The name says it all. "Dunkel Weizen: Tall Dunkel and Handsome." Just like this reviewer. The label didn't mention that it is also single, but that is a story for another time.
A 22-ounce bottle of this dark gold of deliciousness from Red Hook landed on my desk and I drank it warm, because that is how I roll.
The brew solves the issue of lightweights complaining about the "heavy" taste of porters and their drive to have a lighter beer for the summer regardless of their next-to-water taste. Dunkelweizen fills the gap. It's bold but not over powering with a Missouri River-brown color and wheat aroma. Imagine a malt-punch porter with the smell of a full Hef. I battled the urge to jump for a lemon wedge with this bad dog.
It had full flavor with no malt-blast after taste. What was surprising is that it only comes in at 6 percent alcohol. That is about the punch of a Miller Lite, making it a great drink to down all night long without a hangover.
SUSTAINABLE LIVING IN FEDERAL WAY OF ALL PLACES >>>
A short trip up Interstate 5 North and a brief jaunt west off the South 320th Street exit, the Federal Way Farmers Market springs up each Saturday morning at 9 a.m. As is to be expected when the sun shines, people come out of the woodwork for this weekly happening. The market features a swap meet and garage sale on the first Saturday of each month, Kamehameha Day in June, zucchini races in August, a Fire Department versus Police Department chili cook-off in September and harvest celebrations in October.
To read the full column by Jennifer Johnson click here.
4th Ave Ale House Olympia - Downtown. Wide Eye Panic, Rishloo, The Willow Collective. 9 pm.
Bob's Java Jive Tacoma - Central. Waves & Radiation Reunion Show, featuring the return of The Legend Of Bigfoot. 9 pm.
It's been two years and one month since instrumental rock band Waves and Radiation played its farewell show at Bob's Java Jive. On Saturday, the band will reunite for a special one-off return performance at the same coffee-pot-shaped venue where they called it a day back in 2009. Fans of Waves and Radiation will be pleased to hear that as far as guitarist Tristan McNabb is concerned, it's as if they'd never stopped playing together at all. For Jason Baxter's feature story on the reunion, click here.
Capitol Theater Olympia - Downtown. OFS Presents An Evening With Gillian Welch. Dave Rawlings opens. All Ages. 9 pm. $20-$25.
Listening to Gillian Welch - in particular her new album, The Harrow & The Harvest - there's a palpable yearning that lurks in and around her music. Welch's adherence to classicism in the areas of folk, bluegrass and country has about it the mournful pang of nostalgia for a time she never experienced. While some songs bend closer to '70s singer-songwriter sounds, the majority of the album centers on the rustic sounds of the 1920s through the 1950s. There's a hew toward a time when songs largely were about characters and their heartfelt stories - albums were tapestries of American lives and the hardships and triumphs that were constantly occurring concurrently. To read my full review of the album, click here. — Rev. Adam McKinney
Doyle's Public House Tacoma - Stadium District. Missionary Position. 9 pm. NC.
Jazzbones Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Rich Wetzel's Groovin' Higher Jazz Orchestra. All Ages. 7:30 pm. $7.
Mandolin Cafe Tacoma - Central. Mandolin Grand Reopening Party with Stephen Heinzman Trio, Beaucoup Chapeaux, Gwyneth & Monko, Luke Sayers. All Ages. 11 am to 10 pm. $5.
The Spar Tacoma - Old Town. Renegade Train. 8 pm. NC.
1. More than anything else, singer songwriter Jim Page is a walkin', singin' acerbic commentary on life. His lyrical style resembles that of Arlo Guthrie or Bruce Springsteen; rock words trapped inside a folk singer's music. You can't ignore his direct style and compelling message. Open your ears and mind at 7 p.m. when Page performs at King's Books.
2. While it's easy to quantify Oly as just a hippie, college town - that's only partially true. A large portion of the population is proudly blue-collar. The most amazing part of all of this is the two demographics - shoeless hippies and hardworking grunts - come together every year for Lakefair, meshing farmer tans with hacky sacks, and creating a fairly unique event disguised as just another summer festival. Think carnies, cotton candy, live music, volleyball, fireworks and all the usual trappings - Olympia style from noon to 10 p.m.
3. There's a soccer double header featuring a W-League match between the Seattle Sounders Women and Colorado Force at 1 p.m. and an International Friendly between Tacoma Tide FC and English side Port Vale FC at 4 p.m. at Curtis High School's Viking Stadium.
4. Animal Fire's Midsummer Night's Dream is adorable. Not every joke's a corker, mind you, but remember that the definition of "comedy" in the early 1600s was that someone gets married at the end. A Shakespearean romp doesn't have to be joke-setup-joke like an episode of How I Met Your Mother. The plot, about mortals and Amazons besotted by magical flowers, is both dorky and disarming, and you can't beat the scenery. The production will be held at 7:30 p.m. at Priest Point Park in Olympia. To read Christian Carvajal's full review, click here.
