THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 2012 >>>

1. 100th Monkey is set to invade Tacoma Art Museum tonight, offering a chance to mingle and bear witness to the Hide/Seek exhibit at TAM. Described as and, "ongoing artists' schmoozefest," 100th Monkey events are always a good time. Even better, according to hype, "Claudia Riedener, Lynn Di Nino and Di Morgan-Graves are creating a limited edition of tiles on the theme of "gender identity and sexual orientation" to be available for $5 each the night of the ape fest."

2. Catch jazz saxophonist Kareem Kandi, who recently composed and recorded the new CD, See What I'm Saying, tonight at the SOTA Theater.

3. It's OlyBlues Dance Night at the Eagles Hall! Head to the third floor and be ready to have some fun. Find more info here.

4. For the all-ages crowd, Lo' There Do I See My Brother, Code Red, Drag Me Under, Merciless and Blunt Force will play Tacoma's Red Room this evening, plugging in at 7 p.m. There's an $8 cover charge.

5. The Ram Restaurant and Brewery on Ruston Way hosts the Geeks Who Drink pub quiz, which consists of eight rounds of eight questions and is played in teams of up to six people. Questions are read aloud by the quizmaster; teams write their answers on provided sheets and turn them in at the end of each round. The team with the most points after eight rounds is the winner. Oh, and there's drinking involved, too. The fun begins at 8:30 p.m.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music tonight in the South Sound

LINK: South Sound happy hours

THIS WEEK'S VOLCANO MUSIC COVERAGE >>>

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 another jaw-dropping issue of the Weekly Volcano, or simply because we're busy celebrating the arrival of Peyton Manning to the Broncos (looking at you, Driscoll).

It's true. And you better believe we managed to pump out another stellar Weekly Volcano music section, just like we do every Thursday.

The Volcano music section is your weekly chance at the best in South Sound music coverage. This week's Volcano music section includes Cathedrals Tacoma with Pickwick, the Maldives and Pearly Gate Music, Sioux Falls (the band), Lil Ripp, Cave Singers, Raekwon and more ...

FEATURE: CATHEDRALS TACOMA

This Saturday, the historic walls of Tacoma's Immanuel Presbyterian Church will be filled with some very fresh sounds.  Indie groups Pearly Gate Music, The Maldives and Pickwick make up the impressive line-up. An eye-stopping cobalt blue poster heralds the event as Cathedrals Tacoma: Part One. 

Cathedrals, a series with the simple concept of ‘presenting music in amazing spaces,' was started in Seattle by Fremont Abbey Arts Center Director Nathan Marion, pioneer of other such elegant experimental musical series as the Round, and Bare. After experiencing the Round, a series in which musicians share the stage with slam poets and live painters, Tacoma musician and Programming Associate for the Broadway Center for Performing Arts Aaron Stevens was so taken with the concept that he called Marion up and invited him to lunch. He offered Marion a proposition that was half praise, half warning.

"I said, listen, that was amazing. I'm either going to steal this idea or invite you to partner with me on bringing this thing to Tacoma," admits Stevens. ... -- Jenni Prange Boran

FEATURE: SIOUX FALLS

Bands that take on influences from Modest Mouse tend to sound more lost to me than bands drawing from, say, Vampire Weekend or Death Cab for Cutie. If you are talented and you really want to sound like Vampire Weekend or Death Cab, well, you can. But no one can fully capture that Modest Mouse sound, which makes bands like Sioux Falls- which draws some influence from that infamous shack in Issaquah -sound forever searching, lost in the complexities of the guitar.

In a good way, if you can believe it. ... -- Rev. Adam McKinney

HIP-HOP: LIL RIPP AND MORE

Right now Lil Ripp, an under-ager from Tacoma, has a fever-level buzz. Watch any YouTube video by Lil Ripp and you'll see why - he's at the head of the class when it comes to local new-school MCs.

