1. In 2011 students involved with Pacific Lutheran University's MediaLab - described online as a multimedia agency and applied internship and research program based in the School of Arts + Communication" - debuted the film Overexposed: The Cost of Compassion to rave reviews in Seattle. According to hype, the film "explores the complexities of ‘compassion fatigue,' a condition that affects many care givers and those repeatedly exposed to tragedy and trauma." Today filmmakers will host a free screening of the film for South Sound audiences, including a panel discussion of expects in nursing, family therapy and social work. The screening is part of an ongoing "Focus Series" presented by the PLU School of Arts and Communication.
2. It may be Wednesday, but that hasn't stopped Le Voyeur in Olympia from booking one hell of a show. Romanteek, Sabrina Chap and Andro Arrows will take to Le Voyeur's tiny stage tonight, starting at 10 p.m.
3. Holy crap! Hump Day already? That must mean it's time again for Masa College Night. Expect flesh. Your Girlfriend's Favorite DJ spins. No seriously - we're pretty sure that's the dude's name.
4. At Charlie's Sports Bar and Grill in Olympia join the band Blues Attitude for a no cover charge blues jam. The music starts at 9 p.m.
5. Play bingo with those not just killing time before the Grim Reaper calls their number. Every Wednesday at The New Frontier Lounge, players are treated to a rather boisterous evening of number-calling. The music rocks, the prizes are craptastic and there's something very satisfying about yelling "It's not a tumor!" when B-9 is pulled from the hopper (Schwarzenegger anyone?). Every Wednesday night is also Taco Night with $1 beef, $1 black bean and $2 chicken in soft or crunchy shells.
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We knew indie hotspot The Grand Cinema wouldn't leave Tacoma without an Academy Awards shindig of its own. In recent years, staff has opted for the nearby Theatre on the Square's more intimate space to hold its annual event, and this year's Grand Oscar part is no different. The Grand has plenty to entice guests, including a $100 award for the most creative costume, a raffle, silent auction and host Mitch Robinson, president of The Grand Cinema board.
All costume contest participants need to meet in the Theatre on the Square lobby at 5:10 p.m. to be separated into two groups. Three rounds of audience voting will choose the best movie themed costume.
But best of all, the "Golden Ticket" (a year's supply of free movies at The Grand) awaits the person who correctly guesses the most Oscar winners.
[Theatre on the Square, Grand Cinema's Academy Awards Party, Sunday, Feb. 26, doors at 4 p.m., red carpet coverage begins at 5 p.m., $20 for Grand Cinema members, $25 for non-members, dinner and dessert included in ticket price, 915 Broadway, Tacoma 253.572.6062, grandcinema.com]
By day, Ronda Hamlin beautifies faces by means of cosmetics. With powder brush in hand, a smile on her face and with experience in mind, Hamlin brings home a steady paycheck from one of the nation's largest and best retail entities.
By night, Hamlin makes wonderful, amazing, yet-to-be-world-famous biscotti. No known as The Art of Crunch Biscotti, Hamlin's is a biscotti that has risen to great heights of local popularity since she introduced it to co-workers in 2000.
So amazing, in fact, is Hamlin's cranberry-white chocolate biscotti that it won a blue ribbon at the Western Washington Fair (Puyallup Fair) in 2002.
"That first Christmas in 2000 I sold about 20 dozen orders of biscotti. Last Christmas I sold over 200 dozen biscotti," Hamlin says with a smile.
If you think about it, Tuesday's annual Tacoma-Pierce County Community Garden "Seed Swap" is a pretty sexy proposition. Gathering at the Tacoma Nature Center, gardeners of all shapes, sizes and persuasions will gather to trade seeds and stories. It probably isn't too far out of the realm of possibilities to expect a few "Easter Egg" radish seeds to be swapped for a handful of "Park's Razzelberry" pink tomato seeds.
What else might be exchanged?
Phone numbers, perhaps?
More?
Who knows ... The Tacoma-Pierce County Community Garden "Seed Swap," which also includes a potluck, kicks off at 6:30 p.m., with all Tacoma and Pierce County residents invited.
