TUESDAY, JAN. 24. 2012 >>>

1. The Tuesday Film Series at The Grand Cinema continues today with Revenge of the Electric Car. Director Chris Paine's film investigates the intentional destruction of thousands of electric cars in 2006 by the same company that made them, and how the electric car has returned "with a vengeance" since. Show times are 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

2. Anything Anastasia will rock The Red Room in Tacoma tonight. Sharing a bill with My Iron Lung and Myself Aside, the show is all ages and kicks off at 7 p.m.

3. Speaking of all-ages music, the Kareem Kandi Band will play Uncle Thurm's Finger Licking Ribs & Chicken tonight at 8 p.m. Even better - there's no cover.

4. There are abundant trivia choices throughout Tacoma today. Test your brain at any of the following water holes tonight: The Mix, The Hub, Farrelli's or The Swiss. And for a full look at bar trivia nights throughout the South Sound, check out our calendar of events.

5. Down south, it's open mic night at Tugboat Annie's in Olympia, and at O'Blarney's Tuesday means a chance to get in on an "Irish Sessions" - which means live traditional Irish music starting at 7:30 pm.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music and DJs tonight

SPECIAL TEAMS >>>

It's time to start planning the biggest event of the year, your Super Bowl party. I don't get as riled up about the game as I used to - I think it's because players now change teams as often as they change their jockstraps - but I do still love a good party.

So does Pat Nagle of the Harmon restaurants group. The owner of the Harmon Tap Room will add a takeout option to the Stadium District brew pub, allowing folks to load up on food and Harmon brews for Super Bowl parties - and any other party for that matter.

"If you are in the market for a keg for a party, reception, whatever - The Tap Room is the place to go," says Nagle.

The Tap Room's complete menu will be available for takeout. Beginning Super Bowl weekend, Nagle will erect "Tap Room Takeout Parking Only" signs allowing for fast, convenient five-minute parking for takeout customers.

Nagle says he will offer special pricing when food is paired with a Harmon brew, such as pizza and a growler; Cuban, fries and a bottle of beer; Brewer's chicken salad and a growler; Party platter with 10 pizzas and a pony keg.

Nagle also says the Tap Room's back space will be slightly remodeled to host more live music.

[Harmon Tap Room, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday, 204 St. Helens, Tacoma, 253.212.2725]

OLYMPIA FILMMAKER WRAPS SHOOTING OF DEBUT FEATURE >>>

I found Jeff Stillwell where I suppose everyone at some point last week found themselves: in the snow. I caught Stillwell on Friday in his car, leaving home in Olympia to brave the treacherous expressways and make a party in Seattle that night.

Wait, a party? With weather like this, you couldn't beg me to drive to the end of the block. But this event held some significance for the 19-year-old Stillwell. Shooting on his debut feature, Henryk, finished earlier this month, and cast and crew decided to fight the ice by blowing off some steam.

The last footage made it into the proverbial can on Friday the 13th, with bad luck nipping at Henryk's heels. "It started snowing the day after we wrapped," Stillwell recalls. "It was really poetic."

But the filmmaker managed to capture the final piece of his script just in time - a chase between the hero, Julian, and a very un-neighborly satanic cult. As the director called "Cut!" after the last take, Ian Lindsay, who plays the detective lead, commemorated the moment by doing circles in his prop car and honking wildly. That's a cop for you - never far from a few donuts.

"It was quite a scene," says Stillwell, laughing.

The fun rolls on as Stillwell searches for an editor to help assemble Henryk. Despite all the new moviemaking experience under his belt, Stillwell still sees himself "first and foremost" as a musician. So he can't wait to begin crafting part of the film's score with a collaborator.

Stillwell has tentatively slated a final cut of Henryk for Summer 2012. Follow his progress on Facebook and at Henryk's website.

