SUNDAY: Wizard's Party

By Ron Swarner on September 16, 2011

30 YEARS OF AWESOMENESS >>>

The puppy chewed up your shoe again, didn't he? Now he's in there gnawing on your kitchen table leg. Oh, he will pay. He will pay dear. You'll fix him, heh, heh. You'll SUPER FIX him. It won't cost you that much, and it will solve many, many problems far into the future. Perhaps not of the chewing variety, but hey, things get more complicated as we grow older.

Don't I know.

Speaking of older, Wizard's Hairspa celebrates 30 years of turning heads this year. In 1979, Mark Leibel opened Ozone Tonsorial Parlor in Tacoma's Stadium District, and co-owned Ozone II in Lakewood, which he later turned into Wizard's Hairspa.

What the hell has this to do with neutering your dog?  Wait.

In the early '90s, Leibel, his wife, Deborah, and Benno Waler opened Galleria on Broadway in downtown Tacoma. Terry Rishel - Chihuly's photographer for years - ran a photography studio in the back. I hooked up with this cool crew for fashion shoots during my years as publisher of the local arts and society newspaper Choices.

Neuter. Yes I'm getting there.

Sunday, Wizard's Hairspa will celebrate its 30th anniversary with a bash featuring live music, silent auction and a raffle. Schedule to perform are bluegrass band The Graham Crackers, country bands Eddie Gillan's Lovechild and Twang Junkies, blues band Big Nasty, Leibel's band The Blonds and guests. It's rumored one of the guests might be Wizard's Hairspa stylist and singer Denny Porter (Blue Baboons, Running With Scissors).

OK, here it is. Money collected from the $5 donation admission fee and silent auction will benefit the Coalition: HUMAnE Spay and Neuter Clinic. The clinic's mission is to promote and provide low cost spay and neuter services for pet cats and dogs, as well as feral cats in an attempt to stop the needless killing of companion animals due to overpopulation.

"This local clinic makes a difference and the money we raise will go directly to the cause, instead of getting eaten up by administration," says Leibel.

Sunday's party has fun written all over it. Speaking of "all over it," you best get back to your puppy.

Wizard's Hairspa 30th Anniversary Party


Sunday, Sept. 18, 3-10 p.m., $5 donation
The Swiss, 1904 S. Jefferson Ave., Tacoma
253.588.5544