It's not just kids that freak-out when Lil Rip music comes on. I was at California Club two Thursdays ago and the ladies lost their mind when Little Rip's "Tac City" played. It will be cool to see what road Lil Ripp's music leads him down. He has the potential to be extremely successful, perhaps one day becoming the breakout artist Tacoma has been pushing for. Right now his flow is as simple as you'd expect from a young man less than 21 years old, packing that "I'm too cool to try hard" vibe. Lil Rip has the capability to be a good songwriter and he's marketable, so the sky's the limit ... -- Josh Rizeberg

WE RECOMMEND: CAVE SINGERS

The members of the Cave Singers began their notable music careers on full tilt, in prog-rock and art-punk outfits like Pretty Girls Make Graves, Murder City Devils and Cobra High. Their transition to the indie folk-rock of the Cave Singers is somewhat akin to someone taking a lung-bursting sprint into a freezing body of water, their legs becoming sluggish frigid as the waters begin to lap up around their waist. In the subsequent years, this body has become acclimated to its new environment, and the Cave Singers sound more comfortable than ever in creating simultaneously traditional and rousing folk-rock. ... – Rev. AM

WE RECOMMEND: RAEKWON

Olympia will be blessed with an East Coast legend Sunday when Wu Tang Clan member Raekwon hits the state capitol for the first time.  Since officially joining Wu Tang in 1992, over the years Raekwon has become one of the more recognized names in the group and continues to consistently release his Mafioso style of hip-hop.  After releasing a very successful album in 1995, Only Built For Cuban Linx, "The Chef" maintained his composure and stayed busy by collaborating on many other Wu projects, releasing more solo efforts and working with many other top hip-hop artists. ... -- Nic Leonard

PLUS: BETTER LIVING THROUGH MUSIC - RVIVR, Hip-Hop is Alive and more ...

PLUS: Comprehensive Live Local Music Listings

PLUS: Concert Alert

PLUS: Rampant 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. 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 blind artist Jeff Freels, Lynn Di Nino's "The Survivors," "Hello, Dolly" at Capitol Playhouse, "The Color Purple" at Tacoma Musical Playhouse and more ...

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

FEATURE: JEFF FREELS

How many times have you read a story about someone who's had a singular passion for art for as long as he can remember?

The story of Olympia's Jeff Freels is yet another one of those - except Freels' passion had to carry him through more than some lean years and a discouraging teacher.

Freels is legally blind - but that hasn't stopped him from working as a cartoonist, illustrator and designer of role-playing games.

"I've been drawing since I could hold a pencil," says Freels, who drew the cover of the Volcano's Best of Olympia issue this year and was named Best Blind Artist. "That's how I process. That's what I do."

Twelve years ago, Freels lost most of his eyesight, a complication of the Type I diabetes he's had since age five.

Sitting across a table from me at Barnes & Noble this week, Freels could dimly make out the shape of my shoulders, but not my head, because my light skin and hair blended into the background behind me. He walks with a cane.

"If you wrapped your head in cheesecloth and then closed one eye, you might be able to see kind of what I see," he says.

So how can he create such intricately detailed illustrations?

"I had to start learning how to draw again," he says of losing much of his sight. And there was no question in his mind that he could and would. ... – Molly Gilmore

VISUAL EDGE: LYNN DI NINO'S THE SURVIVORS

But Tacoma artist Lynn Di Nino and her team of stalwart archeologists have beat them to the punch. And what did they find buried under the ice in Antarctica? Hostess cupcakes. Tons and tons of cupcakes and other Hostess products, plus many other consumer products that have been popular throughout most of our lives. Those damn cupcakes last forever, and that's the point of this art-as-archeology exhibition.

You can count on Di Nino to be cleverly relevant, and this show - like most of what she does - addresses important contemporary issues with wry humor. In this instance the issues are consumerism and environmental waste.

Called The Survivors, Di Nino's exhibition at Flow Gallery consists of museum-like displays of Hostess products and similar packaged food stuffs displayed in oddly shaped box-like structures covered with protective "glass." The "glass" being plastic packaging of the type manufacturers love to put everything from toys to apples in, the kind that clog our landfills, lakes and rivers. Di Nino's assemblages are like Pop Art versions of Joseph Cornell boxes but without the compartments. ... -- Alec Clayton

THEATER: HELLO, DOLLY

I don't want to take anything away from the unassailable work of Hello, Dolly!'s cast and crew at Capital Playhouse. Almost to a person, they're knocking themselves dead out there. It's amazing, truly, what these performers can do. Gwen Haw inhabits the role of matchmaker Dolly Levi, so closely identified with Carol Channing, and makes it her own. She sings and dances beautifully, as does Bailey Boyd, who does some of her best-ever character work as nasal Minnie Fay. Sean Stinnet and Patrick Wigren bound amiably through two very busy acts, and Michael Self spins a variation on his excellent Scrooge as crabby Horace Vandergelder. The ensemble is first rate as it sails through insanely difficult choreography by Dolly's original director, Gower Champion. Bruce Haasl's set is a pink confection. The costumes (with the possible exception of one unmanageable hat) are fantastic. Director Kevin P. Hill worked wonders, and his stars have never looked better.

