ONLINE CHATTER >>>
Today's comment comes from Rick Walters in response to the photos we posted last week from the  A Perfect Life movie pre-screening party at Doyle's Public House. A Perfect Life, featuring former Tacoman Joe Rosati and directed by Chad Ruin, screened over the weekend at the Seattle True Independent Film Festival.

Walters writes,

Saw "A Perfect Life" at the Northwest Film Forum during STIFF this week. I was able to sit on a step because the theater was packed. Joe Rosati was phenominal. It was fascinating watching him descend into madness and Ashley Cozine from Tacoma.fm who played opposite of him, played the fragility of broken hearted wife like she was living it in front of me on the screen. Great film and all Tacoma made! the music in it was f'n sweet too. Chad Ruin said during the question and answer period, that he did not like happy endings, and when he wrote this film he stayed true to that. It was good to see Tacoma making a huge imprint on STIFF.

TUESDAY, JUNE 14, 2011 >>>

1. There's a delicate balance that is struck with Brute Heart: feathery violin and vocals are buoyed by a strumming bass line and skipping drums. The combination at times reaches a hypnotic hum, and at other times approaches a rousing folk backbeat. Check out the Minneapolis band with Trauma Dom at 10 p.m. in the back room at Le Voyeur.

2. Ah, cheese. There's milky, pure, hand-stretched mozzarella. Soft, slightly chunky ricotta, kissed with sweetness and a tinge of clover. Smooth, slightly sharp goat's-milk ricotta. And, of course, an orb of sinfully rich burrata, the firm, mozzarella-like edge encasing a luscious, creamy center. Cheese, cheese, cheese. Metropolitan Market - celebrating 40 years of awesomeness - hosts a free cheese class from 6-7 p.m. at the Proctor store.

3. With the advent of the interwebs (big ups to Al Gore), just about anyone who eats - and yaps about it - can now be classified as a "foodie." Everywhere around us folks who think that they are far superior to mere mortals who think a big night is a bucket of KFC. If you want to be a free-roaming foodie fun guy, check out urban foraging class at 7 p.m. inside King's Books.

4. Bobby Bare Jr. performs at 7 p.m. inside the Olympic Club Hotel and Theater in Centralia.

5. Pacific Gallery Artists are all about making art accessible to others, especially work by local and emerging artists, and the PGA Art Raffle, which runs from 7-9 p.m. the Boy Scouts of America Headquarters, does just that. Thirty original pieces of art will be raffled for a dollar. All proceeds goes to our PGA Education Fund

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Nightlife It List

TEAMING UP WITH AESOP ROCK >>>

Kimya Dawson is (and has been) an icon in the Olympia music scene since the mid-1990s. Although Dawson has come and gone, she has now been back in Olympia for about five years and says she's here to stay.  The folk singer, who gained notoriety with the Moldy Peaches and the Juno soundtrack, and who releases music on K records, recently began a new journey into the hip-hop world, teaming up with former Def Jux (RIP) recording artist and indie hip-hop superstar Aesop Rock. The two artists are in the middle of a tour together and are having no problem filling venues with a mix of hippies and hip-hoppers, which Dawson admits is a good sampling of people. 

I spoke with Dawson this past weekend to find out more about her current tour, the upcoming release with Aesop Rock and anything else hip-hop.

"I was told Aesop wanted to tour with me about four years ago but there really wasn't any way I could because my daughter was just born and I didn't really know who he was at the time," says Dawson.

To read the full article by Nic Leonard click here.

THE VOLCANO'S VISUAL ARTS CRITIC >>>

The latest show at the Handforth Gallery in the Main Tacoma Library is a traveling juried exhibition of tapestry featuring small works from tapestry artists from all over the world, including at least three artists from Tacoma and Olympia - Cecelia Blomberg, Margo MacDonald and Mary Lane, who are also featured in the current show at Brick House Gallery in Tacoma.

All of the works are about the size of a notebook. Most are pretty traditional and technically well done - at least to my eye; I'm no expert on tapestry but view them as I would view paintings.

Now that I've read some of the statements in the nicely designed catalog that accompanies the show I wish I understood more of the technical aspects. Artist's statements in the catalog talk about warps and multiple setts (Mary Rawcliffe Dolton talking about her piece, "Bumps in the Road") and focusing on "the warp and weft grid by using hatching and soumack..." (Joyce Hays writing about her piece "Conciliation Fall.")

I don't understand those terms, but I like the look of their pieces.

