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. We're  always on the lookout for ways to shine a light on all the awesome creativity we see around us.

This week's Volcano arts section includes a feature on efforts in Olympia to save The Midnight Sun, Children's Musical Theater performance of Willy Wonka at Tacoma Musical Playhouse, plus more.

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

THEATER: A BUCKET OF BLOOD

Ads for Theater Artists Olympia's A Bucket of Blood pose the question, "Who is Walter Paisley?" It's unlikely you've ever seen Roger Corman's 1959 B-movie original, so I'll fill you in. Walter Paisley is a miserable busboy in a late-‘50s Beat club called the Yellow Door. He's not the sharpest crayon in the box, frankly, but he wants to be an artist all the same. He idolizes Ginsberg wannabe Maxwell Brock (Ryan Holmberg) and moons after a local art enthusiast, Carla. When it becomes painfully obvious that his talents will never bloom without divine (diabolical?) intervention, he turns to the macabre as a shortcut to fame and hipster glory. "Inside every artist," the poster warns, "lurks A MADMAN!" We note with irony the A in T-A-O.

Corman's minor drive-in classic was shot for $50,000 in less than a week; a few weeks later, the same team shot the original Little Shop of Horrors on the very same sets. TAO's production is a word-for-word performance of the original, which fell into public domain a few years ago. Like the original, its ending feels truncated - but hey, we see it marching up Seventh Avenue anyway, so who cares? - Christian Carvajal

THEATER: WILLY WONKA

Tacoma Children's Musical Theater at Tacoma Musical Playhouse has the golden ticket for a musical for all ages. The stage version of Willy Wonka hits town, formatted for children. At an hour and a half (including intermission), it's the perfect length for young children. The play is recommended for ages four and up.

Based on the book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl this adaptation also includes songs from the classic film with Gene Wilder, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. 

Willy Wonka follows Wonka as he is searching for someone to take over the factory and allow him to retire. The play also follows Charlie Bucket as he dreams of a chance to tour Wonka's factory and see for himself if the secret workers are, in fact, "undead zombie workers."

The majority of the cast has appeared on the TMP stage before. The most notable is Kellen O'Brien, who made his main stage debut as John Darling in Peter Pan. O'Brien plays Charlie Bucket and is easily one of the best performers on the stage. ...-- Joann Varnell

LOCAL FILLMMAKING: TJ WALKER'S PHOENIX RUN

As a lifelong devourer of comics and graphic novels, for a long time TJ Walker has wanted to make his own chronicle of the undead. But the jump from page to screen came when Walker's writing partner, Will Strode, transformed his idea into a potential screenplay. Strode's words, shall we say, infected Walker's brain with filmmaking visions. The web series Phoenix Run was born.

"I was blown away," recalls Walker. "Once I started reading the script I just pictured scene after scene." ... -- Christopher Wood

WE RECOMMEND: 253 COLLECTIVE GROUP SHOW

The 253 Collective, founded by Tacoma's own Linda Danforth, has been going strong for two-plus years. Friday, with help from Tower Bar & Grill, the 253 Collective celebrates the opening of its latest group show, which according to hype (and not surprisingly) "aims to highlight and celebrate local artists and businesses, and will feature a variety of art pieces from members of the collective from February to March." Landscape painter, and 253 Collective member, John Wise will be in the house busting out a live painting demonstration. Best of all, a percentage of proceeds from artwork sales during the reception will go to charities chosen by artists in the collective. ... -- Weekly Volcano

WE RECOMMEND: BARBER, CHOPIN & MENDELSSOHN

It's a big weekend for the finer shades of music in Tacoma, and part of that has to do with Sunday's performance by the Tacoma Symphony Orchestra, which, under the direction of longtime (and soon to step down) Music Director Harvey Felder, will take on a selection of orchestral works including Michael Torke's Ash, Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 2, Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings and Felix Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 4 in A Major. TSO will be joined by pianist Regina Yeh, only adding to the expertise on stage. -- WV

FEATURE: SAVE THE MIDNIGHT SUN

While bands still continually play at The Midnight Sun (The Maxines just had a release party), a steady theater influence shifted the venue in 2003, when Prodigal Sun took over and began producing theater performances three times a year.

Lord has also produced several other performances at The Midnight Sun, such as Lord Franzannian's Spectacular Vaudeville shows and her much-praised one-woman storytelling acts.

Despite the success of The Midnight Sun, troubled waters have recently hit.

The recent resignation of Prodigal Sun's president and technical director, Tom Sanders, has been a stressor on the company.

"Without a knowledgeable technical director, who is willing to work with no pay, the current board decided they could not afford to produce plays this season until we find a replacement," explains Lord.

During dead times, the space can be rented by indie bands or other organizations for $175 per night. Most recently, the displaced Olympia All-Ages Project, Northern, has been hosting shows at a discounted rate.

But the supplemental rentals have not been enough, and the message has become clear: no revenue from plays, no money for bills.

And the main bill? Rent.

"Our current landlord of at least five years has created a policy to increase our rent bi-annually," says Lord. "We are hoping to enter negotiations to lower our rent ... good luck, right?" ... -- Nikki Talotta

PLUS: Complete Arts & Entertainment Calendar for the South Sound

PLUS: More Local Theater Coverage

PLUS: Even More Things To Do

PLUS: Insanity Like This

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Today's Weather: Not a good day to paint an outdoor mural or erect that birdhouse that fell last month. (Seattle Times)

Occupy Tacoma: The Department of Transportation told them to leave by Sunday afternoon. (News Tribune)

Not Acting The Rightoway: Former Bremerton Police Detective Roy Alloway was sentenced to two years in federal prison for doing bad stuff. (News Tribune)

Gas Prices: Gas prices shot up 12 cents this week, mostly due to those wacky Iranians. (CNN)

GOP Contenders Bitch-slapping:  Romney rips Santorum debate remark, while Gingrich slams Obama apology. (CNN)

Afghanistan: At least eight people are killed as protests continue for a fourth day over the burning of Korans at a US air base. (BBC)

Academy Awards: Seven things that will be different this year. (Time)

So Much For Farewell Tours: Cher to hit the road again. (Billboard)

Smell Like Bruce Lee: Shannon Lee, daughter of martial-arts legend Bruce Lee, will sell a cologne modeled after her dad. (Time)

Epic Dessert: Giant peanut butter cup cake. (The Awesomer)

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FRIDAY, FEB. 24, 2012 >>>

1. It's a huge night for music in the South Sound. In Olympia, Free Whiskey will unleash on the Capitol Theater. In Tacoma catch Brotherhood of the Black Squirrel at the New Frontier. For a full rundown of what's happening musically in the South Sound, find the Volcano's comprehensive live local music listings here.

2. If it's comedy you're looking for, the Comedy Underground at Tacoma's Big Whisky Saloon presents comedians Tommy Savitt and Jeremy Greenberg. At the Grit City Comedy Club comedian Owen Straw will get the crowd laughing, while at the Tacoma Comedy Club Mike MacRae continues his weekend stand in T-Town.

3. It's another "Get Lucky Friday" at O'Henry's Sports Bar in Puyallup. You've really never "gotten lucky" until you've gotten luck at O'Henry's in P-Town.

4. One of Tacoma's favorite performers, Kim Archer, will do her thing tonight at the Tempest Lounge on Hilltop. The good times are all ages and start at 7:30 p.m.

5.If you enjoy art, and enjoy kids, check out the youth art show today at King's Books in Tacoma. You can find details here.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music and DJs tonight

LINK: The Weekend Hustle

LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

Backstage Bar & Grill Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. High Noon Horizon, From The Sea, Cadillac Radio, Halcion Halo. 8 pm. $5.

Capitol Theater Olympia - Downtown. Backstage Show, featuring Free Whiskey, Billy The Fridge, A.K.A., Night Fox, Lord Nock. All Ages. 8:30 pm. $5.

• 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)."  In October Free Whiskey released a much anticipated EP, What Am I Going To Tell My Mom?, which raised as many questions as it answered. Tonight Free Whiskey returns to the stage with the group's first-ever all-ages headlining performance at the Capitol Theater. The always entertaining Billy The Fridge and Night Fox are also on the bill. 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. - Weekly Volcano

Hell's Kitchen Tacoma - Downtown. Half Of Infinity, Godfed Static, Blasting Love Caps, Blood Hot Beat, Metaphoria. 9:30 pm.

Jazzbones Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Cody Beebe & The Crooks, Aces Up. 7:30 pm. $10.

Louie G's Pizzeria Fife. The Crying Spell, Klover Jane. All Ages. 8 pm.

Mandolin Cafe Tacoma - Central. Automatic Theory. All Ages. 8 pm.

Maxwell's Restaurant and Lounge Tacoma - Downtown. Lance Buller Trio. 7 pm.

The New Frontier Lounge Tacoma - Dome District. Brotherhood Of The Black Squirrel, James Coates. 9 pm.

• 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 tonight 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. Epic-ness seems certain to ensue. Brotherhood of the Black Squirrel will be joined on the bill by singer-songwriter and great-beard-grower James Coates and Ghostwriter. - Matt Driscoll

The Red Room Tacoma - Downtown. The Mural Project, Jon Heartbreaker. All Ages. 7 pm. $5.

Red Wind Casino Yelm. The Randy Linder Band. 8:30 pm. NC.

Spar Cafe Olympia. Strangled Darlings. 8 pm. NC.

Stonegate Pizza Tacoma - South. Jerry Miller. 9 pm.

Tempest Lounge Tacoma - Hilltop. Kim Archer. All Ages. 7:30 pm. NC.

Top of Tacoma Bar and Cafe Tacoma - Eastside. Camp 6 Tacoma Social featuring Overboard and The Moron Bros. 8 pm, music at 10:30 pm. NC.

Uncle Sam's American Bar & Grill Spanaway. Versus The Nothing, BND Band. 9 pm.

• 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." Versus The Nothing released its most recent record, The Black Gloves EP, in July 2011, classifying the record as a "tease to our upcoming sophomore album," according to a press release. "We have been living the ups and downs of being a touring rock n roll band," the release continues. "We eat, drink and almost die doing what we love. Our upcoming release is laced with those life experiences on the road." Tonight, that life on the road brings Versus The Nothing to Uncle Sam's in Spanaway. They've finally arrived. - WV

Westbay House Olympia. Arctic Flowers, Milk Music, Hysterics, Crude Thoguht. 8 pm. $5.

LINK: More live music tonight in the South Sound

LINK: EvergreenOne showcases new work tomorrow night

ACCORDING TO WEEKLY VOLCANO EDITOR MATT DRISCOLL >>>

Those who know Weekly Volcano editor Matt Driscoll know he's an honest, intelligent, likeable guy who digs the Denver Broncos, margaritas and Netflix.

Those who also know Driscoll - meaning everyone who reads the Weekly Volcano - know Driscoll digs music - especially bands from the great South Sound. Driscoll has been covering the local scene since the beginning of the millennium.

Apparently the Seattle Weekly knows Driscoll too - at least of his knowledge of the local music scene. The Seattle alternative newsweekly asked Driscoll for his opinion on Tacoma bands worthy of Seattle's attention. Driscoll came up with six recommendations. The Seattle Weekly expounded on each band, as well as attaching a song clip per band.

What Tacoma bands did Driscoll recommend? Find out on the Seattle Weekly's Reverb blog.

LINK: Editor Matt Driscoll also writes a weekly sports column

SOUND SOUND REPRESENT >>>

Bluegrass people wear Velcro sandals.  The weather this winter has been horrible. Not having a professional basketball team in this state sucks. A woman's handbag is her own private territory.  What do these statements have in common?  Nothing.  So why are you still reading this? (Please say you still are. It gets better, really.)  Because you want to know what's going on. Well, here comes a literary event, one of those things where you're never quite sure what the writer/speaker is going to do or say next. Just like the beginning of this blog post, see?  You didn't know what was going on, and you stuck with it so now you do.

The Poetry Out Loud state championships will be held in Tacoma Saturday, March 10 at the Rialto Theater. The competition has been narrowed 12 Washington high school students who will read their poetry in front of the audience in hopes of advancing to the national finals in Washington, D.C. in May. Admission is free to hear the students read poetry.

Here are the 12 finalists:

• Bonnie Blanchard - West Valley High School, Yakima
• Garrett Lee Gentry - Naches Valley High School, Naches
• Sarah Gibbons - Kamiakin High School, Kennewick
• Sommer Harris - South Whidbey High School, Langley
• Meghan Mulcahy - Olympia High School, Olympia
• Dylan Nehrenberg - Kentridge High School, Kent
• Zoe Peterson - Squalicum High School, Bellingham
• Abigail Ridgeway - Cedar Tree Classical Christian School, Ridgefield
• Vanessa Serrano - Camas High School, Camas
• Grace Shuman- Annie Wright School, Tacoma
• Emma Spencer - Northshore Junior High School, Bothell
• Langston Ward -Mead High School, Spokane

Visit www.poetryoutloud.org for more information on this national program or visit www.arts.wa.gov to learn more about the state competition.

[Rialto Theater, Poetry Out Loud - Washington State Finals, Saturday, March 10, 1 p.m., free, 310 S. Ninth St., Tacoma]

We seldom devote print space to choral music in the Volcano, and I can understand why. It's not a genre that excites the average 20-something. I'm a skeptical agnostic myself, yet I find devotional music beautiful. I enjoyed singing in my college chorale and missed it over the years. My wife, a trained alto who sang with Opera Pacifica, inspired me to audition for their choir director, Claudia Simpson Jones. Much to my surprise, I was accepted and "cast" as a bass. Now I find myself belting Brahms's Requiem along with my wife and about 150 other voices years later. Not to brag, Gentle Reader, but cold-reading Shakespeare comes easy to me. This fancy belting is hard!

Singing choral music isn't like crooning along with Bruno Mars on the radio. It requires a wider range, for one thing, and it helps if you can read musical notation. I can't. The last few months have been a desperate crash course in picking through a splatter of flags and dots, struggling through my "role" while keeping track of the tenors, altos, and sopranos. Then, a few rehearsals ago, we blended our efforts with a full orchestra. It's incredibly difficult, even for the trained opera singers who surround me. It feels as if I'm trying to prepare a gourmet meal between Anne Burrell and Bobby Flay. They're awfully supportive, but I'm sweating all the same.

So how can I persuade young people to come listen to us sing? Choral music is achingly lovely in a way popular music seldom achieves. We admire the harmonies of the Beach Boys or Shins, but ignore an entire body of work devoted to much more complex melodic intertwinings. I don't claim to know more than the basics myself, but even my untrained ear can process Brahms's awe-inspiring fugues. I can hear what he's doing; I just can't imagine where he got the talent needed to accomplish such a thing.

In film soundtrack composition, when a melody references onscreen action directly, we call it "Mickey Mousing." For example, in classic cartoons, if Mickey took a spill, the tympanist played a thump of percussion. Similarly, choral music often "speaks the dialogue" of the poem or verse that inspired it. You can imagine which instrument accompanies the Requiem line, "We shall all be changed ... at the sound, the sound of the trumpet." When the text promises, "Yea, I will comfort you, as one whom his own mother comforteth," the music swoons into a low lullaby. "Here on earth have we no continuing place," admits the verse, and the alto voices pun on that text by "continuing" past all the other voices. "The righteous souls are in the hand of God!" the Requiem vows, with what can only be described as a superhero's fanfare. It's too, too clever, but more than that; it's as glorious as music gets, from any genre.

Generation after generation, people rediscover this stuff, so it plays to packed houses after centuries. We'll fill the main auditorium at South Puget Sound Community College. You should give it a shot. For a requiem, it's awfully lighthearted. There's a baritone soloist in our ensemble who has a voice like warm honey, and he's only an undergrad, still in the first bloom of his abilities. The choir is made up of folks from Opera Pacifica, SPSCC, and St. Martin's University, along with overreaching posers like me. The Olympia Chamber Orchestra joins us. Chances are, you'll know one someone on stage - but even if you don't, I can promise you no MP3 will ever hold a candle to such a live musical performance on a grandiose scale. It's like hanging out in God's media room.

Our next choral project: La Traviata, by the incomparable Giuseppe Verdi, quite possibly the greatest Italian composer of all time.

No pressure, right?

[South Puget Sound Community College, Brahms's Requiem, Saturday, March 3, 7:30 p.m., $15-$20, 2011 Mottman Rd SW, Olympia, 360.753.8585]

SATURDAY, FEB. 25, 2012 >>>

1. It's another big night for music in the South Sound. In Tacoma catch EvergreenOne's solo album release party with The BreakLites and more, see Coolio at Hell's Kitchen, or head to the New Frontier for a beach part of epic proportion. For a full rundown of what's happening musically in the South Sound, find the Volcano's comprehensive live local music listings here.

2. Sure, you've tried the pizza and rum at Stonegate Pizza on South Tacoma Way - but have you dropped in on the club's comedy night yet? Tonight's your chance! Other comedy options include Tommy Savitt and Jeremy Greenberg at the Comedy Underground at Big Whisky Saloon, comedian Owen Straw at the Grit City Comedy Club, and comedian Mike MacRae at Tacoma Comedy Club.

3. At Tacoma's Club Silverstone, DJ Eric spins queer-friendly dance hits all night long!

4. Off the beaten musical path, Source Yoga in Tacoma's North End presents Music Without Borders: An Evening With Gary Stroutsos. It's all ages and starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets run $15-$20.

5.In Olympia, round up the kids and head to the Olympic Flight Museum for Paper Airplane Flight School. Good times are guaranteed. Find more info here.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music and DJs tonight

LINK: The Weekend Hustle

IT'S HAPPENING >>>

Painter Tom Anderson is practically an institution in Olympia, and he may be the only contemporary abstract artist I know who has been able to support himself entirely from his art. He has major works in private and public collections such as the big pieces that grace the walls in the emergency room at Providence St. Peter Hospital. For more years than I can remember he shared a studio with Mansion Glass above Childhood's End Gallery on Fourth Avenue, and a few years back he moved to a larger and more accessible ground-floor space on Washington Street between Fourth and State.

But like everybody else, Tom has been hit hard by the economic recession. This is where Olyphant Art Supply comes to the rescue. He heard that Olyphant, housed in inadequate quarters downtown, was looking for a better space. No longer able to afford his studio, he invited the art supply store to share, and it seems like a match made in heaven.

So now the art supply store is in the front of the building along with Tom's old partner Mansion Glass, and Tom's studio - somewhat smaller but still workable  - is upstairs. And there is an art gallery in the back half of the store.

When I visit recently I was quite impressed with the group show in the art gallery. I didn't take notes at the time and can't tell you who the artists were. Nobody I recognized. But it was an impressive show of what I gathered to be young artists. The feel for the gallery and the type of art I saw reminded me a lot of the Black Front Gallery, which was great during its brief lifetime.

The next show will be a showing of local tattoo artists. There will be an opening March 3 from 7 p.m. to midnight.

Olyphant also offers a variety of art classes for adults and kids including mask making, acrylic painting and figure drawing. According to their website at http://www.theolyphant.com they are seeking artists to show in the gallery, artists to teach classes, and models for the figure drawing sessions.

They also have other events such as a live music event on March 4 from 10 p.m. to midnight with Dead Head, The Shrine, Nudity and GAG.

Olyphant Art Supply is a new happening place with exciting potential. They're located at 117 Washington St. NE in downtown Oly between Fourth and State.

WE SCENE IT >>>

Weekly Volcano hired shooter Steve Dunkelberger hovered around McKinley Hill last night.

First, he dropped in on Camp 6's Tacoma Social party at the Top of Tacoma Bar and Café. Dunkelberger found an even mix of Top regulars and Top newbies who came for the social gathering centered on fashion, the arts and a love of the 253. It was a thing of beauty: jean jackets and tats merged with ties, tight jeans and Buddy Holly glasses for a surge of Tacoma collaborative goodness.

The ruckus and throaty band Overboard found fans in both camps.

Having dutifully done his damage, our hired gun darted to The New Frontier Lounge to catch the last few songs of Ghost Writer's sweat-filled rockabilly set before The Brotherhood of the Black Squirrel emerged from their cave for another trip through roots- and blues-based experimental rock and roll.

PBR was the drink of the night.

LINK: Photos from The Tacoma Social

LINK: Photos from Ghost Writer and Brotherhood of the Black Squirrel