ONLINE CHATTER >>>

Today's comment comes from Malynda Wilson, in response to Nikki Talotta's photos from Birdfest 2011, which went down last Saturday. Talotta also previewed the event and provided some historical background in last week's issue of the Weekly Volcano.

Wilson writes,

We had so much fun on Saturday! Everybody really rocked- from our friends Jason Mattson- the YardBird himself, Caitlin Speelman, and Dave Ostrand to friends that brainstormed their butts off to our visitors, vendors, bands and volunteers...

TUESDAY, JUNE 28, 2011 >>>

1. The Perry Acker band will bring rock, pop and jam fusion to Gig Harbor's Skansie Brothers Park from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

2. The Tacoma Food Co-Op is all about bringing a grocery store and community space dedicated to local, natural, organic, allergen-free, affordable and sustainable food to the corner of Sixth and Junett. They're also about partying. From 6-9 p.m. they'll tip wine and coffee, shuttling back and forth between Bluebeard Coffee and Cork Wine Bar - at the corner of State and Sixth - to raise funds for the new store. Do it.

3. Whatever the reason for plant-based dining, you may need some inspiration to cook up a variety of tasty dishes. The Vegan Book Club meets at 7 p.m. inside King's Books to discuss The World Peace Diet by Will Tuttle.

4. We had no idea our graphic artist Holland Hume was a geek. Apparently he's the quizmaster for the new Tuesday night Geeks Who Drink Pub Quiz at Paddy Coyne's, which begins at 8 p.m. For specifics on how to play the game, check out the little ditty we wrote on the Ram's version, which has moved to Thursday nights.

5. Lady Luck's Cowgirl Up Steakhouse and Saloon in Parkland hosts Twisted Tuesdays featuring DJ Atom Ant spinning the Top 40/karaoke thing at 9 p.m.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Movies!

THE VOLCANO'S VISUAL ARTS CRITIC >>>

You may know Peter Sheesley from the painting demonstrations he did at Tacoma Art Museum in connection with the Norman Rockwell exhibition.

I have a confession to make: I was not impressed with what I read about Sheesley, nor with what I saw on his website. I thought of it as realism and nothing more than a show of painting virtuosity. But when I saw Sheesley's show, Science and Industry, at Fulcrum Gallery, I realized there was much more to him. I also realized that Sheesley's work-especially dark and moody pieces such as these-do not reproduce well, on paper or online. What you see in print here is a pale reproduction of what you can see in the gallery.

Sheesley's paintings in this show are taken from candid photographs snapped in Chicago's Museum of Science & Industry. The key word is "candid."

To read Alec Clayton's full review click here.

[Fulcrum Gallery, noon - 6 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and by appointment, through July 13, 1308 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Tacoma, 253.250.0520]

VOTE LIKE YOU'VE NEVER VOTED BEFORE >>>

It's been surprisingly exciting over the last few weeks to watch Tacoma's Vicci Martinez rise through the ranks of NBC's singing competition, The Voice. It's been must-see TV, from those first electrifying moments in her audition when she nailed Adele's "Rolling in the Deep," to her precedent-setting duet on Pink's "Perfect" in the battle rounds, and on through her rendition of "Jolene" which took her to the top eight. Last week, Martinez destroyed Florence + the Machine's absurdly catchy "The Dog Days Are Over," securing a space in the final four.

Tonight's episode - which will air at 9 p.m. Pacific Time - marks the first of a two-part season finale. After the final four perform tonight, we'll all vote, and the results will be revealed on Wednesday's show (8 p.m. Pacific Time).

Look, I know that I've badgered all you guys to vote, and it seems like you've done so in spades. Let's take that as read.

In preparation for the final two episodes of this season of The Voice, I'd like to sum up the complicated feelings I have for the show.

1. Christina Aguilera does not enjoy seeing other people succeed. But, if they do, she would prefer they sing and act exactly like her. I'm not saying she's a sociopath, but, well, maybe I am.

