don't know why I do it; I just do.

But this week I don't need to make anything up. Between Tournament of Pizza Championship Parties (actually only one), Weekly Volcano Writers Meetings (again, actually only one) and Weekly Volcano Happy Hour Launch Parties (one, tonight at Pacific Grill from 5-6 p.m.) we really have had a busier than usual week around here.

But, as always happens on Thursdays, a new Volcano hit the street today. Here's a look at the musical goodness in store in print and online.

MINUS THE BEAR

Lead singer Jake Snider's lyrics never stray far from drugs and matters of the flesh - that fact alone is enough to separate Omni from the relatively sexless indie rock canon. It's an experiment in augmenting an established product for a new age, without changing completely all of the qualities that made Minus the Bear a success to begin with. - Rev. Adam McKinney

GRAY SKY BLUES MUSIC FESTIVAL

The GSBMF kicks off in the morning with The Harmon Brewery Second Annual Rod and Custom Car Show. After the car show, the music takes center stage. The Swiss Pub, The Harmon Brewery and Cutter's Point Coffee all host blues acts throughout the day. Pacific Northwest bands like the Randy Oxford Band and Maia Santell and House Blend play mid-day. National recording artists Bob Corritore and Dave Riley will headline the event. For those looking for a cool down, there is also After Festival Party at the South Tacoma's Stonegate. - Brett Cihon

JUICE RADIO

Now that ya'll know where to go see local hip-hop on the regular, you need to know where you can hear it on the radio on the regular. A good place to start is Juice Radio. Juice Radio streams 24/7 on gojuiceradio.com. The Internet station features two live shows throughout the week. Every Wednesday from 7 - 9 p.m. is Tre'dmarks Radio hosted by Q-Dot. This show is also syndicated every Friday night from 7 - 8 p.m. on Northwest Convergence Zone Radio (nwczradio.com). - Josh Rizeberg

SP

Recently SP thought up an idea for younger artists who are struggling to get shows. He calls it the "We Out Here Hip-Hop Showcase." Not only do these young-and-hungry rappers get a stage and crowd to be in front of, but SP also gives them the opportunity to make money. - Nic Leonard

WRECK OF THE ZEPHYR

... But that Formosa EP never actually saw the light of day. As Wolf puts it, the band played "one chaotic, semi-disaster equipment malfunction of a show" and dissolved shortly thereafter. Mudarri moved to Tokyo, and Wolf, Gosselin and Paige relocated to Los Angeles and formed Wreck of the Zephyr, a band inspired by '90s alt-punk greats and named after a 1983 children's book by Chris Van Allsburg. - Jason Baxter

PLUS: Better Living Through Music - Hightower & Japan benefit at the Royal in Olympia

PLUS: Concert Alert

PLUS: Comprehensive Live Local Music Listings

PLUS: Bizarre junk like this

Filed under: All ages, Music, Tacoma, Olympia,

April 7, 2011 at 4:53pm

COMMENT OF THE DAY: Minus the term “indie”

ONLINE CHATTER >>>

Today's comment comes from Tele in regard to Rev. Adam McKinney's piece on Minus the Bear, a band playing the University of Puget Sound's Memorial Fieldhouse tomorrow.

Tele writes,

Good article, though it's too bad we're spending energy redefining or contemporizing ‘indie,' as if it means anything anymore. What did ‘alternative' mean after 1994? Seems like, locally and beyond, there's a quest to put the gears in reverse, ape the 13th Floor Elevators and call it ‘indie.' As if overt throwbackism is prerequisite to wearing the ‘indie' badge. Minus the Bear have never sounded like a band looking into the rear view mirror, and I would rather not see them measured by some inane 'indie' yardstick.

Filed under: Comment of the Day, Music, Tacoma,

April 8, 2011 at 7:05am

5 Things To Do Today: New Orleans mystical jazz, Rare Groove, Detour, Minus the Bear and more ...

The Preservation Hall Jazz Band and choreographer Trey McIntyre bring the magical Ma Maison to the Pantages Theater tonight.

FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 2011 >>>

1. The world famous Preservation Hall Jazz Band and choreographer Trey McIntyre have created Ma Maison, a mystical look at New Orleans jazz, where the dancers are more than spirited performers. The magic hits the Pantages Stage at 7:30 p.m.

2. Detour, a five-piece band bent on the time-worn tradition of country swing music that includes Steve and Kristi Nebel, will hold their album release party at 7 p.m. on the indoor porch of A Rhapsody in Bloom Florist and Cafe Latte on Sixth Avenue.

3. In a break from the band's tested formula of vaguely proggy indie guitar rock, Minus the Bear released the funk-inflected album Omni that, if nothing else, challenged their image as it had been built up over the years. With the exception of songs like "Secret Country," a driving New Wave number that recalls Traffic, the majority of the album is devoted to grooving dance and somewhat off-putting carnality. Read up on the band here. Then, check them out with People Eating People at 7 p.m. at the UPS Field House in Tacoma.

