ONLINE CHATTER >>>

Today's comment comes from Marguerite in response to our Q&A interview with current Metro Parks Commissioner Erik Hanberg. Hanberg is currently running for reelection.

Marguerite writes,

Erik is an excellent parks commissioner. He's a good listener and cares deeply about our Parks. I'm looking forward to voting for him.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 19, 2011 >>>

1. Jazz O'Rama featuring Kareem Kandi, Alexey Nikolaev, Joe Doria and Andre Thomas performs tonight at Jazzbones. The action kicks off at 8 p.m. and there's no cover.

2. Hump Day means it's time to party - and there's nowhere better to party than at Stunna Wednesdays with DJ Kun Luv at Surreal Ultra Lounge. Ladies get I free before 11 p.m.

3. The real appeal of Puget Sound Pizza's karaoke is its inimitable host, the Reverend Colin. A tall, bearded man who always sports a utilikilt, Rev. Colin possesses a wealth of oddball musical knowledge and a disarming ease for calling everyone "baby." Having hosted karaoke for a little more than 12 years, Rev. Colin conducts karaoke with a sure hand and a sense of fairness with who gets to sing and how often; he once told me that he prides himself on not accepting bribes from people to be moved to the top of the singing rotation. See for yourself tonight at Puget Sound Pizza, when Karaoke with Colin kicks off at 9 p.m.

4. You only have a few more days to catch Tacoma Community College's 9^th Annual Juried Art Exhibition, which Volcano art critic Alec Clayton reviewed recently, saying "there are exciting pieces by Ron Hinson and Barlow Palminteri, whose two-man show at South Puget Sound Community College last year was probably the best of the year outside of major museum exhibitions." To read Alec Clayton's full review, click here. The exhibition runs through Oct. 21.

5. Interested in getting lost in a corn cannon? How about a corn maze? Want the kids to run wild with tractor-pulled rides, a pumpkin patch, a haunted trail bouncy castle, pony rides and more? Well, sounds like the nearly legendary Maris Farms is for you. Check it out today.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music tonight

READY-TO-EAT GOODNESS >>>

While new items are frequently added to the shelves at the Tacoma Food Co-op, ready-to-eat foods from Simply Organic Café in Yelm are the latest locally-made offerings sold at the Sixth Avenue storefront. Chef Bryce Hughes from Simply Organic Cafe is crafting a variety of dishes made with seasonal vegetables, herbs and some organic ingredients.

The colder weather means pasta, brown rice, and quinoa as the base for heartier salads. Vegetarian and meaty soups will include split pea curry, butternut bisque, roast chicken and Swiss chard. Freshly made dips of salsa, hummus (already a favorite with shoppers), artichoke dip and spicy bean dip are also being sold. For the sugar fiends, lemon bars and gluten-free desserts like chocolate mousse are offered.

The deli items allow people quick, inexpensive healthy food options. Pricing is $4.99 on average, with some items costing less. Tacoma Food Co-op general manager Henri Parren explains, "The selection may vary from week to week or if items sell out." In order to maintain as much freshness as possible, a limited quantity will be ordered, though TFC will increase ordering if customer demand indicates a need.

[Tacoma Food Co-op, 3002 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.627.3344]

ONLINE CHATTER >>>

Today's comment comes from Grittycityfood, in response to Jennifer Johnson's recent district-by-district rundown of T-Town's top burgers.

Grittycityfood writes,

Nice job Jenny. I appreciate that you aren't attempting to peg a "best." Trying to find the best burger in town would definitely be a Highlander-esque quest, requiring some serious time, serious coin, and the intake of some serious calories. You'd also have to fend off hordes of angry burger lovers defending their own claims. Clearly people are passionate about their favorites. I love it!