PUNK MEETS BLUEGRASS MEETS YOU? >>>

If you hurry, you can get free tickets to see the Old Man Markley show tomorrow night at the Backstage Bar and Grill in Tacoma. According to the band's website: "OMM cut its teeth playing countless jams of bluegrass standards and covers of distinctively un-bluegrass songs done bluegrass style. Soon, out of the chaos grew original material that combined everything the band loved about all the different styles of music the members grew up laying and writing."

Exciting.

Also on tomorrow's bill are The Fun Police, The Shivering Denizens and Ando Ehlers Chaos Death Polka.

All you have to do to win tickets is leave us a message on our Twitter page with your name and email address. We will randomly draw a name for a pair of tickets at 5 p.m. tonight. The winner will be notified by tomorrow noon; tickets will be held at will call.

The Staircase Café is open in Tacoma

A couple of week's ago Sue Kidd of the Trib's TNT Diner announced Gig Harbor resident Sal'An Weyer bought The Old House in Proctor, and would soon re-open it as The Staircase Café.

The Staircase is now open ... for lunch. Dinner service will begin next week.

Today's lunch specials are roast beef with mashed potatoes, Yorkshire pudding and glazed carrots, shrimp salad, spinach quiche and more.

[The Staircase Cafe, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. lunch, 2717 N. Proctor St., Tacoma, 253.759.7336]

BECAUSE THIRD THURSDAY ARTSLIP WAS A DISASTER >>>

Last Thursday you stayed home - pounding Jack Daniel's while burning your furniture to stay warm. The snow and ice destroyed Tacoma's Third Thursday Artwalk, including the Dawn of 2012 opening reception at Fulcrum Gallery.

Fulcrum owner Oliver Doriss wants to try again Thursday, if the sun hasn't killed us.

According to Doriss, "This Thursday 6 pm The Brick House and Fulcrum Gallery team up to bring you a storm of a different kind. Both galleries are hosting group shows of talented artists from strikingly different points along their career path. A self-portrait show at the Brick House offers a selection of established artists, while Fulcrum explores emerging talent with Dawn of 2012. Don't miss this opportunity to experience artwork in these two uniquely Tacoman galleries, on their terms. ;)"

[The Brick House, Self-Portraits (through Feb. 29), Thursday, Jan. 26, 6 p.m., no cover, 1123 S. Fawcett St., Tacoma, 253.2230.4880]

[Fulcrum Gallery, Dawn of 2012 - Emerging Artists of 2012 (through March 10), Thursday, Jan. 26, 6 p.m., no cover, 1308 MLK Way, Tacoma, 253.250.0520]

It's a busy week for O'Laughlin Trade Shows - the juggernaut behind this week's Tacoma Home & Garden Show at the Tacoma Dome, AND the 25th annual Washington Sportsmen's Show and Sport Fishing Boat Show at the Puyallup Fairgrounds. Wednesday through Sunday, the Washington Sportsmen's Show will offer the best in dudes wearing flannel and exaggerated fishing stories. But, best of all, check out what's billed as the "one-of-a-kind" indoor "Steelhead River."

It's hard to go wrong with an indoor river.

According to hype, other attractions include over 150 hours of how-to seminars, camp cooking demos and a free trout pond for the kids.

Wait!?! Two indoor bodies of water?

Just pinch us now.

[Puyallup Fair & Events Center, noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, $12 adults, $5 for ages 6-16, free for 5 and younger, 110 Ninth Ave. SW, Puyallup, thesportshows.com/wss]

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Olympia Downtown Association's 2012 Person of the Year: Ruthie Snyder, a City of Olympia code enforcement officer whose focus has been on downtown the past three years. (News Tribune)

End Of The World Still Trending: Wind and power outages. (News Tribune)

Earthquake: A 3.4 rumbled close to Mount St. Helens. (News Tribune)

Tacoma City Council: It's down with the new police union contract. (News Tribune)

Foss Waterway Site 4: Shorelines Hearings Board's found KS Tacoma Holdings LLC did not have standing to appeal a permit revision. (Leagle)