I hope you'll keep that in mind as I explain why I hated their show.

Somebody, somewhere is the absolute best living blacksmith. Someone is the world's greatest telegraph operator, and someone makes the finest grandfather clock. They all do amazing work ... that you don't need.

Every aspect of this play seems unearthed from Broadway's distant past. Performers are blocked to mug directly at the audience, and they struggle to wring comic value from setups that were paleolithic when Grandpa wore short pants. ... -- Christian Carvajal

THEATER: ENCHANTED APRIL

It's been dumping rain on the South Sound, so you're probably desperate for a sunny vacanza in Lombardy. Enchanted April at Harlequin Productions is just the thing.

There's pretty much no way I can summarize Matthew Barber's charming idyll in a way that'll make it inviting to straight men, but here goes anyway. The year is 1922. English housewives Lotty Wilton (Helen Harvester) and Rose Arnott (Maggie Lofquist) answer a newspaper ad to secure one month's rental at a quiet Italian palazzo. Unable to meet the terms themselves, they recruit two housemates: notorious socialite Lady Caroline Bramble (Deya Ozburn) and haughty one-percenter Mrs. Graves (Walayn Sharples, an equally apt name for the character). Warmed by the climate and lifestyle of Mezzago, they gradually bond and reveal domestic secrets of long standing. Lotty and Rose's husbands rejoin them in the final scenes and are equally transformed.

Okay, so now that all the bros have fled the building, let's talk about why I, a proudly hetero husband who rolls his eyes at any reference to Eat, Pray, Love, enjoyed this diversion immensely.

For starters, it isn't trying to be anything other than adorable and amusing. Aside from one unnecessarily maudlin revelation in Act II, these characters are victims of their own foibles. ... – CC

THEATER: THE COLOR PURPLE

The concept of The Color Purple as a stage musical seems to evoke the same reaction in virtually everyone - at least everyone I know.

And that reaction is, "Huh?"

Alice Walker's Pulitzer-winning novel follows Celie, a young black woman in 1930s Georgia, from a childhood of rape by her father, into forced loveless marriage, the loss of her sister and only true friend, abuse, sexual awakening, loss of faith and ultimate redemption.

Heady stuff. Which is not to say that musicals can't successfully take on serious material, but one still can't shake the feeling that something is a little off throughout the Tacoma Musical Playhouse production.

Despite that odd sensation, there is plenty to enjoy about The Color Purple. The cast of TMP's production provides several highlights. Stacie Calkins is a long-time mainstay of the Tacoma theater community, and has never failed to impress over the years. In the lead role of Celie, Calkins has ample opportunity to flex her acting chops and her powerful voice. ... – Joe Izenman

WE RECOMMEND: RAN DANK

As far as virtuosic young piano prodigies go, Ran Dank is totally dank, yo. And by that we mean he's the bomb. Even better, he's coming to Olympia Wednesday as part of the 21^st Century Masters Series. According to hype this is the Washington Center's 16^th straight season partnering with Young Concert Artists, Inc to bring up-and-coming talent to Oly - a series designed to show off these young musicians' skills and also inspire the concert musicians of the next generation. Ran Dank should do just that. - Weekly Volcano

PLUS: Comprehensive Arts and Entertainment Calendar

PLUS: Even More Events We Recommend

PLUS: Zaniness

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

WEATHER REPORT

Friday: Partly sunny, hi 54, lo 37

Saturday: Cloudy, hi 55, lo 39

Sunday: Still cloudy, hi 52, lo 37

>>> MARCH 22-24: DAVE COULIER

Cut it out! No, seriously, cut it out with the Dave Coulier jokes. We know the former Full House comedic star will be in Grit City this weekend, holed up at the Tacoma Comedy Club for performances running Thursday through Saturday, but that doesn't mean it's open season on Olsen Twins and Surreal Life jokes. It's just not right! Think about all Coulier has done for hockey and punch lines involving hand signals. It's a lot. Sure, Coulier's Lifetime Network movie The Family Holiday wasn't great, but we've all made mistakes. Even Uncle Jessie would agree with that. Find some time for Coulier this weekend and be rewarded with equal doses of nostalgia and laughs.