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Gadhafi Is Dead: Fighters attacked the house where Moammar Gadhafi was hiding and shot him when he tried to flee, a spokesman for Libya's new government says. (CNN)

Because Thieves Suck: Auction items to raise money for 49-year-old mother's bone marrow transplant were stolen out of a Tacoma storage unit. She needs your help. (News Tribune)

That's Some Initiative: With more than $34 million committed to both sides of the campaign. Initiative 1183 is the most expensive ballot measure in state history. (News Tribune)

Sea Of Pink: The Thursday Tacoma Runners group dedicates tonight's 3-mile jaunt to National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Throw on some pink at join the group, which launches into stride at 6:30 p.m. at The Social Bar and Grill. (Facebook)

Not Good: September saw 18,400 jobs lost, the first monthly loss since August 2010 and the most since early 2009. (Seattle Times)

"Dark Blood": River Phoenix's final film to be released after 18 years. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Metallica/Lou Reed Collaboration: Hear the whole Lulu now. (loureedmetallica.com)

Not Happy Days For Some: Fraud claim thrown out in Happy Days lawsuit. (CNN)

Halloween Costumes: Let's look at some worn by TV characters. (The Atlantic)

THURSDAY, OCT. 20, 2011 >>>

1. Art Chantry practically invented the poster art and album cover art associated with grunge. He's done album covers for Nirvana and Hole, and posters for Hempfest. His art has been shown in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Museum of Modern Art, Seattle Art Museum, the Smithsonian and the Louvre. Right now, under the title Parkland is Burning, you can see a large selection of Chantry's work at Fulcrum Gallery. Even better? Tonight, hear the artist himself delve into his four-decade career. It promises to be awesome.

2. Was it always destined that bluegrass and punk would make such a happy marriage? In hindsight, it seems like a natural fit, but the first person to bring a banjo or washboard into a punk band had to have had such brilliant intuition. The Load Levelers continue in this tradition, slamming together the most recognizable tropes from punk and Southern music into a freakish amalgam that also finds the time to inject some speed metal into the affair. These parts have been privy to the Load Levelers for many years, in various incarnations. The band earned a reputation early on for wild and unpredictable shows. Though it's many years on, but you can probably expect to see some pretty crazy shit tonight when they burn through Hell's Kitchen.

3. Volcano music scribe Nic Leonard is perhaps better known as Nicatine of Olympia-based rap outfit Free Whiskey. Or, we mean, he's the dude with the mustache. Now are you picturing him? Good. Anyway, Free Whiskey has been gaining steam for a while now [thanks, in no small part, to Nic's mustache and the track "Man's Best Friend (Mustache Song)"], and tonight the group will release a much anticipated EP, What Am I Going To Tell My Mom?, with a show at the Royal Lounge. Sure, it's a conflict of interests of sorts to promote the show of someone who writes for us, but it's also going to be dope - so we did what we had to do. Free Whiskey for all. 

4. Check out the "Open Jam" at Stonegate Pizza tonight with Billy Roy Danger & the Rectifiers.

5. Head to The Ram Restaurant and Brewery on Tacoma's waterfront to get in on the "Geeks Who Drink" pub quiz. The trivial good times kick off at 8:30 p.m. and there's absolutely no cover ... though you'll probably want to bring enough coin for a drink or two (it's in the name, after all).

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music tonight

SPOOKY, SCARY & MUSICAL >>>

Sure, this week's Volcano is dedicated to Halloween - it's officially our "Haunted Halloween Issue." It's full of stories about ghosts, goblins, Charlie Sheen costumes and, well, more ghosts. It's the spookiest thing to make newsprint since Dan Voelpel was breaking the Sonic Drive-In story for the Trib.

But all of this week's Halloween charm doesn't mean we've forgotten the basics - the Volcano's bread and butter. Amidst all the ghoulishness we've still managed to pack in an awesome-as-ever Weekly Volcano music section.

Here's a peek at the musical goodness waiting for you in print and online ...

