WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Professional Sports Team In Tacoma?: Unlikely for now. (King 5)

Washam Watch: Pierce County Assessor-Treasure Dale Washam cost the county $850,000. (News Tribune)

Tacoman In The House: Olympia School Board wants Dominic "Dick" Cvitanich as its superintendent. (News Tribune)

On The Docket: The Supreme Court is examining how much of the 2010 health care law might survive if the justices strike down the requirement that Americans buy insurance. (The New York Times)

Games Of Thrones Review: Let the war begin. (Hollywood Reporter)

Good One ... What?: The Daytime Emmy Awards might not be television. (TV Guide)

We Can Almost Remember Their Funny Faces: Aussie rockers Jet part ways after 11 years together. (NME)

Collectible Poster Would've Been Fine: An upcoming Flaming Lips release will contain blood from the band's collaborators. (Paste Magazine)

Go Big Today

ONE-MINUTE INTERVIEW >>

The music world has given us Black Uhuru, Black Mountain, Black Angels, Black Flag and Rush. Now comes rock's Black Tusk to Tacoma. The band plays hard and heavy and roams the realm of stoner/sludge rock. Its members are not into last names, but they are into abrasive quasi-harsh vocals rolling along with thundering fuzz-toned, bottom-end heavy riffs.

The Savannah band is touring behind Set the Dial, the brand new, Jack Endino (Soundgarden, High On Fire, Skeletonwitch) produced disk of hardcore meets technical trash tendencies.

Black Tusk rolls into Hell's Kitchen Thursday, March 29. We caught up with the band on the road.

WEEKLY VOLCANO: Who's in the band?

JAMES: Athon is on bass and vocals, I'm on drums and vocals and Andrew is on guitar and vocals.

VOLCANO: What brought you together?

JAMES: We all grew up is Savannah so we knew of each other for a long time. To be specific, we meet around the end of high school. We all went to different schools but the punk rock metal scene is a close circuit in our city.

VOLCANO: Describe your sound?

JAMES: It's described mostly as "swamp metal." It's pretty much like Motorhead and Black Sabbath had a barbecue.

VOLCANO: What covers do you perform?

JAMES: "Toe Fry" from North Carolina sludge metal Buzzov-en. And Andrew and I know a lot of Misfit covers for our cover band we do every Halloween.

VOLCANO: After a show nothing tastes better than? ...

JAMES: A beer and a shot

VOLCANO: Do you think your music saves lives?

JAMES: No it's music to takes lives to ... according to criminal minds.

[Hell's Kitchen, Black Tusk, East of the Wall, Witchburn, C.F.A., Deathbed Confessions March, Thursday, March 29, 9:30 p.m., 21+, $8 advance, $10 door, 928 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.759.6003]

YOU CAN FEEL THE EXCITEMENT >>>

Want to see how many cars one solid waste mogul collected? The new, spiffy LeMay - America's Car Museum will open its glass doors Saturday, June 2, although its chassis is being tested with an array of business meetings and conventions, weddings and, naturally, car club events.

The LeMay Marketing Department just sent us a list of facts about ACM's $60 million campus. Let's take a look:

35,000,000: Pounds of concrete used to make the building.

14,200: Total man hours to build ACM.

2,000,000: Approximate poundage of steel reinforcing used during construction.

150: Workers per-day (at peak) on the Museum construction site.

79,000: Total square footage of ACM's walls and roof.

2,980: Sheets of 1 1/8th-inch plywood used to build the roof.

1,923,406: Pounds of rebar utilized for the Museum.

24.4: Miles of steel studs used. (Laid end-to-end, they would almost stretch from Tacoma to Seattle.)

175: Average amount of vehicles that will be displayed each day at ACM.

300: Amount of cars that will fit on ACM's 3.5-acre grass show field.

391,590 sq-ft.(9 acres):  Dimensions of the entire ACM campus.