[Tacoma Nature Center, 6:30 p.m., free, potluck, 1919 S. Tyler St., Tacoma, for more information, contact Kristen McIvor at 253.363.1846 or kmcivor@forterra.org]
Hot off the news of John Munn's promotion from interim managing artistic director to managing artistic director, Lakewood Playhouse has seen fit to announce its 2012-2013 season.
Sherlock's Last Case by Charles Marowitz
If I recall correctly (and I frequently do), Sherlock's Last Case was the first show I ever saw at Lakewood Playhouse. Don't mistake it for a conventional murder mystery: Last Case is more a parody of Holmes than anything, and is a lot of fun for mystery-lovers and comedy-lovers alike.
Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
I don't think I can say it much better than the press release: "Comedy, love, mistaken identities and mustaches ... who could ask for anything more?" One of more than a few mistaken-gender-identity Shakespeare shows. I shouldn't have to sell this. It's Shakespearian comedy, like it or not.
Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
I managed to miss this show when Lakewood put it on for the 2010 holiday season, but I presume it was well-received and successful, or they wouldn't be returning to it so soon. If nothing else, it'll be nice to have a local theatre doing a Christmas show that is not some version of A Christmas Carol.
The Children's Hour by Lillian Hellman
Once you're all comedied out, it'll be time for this still-relevant 1930s tale on the unpleasant consequences of false accusations and blind prejudice.
The Woman In Black by Stephen Malatratt
Having produced The Mousetrap recently, Lakewood has decided it's time to tackle London's next-in-line for longest running production with this English ghost story. Those who didn't catch it at Tacoma Little Theatre a couple years ago may also be familiar with the recent film starring Daniel Radcliffe.
The Rainmaker by N. Richard Nash
Nash's Rainmaker is the first show I clearly remember seeing new Lakewood boss John Munn act in, back at Tacoma Little Theatre. Apparently I've been on the Tacoma theater scene for a while, since all the shows I saw back when I first started seem to be coming around again. The Rainmaker is a funnily dramatic story of hard-luck farmers and a smooth con artist.
The Importance Of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
Wit, wit, wit and more wit. No, it's not another Aaron Sorkin play, it's Oscar Wilde's best-known farce, wherein most everyone seems to be called Ernest at some point, whether they really are or not, and a fitting close to a mostly comedic season.
Brotherhood of the Black Squirrel's second record, The Dust Bowl Ghosts, released last April, is described as "a trip through the dreams and nightmares of a down-on-his-luck circus comedian with a bum leg and child support payments." If that doesn't sound like a musical good time, I don't know what does. But Friday at The New Frontier Lounge it's likely to get even more real, with word on the street suggesting the five members that makes up this rodent-like brotherhood - guitarist and vocalist Patrick Baldwin, drummer Eric Thompson, bassist Jimmy Hughs, guitarist Stanford Mead and Wurlitzer wizard Andrew Childs - have been holed up recording a follow up to Dust Bowl Ghosts and are ready to unleash the rock this weekend.
Epic-ness seems certain to ensue.
Brotherhood of the Black Squirrel will be joined on the bill Friday by singer-songwriter and great-beard-grower James Coates and Ghostwriter.
[The New Frontier Lounge, with James Coates, Ghostwriter, 9 p.m., cover TBA, 301 E. 25th St., Tacoma, 253.572.4020]
As a fresh-faced co-ed, sometimes you just need action. You can't blame it on puberty now, but why should you? You're a free adult.
That cute brunette from Environmental Studies is standing outside RiekeScience Center. You say, "Hello." You are a language and literature major, and she asks if Dostoevsky is a brand of vodka. But she's close. Right?
Hooking up doesn't require common interests or even the same IQ range. It does require you to be responsible. Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest wants you wake up the next morning smelling like flowers, not stinking of treachery. The organization has built a new website www.WhereDidYouWearIt.com, dedicated to promoting safe sex and normalizing condom use.
Last week as part of National Condom Week, PPGNW distributed 55,000 condoms to Northwest community colleges and universities, including Green River Community College, Pacific Lutheran University, Pierce College - Puyallup, Tacoma Community College, The Evergreen State College and the University of Washington - Tacoma campus. The condoms include a QR code that directed users to its website that - similar to other geo-location services like Foursquare or Facebook Places - allow someone to "check-in" their safe sex activity.