FEATURE: NIGHT OF THE LIVING TRIBUTE BANDS

For the past 11 years, in honor of Halloween, the Olympia Film Society has hosted an event simply known as Night of the Living Tribute Bands. These shows are rare windows into the musical lives of local performers whom we may know from seeing around town, but haven't yet learned of their inner devotions. Frequently, the tribute bands that perform at Night of the Living Tribute Bands are one-offs, assembled specifically for the event and made up of jumbled about musicians from various local bands (though an all-female Black Sabbath tribute band called Black Betty was born out of the event).
"Everyone just comes together for one night," says the Olympia Film Society's Audrey Henley, organizer of Night of the Living Tribute Bands. "We're really fortunate that we have so many great musicians in our town." ... -- Rev. Adam McKinney

FEATURE: QUETZAL COMES TO OLY

On Saturday Oct. 22 the Capitol Theater in downtown Olympia will host a Los Angeles-based band that crosses musical boundaries, meshing rock, Americana, folk, funk, hip-hop and much more.  Quetzal Flores created the band Quetzal in the early ‘90s to push the limits of Chicano music - and he definitely ended up doing so, finding plenty of musical success in the process.  Although Quetzal the band has not been to Olympia, Quetzal's singer, Martha Gonzalez, and bassist, Juan Perez, have - performing in Olympia with Laura Rebollo's band, Ensamble Marinero.  Gonzales says Olympia's audience is what Los Lobos would call "music lovers." - people that are open to listening, internalizing, participating and witnessing a concert. Gonzales admits she is looking forward to seeing familiar faces and tugging at a couple hearts. ... - Nic Leonard

WHAT'S THE WORD: D'ROCC'S "LAST CALL" & MORE

One of the major artists in our scene last year was D'Rocc The Gentleman. He made his presence known when he hit us with "The Anthem" video, and then kept it going with lots of big local shows. Currently D'Rocc is gearing up to release a new album; the first single is "Last Call." D'Rocc is celebrating the new song with a party Oct 21 at the Surreal Ultra Lounge. "Last Call" is a smooth ode to the ladies. So dress up, come to the party, and let D'Rocc and Tak Patron set the mood for ya and yo loved one. ... -- Josh Rizeberg

WE RECOMMEND: FREE WHISKEY

Volcano music scribe Nic Leonard is perhaps better known as Nicatine of Olympia-based rap outfit Free Whiskey. Or, we mean, he's the dude with the mustache. Now are you picturing him? Good. Anyway, Free Whiskey has been gaining steam for a while now [thanks, in no small part, to Nic's mustache and the track "Man's Best Friend (Mustache Song)"], and Thursday the group will release a much anticipated EP, What Am I Going To Tell My Mom?, with a show at the Royal Lounge. ... -- Matt Driscoll

PLUS: Better Living Through Music - I Low, Swampy Draws, Load Levelers

PLUS: Concert Alert

PLUS: Live Local Music Listings

PLUS: Scary Ridiculousness

ARTS COVERAGE TO END ALL ARTS COVERAGE >>>

At this point it goes without saying. If you're looking for coverage of local arts in Tacoma, Olympia, and all points in between, the Weekly Volcano is THE place to find it. Our goal is to consistently provide the best local arts coverage possible to our fantastic readers -- always be on the lookout for ways to shine a light on all the awesome creativity we see around us.

Here's a look at the Volcano arts coverage waiting for you this week in print and online.

FEATURE: LE NOIR BIZARRE

Julia Jones may have found Tacoma's Halloween Pulse. She's the mind behind Le Noir Bizarre, a three-floor, dark holiday extravaganza happening Sunday, Oct. 30 at Sanford and Son Antiques. Jones has a couple dozen craftspeople, performers and assorted weirdoes lined up for this romanced/goth/steampunk celebration, and promises there will be plenty of skulls, goggles, lace, fire, demons, devils and tons of stuff made from pieces of animals and old clocks.  Recognize.