"Bumps in the Road" is one of my favorite pieces. It looks like a little wall hanging sculpture. It is a kind of monolithic vertical form that zigs and zags with bright red and blue triangles as it crawls up the wall. Hays' "Conciliation Fall" is a luminous and delicate pattern of three bands of gray and white marks on a field of tan.

Another piece a like a lot because of the way it breaks out of the traditional rectangular format is "Going Through the Motions" by Sharon Crary. It's a simply patterned abstract piece with folded cloth in patterns of variously hued greens over solid red background and wrapped with a red ribbon.

One of many other pieces that I like is "The Points in Between" by Jean Pierre Larochette, one of the few men in this show. It's a picture of a bird's nest on a black background. I like the strong color contrasts and the high energy of the twigs that fly out of the nest as if in an explosion.

About the three local artists in this show. First, congratulations. Being selected for inclusion in a show of international scope is a big deal.

MacDonald's "On the Beach" is a simple little picture of a canoe sitting on a beach with its oars out as if plowing through water even though the boat is not on the water and there are no paddlers to work the oars. It doesn't have the impact of some of her larger pieces in the show at Brick House, but it is very sweet, due to the soft colors, and it is nicely designed.

Blomberg has a piece that is similar to MacDonalds. It's called "Between the Birches." It pictures a yellow canoe in dark blue water as seen through a stand of birch trees on the river's edge. The regularity of the spacing between trees lends it an emblematic look. As in MacDonald's picture, there's no one in the canoe.

Lane continues in this show the theme of her works in the Brick House show with a peach colored dress on a floral patterned background. The patterns are not as intricate, which I think works better, and the colors are softer and more harmonious. I particularly like the soft lavender flowers on the peach colored dress.

Passages: Small Tapestry International 2 runs through July 1.

TAKE ME BACK HOME YEAH >>>

I grew up in a small Oregon rural town reared among an extended family of Bularian immigrants who fished for a living, who drank Oly out of cans and drove Chevy pickups that were bashed in from sideswiping trees. I lost my virginity by walking a wooded trail behind my house to visit a sweet gal who lived in a propped doublewide and whose aunt drove my school bus. My favorite smell is musty motorboat, and I think making fart sounds with my hands is hilarious.

I felt right at home last night at the Backstage Bar & Grill when owners Joy Hutt and Stephen Tippins tied the knot during their White Trash Mondays theme night. Complete with 40-ounce beers and all things fishnet, it was awesome. Weekly Volcano photographer Steve Dunkelberger was in the house, too.

Newlyweds Joy Hutt and Stephen Tippins

Bridesmaid Bre Holstine and newly weds Joy Hutt and Stephen Tippins

The wedding party

Channal Waters and Bre Holstine

Karaoke with dancing

LINK: More photos of the night

STOP SCOFFING AND VOTE >>>

All right, Tacoma. I know cynicism can too often get the best of us, and the impulse when confronted with a network television singing competition-like NBC's The Voice-is to scoff until one's lungs cave in. But tonight is important. As I have been reminding you (like here, or here or here), Tacoma's own fiery songbird, Vicci Martinez, is in the running to win said singing competition. Having breezed through the audition round to win Cee-Lo Green as a mentor, and the perverse "battle" round, wherein Martrinez defeated another competitor in hand-to-hand duet, she has finally reached the stage where the voting public gets to decide whether or not she advances. Tonight's episode of The Voice airs at 9 p.m. locally, and 8 p.m. in the Central Time Zone.

Having watched every stinking episode of this show, I can tell you Martinez has a very decent chance of getting far in this competition. What matters now is that we support her as much as our brittle, rain-soaked bones can muster. Waiting for her at the end of the road will be a cash prize, as well as a recording contract with a high-profile record company. Tonight is where she sinks or swims-and we can directly affect this outcome.

SHOULD BE A GOOD DAY ON THE INTERNET >>>

As I've mentioned before, sometimes as editor of the Weekly Volcano I'm faced with tough decisions. It comes with the job ... much like the stacks of promotional CDs and the complimentary bottle of office Scotch handed annually out during the Holidays.

This week, with Mel Gibson's comeback joint The Beaver opening at the Grand Cinema Friday, I've got another doozie on my lap. Do I run a review of The Beaver, even though the movie didn't do so hot last weekend, and soak up the public excitement that comes from running anything related to Mel Gibson, not to mention running anything with the word "Beaver" in the title? Or, do I resist the urge, because humanity really shouldn't be won over by someone of Gibson's ilk simply because he dons a hand puppet?

It's a tough call.

Or is it?

Either way, here's the trailer for The Beaver ...