You should "check-in" with www.wheredidyouwearit.com after you hook up with Miss Green, but don't be surprised if you are not the Mayor.
1. It's OlyBlues Dance Night at the Eagles Hall in Olympia. The fun is all-ages, starts at 9 p.m., goes down on the third floor and cost $5. And loners needn't worry - there's no partner necessary.
2. Celebrate Word 3rd Thursday tonight at Hell's Kitchen (produced, in part, by Volcano hip-hop scribe Josh Rizeberg). Hosted by Mr. Von and Rizeberg, tonight's event is an album release show for Fatal Lucciauno of SportnLife Records. The bill also includes Shao Sosa, Greg Double, Todd Sykes, Handle-Bar Raw and DJ Iceman.
3. The Tahoma Tea and Co. used to be The Den. It's still awesome. Tonight, leading into a weekend of "grand opening" shows, Tahoma Tea and Co. hosts an all-ages open mic from 8 - 10 p.m.
The Weekly Volcano never sleeps. It's true ... or very close to true. We average only a few hours of shut-eye a night, be it because we're busy putting together a jaw-dropping "Music Issue" (like this week), or simply because we're strung out on Xbox.
What's new and exciting this week? As always, another shining installment of the Weekly Volcano music section.
It's true. You better believe we managed to pump out another stellar Weekly Volcano music section, just like we do every Thursday.
The Weekly Volcano music section is your weekly chance at the best in South Sound music coverage. This week we dish on Olympia's Afrok and Christian Mistress, Tacoma's Makeup Monsters, Chris Crayzie and CityHall, plus more.
Here's a look at the sonic goodness coming at you in print and online in this week's Volcano ...
My first encounter with local Olympia rapper Afrok was in 1999 while he was DJ-ing under the name Spoons. Afrok's weekly hip-hop night at Le Voyeur was catching a buzz around town because it was the only all ages hip-hop night in Olympia at the time. DJ Andrew James and Afrok would play underground hip-hop all night and would even turn mics on occasionally for local rappers to cipher or test their battle skills on each other. It was one of the best things Olympia's hip-hop scene had going at the time, so much that it even attracted DJ Take One, who was Olympia's biggest hip-hop star back at the turn of the century.
"Take One was a massive influence on me and helped me become the artist I am today," says Afrok, recalling how he and James, formally The Capital City Squad, were taken under Take One's wing.
In 2000 Afrok decided he wanted to do something different with hip-hop.
"I felt like I had things I wanted to say that people might enjoy hearing through the voice of an MC," says Afrok. "At that point I decided I was going to pick up a pen and paper, make the name change from Spoons to Afrok, and begin my career as a rapper." ... -- Nic Leonard
After listening to "Haunted Hunted" on Possession, it's clearly a different story than songs from Christina Mistress' debut album, Agony and Opium. The sound quality is pure, heightening every chug and pound, enhancing the mesmerizing vocals, and allowing the listener the full details of Christian Mistress' work.
"The recording quality is drastically better," says guitarist Ryan McClain. "We had more time to practice and get tight this time around."
McClain says it's also a more metal effort, a fact that permeates the feel of the whole album.
"Agony and Opium is a raw hard rock record. Possession is a development from that place into a new horizon for us - it's darker, moodier and has an uneven temperament at times," says guitarist Oscar Sparbel. ... -- Nikki Talotta
It's all about personality when it comes to Chris Crayzie: part MC, part comedian, part father and hustler. Crayzie is from the original 206. Now it's the 253, and when you're on Hilltop you will hear Chris Crayzie's music. It's in the barbershops. It's in cars rolling by. Crayzie is the definition of hood famous. Sure, gone are the days when hip-hop was on every corner and stretch of Hilltop, and there are no more independent music stores, music label offices or studios. But one name is synonymous with Hilltop hip-hop and that is Chris Crayzie. On flashy Internet hip-hop websites other local artists may get the shine, but on these streets Crayzie is in the spotlight. There is a rumor the Tacoma City Council even watched a Chris Crayzie video, probably to try to understand Hilltop better. ... -- Josh Rizeberg
What originally started as a two-piece comprised of Isaac Solverson and Shayne Weeks in their sophomore year of high school at SOTA (the duo previously played together in the band Rahleigh) has since been fleshed out to a trio, with the addition of Jay Clancy.