Contrary to my assumption, Le Noir Bizarre does not translate as "the new weird." It means "The Dark Market," which only describes about half of what Jones has lined up. As far as the dark market goes, Jones runs her own - all year long  - from Sanford and Son, called A Little Touch of Magick. Whatever she sells, and whatever she has in store for Halloween Eve, Tacoma seems to be hungry for it. ... --  Paul Schrag

THEATER: DR. JEKYLL & MR. HYDE AT TACOMA LITTLE THEATRE

Jeffrey Hatcher's stage adaptation of the Robert Louis Stevenson classic Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde feels ripe with potential ...

Potential that never quite breaks free in the Tacoma Little Theatre staging.
Most distinctive (and when re-adapting a long-recognized and oft-staged work like Jekyll & Hyde, it pays to be distinctive) is the portrayal of Hyde. Rather than cast a single actor as Dr. Jekyll's darker half, Tacoma Little Theatre employs four actors (each also playing an assortment of supporting roles) donning the cape and hat of Hyde at various intervals. The flip-flopping is seemingly reliant on which actors need to be on stage for other purposes.

There is opportunity here. Opportunity for four different actors to play four different Hydes. Four different facets of the many layers of darkness that afflict mankind. Because at its core, Jekyll & Hyde is not a story about light and dark, or good and evil. It is about gray and dark. Human and evil. ... -- Joe Izenman

THEATER: THE FANTASTICKS AT PLU

Newfangled technology at PLU's Eastvold Studio Theater serves as an invisible backdrop for the remarkably simple and sparse staging that makes up The Fantasticks. The production took me some time to get into, in part because of my vague but persistent expectation of what the show (which I had never seen or listened to previously) would be. But this show grows on you, and by the end I was won over.

Vocal performances are often a highlight at PLU, known for the quality of its choral program. But the real standout of the show is the silent Mute, serving up pre-show antics and various utility roles. Angie Tennant, also the choreographer, picks up on an array of small mannerisms giving her Mute a genuine-feeling vaudevillian demeanor.

Fellow highlights include Frank Roberts as the theatrical death expert Mortimer, and Ali Rose Schultz as a girl absolutely convinced of her destiny as a romantic fairytale lead. ... -- Joe Izenman

VISUAL EDGE: BEYOND CRAYONS & FINGER PAINTING 2.0

("The Hidden:" An acrylic painting by 18-year-old Rebekah Slusher)

Beyond Crayons & Finger Painting 2.0, the second annual art project at B2 Fine Art, features 75 works of art from Africa, Canada, China and the United States, all created by youth ages seven to 19. The overall inventiveness and technical quality of the work puts to shame work I've seen in student art exhibits at area colleges.

All of the American artists in the show hail from Western Washington, most from Tacoma and a handful from Seattle and Bellingham. The works from Africa come from George, South Africa, and because of some kind of conflict in George there were no identifying wall labels on any of the African art. Gallery owner Gary Boone said they expect to remedy that soon.

Boone pointed out an interesting difference between the art from South Africa and that from China. The Chinese art is all up-beat, colorful and joyful in outlook. Most of it is Animé influenced. There is no regional look to it. No recognizable Chinese people or culture or architecture. ... -- Alec Clayton

PLUS: Comprehensive Arts and Entertainment Calendar

PLUS: More Local Theater Coverage Than You Can Shake a Stick At

PLUS: Things That Make You Smile

COMFORT FOOD IN TACOMA >>>

Macaroni and cheese, the college kid's comfort dish, isn't particularly classy or healthy. But, the list of pros weigh heavy, like a poundful of the stuff after the clubs close. Macaroni and cheese is cheap. And most importantly, macaroni and cheese is damn good.

So where can you get a plate of the mac outside your kitchen? Your options are plentiful and varied, in preparation method, noodle and even cheese. Let's start and end with STINK Cheese & Meat, the hip beacon of cheese in Tacoma's Triangle District. The first time I had mac and cheese here, it was a delicious concoction of five, hard to pronounce cheeses and three color schemes. My second, third and fourth sessions with STINK's mac-n-cheese were also of a gourmet nature. All inventive. All pulled off without a hitch.