• Tacoma Comedy Club, Thursday - Saturday 8 p.m., Friday - Saturday 10:30 p.m., $15-$20, 933 Market Street, Tacoma, 253.282.7203

>>> FRIDAY, MARCH 23: Reduced Shakespeare: The Complete World of Sports (Abridged)

The Reduced Shakespeare Company is a three-man comedy troupe headed to Tacoma this Friday - offering a show that promises to, "cover every sport from every continent ever played in 90 minutes." Pretty bold stuff, we know, but that's pretty much what you'd expect from an outfit like the Reduced Shakespeare Company - which touts on its resume, "seven stage shows, two television specials, several failed TV pilots, and numerous radio pieces."

• Rialto Theater, 7:30 p.m., $29-$39, 901 Broadway, Tacoma, 253.591.5890

>>> FRIDAY, MARCH 23: Frampton Comes Alive (Again)

Peter mother***ing Frampton and his talk box are headed to Tacoma this week, bringing the 35^th anniversary tour for Frampton Comes Alive to the Pantages Theater and delighting a whole generation of mid-70s kinda-sorta rockers. As part of the celebratory vibe for the 35^th anniversary of Frampton Comes Alive, the Grammy award-winning guitarist will bust out the entire album. Boom! It's talk box time.

• Pantages Theater, 7:30 p.m., $59-$119, 901 Broadway, Tacoma, 253.591.5894

>>>FRIDAY, MARCH 23: The Mitch Show

Dancer turned comedic filmmaker Mitchell Rose has plenty of notches on his belt. He's been awarded five fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, for example, and has seen his work grace the gigantic screen in Time Square. Dude's accomplished, in other words. Friday, Rose hits Olympia with The Mitch Show, billed as, "a fast-paced evening of comic films and audience-participation pieces," and "maniacally funny, often poignant, and always surprising." We'll get behind anything that's maniacally funny.

• Washington Center for the Performing Arts, 7:30 p.m., $13.50-$27, 512 Washington Street SE, Olympia, 360.753.8585

>>> MARCH 23 - APRIL 8: Animal Farm

George Orwell's Animal Farm is perfect for kids. Hit ‘em while they're young, that's what we always say. Don't want any little Stalin-ites running around out there on the playground, after all. This weekend Olympia Family Theater opens its run of the stage version of Animal Farm, which it says is best enjoyed by kids 10 and older. According to hype, "this dramatization remains faithful to the book's plot and intent and retains both its affection for the animals and the incisiveness of its message." In other words, watch out for the pigs.

• The Washington Center Black Box, Thursday - Friday 7 p.m., Saturday - Sunday 1 p.m., 512 Washington Street SE, Olympia, 360.753.8585

>>> SATURDAY, MARCH 24: Olympia Youth Chorus Everlasting Melodies 

According to the Olympia Youth Chorus website, the organization's mission is to, "nurture the appreciation of choral art and the shared experience of creating fine choral music for young singers in South Puget Sound." The Youth Chorus does this, at least in part, with help from presentations like Saturday's Everlasting Melodies, which according to billing will feature tunes familiar to fans of classical and also contemporary, ranging from "The Witches' Chorus" from MacBeth to the Beatles' "Hey Jude." The Olympia Youth Chorus will be joined by Western Washington University's Undefined, an a capella that will only add to the awesomeness.