In the beginning, there was a sort of an even-steven democracy within the group, with songwriting and instrumental duties split between the two members.
"The idea, basically, was that everything was split fifty-fifty," says Solverson. "We'd each play half of the songs and switch on guitar and drums. So, for the first few years of our band, we pretty much had everything divided completely equally, in that way. It was still collaborative, but we would basically write the songs completely separate from each other." ... -- Rev. Adam McKinney
The Midnight Sun has been an exceptional music, art and performance venue in downtown Olympia for the past 21 years. It has always been accessible, affordable and all-ages.
Now, The Midnight Sun is on the verge of closing, and Olympia wants to do something about it.
Thanks to the efforts of Elizabeth Lord, volunteer manager of The Midnight Sun and a member of the Sun's resident theater company, Prodigal Sun Productions, word has hit the street that one of Olympia's most valued venues needs help.
James Madea, booker at The Brotherhood Lounge, has gathered the help of seven local bands that will play the first of a series of benefit shows under the heading "Save the Sun."
The lineup includes The Hungry Heart, Happy Noose, Hey Girl, Morgan and the Organ Donors, Mongo, November Witch and C-Average. The cover charge is sliding scale, with a suggested minimum of $5. One hundred percent of proceeds will benefit The Midnight Sun.
"Without the Midnight Sun, we would have become fans, not actual musicians," says Timothy Grisham of Happy Noose. ... -- NT
In the years since teaming up, Sykes and EvergreenOne have added DJ Hanibal to the lineup and have started going by the name CityHall. In this time, the amount of output created by these three has been remarkably substantial, with Sykes and EvergreenOne producing songs as a duo as well as solo outings. Sykes - taking the next step from production and beat-making duties - has begun producing beats solo, live at shows. And EvergreenOne is readying his solo album, which will officially be celebrated Saturday at the Space with a record-release show.
"His album's called Mines Really Tho, and I really don't know what that means," says Sykes with a laugh. "But I think that's kind of the point." ... -- Rev AM
Brotherhood of the Black Squirrel's second record, The Dust Bowl Ghosts, released last April, is described as "a trip through the dreams and nightmares of a down-on-his-luck circus comedian with a bum leg and child support payments." If that doesn't sound like a musical good time, I don't know what does. But Friday at The New Frontier Lounge it's likely to get even more real, with word on the street suggesting the five members that makes up this rodent-like brotherhood -- guitarist and vocalist Patrick Baldwin, drummer Eric Thompson, bassist Jimmy Hughs, guitarist Stanford Mead and Wurlitzer wizard Andrew Childs -- have been holed up recording a follow up to Dust Bowl Ghosts and are is ready to unleash the rock this weekend. ... -- Matt Driscoll
Vancouver B.C.'s Versus The Nothing comes to town from the Great White North, intent on proving not everything from Canada is uber-lame. OK, OK ... so the band never claimed to be fighting for Canada's good name, but they are Canucks, and they do come to town this week looking to throttle hard rock fans with a blistering repertoire of power chords and wife-beater style undershirts. They're calling it "The Grind Stone Tour." ... -- Weekly Volcano
OMG YOU GUYS. Coolio's in town! Everyone's favorite Insane Clown Posse-affiliated performer (excluding Vanilla Ice and Gallagher) is coming to town, and he is just as Coolio as you remembered. How Coolio is he? CHECK LIST: Weird, Dr. Seuss stick-hair; being still kind of mad at "Weird Al" Yankovic; coming in second on the deplorable Food Network program, Rachel vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off; probably still collecting residuals from the theme song of Kenan and Kel; spending several days in the desert with Juggalos on purpose-motherf***ing checkity check check! He's pretty goddamn Coolio. ... -- Rev. AM
Holy crap! The South Sound has suddenly become the epicenter for slightly-past-their-prime touring hip-hop artists. Not only will Coolio turn Hell's Kitchen into a "Gangsta's Paradise" this week, but mid-‘90s favorites Bone Thugs-N-Harmony will also be in town, sing-songing their way through a collection of hits designed to take you back to a time when this group was one of the biggest in the land. Surely you haven't forgotten gems like "Tha Crossroads" and "1st of tha Month." ... -- MD
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