2. I'd like to see any of the judges on American Idol take the time to write and read a poem for the contestants, as we saw Cee-Lo Green do last week. Even a poem as clumsy-although endearingly sincere-as Cee-Lo's will never come anywhere close to passing the lips of Randy Jackson or Steven Tyler. Granted, Jennifer Lopez seems like the kind that might send a conscientious fruit basket, or something, but it's not quite the same.

3. Contestants who perform as duos on The (singular) Voice are cheaters, and were thankfully treated as such. Go back to your creepy, farmers-market-performing family, Thompson sisters. And don't get me started on the husband/wife team of Elenowen. That husband totally dodged a bullet when they didn't advance to the next round. His wife was miles out of his league and was visibly counting the seconds until she could shake the dust of her husband's parent's basement from her feet and run off with, I don't know, Carson Daly.

4. Was it the rest of the judges' plan the whole time to force Adam Levine into looking like an asshole? It seems to me that Levine was the only one who approached the singing competition like a competition. What, with the rest of the judges splitting their points 50-50 among their proteges and Levine splitting them 65-35 (for reasons too complicated to even approach), they chicken-shitted their way to looking like sweethearts, while leaving Levine out in the cold. I'd expect something like this from noted sociopath Christina Aguilera-but you, Blake Shelton?

5. From the very beginning, Vicci Martinez was ahead of the pack. As the weeks dwindled down, this only became more apparent. Regardless of who takes the prize, the producers of the show seem to recognize the talent they have in Martinez from the start, and it feels like she'll be well taken care of in one way or another in the aftermath of this show. Even so! Let's make her number one, people! After tonight's performance, you will have four ways to vote, and ten votes per method. That's forty votes apiece. I think we can make this happen

And if-however unlikely it is-Ms. Aguilera's representatives are reading this, please don't destroy me. I have a strong back and low self-esteem, should you need me to join her army.

LINKS

APRIL 27: Vicci Martinez shows America her voice -- an interview

MAY 11: Vicci Martinez advances to next round NBC's The Voice

JUNE 7: Tonight: NBC's The Voice opens things up to viewers

JUNE 14: Vicci Martinez needs your vote on tonight's The Voice

JUNE 21: The fate of Vicci Martinez on The Voice

THE VOLCANO'S VISUAL ARTS CRITIC CHIMES IN >>>

OMG, what a problem to have! There's just too much art going on in the South Sound. There's no way I can cover it all - not with only a single column per week in the Weekly Volcano and one little Spew per week, not with me being old and decrepit and lazy. I want to see it all and then report on the good stuff.

Here's some stuff that promises to be good, which I may or may not get to review.

First, Susan Christian and Ron Hinson at Childhood's End in Olympia. OK, I have every intention of reviewing this one, even if I have to give up on the new Dale Chihuly show at Tacoma Art Museum - even after driving up I-5 from Oly for a special press preview with the man himself. One other aside about Chihuly before I get back to the Christian-Hinson show: Chihuly is going to be showing, in addition to his own work, Native American art and artifacts he has collected. That should be fascinating even if we have been inundated with Native art lately, what with the current show at the Washington State History Museum and the recent shows at TAM and B2 Fine Arts.

Now back to Childhood's End. The show features paintings by Christian and sculpture by Hinson. I've never seen sculpture by Hinson. He's primarily a painter, and a great one, although his most well known paintings are three-dimensional wall hangings that obliterate the boundary between painting and sculpture. The photo of his piece on the invitation is like nothing I've ever seen from him. I'll be interested in seeing what else he has to show.

Christian does minimalist landscape-based abstract paintings that sometimes hit and sometimes miss the mark. When they do hit they are marvelous. The very best painting I saw in Oly's last Arts Walk was one of hers. I plan on seeing this show soon. You can see it through July 24. Childhood's End is located at 222 4^th Ave. W. in Olympia.