200: Volunteers required to support the new Museum's operations.

$50: Annual cost of ACM membership.

6-2-12: ACM Grand Opening.

Poke around yourself: www.lemaymuseum.org

THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012 >>>

1. 1022 South, the craft cocktail lounge in Tacoma's Hilltop neighborhood, will celebrate its three-year anniversary tonight with a party debuting its spring menu of 40 innovative, and, in some cases, curative handcrafted cocktails. The new menu showcases 1022 South's respect for classic cocktails, an enthusiasm for apothecary, and a few of the favorite cocktails from the original menu. In addition to craft cocktails and apothecary infusions, the menu will feature a variety of delicious small plate items. To celebrate, all menu cocktails will be specially priced at $6 the night of the party. Pro tip: Order the new drink with the mezcal and rum base. It's life changing.

2. From 4:30-6:30 p.m. the Collins Memorial Library will host an opening reception for Jessica Spring, the proprietor of Springtide Press, and her new exhibit of artists books, Circus Libris. Spring's small, finely-crafted editions consider historical topics and popular culture from a unique perspective, expanding the library's tent with new-fashioned books.

3. Lisa and Mike Hahn recently turned over their Tacoma Runners management duties to Rob McNair-Huff, community relations manager for the City of Tacoma. You might have seen McNair-Huff on the streets running a 50-miler before work. He likes to run. McNair-Huff has scheduled the Tacoma Runners' weekly Thursday night 3-miler for a 6 p.m. launch from Dirty Oscar's Annex. After a 3-mile run it's important to refuel with protein and vitamins. D.O.A. is well aware of this fact. When the Runners return to discuss the run - over food and drinks (natch!) - the Sixth Avenue restaurant will serve them the Dead Elvis Burger (bacon, fried egg, 100 percent Angus hand-formed beef patty) at a $2 discount along with Vitamin C shots or cocktails for $5. You should really be a Tacoma Runner. Join them.

4. In celebration of the Pierce County Reads program, and it's spotlight book, "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" by award-winning writer Jamie Ford, historian Michael Sullivan will relay the fascinating history of the Japanese American community in Tacoma and their contributions to the region beginning at 7 p.m. inside King's Books.

5. Sludge metal band Black Tusk joins East of the Wall, Witchburn, C.F.A. and Deathbed Confessions at Hell's Kitchen beginning at 9 p.m.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music and DJs in the South Sound

LINK: South Sound happy hours

THURSDAY, MARCH 29: FOUR POACHED EIGHT BREAKFAST BATTLES ON THE DOCKET >>>

The Poached Eight is fully fleshed out: Homestead Restaurant, Moon Rise Cafe, Norma's Burgers, Cicada Restaurant, Alfred's Cafe, Boxcar Grill, Shakabrah Java and Dirty Oscar's Annex. Eight establishments that - according to our readers' poll - serve the best breakfast in the South Sound.

It's all come down to eight. All the signs in the restaurants, the mass emailings to customers and friends, the breakfast phone trees have paid off for these eight egg slingers. It's now crunch (or Cap'n Crunch) time for the breakfast royalty.

On to today's Tournament of Breakfast action and yesterday's results.

Yesterday's Tournament of Breakfast Results

Here were the match-ups:

Alfred's Cafe (Tacoma) vs. Poodle Dog (Fife)

Fife City Bar and Grill (Tacoma) vs. Boxcar Grill (Tacoma) 

Shakabrah Java (Tacoma) vs. Masa (Tacoma)

The Hub (Tacoma) vs. Dirty Oscar's Annex (Tacoma)

Alfred's Cafe, the heavy favorite to win the East Region after perceived contenders such as Johnny's Dock and Buttered Biscuit were dismissed in earlier rounds, cruised to an easy win over the aging Poodle Dog with 70 percent of the votes. Alfred's decorated big dishes, blueberry pancakes and corned beef hash, enjoyed solid days, with the Monte Cristo turning it on late in the game.