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL COVERAGE THAT'S AS DRUNK AS YOU ARE >>>

Baseball writer Jeff Sullivan (Lookout Landing) recently wrote an article comparing Major League Baseball players to different volcanoes around the world.  Sullivan, always a source of humor, makes plenty of chuckle worthy comparisons. He compares Buster Posey with Crater Lake. Felix Hernandez with Mount Rainier.

It's a good read from a true baseball writer whose blog does a bit more than make harebrained projections and poke fun at last names.

Plus, Sullivan's article got us thinking. Which player on the Rainiers (30-35) is most comparable to Tacoma's own favorite volcano, the Weekly Volcano?

Is it hot hitter, soon to maybe be super star Dustin Ackley?  No, we definitely don't have superstar potential.

How about Mr. hard thrower, troubled past Josh Lueke? Nah, probably not. We do relate to a troubled past (though, not THAT troubled), but we aren't much of a journalistic hard thrower in this town, White Trash Wedding photos aside.

The Weekly Volcano clearly relates best to one Rainier and one Rainier only:

Matt Tuiasosopo. 

Matt is a local boy. He looks good, smells nice and smiles often. Matt's relatively young in the way that he has plenty of baseball years left, but also relatively old in the way that he's reached his baseball ceiling. While no superstar, Matt has had streaks of solid play that have given him some stints in the Majors. But while up in Seattle, it was clear Matt might not have quite what it takes to play with the big dogs. A broken swing, an off-step.

No, Matt seems more comfortable here in Tacoma. And when he comes up to the plate, fans at Cheney usually let out a weak, Minor League cheer.  Tacoma admires his versatility. Tacoma admires his hometown ways. Tacoma cheers not because he's a superstar home run hitter, but because he's a local boy.  And Tacoma would rather see him step up to the plate than some overpriced windbag.

Notes ...

-The Rainiers are once again creeping toward .500. We don't want to get anyone's hopes up yet, but we are starting to see improvement. Four wins in the last five games. Six wins in the last eight. Sure, the team is still out of any sort of race at this point (eight games back of Reno in the division), but at least the team is gaining ground. Gaining ground with plenty of time left.

-Luis Jimenez has reached base safely in each of the last sixteen games he's played. Last night he had two hits, including a two-run double. We wish we had more in-depth baseball knowledge so we could scrutinize his WAR and his projections and all that. But we're just going to keep it simple and say this is a good streak. A streak we want to continue.

-Seattle Mariners' baseball blogging guru Dave Cameron is upset that Dustin Ackley is still in Tacoma. He also calls Ackley the third best hitter in the Mariners' organization, which must put him behind who, Ichiro and Smoak? Or Mike Carp and Mike Carp?

The Rainiers play the Fresno Grizzlies tonight at 7:05 p.m. Tune in to 850 AM to catch Mike Curto with the call.     

LINK: The "Rainiers Minute" collection

ONLINE CHATTER >>>

Today's comment comes from Tornado in response to this morning's 5 Things to Do Today post, in which the Bobby Bare Jr. performance tonight at Centralia's Olympic Club was hyped.

Tornado writes,

The Broadway Center needs to start competing for good acts with the Capitol Theater. Bobby Bare, Jr. and Gillian Welch should play Tacoma too/instead!

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2011 >>>

1. Barnburner, Stone Axe, Sleeper Cell and Electric Falcons will rock the crap out of Hell's Kitchen beginning at 9 p.m.

2. Weekly Volcano visual arts critic Alec Clayton posses many talents, including the ability to write a bad-ass novel or three. His latest, The Backside of Nowhere, is a wild and funny Southern novel set on the Gulf Coast in range of New Orleans. At 7:30 p.m. inside the Lakewood Playhouse, director Scott C. Brown and a dozen of the best actors in the South Sound region will read from the full-length feature film script adapted from Clayton's novel.

3. These pretzels are making us thirsty. But we mean, at only 50 cents apiece, it's impossible not to scarf down four in a row. If only we had some ... oh, yes, there it is. Microbrews for $2.75 and wells for $2.50 every weekday afternoon from 3-6 p.m. Magoo's Annex and Eatery, you've done it again. Now all we need is a sexy friend. Preferably one who can recognize old Seinfeld quotes.

4. 99 Bottles in Federal Way will serve tastes of big stouts from 4-7:45 p.m. for a $1.

5. The Fun Police, The Taxpayers and Dead Peasants will play the all-ages Red Room in downtown Tacoma beginning at 7:30 p.m.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Half-price wine bottles night!