5. Some would argue that a dive bar like the China Clipper Club and Café is no place to party. But let us tell you something, friend: There's a little thing called class. Class is something you can't buy. Class is something inherited. Class is years and years of spilled drinks, double shots and drunken hookups. Class never goes away, no matter how dirty the carpet is or how dilapidated the karaoke stage becomes. Class makes drinking fun. And let us tell you, friends: the China Clipper oozes class, especially every night at 9 p.m. for karaoke.
If legendary cowboy Shane were in the South Sound for the week, he might ride along the Puyallup river, past Eric Anderson's moving van, past the ships docked along Schuster Parkway, around the sewer work at the closed Puget Gulch, then hitch his horse outside the future site of the Tacoma Food Co-Op, jump on the phone and help the Co-Op reach its fundraising goal. He would end his night at neighboring The Red Hot with a spirited game of Dominos, and then fall happily asleep next to the outdoor fireplace at Hotel Murano. He would wake up naturally the next day at sunrise, and do it all over again, adding a stack of flapjacks from Old Milwaukee Cafe and the free events listed below to his routine.
MONDAY 7-18: The week starts off on a wild note when the Tacoma Cult Movie Club presents a night of films centered around the theme: "He's A Very Naughty Boy - You Might Want To Give This Bad Boy A Spanking" beginning at 7 p.m. inside The Acme Grub Cage. We have no idea what that means, but we're sure Shane would side with TCMC co-producers Rev. Colin and Mat Hat Tobin.
TUESDAY 7-19: Shane might head toward American Lake Park for the rootin'-tootin'-est Lakewood's Brightest Star local talent competition finals at 6:30 p.m. Shane would do what comes natural, shooting his guns in the air after every song. No one in the crowd would flinch.
WEDNESDAY 7-20: Shane's personal repression and remorse could surface if he attended Author Chellis Swenson Jensen reading of her book, Meet Mrs. Annathena Gilly Gully From Puddle Rumple Tilly Willy, at 10:30 a.m. inside the Garfield Book Company in Parkland. Afterward, all the kids would yell "Shane, come back!" but only because the cowboy stole their temporary tattoo stickers. Also Wednesday, Abby Road Live Beatles tribute band at Pioneer Park in Steilacoom from 6:30-8:30 p.m.
THURSDAY 7-21: Shane would have to push his horse Thursday. Naturally, Shane would attend the screening of archival films showing Schafer Brothers Logging Company operations in the 1920s at 7 p.m. inside the bitchin' new University Place Library. Shane would irritate the crowd with his mouth harp. Next, he'd gallop toward Tollefson Plaza before the 8:30 p.m. showing of this year's "Best of The Grand's 72 Hour Film Competition" on a giant outdoor screen. Afterward, he'd discover sake at neighboring TWOKOI Japanese Restaurant and spent the rest of the night on guard at the base of the 20-foot high welcome figure.
FRIDAY 7-22: The man, the myth, the legend, would probably make an appearance at the free outdoor screening of Shane at Donkey Creek Park in Gig Harbor at 9 p.m. No doubt Shane would be forced to spend the night in a Gig Harbor slammer because of his inability to deal rationally with the Good To Go system.
SATURDAY 7-23: At 2 p.m. Shane would rope his horse in front of King's Books for Gudrun Aurand's class on repairing torn paper. Fascinated with King's owner sweet pea's outfit of the day, the two probably would become close friends baking muffins into the wee hours. Also Saturday, Tacoma's EnviroHouse hosts a free 10:30 a.m. workshop titled "Garden Design, Soils & Pest Management."
SUNDAY 7-24: Someone Shane would get bit during NADOi endorsed dog trainer Jeanne Hampf's 1 p.m. free workshop on "How to Keep Your Dog Happy and Safe at the Dog Park" at the Gig Harbor Branch Library. Slumped over on his horse, Shane would follow the same path that he took entering the South Sound.
1. The Tacoma Cult Movie Club gets down tonight at the Acme Grub Cage. It promises to be as random, entertaining, ironic and hilarious as ever. Find details here.
2. Apparently a one-man operation, Sam Vicari's themes and vocals have a pungently nerdy air about them, imbuing his full-length, Keep Careful, with the kind of ecstatic, pop-minded, puppy-love-obsessed feeling of bands like Weezer and other late '90s radio punk. His vocals have a slightly sibilant quality that helps soften the music's sometimes jagged edges. Vicari will play Le Voyeur tonight in Olympia.
The crew at the Antique Sandwich Co. has really mastered the art of the sandwich, and this skill extends to their bagel special ($4.25), which is so special it might have a permanent spot on the menu.
This delicious belly-stuffer - homemade smoked salmon and cream cheese concoction loaded with sprouts, tomato and onion stacked high between two toasted Cascade bagel halves - will stick with you for many hours. The two bagel halves barely clear one's mouth, even after a hard press.
Show up at 7 a.m. at Abby will pair the special with a cup of espresso.
Antique Sandwich Co.