Another new show I'm looking forward to is Hot Fusion: Exploration Into Abstraction at B2 with works by Todd Clark, Judy Hintz Cox, Scott J. Morgan and Yvette Neumann. I don't know these artists, but so far in its young lifetime as a contemporary art gallery B2 has done nothing bad, and the picture on the invitation, a painting by Morgan titled "Clave," looks as hot as the title implies this show is going to be. It runs through Aug. 6 at the gallery at 711 St. Helens Ave.

Pierce College Fort Steilacoom is showing paintings by Seattle artist Marsha Glazière. I haven't seen a lot of Glaziere's work but what little I have seen has been impressive. I wrote of her painting "Schuster Parkway" in last year's juried exhibition at Tacoma Community College that it "fairly leaps off the canvas and grabs you by the throat." This should definitely be a show worth seeing. It runs through Aug. 11. The gallery is on the campus at 9401 Farwest Drive SW in Lakewood. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 8 a.m. to noon Friday.

Yet another show that should be fascinating is the exhibition of wire sculptures called "memory trees" by Chris Wooten and Vladimir Shako's silver gelatin, selenium, gold-toned photographs of female figures draped in shimmering fabrics at Sandpiper Gallery. The one preview photo I saw looked great, especially Shako's satiny photo. This show doesn't open until July 23. Mark your calendars. It's at 2221 N 30^th St., Old Town Tacoma.

FILM PIONEER AT UWT >>>

By now scores of students have jettisoned all thoughts of homework and rushed headlong into the wild blue of summer. Instead I've gone back to school.

Already five years have elapsed since graduating from the University of Washington's Tacoma campus, and some of my best memories from that time involve sitting in on Dr. Claudia Gorbman's film lectures.

UW also left its mark on her. "It was either ‘77 or '78," Gorbman laughs. In one of those years she received her doctorate in Romance Languages and Literature, thus setting her on a career path that would ultimately lead her back home. "I was in Indiana [in the late 1980s]," she recalls. "I heard the University of Washington was going to open two new campuses, and it was a very exciting prospect for me."

Dr. Gorbman fearlessly embraced the challenge to "invent a new university with eleven other adventurous souls [fellow faculty]," and took up her new position in 1990. She likens those breathless early days to the Wild West, with she and her small staff as "pioneers."

One can imagine the film professor's struggles with securing suitable film projection equipment for a classroom in the early ‘90s, particularly if that classroom belonged to a school in its infancy. Dr. Gorbman had to pull films from her own collection to screen for students. 

Two decades later, and UWT keeps morphing and gobbling up Pacific Avenue block by block. Yet this teacher's infectious passion for her subject remains one of the few constants on campus. It certainly wore off on me: I still remember Gorbman pausing a movie mid-scene to revel in its "delicious" lighting design.

"After all these years, the main mission is to always communicate enthusiasm about learning. And the minute you lose that, you shouldn't be teaching anymore," she says.

Besides "hanging out in the woods" with her dogs and partner this summer, she is co-editing a heavy-duty anthology entitled - get ready - The Oxford Handbook of New Audio-Visual Aesthetics.

It should make for one delicious read.

FINAL PRELIMINARY ROUND OF SOUTH SOUND IDOL >>>

There's no trip to Hollywood. There's no Randy Jackson or Christina Aguilera. There's no Vicci Martinez. 

But that doesn't mean local radio station 96.9FM The Sound's South Sound Idol competition is any less glamorous. Or cutthroat. Hell, it could be extra cutthroat since tomorrow is the last opportunity for area singers and dreamers to win a chance to compete in this year's finals... The finals that are held at Lakefair on July 16. And we all know how cutthroat Lakefair is - competing for a South Sound Idol crown or otherwise. 

Those interested in watching some talented local singers should head to the Lil' Red Barn in Grand Mound tomorrow for the last preliminary competition of this year's South Sound Idol. Singers take the stage at 7 p.m. and go on until 9 p.m.