Today, shockingly, STINK's menu board read: "Classic Mac-n-Cheese."

Holy Kraft Cheese and Macaroni Fatman!

Not even close.

STINK's classic mac now rests firmly at the top of my list of best macaroni and cheese dishes in the South Sound. The restaurant/deli has perfected a humble potion of wide elbow noodles with a thick cheese sauce that admittedly strays far from the traditional, but proves tasty all the same.

When I confronted co-owner Kris Blondin to sweet talk her into revealing what exactly is in the gooey but firm Gruyère and cheddar sauce, she wisely called my bluff. She did reveal it involves a rue and Bechamel base. Also, she and new chef Reed Thorp (via Pacific Grill) have perfected the moisture content before baking it. Yes, it's baked - an important and defining factor for what makes a fine mac and cheese, and the best selling point for STINK's version. Baking it gives the dish the yummy, crusty-crunchy bits of dairy goodness on the ends of the noodles, which helps to cut the gloppyness that sometimes plagues the dish. STINK tosses on a few croutons for good measure.

STINK changes its mac-n-cheese dish every week; the current one disappears Saturday night. But don't fret; Blondin says this version will be a base for many varieties to come.

In other STINK-y news: The joint will introduce a new menu in a few weeks that will include an Italian grinder and Parisian tuna sandwich.

[STINK Cheese & Meat, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 628 St. Helens, Tacoma. 253.426.1347]

LINK: More comfort dishes

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

WEATHER REPORT

Friday: Rain, hi 58, lo 54

Saturday: Rain, hi 57, lo 43

Sunday: More rain, hi 58, lo 44

>>> FRIDAY, OCT. 21: OCCUPY TACOMA MARCH

In solidarity with the ongoing Occupy Wall Street movement and protests, and Occupy movements all across the country, T-Town is getting in on the action and letting its voice be heard. Occupy Tacoma has been growing stronger by the day, and last weekend's march was just the start. This Friday, Occupy Tacoma supporters will march from People's Park to McCarver Park -- bringing Occupy Tacoma to Hilltop. Next weekend look for Occupy Tacoma to march in the Lincoln District. Find all the info you need right here.

• People's Park, assemble at 4 p.m., bring signs,  900 South Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Tacoma, occupytacoma.org
  

>>> FRIDAY, OCT. 21: LISA LAMPANELLI

Lisa Lampanelli, who will appear at the Temple Theater in Tacoma Friday, is that female comedian known for her love of vodka. Wait. What? That's Chelsea Handler, you say? Oh. Our bad. OK, then, Lisa Lampanelli is that comedian not quite as popular as Handler known for an insult-heavy style and moderate success on the roast circuit. With a few cable comedy specials under her belt, a role in Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector, and even a memoir - 2009's Chocolate, Please: My Adventures in Food, Fat, and Freaks - to her name, Lampanelli is riding high and headed to town looking for laughs. With Joan Rivers and Margaret Cho scheduled at the Broadway Center in the next few weeks, the time has never been better for comedy in Tacoma.

• Temple Theatre, 7 p.m., $39.50, 47 Saint Helens Ave., Tacoma, 253.272.2042

>>> THROUGH OCT. 22: THE ZOO STORY

Right now thousands of protestors "occupy" Zuccotti Park, across the street from Four World Trade Center in lower Manhattan, to protesting the economic polarization of America. Some see this event as a disorganized mob squatting in the name of class envy. Others view it as the vanguard of American progressivism, a necessarily chaotic response to an economic hydra. Either way, it's pretty obvious to most of us that the middle class lost adequate governmental representation, and some of us have had enough. While I can't claim any great insight into this debate, what I can say is it's just one visible expression of an old conversation. As proof, Toy Boat Theatre offers The Zoo Story, Edward Albee's 1958 two-hander in one act. Director Brie Yost wisely sets the play in the mid-‘60s and allows us to observe the parallels for ourselves. To read Christian Carvajal's full review click here.