Despite an early lead from the heralded Fife City Bar and Grill, Boxcar Grill and its large, devoted Sounder Train-riding fans proved too powerful in yesterday's action, catapulting into the Poached Eight with a resounding victory. Boxcar Grill is known for sausage gravy, with 67 percent of the gravy pure sausage. Strangely, that's exactly the percentage of the vote Boxcar received yesterday. Weird. Today Boxcar will face neighboring Alfred's Cafe.

The way Shakabrah Java has managed to bring it during this year's Tournament of Breakfast has been nothing short of amazing. Yesterday, many already had established competitor Masa penciled in as a winner. Those people, however, were foolish - as Shakabrah Java once again proved its breakfast prowess. The votes don't lie, and when the final buzzer sounded Shakabrah Java had racked up roughly 58 percent of the vote. It was the closest game of the day.

We feel bad for the Stadium District on this one ... especially those denizens who love to mix an amazing chicken fried steak with their Bloody Marys and extreme sports TV watching. But something tells us they'll survive, and they'll do so in tasty style with The Hub breakfast they (and much of the area, it seems) have come to love. Unfortunately for The Hub, the task yesterday of taking down Dirty Oscar's Annex was simply too much - and the votes told the story. When all was said and done, D.O.A. moved on with nearly 67 percent of the votes in the day's most active contest.

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

• Alfred's Cafe
  
• Boxcar Grill
  
• Shakabrah Java
  
• Dirty Oscar's Annex
  

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

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

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Dale Washam Vs. Pierce County Ethics Commission: The News Tribune covered the public hearing in which Washam denied using public resources to unseat county prosecutor Mark Lindquist. (News Tribune)

Tiger Beat: Meet Malosi the Sumatran tiger this morning at the Point Defiance Zoo. (News Tribune)

Another Rich Guy Goes Diving: Amazon's Jeff Bezos wants to dive for an Apollo 11 engine. (The Guardian)

Obamacare Vs. Supreme Court: Parties brace for fallout in Court's ruling on healthcare. (The New York Times)

Hey, Aqualung!: Anchorman 2 gets the green light. (Coming Soon)

Dance Party USA, 1989: Nine Inch Nails was on it. (stereogum)

Ron Swanson Group Hug: Why everyone loves him so. (Los Angeles Times)

Movies As Code: Unfortunately, no one can be told what a movie is. You have to see it for yourself. (Movies As Code)

What A Soul-crushing Witch!

THIS WEEK'S VOLCANO MUSIC COVERAGE >>>

Sometimes life is hard. An unexpected toothache, or a beloved editor leaves you or the proverbial thorn in the side is just about enough to force you not only to throw in that towel, but to jump under it and cry.

That's why the Weekly Volcano strives to bring you the best South Sound music coverage possible. There's a reason why everyone calls you meat Maelstron. You need a happy diversion. You need to feel the music pump through your veins.

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 a preview of the Dave Graham Benefit Show, Black Tusk interview, hip-hop in local clubs, Bangs reunion, the zany Back Pockets and more ...

FEATURE: DAVE GRAHAM BENEFIT SHOW

Recently, and very suddenly, Dave Graham was diagnosed with Stage 4 Melanoma, and has since undergone painful and costly treatment to battle this vicious cancer. Sunday's benefit show will hopefully provide a little financial relief for Graham. But the biggest aspect of the event is to show Graham how much he is appreciated in this town in which he has become a fixture.

The band lineup is an eclectic collection of Tacoma mainstays, including the ghostly country of James Hilborne and the Painkillers, the grimy punk of Snak Pak, the retro AM pop of Bandolier, the space-alien-informed rock of Mr. Blackwatch and an acoustic set from China Davis. Interspersed amongst the days activities will be raffles of prizes from a huge assortment of Tacoma donors. - Rev. Adam Mckinney

INTERVIEW: BLACK TUSK

The music world has given us Black Uhuru, Black Mountain, Black Angels, Black Flag and Rush. Now comes rock's Black Tusk to Tacoma. The band plays hard and heavy and roams the realm of stoner/sludge rock. Its members are not into last names, but they are into abrasive quasi-harsh vocals rolling along with thundering fuzz-toned, bottom-end heavy riffs.

