THE BEGINNING OF THE BEGINNING >>>

On March 1, 2012 local history was made.

The very first direct shipment of spirits since Prohibition happened in our fair city of Tacoma. Hot tipper (and booze pusher) Mick Wilcox of Click Wholesale Distributing let it be known through secret channels that the hand-off would occur on that Thursday afternoon at Engine House No. 9 in the Sixth Avenue Business District.

And just what liquor was special enough to earn this honor? Well, a crafted-in-Washington one, of course: Woodinville Whiskey Company's Headlong White Dog Whiskey.

The Weekly Volcano tossed a couple questions at Engine House No. 9 co-owner John Xitco on that historic day.

WEEKLY VOLCANO: How does it feel to be the very first recipient of a non-government controlled delivery of liquor in Tacoma since Prohibition?

JOHN XITCO: Anything non-government controlled feels fantastic.

VOLCANO: Will there be a ticker tape parade or any drink specials to commemorate this event in exciting local history?

XITCO: Dollar off drinks for all state liquor control agents. ... Just kidding since that is probably still against the law. We are going to frame the invoice and, believe it or not, we actually saved a little money.

VOLCANO: Will you name your next child after Mick Wilcox?

XITCO: Another child might be tough, but maybe our next cat.

[Engine House No. 9, 611 N. Pine St., Tacoma, 253.272.3435]

LINK: Understanding Tacoma's image through drink

LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

4th Ave Ale House Olympia - Downtown. Elbow Coulee, Horse Bodies, Sebastian & The Deep Blue. 9 pm. $5.

Cork! A Wine Bar Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. James Coates. 8 pm.

Dorky's Arcade Tacoma - Downtown. SpinalCracker, Dead Peasants. 9 pm.

Forza Wine Bar Gig Harbor. Malcolm Clark Band. 7 pm.

Grove Street Brewhouse Shelton. Runaway Train, Oly Mountain Boys. 8-11 pm. $5.

Harmon Tap Room Tacoma -Stadium District. Tap Room Underground Grand Opening featuring Gina Belliveau, Kate Lynn Logan, Steve Stefenowicz, Pete Johnson, Ben Union, Travis Barker, Kim Archer Band. 6 pm. NC.

• Opened two years ago this June, the Tap Room, with its backroom brewery, was initially an answer to the overwhelming demand for Harmon beer, but struggled with its identity as a business. For one thing, the location proved to be a challenge. With the Tap Room located directly under The Hub, the Harmon siblings found themselves competing with one another. It soon became clear that the Tap Room needed to offer something that neither of the other Harmon locations could: it was soon decided that music of all genres in a 21-and-over setting, until 2 a.m. was the answer.  The concept of the Tap Room Underground was born. Read Jenni Prange Boran's full feature on the Tap Room Underground in the Music section at weeklyvolcano.com.

Hell's Kitchen Tacoma - Downtown. Listen Closely, Through Darker Tides, Signs, Among The Mayans, How We Fall. All Ages. 6 pm. $6-$8. Bravo Team, J Hill, Killas with Kindness, Neo, Isaiah, G Khan. 9 pm. $5-$10.

Jazzbones Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Missionary Position, SweetKiss Momma, Hot Bodies In Motion, Ape Machine. 7 pm. $12.

• As far as Jeff Angell goes in this world, Tacoma will always claim the born-to-be frontman as its own. And with good reason. Junior cut his teeth in T-Town, and the grit shows in his music to this day - even on his band's, the Missionary Position's, most recent effort - Consequences, which will no doubt be delved into heavily Saturday at Jazzbones in Tacoma. As groove-filled and sexed-up as ever, Angell's latest record - which benefits greatly from the mad keyboard skills of Benjamin Anderson - may have way more saxophone and '70s funk tinge than, say, Post Stardom Depression ever displayed, but Angell's swagger is as addictive as ever. With everything year that passes Angell hones his artistic craft, and Consequences may mark his best, most flushed-out work to date. - Matt Driscoll
  

Louie G's Pizzeria Fife. Falling Blind, West On 18, Insuburban Avenue. All Ages. 8 pm.

Mandolin Cafe Tacoma - Central. Local Performers Of Tacoma Night. All Ages. 3 pm.