State Of The Union: Obama challenges Congress on sticky issues. (CNN)

Somalia: Western hostages freed in US military raid. (BBC)

Fake Boy Band 2gether: Getting Back Together. (Time)

New Music: Fiona Apple will release sometime this year. (Time)

Mad Love: When You Care To Send The Very Give someone a Jon Hamm telegram for Valentine's Day. (Gothamist)

Parting Shot: Bed pillow lets Batman hug you with his fists. (Comics Alliance)

Creepy Thing Of The Day

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 25, 2012 >>>

1. So you like your theater but have trouble with your attention span? Boy, do we have just the theater festival for you! The Pacific Lutheran University chapter of Alpha Psi Omega - described as a national theater honor society (even though it sounds like that frat your cousin with the Ed Hardy wardrobe joined) - presents its annual One Act Theater Festival, today through Jan. 28, at PLU's Eastvold Theater. This year's One-Act Festival bears the title "Loss ... and Found," and spotlights three one-act plays - two of them written by PLU students. According to promotion, expect Recklessness by Eugene O'Neill and directed by Frank Roberts, Otter Pops by Alex Eddy and directed by Corissa DeVerse, and Poor Little Doggy by Myia Johnson and directed by T.R. Robinson.

2. Admittedly, we have a hard time hearing the word "clarinet" and not thinking about junior high band class. And those aren't exactly the type of memories that make us want to head to the concert hall on a Wednesday night. But 19-year-old Narek Arutyunian, coming to Olympia's Washington Center for the Performing Arts tonight, is worth the gamble. One element of what the Washington Center website touts as, "its 16th consecutive year of presenting three of the world's finest young concert musicians in association with Young Concert Artists, Inc," Arutynunian has been widely celebrated for things like his "virtuosity," "warmth" and "charisma." Seeing as we've never had the word "virtuosity" associated with anything we've done in life, it's hard to argue with Arutyunian's street cred ... even if he does play the clarinet. Then there's the fact that, according to the Young Concert Artist Inc. website, Arutyunian has already done things like take home First Prize in the 2010 Young Concert Artists International Auditions and receive the Leona Green Memorial Award. Dude's legit.

3. Today marks the kick-off of the always-spectacular Tacoma Home & Garden Show - now in its 29^th year. The Home & Garden Show runs through the weekend in the Tacoma Dome, but beat the crowds and get your fill of vinyl siding demonstrations today!

4. Holy cow! Not only does the Tacoma Home & Garden Show start today, so does the Washington Sportsmen's Show & Sport Fishing Boat Show - running the entire weekend at the Puyallup Fair and Events Center. Find more info here.

5. Musically in T-Town, guitar player extraordinaire Johnny A will plug in at Jazzbones for an all-ages show starting at 7:30 p.m. Word on the street is local guitar hero Jerry Miller will join him on stage.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music and DJs tonight

PERSON, PLACE OR THINGS WITH STEPH DEROSA >>>

Thing: Russian Piroshky
Located in: Milton
Or: Seattle
You chose: Whichever location is closer
They're both: Delicious
If you buy more than: One
I don't: Blame you
Plural form of piroshki: Still called piroshky
Don't add: An ‘S'
Trust me: I looked it up

Craig Adamowski of 99 Bottles - dude has a digestive repertoire built on three things: chicken teriyaki, cookies and beer.

So what the hell does Adamowski know about Russian meat-stuffed pastries known as piroshky? Nothing, I would presume. Nothing at all.

But a couple years ago this beer-store-owning libations buff recommended I try out a piroshky at a local restaurant in Milton. Again, I had a hard time believing Mr. Adamowski due to his history with menu limitations, plus the fact Milton houses nothing but tanning franchises, grocery stores and a historically rad place known as Dave's.

But I'll be damned if Adamowski didn't call it right.

To find out what the hell I'm talking about, click here.