The Savannah band is touring behind Set the Dial, the brand new, Jack Endino (Soundgarden, High On Fire, Skeletonwitch) produced disk of hardcore meets technical trash tendencies.

Black Tusk rolls into Hell's Kitchen Thursday, March 29. Read our interview with the band here. – Weekly Volcano

HIPHOP: CLUB IN

The old Surreal Ultra Lounge, and whatever it was before that, is now Club In (Seventh and Pacific Avenue). It's newly remodeled and has now hosted a spattering of hip-hop shows. There's a big one coming up Friday, March 30called March Madness Reggae/Rap Fest. The show is being planned by D'Rocc and will feature performances by him, Big Myke from San Jose, and Second Family. 

With hip-hop now at Hell's Kitchen, The Harmon Taproom Underground and now Club In on a regular basis, it looks like our music will be fully represented in the downtown region of the Tac'. There's also an all-ages, hip-hop show coming up at Tahoma Tea & Co., for icing on the cake. Details will be in a future column. – Josh Rizeberg

WE RECOMMEND: BANGS

Bangs, one of the more popular rock bands to emerge from Olympia - having toured extensively and forged connections with all the other great bands of the '90s and 2000s - broke up in 2004 when frontwoman Sarah Utter moved to L.A. A brief stint of fundraising shows in 2010 brought the band back together, and now Bangs will again grace the stage at Olympia's Eagles Hall for a benefit show for Northern All Ages Project. 

"I'm super happy to be playing loud guitar with my friends Maggie Vail and Peter David," says Utter. "But, I'm MOST excited about the debut of Survival Knife, featuring one of my favorite drummers, Kris Cunningham, and favorite musicians, Justin Trosper from Unwound."

She's right. Bangs will be playing with other Olympia legends - Survival Knife and Old Wars (featuring members of Gossip.) It will be a star-studded night for sure, one full of favorite rock bands, old-school K kids and newbie underagers. - Nikki Talotta

WE RECOMMEND: THE BACK POCKETS

Last year, I was melting in Austin, Tex., during South By Southwest. In a sticky haze, I found myself outside a blue theater. There, in the parking lot, I saw the best performance of my time at SXSW: the Back Pockets, from Atlanta, Ga. Some 10 or a dozen members fill out the band, including some people seemingly specifically recruited to wear masks and make whooping sounds. The band's music can be poorly encapsulated as art-folk-punk, but the performance adds up to so much more than that. The Back Pockets create a deliriously interactive environment in their live performance, and it's one that you likely won't forget. I know, because (full disclosure part) the Back Pockets were the first band I thought of to book for the third installment of the Squeak and Squawk Music Festival. – Rev. AM

PLUS: BETTER LIVING THROUGH MUSIC - STONE AXE, MELLON COLLIE AND THE INFINITE SADNESS TRIBUTE AND MORE ...

PLUS: Comprehensive Live Local Music Listings

PLUS: Tickets on-sale alert

PLUS: This is bananas 

ARTS COVERAGE TO END ALL ARTS COVERAGE >>>

While you were trying to bake cookies from Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream, the Weekly Volcano was hot on the trail of local arts stories. 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 two reviews of the huge HIDE/SEEk show at the Tacoma Art Museum, a review of Animal Farm, report from the set of film Koinonia, a review of Wrath of the Titans trailer and more ...