For those interested in competing, unfortunately registration is closed. But if you're super-duper desperate you could always email idol@969thesound.com to see if any last minute spots have opened up. Because dreams of becoming a South Sound Idol wait for no one. And nothing screams star potential like last-minute desperation.

[Lil' Red Barn, South Sound Idol preliminary performance round, 6222 197^th Ave. SW, Rochester, 360.273.5439]

ONLINE CHATTER >>>

Today's comment comes from James in response to Rev. Adam McKinney's continuing coverage of Tacoma's Vicci Martinez and her experience on NBC's The Voice.

James writes,

LOL bias much? I watch the show but don't want to take the time to bad mouth the coaches that appeared on there. They all have their own reasons for doing the things they did.....and Christina's girl sings like her? Beverly couldn't be a more different singer. BTW I did thoroughly enjoy Vicci singing Jolene but she more than likely wont win because Javier is far better vocally talented and this is all about the voice of the contestants.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 2011 >>>

1. Hell's Kitchen's Mid-Week Metal Mayhem show probably won't feature bands rockin' on an industrial plant stage set that shoots sparks into the air, or rubbing bare shoulders and admiring one another's immaculate hair and perfectly ripped jeans, but there's a good chance that DA 27, Thou Shall Kill, Doktor Klaw, Judas Wake and Pariahs Revolt will rock your face off beginning at 9 p.m.

2. For the sixth year in a row, the Washington State History Museum has selected a juried exhibit of contemporary Native American art for display in one of its featured galleries. This year's exhibit is called In the Spirit: Contemporary Northwest Native Arts, which runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Read our take on the show here.

3. Tucked away in a strip mall off South Tacoma Way is an unlikely oasis of sushi and other Japanese fare. Not only is the menu at Kyoto fantastic, but as soon as you enter the doors and cross the bridge over the indoor koi pond, you're transported to a little Japan. You can even opt for one of the tatami rooms to soak in the full experience. Sake? Check. Great selection of Asian brewskis? Check. The ambiance? Rocks. Go.

4. The magic formula for a successful date, it seems, is to simply give your date an abundance of what she likes. If said date happens to love great wine and damn good jazz, then the formula is even easier: Her + Pour at Four tonight = happiness. However, the formula goes Avogadro or something as vocalist Sommer Stockinger joins saxophonist Kareem Kandi and crew's regular last Wednesday gig, which runs 7:30-10:30 p.m.

5. We here at the Weekly Volcano love to call Wednesdays hump day.  There's something so titillating, so promising in the name. And since Jazzbones has free live music every Wednesday night starting at 9 p.m., there's even more reason to feel the grand promise of hump day.  Billy Roy Danger and the Rectifiers rock it tonight. Along with free entry, Jazzbones also offers specials on Sessions beer and $1 pizzas. Because nothing goes better with some hump than beer and pizza.  BONUS: Jazzbones will host a an 8 p.m. viewing party of the season finale of NBC's The Voice starring Tacoma's Vicci Martinez. Go Vicci!

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Half-price wine night!

HUMOR GETS LOST IN TRANSLATION >>>

You know those jokes where a minister, a rabbi and a priest walk into a bar?

These days, it's a bit more up-to-the-minute (and probably more relevant in Western Washington, where relatively few people attend church) to joke about the Dalai Lama.

To wit, this example found on the Internet:

"Why can't the Dalai Lama vacuum under the sofa?"

"He has no attachments."

Or this head-scratching example notable chiefly for taking His Holiness into a drinking establishment:

"The Dalai Lama walks into a bar. The bartender sees him and yells out, ‘Hey, haven't I tossed you out before?'

"The Dalai Lama says, ‘Probably.' "

And here's a picture of another sort of Dali Llama.

However, by far my favorite joke about the Dalai Lama is this one told by a newsman to the Dalai Lama himself.