• Washington Center, 7 p.m., $8-$20, 512 Washington Street SE, Olympia, 360.753.8585

>>> SUNDAY, MARCH 25: POPS: Hollywood's Greatest Melodies

Hollywood has been responsible for some classic songs over the years - the combination of cinema and soundtrack joining forces to create a truly indelible moment. Sunday, coloratura soprano Diane Penning will be welcomed to Tacoma by the Tacoma Symphony Orchestra for a presentation of POPS: Hollywood's Greatest Melodies - a show featuring songs from Hollywood classics like Mary Poppins, Phantom of the Opera, Papa's Delicate Condition, West Side Story, The King and I, Porgy and Bess and Victor Herbert's Enchantress. According to hype, "This will be a night to revel in romance and nostalgia with a charming and gracious performer." Who wouldn't want in on that action?

• Pantages Theater, 2:30 p.m., $24-$77, 901 Broadway, Tacoma, 253.591.5890

>>> SUNDAY, MARCH 25: SOGO Winter Concert

The Student Orchestras of Greater Olympia - or SOGO, as the kids say - presents its winter concert Sunday at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts. SOGO's Conservatory Orchestra will dive into Mozart's "Overture to the Magic Flute" and Sibelius' "Karelia Suite," while SOGO's Academy Orchestra -- featuring soloists Flora Espinoza and Mariya Sydorenko - will tackle Bach's "Concerto for Oboe and Violin." The winter concert offers a great chance to see why SOGO is so impressive - a student-led organization breathing serious life into the arts and music among young people. SOGO will also be collecting food and cash donations for the Thurston County Food Bank - with a goal of 300 pounds of food. Help out if you can.

• Washington Center, 4 p.m., $7-$17, 512 Washington Street SE, Olympia, 360.753.8585

>>> SUNDAY, MARCH 25: Tall Tales and Silly Songs

Entertainer and storyteller extraordinaire Elizabeth Lord returns to the stage this weekend in support of the venue she's been such a huge part of over the years - the Midnight Sun. Designed as an interactive variety show geared toward young audiences featuring the wit of Lord and the musical contributions of local favorites Scuff & Al, "Tall Tales and Silly Songs" is part of the "Save The Sun" benefit series, with proceeds going to Prodigal Sun Productions, the managing non-profit organization for The Midnight Sun Performance Space.

• The Midnight Sun Performance Space, 2 & 4 p.m., $5 youth, $10 adult, all ages, 113 N. Columbia Street, Olympia

WHAT SOME OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS ARE UP TO

CHRISTIAN CARVAJAL Theater Critic
Amanda and I are visiting my city of birth, Los Angeles. We're seeing The Hunger Games at the Arclight, followed by Disneyland on Saturday and Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles on Sunday. Tell me I didn't win at Weekend Hustle this time around.

REV. ADAM MCKINNEY Music Writer
It's my motherfucking BIRTHDAY on Friday, ya'll! My plans basically consist of gently suggesting people buy me drinks.

ALEC CLAYTON Arts Critic
I shall be going to see Olympia Family Theater's production of "Animal Farm" at The Washington Center black box.

JENNI PRANGE BORAN Arts and Feature Writer
Husband and I are hitting the first Cathedrals Series at Immanuel Presbyterian to rock with Pearly Gate Music, Maldives and Pickwick - Sunday I'll be catching up on the writing I won't be doing on Saturday.

NIKKI TALOTTA Music Writer
This gal is going to garden! I don't care if it's snowing and my fingers freeze, or if hail is bouncing off my rain jacket, I'm going to do some digging, damnit! Spring will come through the sheer will and determination of this rookie Northwest gardener! And if there is a gardening goddess to hear my prayers - the sun will shine all weekend long, and I will be in heaven.

JOANN VARNELL Theater Critic
Thursday evening, my brother-in-law gets into town. Friday night, we'll make homemade pizza and try a gluten free crust for me and my little son while the grown men get real crust. We'll head to Corina on Saturday for coffee and cupcakes and then probably do other stuff. We'll most likely go to church on Sunday before saying goodbye to our guest.

STEVE DUNKELBERGER Photographer
I am fighting a cold that would kill many African villages, but I will manage to get out to see the Hunger Games and hit the Beat Fetish gig tonight.

JENNIFER JOHNSON Food and Lifestyles Writer
Friday I will spend an exorbitant amount of time doing Science Theory homework. Saturday morning I will go get sweaty until I feel like puking at the gym as I continue training for the Tough Mudder event in May where I will most likely get scraped, bruised, muddy and bleed (can’t wait!) followed by a riveting laundry session and Mastering Excel homework. In the early evening I plan to go on a double date and stroll 6th Ave (please let it be a dry Saturday) and show friends the great shops and restaurants. Sunday is all about church and family.