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

ALEC CLAYTON ON ART: THE GENDER SPECTRUM IN ART

Berenice Abbott, "Janet Flanner," 1927. Photographic print. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. Photo courtesy of Tacoma Art Museum

I could write about the HIDE/SEEK show at Tacoma Art Museum every week from now until June and not exhaust the topic. I won't do it but I could. Today I want to talk about two photographs in the show, Berenice Abbott's portrait of Janet Flanner and Cass Bird's I Look Just Like My Daddy, 2. (There's a reason for the number "2" tagged onto the end of the title; this is part of a large series by that title.)

These two portraits, one from 1927 and one from 2003, are indicative of huge shifts in the way sexual orientation and gender identity were viewed in the early 20^th century and how they are viewed now in the early 21^st century; and that is, in essence, the theme of the exhibition HIDE/SEEK: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture. – Alec Clayton

FEATURE: IN FACT, ALEC CLAYTON REVIEWED HIDE/SEEK

Cass Bird: “I Look Just Like My Daddy,” 2003 (printed 2010). C-41 print. Collection of the artist, New York. Photo courtesy of Tacoma Art Museum

The big gay history/portrait show at Tacoma Art Museum is overwhelming. I came away exhausted but wanting more.

It's a marvelous show filled with fascinating history and insights into the lives of gay and lesbian artists. For instance, did you know Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg were lovers and after they broke up Johns included encoded messages to Rauschenberg in paintings like "Ventriloquist" and "Souvenir"? Did you know a whale was a gay symbol and that Marsden Hartley's famous "Painting No. 47, Berlin" was a coded portrait of his gay lover, a German army officer? – AC

THEATER REVIEW: OLYMPIA FAMILY THEATER'S ANIMAL FARM

Director Samantha Chandler and her team of designers have risen to the stature of this classic cautionary fable. Olympia Family Theater delivers a show as technically proficient as those of Harlequin Productions - thanks in large part to Harlequin's reigning tech director, Jill Carter, who designed this OFT production's set (with Lyndsey Nichols) and a jaw-dropping series of animations. Grand battles are represented in cartoon form, projected onto a movie screen in the barn of Animal Farm. This allows Chandler the freedom to portray dark history indeed, as the screen drowns in a deluge of spilled animal blood. – Christian Carvajal

MOVIE BIZ BUZZ: ON THE SET OF KOINONIA

My journey to Koinonia, the new feature by Tacoma's Andrew Finnigan, begins last Thursday. Mount Rainier looms larger and Highway 410 gets narrower as I head toward my destination. Buildings melt away, replaced by nothing but trees in all directions. I brake for a train of deer leisurely crossing the road. Every movie is a transport to another place; Koinonia hasn't even started shooting, and already I feel swallowed up in my surroundings.

But "roughing it" does take some time to adapt to. I arrive at the snowy, spacious cabin in Greenwater Finnigan has rented for the crew, and see director of photography Sam Graydon trying to find Internet service. Others wander through the rooms, phones in hand, searching for a signal. (I get one bar if I stand ... right ... here.) Finnigan's 2-year-old battles her own ennui by hopping from couch to couch and slapping everything within arm's length - including Daddy's junk. Twice. – Christopher Wood

JUDGING BY THE TRAILERS: WRATH OF THE TITANS

Here is something that the lunatics that actually liked the Clash of the Titans remake will be interested to hear: this time around, they've styled Sam Worthington's hair to look more like Harry Hamlin's. So, you know, take that, people who were appalled by the slick remake of the kitschy classic - they're trying, alright? Maybe take a chill pill? - Rev. Adam McKinney

PLUS: Comprehensive Arts and Entertainment Calendar

PLUS: EVEN MORE EVENTS WE RECOMMEND

PLUS: Animals taking bubble baths

ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL >>>

If a press release could smile, the release Weekly Volcano World Headquarters just received would be smiling corner to corner. The campaign for Rep. Jeannie Darneille (D) from the 27^th Legislative District announced a good chunk of the Tacoma City Council is in her camp for her State Senate run.