The Red Room Tacoma - Downtown. The Breaklites, Jai X Jrm, Chief Noo. All Ages. 7 pm. $7.

Stonegate Pizza Tacoma - South. Taist of Iron and guests. benefit for Marcus Moore. 6 pm raffle, 9 pm music.

The New Frontier Lounge Tacoma - Dome District. Bodybox, ResDeus, Tin Man. 9 pm.

Tahoma Tea & Co. Tacoma - Downtown. Shotgun Kitchen CD release party. All Ages. 7 pm.

• Typically, you'll see a band grow and grow as the years go on, adding more elements until the product is as massive as the band's history itself. Sort of like rings in a tree. With Shotgun Kitchen, it's been the opposite. The band found a more humble sound suited them better. "I really wanted to go stripped-down, back to an acoustic sound," says Shotgun Kitchen's Joe McInnis. "That's the sound I really like, and that's where we are now. We've just finished a CD, and it's almost all acoustic. The bass is the only thing with amplification." Conceptually, this acoustic sound certainly fits with the whole feel of Shotgun Kitchen. The band has always leaned in a folky direction, drawing inspiration from people like John Prine, Woody Guthrie and Randy Newman. Saturday at Tahoma Tea & Co. Shotgun Kitchen celebrates the release of a brand new album. - Weekly Volcano

Traditions Cafe and World Folk Art Olympia - Downtown. Fellowship Of Reconciliation Benefit, featuring Tom Rawson. All Ages. 7:30 pm. $10-$25.

LINK: More live music tonight in the South Sound

SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2012 >>>

1. The Tacoma Youth Symphony Association brings its 2011-2012 season to the Rialto Theater at 3 p.m. for a performance by the much-loved Tacoma Youth Symphony Orchestra. Titled Carnival, and thematically including Antonín Dvorák's "Carnival Overture," Robert Huchinson's violin-piece "Maria Sampen," and Witold Lutoslawski's "Concerto for Orchestra," this afternoon's concert should deliver in all facets of awesomeness.

2. Have you suffered through years of weird and thoughtless haircuts? Bowl cuts. Buzz cuts. Flat tops. Ambiguous messes. The caesar cut (before and after it was cool - not while Justin Timberlake had it). Today's the day to try something new. Baroque Salon hosts a Haircut-a-thon from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. to raise money for stylist Novell Dewald who was shot in the leg while leaving Baroque last month. Money from haircuts will help Novell walk again. Pastiche A Wine Bar next door will donate proceeds from wine sales from 3-9 p.m.

3. The Tacoma Buddhist Temple hosts its 50th annual sukiyaki dinner fundraiser from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. You may enjoy a one-pot meal of thinly sliced beef, saifun noodles, tofu, green onions and other vegetables, all lightly sautéed in a flavorful broth - as well as teriyaki chicken, teriyaki beef shish kabobs, mochi ice cream, rice and drinks - to raises money for the temple's programs and maintenance costs.

4. Power, Loma Prieta, Birds In Row, Dethrone and Earth Mother rock the all-ages Red Room beginning at 6:30 p.m.

5. Hey! Did you hear Vicci Martinez performs at 7 p.m. inside Jazzbones to help her former manager Reed Riley raise money for his triple bypass? It's true.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music tonight in the South Sound

LINK: South Sound Happy Hours

NOW THIS IS A SUNDAY NIGHT! >>>

The Brotherhood Lounge used to be the spot to rally support and spit at the likeness of management. Now it's the spot to eye cute hipster types. Either way, it's always a great spot to drink booze.

Sunday is movie night at the downtown Olympia watering hole. Tonight at 7 p.m. The Brotherhood Lounge will screen Super 8.

Weekly Volcano scribe Rev. Adam McKinney reviewed Super 8 this past June. Here's what he wrote:

It's a sad position I've been placed in by Super 8: on the one hand, it is a good movie. It has all of the enjoyable elements of a good, summer popcorn flick. On the other hand, I must recognize its goodness comes as such a relief because it exists as a standalone film, and not as part of a franchise.

But, while it is an original film, it is not an original film, if you get my meaning.