LINK: Even more local events that we recommend

LINK: Comprehensive South Sound Arts & Entertainment Calendar

Friends, Tacomans, Countrymen,

So I'm leaving the Weekly Volcano.

After almost nine years of writing for the Volcano, and four years acting as editor, the time has come for me to move on. I've accepted a staff writer position at the Seattle Weekly and will start with the paper Monday, traveling via-Sounder to that city to the north and opening a new chapter of my life and career.

I'm excited by the prospect of the new challenge and opportunity, while at the same time can't help but be filled with substantial remorse. I love the Volcano, will be forever indebted to Publisher Ron Swarner, and feel strongly connected to both Olympia and Tacoma. This was by no means an easy decision.

There are many approaches one could take with a letter like this. Rather than getting painfully longwinded or overly nostalgic, I'll opt for brevity. My time at the Volcano has been remarkably rewarding and memorable, and I'm grateful to have had the opportunity. It's an opportunity that's left its mark. There are few places where a person can blossom from nothing and rise into their own like Tacoma, and through the Volcano I've had the chance to grow up along with the paper. I've given my all to the task of making the Volcano the best it can possibly be, with highs and lows along the way. I hope to have spun a few decent sentences in the process.

I'd like to thank Ron Swarner, the entire Volcano and Swarner Communications staff - past and present, and most of all the readers.

I'd also like the thank Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, the Jet City Fix, the Goldfish Tavern, the Day Brothers, well drinks, hot tubs, the Planet Hot Rod, Flash, Pho King, shuffleboard at the BroHo, Bon Von Wheelie and Girl Trouble, Mark and Chelsea Lindquist, Pao's Donuts, the Tacoma Rainiers (especially Mike Carp last year), mud wrestling at Neener's back in the day, the Evergreen State College, Who Cares, KBTC 91.7FM "Classical Rock," Splendid Vengeance, John Larson's WSU hat, NWCZRadio.com, Jeff Angell, Cloverleaf Pizza, Matt Youngmark and Jeff Daniel, Lisa Gunter, my sister, the three guys that jumped me by the Tacoma Mall bus station back in the day, BBCs from MSM, Rockin' Rod, Vicci Martinez, Hot Pants Deb Michael (wherever you may be), Jason McKibbin, Robert "the Traveller" Hill, Joe Rosati's Charles Grodin impression, Justin Peterson's beard, Teddy Haggarty's sketches, Tim Farrell's bees, Stadium Thriftway, Canadian bacon sandwiches from Spud's, Edgemont Junior High and - last, but certainly not least - my loving and extremely understanding wife and family.

Though I look forward to what the future brings, I will miss being part of the Volcano.

Always,

Matt Driscoll

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Elwha Dam: It's so no there anymore, which is nice. (News Tribune)

Tacoma Budget Update: Labor union chats, tax measures votes and other option explorations have delayed city budget cuts. (News Trbune)

Mo Booze, Mo Booze, Mo Booze: California-based liquor retailer BevMo will arrive soon with a bevy of booze. (News Tribune)

Afghan Killings: Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales is expected to face 17 counts of murder today for his alleged role in the killings of Afghan villagers, a senior U.S. official said. (CNN)

A Broader Right To Council: The Supreme Court improved American justice by extending the guarantee of effective counsel in plea bargaining. (The New York Times)

The Office Might Shut Down: The boss steps down, and staff members are in limbo. (Deadline)

Hanging On: Third Hangover film will be the last. (Hollywood Reporter)

Chachi Update: Scott Baio At Nite. (Cinemablend)

Of Couse Yahoo Has This List: 25 essential punk albums. (Yahoo)

Old McDonald Had A Fling: Online dating site for farmers. (Time)

100 Best DJ Names: DJ House Smells of Rich Mahogany, DJ MAILER-DAEMON, DJ Adult Diaper, DJ Pizza Slut, DJ Side Boob ... (BuzzFeed)

>>> VOTING CLOSED FOR MARCH 23 <<<

Now it's getting exciting. The syrup is really starting to spread, and the batter is getting so thick you could cut it with a knife (OK, so that's a horrible analogy ...).

Point is: This is serious.

Today the Weekly Volcano's Tournament of Breakfast officially kicks off its second round, meaning only 32 South Sound breakfast joints remain, and the competition is as hot as ever. Who will be crowned champ on April 2? The path to breakfast greatness starts today.

Here's a look at today's Tournament of Breakfast action and a recap of yesterday's closing of round one. Shake some powdered sugar on it if you know what's good for you and get rolling.

Yesterday's Tournament of Breakfast Results

Here were the match-ups:

Alfred's Cafe (Tacoma) vs. Scoreboard Pub (Federal Way)

Elmer's Pancake and Steakhouse (Tacoma) vs. Ricky J's Restaurant (Tacoma) 

Mystic Mocha (Graham) vs. Poodle Dog (Fife)

Original Pancake House (Puyallup) vs. Johnny's Dock (Tacoma)

In basketball terminology, Alfred's Cafe was on fire from the three-pioint line. It shot 72 percent from the arc, the same percentage points it scored above the Scoreboard Pub at the final buzzer. What's most impressive about Alfred's win? It didn't have to use its Bubble Room Lounge in the victory.

In the simplest of terms, Elmer's Pancake and Steakhouse supporters failed to turn out for the Thursday competition, allowing die-hard breakfast aficionados to propel Ricky J's in Puyallup into a battle with Alfred's Cafe on March 24.

In an outcome that's no surprise for anyone who's experienced the massive fan base of the Poodle Dog, Fife's favorite breakfast joint dominated the polls, with 60 votes over Graham's Mystic Mocha. The Poodle Dog moves on to face Johnny's Dock on March 24.

Holy crap! Turnout for this contest was like the turnout at a kick-the-banker booth at the county fair! Both the Original Pancake House and Johnny's Dock did their darndest to mobilize their base, and though the Original Pancake House ran out to an early lead, Johnny's Dock fans had the stamina to carry through the evening and snatch victory from Puyallup's, well, original pancake house. Johnny's Dock moves into the second round with 55 percent of the votes.

Let's take a look at the stack. The following are advancing to the next round:

• Alfred's Cafe
  
• Ricky J's Restaurant
  
• Poodle Dog
  
• Johnny's Dock
  

The daily breakfast battles here on Spew are sponsored by Shakabrah Java on Tacoma's Sixth Avenue.

OK, let's check out today's Second Round breakfast battles. Vote for one breakfast joint per battle. Voting for today's breakfast battles ends at 11:45 p.m.

FRIDAY, MARCH 23, 2012 >>>

1. Peter motherfucking Frampton and his talk box are headed to Tacoma tonight, bringing the 35^th anniversary tour for Frampton Comes Alive to the Pantages Theater and delighting a whole generation of mid-70s kinda-sorta rockers in the process. As part of the celebratory vibe for the 35^th anniversary of Frampton Comes Alive, the Grammy award-winning guitarist will bust out the entire album. Boom! It's talk box time.

2. Cut. It. Out. Former Full House semi-star Dave Coulier continues his weekend run at the Tacoma Comedy Club tonight.

3. The Reduced Shakespeare Company is a three-man comedy troupe set to be holed up in Tacoma tonight at the Rialto and  offering a show that promises to, "cover every sport from every continent ever played in 90 minutes." Pretty bold stuff, we know, but that's pretty much what you'd expect from an outfit like the Reduced Shakespeare Company - which touts on its resume, "seven stage shows, two television specials, several failed TV pilots, and numerous radio pieces."  

4. Dancer-turned-comedic-filmmaker Mitchell Rose has plenty of notches on his belt. He's been awarded five fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, for example, and has seen his work grace the gigantic screen in Times Square. Dude's accomplished, in other words. Tonight, Rose hits Olympia's Kenneth J. Minnaert Center for the Arts with The Mitch Show, billed as, "a fast-paced evening of comic films and audience-participation pieces," and "maniacally funny, often poignant, and always surprising." We'll get behind anything that's maniacally funny.