• Toy Boat Theatre, The Zoo Story, through Oct. 22, $20, 7 p.m. dinner, 8 p.m. performance, 9 p.m. live music Thurs.-Sat., 1314 Martin Luther King Way, Tacoma, 253.879.3330

>>> SATURDAY, OCT. 22: PERRY ACKER CD RELEASE

As we've mentioned before, Perry Acker is named like a single dude, but it's actually a band ... a band that's on the rise. Not only did Perry Acker win a Ford earlier this year(as part of the national battle of the bands - the Ford-sponsored "Gimme The Gig" national battle of the bands contest, but the band has been gaining steam locally through a string of memorable live performances and a lot of hard work. Saturday, Perry Acker will throw a CD release show at the Rialto Theatre for te band's latest record, Path To Freedom. This should be a good one. 

• Rialto Theatre, 7 p.m., $12-$40, 1900 901 Broadway, Tacoma, 253.591.2013

>>> SATURDAY, OCT. 22: AIDS HOUSING ASSOCATION OF TACOMA HALLOWEEN BALL & AUCTION 

As far as worthy causes go, it doesn't get much worthy than this. Saturday, the AIDS Housing Association of Tacoma will present its fourth annual Halloween Ball & Auction, running from 6-11 p.m. at the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center and this year packing a theme of, "The Silver Screen." Naturally, money raised will go toward the AIDS Housing Association of Tacoma. You can register online here. If you're still on the fence, here's a look at the AIDS Housing Association's purpose statement: "To provide services which ensure that persons ill with AIDS, and in need of supportive living, are provided enriched housing – including the opportunity to stabilize their condition, to achieve the medical adherence necessary to prolong life, or to receive support for end-of-life issues in an atmosphere that emphasizes individual dignity, respect for diversity and human connectedness."

• Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center, 6-11 p.m., $50 registration required, 1500 Broadway, Tacoma

>>> WHERE OUR STAFF IS GOING

ALEC CLAYTON Visual Arts Critic
Got more stuff on my calendar than I can handle and don' know which I'll cut out. TAO's Hound of the Baskervilles Friday night, an old friend from Florida visiting for the weekend, and maybe hand out a bit at Occupy Olympia in Heritage Park.

BRETT CIHON Features Writer/Meat Market Correspondent
I plan to avoid the rain by staying inside and constantly checking my Twitter. Isn't that what everybody else is doing?

NIKKI TALOTTA Features Writer
This weekend I'm slinging drinks, making black bean chili, and checking out the Old Firehouse Haunted House and "Thriller" dance performance put on by Capital Playhouse. It's on the corner of State and Capital in downtown Oly, if anyone else wants to go.

CHRISTIAN CARVAJAL: Theater Critic
I'm seeing TAO's first show of the new season, a comedy based on The Hound of the Baskervilles. Also, I think I'm a Unitarian now, so I'll be at church Sunday morning. I know; even God was surprised.

JOANN VARNELL: Theater Critic
This weekend will hopefully find the Varnell clan at the Pumpkin Patch where we will hopefully not lose our son in the corn maze. On Sunday, I'll be playing music with my band at church. Sometime, amidst all of that, I might make a sushi print skirt.

JENNIFER JOHNSON: Food & Lifestyles Writer
Friday temple trip, Saturday Tacoma Holiday and Food Show followed by 1022 winter menu roll-out, Sunday church

STEVE DUNKELBERGER Meat Market Photographer
Well, I will be spending money I don't have at the St. Mary's School auction on Friday, then doing out-and-about single guy stuff on Saturday and serving communion on Sunday followed by "Girls with Guns" movie night on Monday with the Tacoma Cult Movie Club.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound