SUNDAY, FEB. 26, 2012 >>>

1. If you're bored with watching the Academy Awards from the couch, or your space is too small to host your own soiree, consider joining the fun at the live Oscar broadcast parties in Tacoma, Puyallup and Olympia.

2. The Tacoma Public Library downtown branch deserves some props. Not only does it perform all the requisite library duties while also making sure vagrants don't shit and piss all over the bathroom, but the powers that be also line up some pretty solid events - like the 1:30 p.m. screening of Miss Representation: A Documentary. Written and directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, according to hype posted to the Tacoma Public Library's website, Miss Representation "exposes how mainstream media contribute to the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence in America." A panel discussion directly follows the afternoon screening.

3. You love television. You always have. It's part of being American, like processed cheese and alarming obesity statistics. Most of all, you love the really old TV shows you grew up on (or at the very least grew up smoking weed out of a Mountain Dew can to on Nick at Nite). For all of these reasons and more today's Big Shoe VI-The Golden Age of Television, heading to the Washington Center for the Performing Arts at 2 p.m., is the show for you, offering a glitz and glitter homage to TV of yesteryear.  According to the Washington Center's website, The Golden Age of Television, which focuses on 1948-70, is a "variety show with reminders of anything from Amateur Hour to Zorro with stops at Petticoat Junction, Bonanza and Laugh-In."

4. 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 the stage at 2 p.m., 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. Read Joann Varnell's full review of Willy Wonka in the Arts & Entertainment section at weeklyvolcano.com.

5. The T-Town Aces will fill The Spar in Old Town Tacoma with blues beginning at 8 p.m.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music and DJs tonight

LINK: South Sound Happy Hours

LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

4th Ave Ale House Olympia - Downtown. Keaton Collective, Fight For Change, Ten Cents In Oklahoma. 9 pm. $5.

The Brotherhood Lounge Olympia - Downtown. Save The Sun Benefit Show, featuring November Witch, Hey Girl, Morgan & The Organ Donors, Hungry Heart, Happy Noose, Mongo. Proceeds benefit Prodigal Sun Productions, operators of The Midnight Sun venue in Olympia. 8 pm. $5-$500.

• 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. Nikki Talotta's full feature on The Midnight Sun benefit show is in the Music section at weeklyvolcano.com.

Dawson's Bar and Grill Tacoma - South. Blues Jam. Hosted by Tim Hall. 8 pm.

Lakewood Pub & Grill Lakewood. Open Mic. 9 pm.

Mandolin Cafe Tacoma - Central. Open Mic, with Denny Foreman & Friends. All Ages. 6 pm. NC.

The Spar Tacoma - Old Town. T-Town Aces. 8 pm. NC.

Steilacoom Pub and Grill Steilacoom. Sunday open mic with Jeanlizabeth. 8 pm. NC.

Stonegate Pizza Tacoma - South. The Stonegators. 8 pm. NC.

Tacoma Comedy Club Tacoma - Downtown. In The Pocket Jazz Night. 8 pm. NC.

Uncle Sam's American Bar & Grill Spanaway. Sunday Blues Jam Night. Hosted by Shelly Ely. 7-10 pm.

LINK: More live music tonight in the South Sound

MONDAY, FEB. 27, 2012 >>>

The system that we've designed for students to pay for college is out of whack. Many college students emerge from their schooling these days with thousands and thousands of dollars in debt, without the job prospects to justify it. According to promotion for tonight's lecture from 7-9 p.m. at The Evergreen State College's Seminar Building 2 with Professor of Economics at Seattle University and Seattle Central Community College Kshama Sawant, "Student debt has exploded in the US and globally, with the average college senior graduating with more than $25,000 in student loans." Sawant will discuss this alarming statistic as well as the low wage job prospects and youth unemployment rate as part of a presentation titled, "The Student Debt Explosion: The New Indentured Servitude?"

The Olympia Monthly Community Arts Roundtable will host a Pecha Kucha in which presenters share 20 slides - 20 seconds each slide - centered on an arts-related topic. The event begins at 6 p.m. inside the Olympia Timberland Library.

The Tacoma Cult Movie Club hosts a night of free movies, shorts, trailers and wackiness under the theme "Before They Had Oscars: You Gotta Start Somewhere" at 7 p.m. inside The Acme Tavern.

3RP, Island Trybe, PO Boxx, J-Lei and D'Rocc perform at 8 p.m. inside Hell's Kitchen in Tacoma.

Vocalist Dennis Hastings joins The Joe Baque Trio for a night of jazz beginning at 9:30 p.m. inside the Waterstreet Café in downtown Olympia.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music tonight in the South Sound

LINK: South Sound Happy Hours

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Puyallup School District's Next Superintendent: Let's look at the candidates. (News Tribune)

Occupy Tacoma: In like a lion, out like a lamb. (News Tribune)

President Barack Obama's New Budget: It includes no new money for the Puyallup River study in 2013. (News Tribune)

Live Blog: Four students shot at Ohio high school. (CNN)

Afghanistan: Administration officials described growing concern about a drawdown by the United States that hinges on the close training of Afghan army and police forces. (The New York Times)

Oscars 2012: Live coverage of the Academy Awards ceremony. (The Guardian)

Oscars 2012: Complete list of winners. (USA Today)

Oscars 2012: The breakout star at the Academy Awards was Angelina Jolie's right leg. (BuzzFeed)

Golden Raspberry Awards 2012: Adam Sandler has received a record number of them. (Den Of Geek)

Run For Your Lives 5K: Runners will be chased by zombies. (The Mary Sue)

CONCETR ALERT >>>

Live Nation welcomes the new week with news that Iron Maiden and buddies Coheed and Cambia will perform at 7:30 p.m. Monday, July 30 at the White River Amphitheatre in Auburn.

On the heels of its Final Frontier World Tour 2010-11, Iron Maiden screw the whole "final" thing and hit the road this summer with a series of arena, amphitheatre and festival shows in the states and Canada, opening in Charlotte, June 21 then hit the rest of the world through 2013. Titled the "Maiden England World Tour," the shows will closely mirror, in terms of production and content, the original 1988 concert video of the same name, shot on the "Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son Tour."

Tickets range in price from $30 to $75 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 3 at LiveNation.com, all Ticketmaster outlets, or charge by phone 1-800-745-3000.

TONIGHT! >>>

Two girls sidle up to the bar inside Magoo's Annex in Tacoma's northend. Ordering a round of PBRs, they knock the bottoms of the cans together and loudly toast each other for surviving the first day of the workweek. Behind them, a cascade of Monday night revelers washes past the bar and into the back area, where DJ Melodica holds court. The two working girls wiggle and jiggle on their bar stools to the rapid tempo, cautiously lifting their PBR pounders to take an unsteady sip of beer.

The whole joint bustles with spasmodic Tacomans shooting stick, playing foosball, drinking and chatting up a storm.

It's Micro Monday at Magoo's, which the producer, John A. Hodgson, aka DJ Melodica, has transformed the weekly event from his five-hour post behind the turntables into what he calls Monday Showcase at Magoo's - a night of guests DJs and live bands.

The Weekly Volcano caught up with DJ Melodica before his show tonight.

WEEKLY VOLCANO: Explain the changes you've made to Monday nights at Magoo's Annex.

DJ MELODICA: Well, it has evolved from Micro Monday, which started as only myself deejaying for five hours straight, which was fun but exhausting. During the summer I started incorporating guest deejays. My goal being to: 1) increase the number of interesting deejays in Tacoma (not just your beat beat scratch scratch kind) and 2) give myself a break and a chance to mingle with the crowd.

It was tremendously successful. The Deejays ranged from established spinners such as Aaron Mack and Darren Selector to local musicians - Trevor Dickson, Eric Raider, Nate Markiewicz - to friends who wanted to share their music collections - Najamoniq Todd, Del Brown and Craig Egan. Many have gone on to deejay at other events and establish a name for themselves.

Since the start of the New Year, I have been incorporating local bands and thus the Showcase was born. Bands that have appeared in recent months have included Si Si Si, Humble Cub, Rusty Cleavers and Battersea.

VOLCANO: What music do the DJs typically spin?

MELODICA: Music I spin between bands ranges all over the musical spectrum. I play a lot of new wave and post punk, but also funk, garage, early electronica, early hip-hop, psychadelia, shoegaze, cold wave, proto punk, glam, prog, and Krautrock. Sometimes I try to weave a theme into my sets. I did a night of songs about drugs. I did another night of murder ballads. And another night was nothing but space songs. Some nights I dedicate to a genre.

VOLCANO: What band is playing tonight?

MELODICA: I try to have a band and a guest every week. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to schedule one for tonight so I have a triple deejay assault with Aaron Mack and DJ Hogwood. Rev. Adam McKinney, aka DJ Pocket Square, returns on March 19 with the band Death By Stars. DJ Pocket square plays primarily Britpop.

I have some exciting shows coming in the next two months:

March 5 - I Low (Colin Reynolds) with guest DJ Adam (not the reverend).
March 12 - Rusty Cleavers with guest DJ Das Prompt
March 19 - Death By Stars with guest DJ Pocket Square
March 26 - Watch Them Sparkle with Guest DJ Darren Selector
April 2 - Apricot and The Beginners with guest DJ Hobostab
April 9 - Bandolier, playing and guest deejaying
April 16 - TBA
April 23 - Umber Sleeping with guest DJ Darren Selector
April 30 - The Dignitaries, playing and guest deejaying
As you can read, two of the bands are playing AND guest deejaying. This is something new as well and we'll see how this works. Might be a fun thing regularly.

VOLCANO: What does Magoo's offer Monday nights in terms of food and drink specials?

MELODICA: Magoo's still runs it Micro Monday specials, which are $3 any beer and $2 mondo hot dogs. Also, I run a "Guess the TV Theme Songs" contest in which people guess the songs to win either a Jell-o shot or a mix disc compiled by me. There are folks who show up just for this little game.

VOLCANO: Do you think the Monday Showcase at Magoo's saves lives?

MELODICA: The Showcase has saved my life. Before deejaying at Magoo's I had been out of the local music scene for give or take 10 years. My wife, Char, and I ran the second incarnation of The Usual Coffee and News. When that closed I took a corporate job but was laid off a year ago - while I was on family leave awaiting the birth of my son. Nice, eh? Being an avid record collector and mix disc gifter I decided deejaying was my passion and it has been incredible since. Giving away the mix discs as prizes is, in a way, programming my audience so that they become more familiar with my material as I deejay some very rare and obscure bands and tracks. I would get annoyed by requests for the same old mundane songs every DJ plays, but instead of offending my audience I decided that if I made the music more accessible and familiar then I might get requests for things I had. Sure enough this has worked and I have even heard my mixes being played at local coffee shops around town.

Being voted by the Weekly Volcano as "Best DJ To Learn From" was a big boost as well. Record geeks have sought me out based on this and I have fielded many a music question from folks, which is something I encourage.

My goal with all of this is selfish. I want people to like what I like - to share my enthusiasm and excitement for music. If anything, it has given people something to do on an otherwise dead night of the week.

VOLCANO: Now that kind of inspiration deserves a PBR.

[Magoo's Annex, 8:30 p.m. Mondays, no cover, 2710 N/ 21st St., Tacoma, 253.759.0467]

ONLINE CHATTER >>>

Next month Madness will be in the air. Sixty-four well-oiled competitors (for the most part) will tip off and do battle — working their way through the tediously-constructed bracket and toward ultimate supremacy.
 
We speak, of course, of the Weekly Volcano’s Tournament of Breakfast, which will feature 64 area South Sound breakfast joints selected and seeded by Weekly Volcano readers. Readers are currently voting for their favorite restaurants serving breakfast in an effort to help us seed the tournament. Seed voting ends at midnight Wednesday. Daily voting begins March 15 on our blog, Spew. It's exciting, to say the least.

Today's Comment of the Day comes from Michelle L. who was moved to add a comment after casting a vote.

Michelle writes,

If you havent been down to the freighthouse & tried out the boxcar grill you are missin out! They have the most amazing raspberry jam (homemade) & it goes wonderful with their homemade biscuits. I have never had biscuits like these & best of all they are square. :) All of their breakfasts that I have tried have been wonderful. The servie is great as well. Try these guys out, you wont be sorry.

That sounds exciting too.

As we mentioned, voting ends Wednesday night. Help us seed the Tournament of Breakfast. Vote now.

TUESDAY, FEB. 28, 2012 >>>

1. The University of Puget Sound website describes Wycliffe Gordon as a "musical ambassador, master trombone player, and vocalist," who heads to the school's Schneebeck Concert Hall at 7:30 p.m. for a performance with the school's Jazz Band in celebration of Black History Month. A former collaborator with Wynton Marsalis and pianist Billy Taylor, The Jazz Journalists Association named Gordon Trombonist of the Year in 2011 - which has to be getting a little fucking boring for him, seeing as he's earned the title five times in the last decade.

2. Influenced by classic to contemporary and folk to hip-hop Coast Ghosts will take you on a musical journey beginning at 6:45 p.m. inside Tacoma's Mandolin Café. The band's pianist, Glenn, and a few friends will set the tone at 6.

3. Rallying 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. 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.

4. There are a few occasions when vegans can feel at a loss. One of them is when they pass the bacon smell wafting out of Doyle's Public House as they make their way to neighboring King's Books for the 7 p.m. Vegan Book Club gathering. Besides that bacon smell, the group will discuss The Sexual Politics of Meat by Carol J. Adams.

5. There's a buttload of snow in the mountains. What does that means in terms of glorious winter hiking? Ask Craig Romano. No, not the all Jersey monotone guy. Author, hiker and trails advocate Craig Romano. He's at the REI in Olympia at 7 p.m. with a bunch of winter hiking tips, tricks and locations.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music tonight in the South Sound

LINK: South Sound Happy Hours

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Snow: It's possible. (News Tribune)

Stamped: Plan to shift Tacoma postal operations is official, cutting 139 jobs. (Bellingham Herald)

School Shootings: Why is U.S. No. 1. (CNN)

Your Phone: Why are they becoming uncontrollable monsters. (CNN)

Presidential Primary: A defeat today for Mitt Romney could send the nominating fight onto an unpredictable path and reset the Republican race. (The New York Times)

Sean Young Back In the News: The weird chick was arrested in post-Oscar fight. (USA Today)

Zip-A-Dee Doo-Dah: Here comes the Griswolds and a National Lampoon's Vacation remake. (Den of Geek)

Mad Men: It's oh so close. (Coming Soon)

Drew Barrymore Wine: Her Pinot Grigio is crispy and fresh, so they say. (Huffington Post)

Cook Like Batgirl: Geektastic superhero aprons. (Geeks Are Sexy)

Fake Happy Faces: Giant set of gifs created from Oscar loser reaction shots. (Four Four)

Awesome Chemistry Experiment Of The Day

FABITAT HAS A NEW FAB HOME >>>

As you have no doubt heard, Fab-5 has converted its Spaceworks Tacoma spot on Tacoma's Hilltop into a permanent space. What you might not have heard, or rather seen, is the mini-documentary on Fab-5. Eddie Sumlin of Fab-5 sent us the video with an accompany press release

Now for the first time in 12 years, Fab-5 has found a home. Our Creativity Center FABITAT (located on the 1300 block of MLK), will enable us to serve Pierce County youth year round, but in order to make this happen we need the community's support with all hands on deck. Help us secure our permanent fixture for young people to gather and grow together by joining our team and becoming a supporter of Fab-5.

Since we are in the process of our first individual donor campaign, to celebrate the occasion, our good friends @ JAB-LAB have created an amazing mini-documentary that captures the essence of what we do.

Afterwards, please consider a monthly (or one time) gift to our program. All details can be found @ fab-5.org/give - where you can view a photo gallery of our current Fab-5 supporters, as well as get a full breakdown of how your resources benefit our students, and the greater Pierce County community.

Also, please feel free to share this video campaign to others who have a passion for supporting youth, community arts, and an organization dedicated to positive community change. Without you, none of our work could happen.

Thank you for all of your continued support.

LINK: Origins of Fabitat

Fab-5.org/Give (2012) from The Original Fab-5 on Vimeo.