5. The Lance Buller Trio will class up Maxwell's on St. Helens Avenue tonight, busting out tunes starting at 7 p.m.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music tonight in the South Sound

LINK: The Weekend Hustle

TACOMA'S NEW POP CULTURE COLLABORATION >>>

Very soon, a change will be upon downtown Tacoma. Box Top Vintage, a store we all know and love, will transform into something new. Something strange, and yet welcomed.

"It's all true. The rumors you've heard are true," says Jooley Heaps, owner of Box Top Vintage.

It will become a new store called Poison Apple, headed up by Heaps and Jason McKibbin, lead singer of I Defy and all around comic book guru. This dynamic duo is shaking up Tacoma's gift shop scene with Heaps's sense of novelty and McKibbin's knack for nerdiness.

"Poison Apple will be Tacoma's newest pop culture hotspot," says McKibbin.

The change will bring even more novelty retail, expanding Box Top's selection and augmenting it with vintage comics, toys, vinyl records, movie posters, out-of-print horror VHS, local music CDs, DVDs, and also gaming supplies.

"I will be bringing a whole new dimension in nerdom to the City of Destiny," says McKibbin.

But why change, faithful fans of Box Top may ask.

"I've sold vintage for about 17 years. Personally I'm just done with it," says Heaps. "If something stops being inspiring or fun or you're not super devoted to it anymore, change it. I've had fun novelties and retail for a while and I enjoy selling that more, so I wanted to branch out and go from there."

Heaps has plans to add more wacky products as Poison Apple really gets going, including everything from fun greeting cards to retro candy. Box Top already carried some Archie McPhee items, zombie stuff, and more - many of these items will be back in full force at Poison Apple.

While Box Top Vintage had occasional events, plans are in the works to have regular, scheduled events and perhaps something like a free comic book day each week. Scheduled events may include arts happenings, or writer or band signings.

Jason and I know a lot of people," says Heaps. "So say a band is coming to play Hell's Kitchen; we'll have them do a signing over here. There's so much we can do to really take advantage of our location."

"We are starting small, but plan on building Poison Apple into a giant corporation to be idolized by screaming throngs of rabid fanboys and girls," says McKibbin.

There is no specific date for Poison Apple's opening day yet, but keep an eye out for more details, coming soon to a Facebook fan page near you. Once a date is announced, soon after will follow an announcement for a grand opening party, and great celebrations punctuated by light refreshments will ensue.

The target date for this revelry is the beginning of April. The store may be closed for a few days before the grand opening.

"As we get closer to the opening time, we may butcher paper the windows for a few days until we get it all together - to build the excitement!" says Heaps.

Box Top Vintage Fan Page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Box-Top-Vintage/362018920891

Poison Apple Fan Page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Poison-Apple-Tacoma/112708192194186

... BUT STILL ON THE SCENE >>>

In 2003 I wrote an article on how to do Tacoma on the cheap - where all the good happy hours were that included free or discounted food and drinks. Ron Swarner took a liking to it and published it - the first article I'd ever written - as the cover story. I was ecstatic and Ron asked me to become a permanent part of the Weekly Volcano family.

Since that first article was published, I have written about fashion, food, the social scene, local and national music, fitness feats, military activity and community events. I've been back stage, out front, invited to sneak peeks, given hot tips and welcomed into kitchens. I'm closing in on nine years now with the Weekly Volcano and Swarner Communications, with the last three devoted to being the Volcano's food writer. I realized in 2010 how great a love affair I have with food and returned to school full-time to study nutrition. In addition, I accepted the job of operations manager for Dirty Oscar's Annex in Tacoma on Feb. 1 as announced in my recent Slider Cook-Off article.

Given the time constraints of both of these new and exciting full-time endeavors in my life, I'm ready to set my fork down. Ron has chosen local blogger Adrienne Kuehl to be the new restaurant/food writer for the Weekly Volcano. Known online as Tacoma Foodie, she loves food and eating just as much as I do.

It has been a pleasure, and at times, an all-consuming labor of love covering the South Sound – one bite at a time. My great thanks to those that have indulged me, included me, returned my calls and emails, answered a million questions, trusted me, believed in me and let me show up early and stay late.

I will continue to write a bi-monthly food feature for the Weekly Volcano and share with readers the treats and gems to be enjoyed in the 253.

And now I'm off to the gym to lose my 20 pounds of Volcano food writer weight.