4. The University of Puget sound classical music Jacobsen Series presents an evening of operatic arias, duets, and ensembles performed by Ryan Bede, Michael Delos, Christina Kowalski, Gino Lucchetti, Dawn Padula and Denes Van Parys at 7:30 p.m. inside the Schneebeck Concert Hall.

5. In the grand, and unusual, tradition of skinny English boys bopping about in even skinnier ties to American soul and jazz music, local DJs Bobby Galaxy and dAb offer a night of are soul, funk, jazz and rare grooves under the tag Rare Groove. Back in the day, Brits loved obscure American soul records almost as much as they loved mayonnaise and cucumber sandwiches. Galaxy and dAb celebrate this phenomenon by playing authentic, obscure soul, funk and jazz records. It's the kind of music that would have been heard at all-night parties in Manchester or Blackpool back in the day. Bring your own skinny tie to the Tempest Lounge beginning at 9:30 p.m.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: South Sound Happy Hour Mobile App

April 8, 2011 at 10:09am

Harlequin’s "boom" continues this weekend

BOOM: Director Linda Whitney gets all thinky with the Armageddon again.

THERE'S NO NEED FOR CAPITAL LETTERS DURING THE APOCALYPSE >>>

The apocalypse called the Permian extinction, aka the Great Dying, nearly vanquished the entire biosphere 251.4 million years ago. The planet didn't regain vitality for tens of millions of years - and no one knows what caused the event. But the real story is that evolution slipped through the bottleneck, albeit in a radically altered direction. We exist as the descendants of cosmological crash victims.

If that seems heady, wait until you get a load of playwright Peter Sinn Nachtrieb's boom at Harlequin. It begins as a Craiglist "casual encounter" in a college science lab ("also an exhibit," the script mentions offhandedly). Jo answers Jules's invitation, which promises "sex to change the course of the world." She quickly realizes Jules has grander purposes, relevant to his passion for the hive-mind behavior of fish. (Nachtrieb studied fish in Panama, and has a degree in "Theater and Biology" from Brown.) Jules is a G-rated brainiac ill-suited to a casual fling with a coed, and Jo drops the F-bomb on her fifth line and never dials it back. Jules will be in a makeshift cast before romance develops.

To read Christian Carvajal's full review click here.

[Harlequin Productions, boom, $28-$31, through April 16, 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, 202 Fourth Ave. E., Olympia, 360.786.0151]

Filed under: Arts, Theater, Olympia,

April 8, 2011 at 12:29pm

LAST NIGHT'S GAME: Rainiers lose season opener 6-2

NARROWLY AVOID GOLDEN SOMBRERO IN THE PROCESS >>>

Stymied by bad starting pitching and a lackluster offense, the Rainiers lost last night's season opener in Sacramento by a score of 6-2.

Sure it's the first of 144 games. But everybody remembers their first time. And the Rainier's lost their first time in 2011.

Thoughts on the Game:

-The Weekly Volcano bought a Minor League Baseball package from MiLB.tv that was supposed to allow us to watch the game. However, we didn't check into all the blackouts and game restrictions before purchasing the package. Needless to say, we weren't' able to watch the game. Needless to say, we may have wasted $24.99.

-Had we watched the game, we would have seen starting pitcher Luke French struggle. French gave up six runs and 10 hits in four innings of play. His early season ERA ballooned to 13.50. We're bummed we missed the game, but glad we didn't have to watch French get shellacked.

-Like their major league affiliate Seattle Mariner's, the Rainier's looked anemic at the plate. They managed only three hits. The Rainier's were 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position. This was only one game and their offense will surely turn around. No team could stay this bad for an entire season. Right?

-Mike Wilson and Matt Tuiasosopo had three strikeouts apiece. Tuiasosopo avoided the coveted golden sombrero in his last at bat by singling down the middle. He may have had three strikeouts, but singling in his final at bat made for a so-so day.

-Mike Wilson's one hit was a double. It's a bummer to see these guys strike out three times, but it's nice they had some of the (few) hits. In an outing with few bright spots, we take some comfort in the fact that Wilson and Tui avoided complete meltdowns.

-Dustin Ackley had zero hits but drew two walks. Again, a sort-of-not-really bright spot.

The Rainier's go for redemption against the River Cats tonight at 7:05. Rainier's right hander Blake Beaven will face the River Cats' Guillermo Moscoso. We hate to say it, but here at the Volcano we fear the River Cats might win again. Simply because we can't imagine a guy named Guillermo Moscoso losing at anything. Ever.   

Filed under: Tacoma, Sports,

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News and entertainment from Joint Base Lewis-McChord’s most awesome weekly newspapers - The Ranger, Northwest Airlifter and Weekly Volcano.

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