Here's the release:

Rep. Jeannie Darneille's campaign for State Senate (27^th LD) received a number of key local endorsements this week including Tacoma City Councilmembers David Boe, Victoria Woodards, and Anders Ibsen. The three join Councilmembers Ryan Mello and Lauren Walker as well as Mayor Marilyn Strickland in endorsing Darneille, earning her the support of the majority of the City Council.

Read more...

Comment On This Post

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

WEATHER REPORT

Friday: Rain, hi 52, lo 36

Saturday: Rain, hi 50, lo 37

Sunday: More mf-ing rain, hi 50, lo (our motivation)

>>> FRIDAY, MARCH 30: Edible Book Festival

The Weekly Volcano will eat anything. For instance, take Poppers Mini-Taquitos ... just not from us (bada boom). Sucking liquefied meat from an edible straw - a mere dream until recent advances in mini-taquito technology. Anyway, what we have never eaten are books. Why would we? Sure, we've eaten our words. And we've been in plenty of binds. But books? Well, people will eat books Friday at the University of Puget Sound. Collins Memorial Library at UPS dedicates itself to protecting books, but come Friday it will eat them at the University's sixth Edible Books Festival. What is an edible book? Duh. An edible book is made of food and inspired by literary titles, characters or authors - such as Lord of the Onion Rings.

• Collins Memorial Library, Friday, March 30, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., 3:30 p.m. awards ceremony, no cover (get it!), North 18^th Street and North Warner Street, Tacoma, 253.879.3669

>>> FRIDAY, MARCH 30: Tacoma Noise Radio

The Weekly Volcano is not here to make this stuff up. Truth happens. Reality pinches, rides up, makes you start and shiver in utter amazement. The Tacoma Noise Rodeo returns to treat the denizens of Sixth Avenue to experimental electronic music. No, not guitar feedback synced with loud Ultimate Fighting DVDs the neighbor kids cranks in his basement Friday nights. Rather, glorious modular synthesizers, patch cables and Commodore 64 machines producing extremely loudly, wicked alchemical magic, meaty pulsing rhythms, monster drone and giant washes of sound, all making you want to run a marathon while eating raw meat, naked. Show producer Chris Lehfeldt will showcase his band Bagger 288 along with Obscure Robot and Four Dimensional Nightmare at Metronome Coffee on Sixth Avenue.

• Metronome Coffee, Friday, March 30, 7 p.m., all ages, no cover, 3518 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.301.2375

>>> FRIDAY, MARCH 30 & SUNDAY, APRIL 1: La Boheme

Tacoma Opera will stage the classic, much-loved opera La Boheme in its original Italian, although there will be English subtitles provided for the unwashed heathens in the audience who don't know the story of young love with a tragic ending - as all operas seem to have. Uncultured Gen Xers will better know the story as Rent, a high-quality blockbuster knockoff of the earlier Puccini work.

• Rialto Theater, Friday, March 30 8 p.m., Sunday, April 1 2 p.m., $25 an dup, 310 S. Ninth St., Tacoma, 253.627.7789

>>>SATURDAY, MARCH 30: Dockyard Derby Dames season opener 

Derailed, like many things, by snowmaggedon 2012, the Dockyard Derby Dames will officially kick off season six Saturday night inside the Pierce College Health Ed Center in Lakewood. The Dames open with hot roller debry action featuring the Marauding Mollys battling Season 5 champions The Trampires, followed by the Hellbound Homewreckers taking on the Femme Fianna. Bring the whole family, won't you?