7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. daily 5102 N. Pearl St., Ruston 253.752.4089
I'm always skeptical when someone tells me he or she has directed dozens or hundreds of shows. It's too much work. Where'd they possibly find the time? I have an MFA in directing, and I've managed less than a dozen full-length productions. Since it takes me half a year to assemble a show, I have to really want to do it. The script has to affect me on some physical, visceral level: the jokes have to make me laugh out loud. The sad bits have to make me cry, the shouty bits have to make me angry, and the sex scenes should...
Look, I don't have to spell it out. The point is, the script has to be more than just clever, though I certainly have no objection to cleverness per se. And there can't be a role in it for me, or I'd be more interested in acting that role than directing it, which wouldn't be fair to the actor I cast.
It turns out my short list of criteria is a surprisingly effective filter, screening out 98 percent of all the plays I ever read. Yet there are still a few waiting out there, so I want to lay claim to them now:
Bug and The Credeaux Canvas are terrific scripts that require nudity, which is tough in a small town or even a large one. Try convincing an actor to get naked for minutes on end, only feet from an audience of strangers and friends, in the unforgiving light of the Midnight Sun Performance Space. It ain't easy. Also, Mark Alford directed a thrilling production of Bug just last year for Riot to Follow Productions at Evergreen, so that one's off the table for seasons to come.
Tracy Letts, the author of Bug, also wrote Superior Donuts, an outstanding dramedy about urban life. I have no idea how I'd cast it, but Harlequin should take a serious look all the same. If an audience can get past the first few minutes of the play, it'll fall in love with Letts's characters. I guarantee it.
I love Gore Vidal's The Best Man. Unfortunately, it's a topical piece about presidential candidates written in 1960, so every political reference would have to be updated. I'm pretty sure that's illegal, which gives David Mamet's November the edge. It's also about a presidential race, and it's way funnier than Vidal's take.
Sherlock's Last Case plays to my love of the great detective, but it requires an expensive set I can't afford and wouldn't know how to build.
I will direct the musical Chess someday, but I want to use my adaptation of the Sydney version, which is totally illegal in the U.S. (It's a copyright issue. Don't ask. It makes no sense to anyone, including its writers.) I love Randy Newman's Faust, too, but I'm not even sure it has a publisher. Why? No idea.
Then there are the classics: J.B. by Archibald Macleish (a retelling of the Biblical Job story), Anthony Burgess's adaptation of Oedipus the King, perhaps a full production of Hamlet. Put those on your schedule without calling me, local theater companies, and I warn you right now:
Market Street Coffee Company opened quietly June 22 and put smiles on faces by declaring the following Saturday "Free Coffee Day." Owner Linda Fiscus's son, David Williams, and daughter, Michele Dunn, take turns manning the coffee bar. Market Street Coffee occupies half of a space shared with Smooth & Juicey in the bottom of the large purple building owned by Thane Davis and Trish Lecy-Davis (the spot recently vacated by Satellite Coffee). I was sad to see the rocket and spaceman on the outside of the building be painted over, but change is inevitable.
As of early last week, the interior looks much the same as when Satellite was there. Williams says Market Street Coffee is growing into it the space and will be adding their own aesthetic touches. He mentions a wall mural by artist Jeremy Gregory is on the "want" list. Williams has ties to the hip-hop community; CDs by CityHall (EvergreenOne and Todd Sykes) are for sale and displayed on the counter. Pastries come in daily from Corina Bakery; beans are from Madrona Coffee and loose leaf teas provided by Mad Hat Tea.
"We want to provide what people want. Just tell us; we'll get it for you," Williams says. To this end, Market Street now has rice milk and soy milk.
Not much of a coffee person, I opted for a 16-ounce chai that held an even balance of spice and sweetness. Williams made it just slightly warm, per my specification. On another visit Williams' sister Michele Dunn made me a pomegranate Italian soda-which was like a creamy sweet dessert in a cup.
Of note, the drip coffee at Market Street Coffee Company is not made with a machine. Fresh grounds sit in a filter, and hot water is poured over top - with the brew collected in an hourglass receptacle with wood collar and leather tie. The distinctive coffeemaker is a Chemex. To me, it looks more like an artsy vase.
"People love it. They're buying them for their house," says Dunn, showing me the coffeemakers which Market Street Coffee Company also sells.
[Market Street Coffee Company, 1122 Market Street, Tacoma, 253.365.6706]
Other than being born, this is the first time I have ever been the first at anything! Thus, I make comment ... for good or ill ... Let me be clear ... As of today, I have not yet witnessed a performance of the Joe Faker Band. I certainly do plan to do so soon. I have (however) witnessed a lively performance of "Renegade Train" with Allen Alto. (( not to be missed )) To describe Allen Alto as an excellent guitar player is at best an incomplete statement. Allen Alto is a talented musician who is also a natural performer. He delivers an unassuming musical magic that is almost hypnotic to watch and hear. He is comfortable in his own skin and comes across as relaxed and very out-of-left-field witty. His stage shenanigans with band members are spontaneous and smart. He's just plain happy to be one of the guys. The Joe Faker Band, with Allen Alto, promises to be an evening well spent. (( Also ... Catch that " Renegade Train", with Allen Alto, ... if you can! )) ; ) Check out the play dates on this website. You might be in for a treat. ... Dick B.
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