• Pierce College Health ed Center, Saturday, March 31, 6 p.m., doors at 5 p.m., beer garden, $12 advance, 9401 Farwest Dr. SW, Lakewood, www.dockyardderbydames.com

>>> SUNDAY, APRIL 1: Wayz And Means: Letterpress Film Festival

You can't help be jealous of letterpress artists. They both intelligence and creativity, and when they collaborate, you get a massive-shot of talent. A massive shot is exactly what will go down Sunday when King's Books hosts Wayz and Means: Letterpress Film Festival screening short films celebrating letterpress and book arts. Tickets are $20 and include popcorn, liquid refreshments, and - of course - cake. The event will raise funds for the Stadium District bookstore's annual Wayzgoose: Letterpress and Book Arts Festival. Apparently, filmgoers will also have the opportunity to purchase early Wayzgoose raffle tickets.

• King's Books, Sunday, April 1, 6-8 p.m., $20, 218 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma, 253.272.8801

WHAT SOME OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS ARE UP TO

CHRISTIAN CARVAJAL Theater Critic
I need to devote quite a bit of time to opera rehearsals, but I'm also hoping to catch a performance of Someone Who'll Watch Over Me at Tacoma Little Theatre. I hear it's amazing.

ALEC CLAYTON Arts Critic
We're going to the Jazz Night Out fundraiser for Capital City Pride Saturday night. It's at the Urban Onion.

JENNI PRANGE BORAN Arts and Feature Writer
A bowling alley I walk by almost everyday reputedly has karaoke on the weekends. ... So the husband and I might be spending Friday night at Pacific Lanes revisiting '80s hits via cheap beer. Sunday will be spent, as April 1 is every year, thinking of ways to fool various family members.

NIKKI TALOTTA Music Writer
I'm slinging drinks for Friday happy hour then headed up to Hell's Kitchen to catch one of my fave bands of all time - Stone Axe! Saturday, the garden calls. And on Sunday, I plan to round off the weekend with a free aerialist show at the Brotherhood Lounge. Thank you Puget Sound for making my weekend stellar!

JOANN VARNELL Theater Critic
This weekend is the official start of my spring break! We'll kick it off with dinner with friends. Saturday morning will find us bleary-eyed and headed to SeaTac for an early flight to Colorado. Sunday we will pack up a car with the toddler and the in-laws for a 10 hour drive to South Dakota. Giant dogs and friends will hold down the home front until we return.

MOLLY GILMORE Arts and Feature Writer
I'm seeing Enchanted April at Harlequin Productions and Pina at
the Capitol Theater.

STEVE DUNKELBERGER Photographer
I have the kids through spring break, so the list of fun will include a trip to Gibson's for some fro-yo and then the Dave Graham love fest at The Swiss, followed by a movie or a walk around the waterfront.

JOSH RIZEBERG Music Columnist
This Friday at 6 p.m. I'll be teaching my Spoken-Word/Poetry class at the D.A.S.H. Center for the Arts. The class is available for students of all-ages to sign-up, drop-ins are also encouraged. After my class I'll hit-up the new Club In on 728 Pacific Ave. where I'll check-out the Reggae Rapfest, performing is D'Rocc and Second Family and others. It's $8 presale or $12 at the door. Saturday I'm keeping it local and hitting Hell's Kitchen for the "Working Class Artists Spring Tour" featuring AKA, Mike Drastic and The Krisis. This show starts at 9 and is only $5 to get in. On Sunday the Northwest M.C. League is getting-down on Ninth and Broadway at the Graffiti-Garages! This event is always free and always all-ages.

JOE IZENMAN Theater Critic
Beginning the most epic of all possible Risk campaigns with certain pillars of the Tacoma nerd community? Could be. Fishing for culture at Tacoma Symphony Chorus's presentation of Faure's Requiem? Might be. Trekking up to the geekstravaganza that is Emerald City Comic Con? Probably. Celebrating the commencement of Proctor Farmer's Market season? Definitely.

JOSHUA SWAINSTON Features Writer
Joshua Swainston will be dreaming of Tacoma while sailing around Prince
Williams Sound, Alaska. Oh ... and working on my next Volcano article, of
course.

LINK: Even more local events that we recommend

LINK: Comprehensive South Sound Arts & Entertainment Calendar