The critical shorthand that reviewers use will surely mention the combination of movies like The Goonies and Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Steven Spielberg being the producer, aliens are bound to be involved). These comparisons will be true - which is not to say this is a bad thing. Sure, Super 8 is compiled from scraps of earlier movies, but this is mostly taken as reverential nods to those classics.

To read Rev. Adam McKinney's full review of Super 8, go to the Movies section at weeklyvolcano.com.

The Reverend awarded the film a whopping three out of four stars. Just add booze.

[The Brotherhood Lounge, Sunday, Marhc 4, 7 p.m., no cover, cash only bar, 119 Capitol Way N., Olympia, 360.352.4153]

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Tomorrow Morning: The commute will suck. (News Tribune)

Tacoma Vs. Kidnappers: The Tacoma Police will have a special team and a special plan. (News Tribune)

Something To Think About On This Rainy Morning: A report says Pierce County river levees and flood control structures are not good. (News Tribune)

Putin, Um, Wins?: Foul play reported as Vladimir Putin looks set to return to the Russian presidency four years after he was forced out by term limits. (CNN)

Super Tuesday: Looks as if the Republican Party will rally around Mitt Romney. (The New York Times)

Syria: Syrians fleeing Homs accuse security forces of committing atrocities, including summary executions. (BBC)

What Would Great-Grandma Eat?: White Bread: A Social History of the Store-Bought Loaf. (The Chronicle)

Playing With Infinity of Rikers Island: Math reduces pretty things like the moon to ugly things like orbital periods. Yet a concise equation can reveal the magic of pure thought. (Prospect)

Ballboy's Worst Nightmare: A gallery filled with bouncing tennis balls. (Flavorwire)

Game Of Thrones Vs. The Simpsons: An awesome opening parody. (Laughing Squid)

Lindsay Lohan on SNL: What the critics are saying. (Hollywood Reporter)

And Finally: Pop culture icons who are also occasional nudists. (Flavorwire)

MONDAY, MARCH 5, 2012 >>>

1. Catch Olympia's "best new band" as voted by the readers of the Weekly Volcano tonight at Charlie's Sports Bar and Grill. The acoustic jams kick off at 9 p.m

2. Throw on your best aging t-shirt and limber up your devil horns, because Monday means it's time for yet another Metal Monday at The New Frontier Lounge. The head-banging starts at 9 p.m.

3. Monday night is trivia night at the Tacoma Comedy Club on Market Street. There's no cover to get in, and the questions kick off at 7 p.m. In addition to the general thrill of victory, cash and prizes are also advertised.

4. Speaking of trivia, one of the best trivia nights in the area goes down each Monday at the Harmon Tap Room in Tacoma's Stadium District. It runs from 6 -8 p.m., with the winner of each round a $50 cash prize according to hype.

5. Common sense might suggest getting loaded on a Monday night and singing your ass off at the China Clipper's "Late Night Karaoke" might be a questionable idea. But screw common sense. With the karaoke starting at 9 p.m., we suggest sucking down a couple of the Clipper's notoriously strong drinks and then letting it all hang out.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music and DJs tonight

TACOMA COMES OUT FOR VICCI, RALLIES FOR REED RILEY >>>

Tacoma's Vicci Martinez became a household name last year as she competed on NBC-TV's The Voice. She spent the next several months in Los Angeles prepping material for Vicci, her debut for Universal Republic (due in June). Along the way she found time to drop in on the Grammys and Leno.

But Sunday night she got back to her roots, taking the stage at Jazzbones for the first time since she unveiled her "Road Warrior" meets Pat Benatar stylo with Cee Lo.

The occasion:  A benefit for Reed Riley, the man who got her on the path to stardom more than a decade ago. Riley - her manager of eight years and the subject of Martinez's signature ballad "Heart of Gold" - was on hand. But he recently suffered a heart attack and is scheduled for open-heart surgery.

"I have to sing tonight, so I'm going to try to not to cry," Martinez declared early on. "Reed has been a big rock in my life, and he's been one of my biggest supporters since I started, the first guy who had a little bit of pull in this town to really believe and support me."

The Vicci Martinez Army was out in full force, with fans wrapped around the block before doors opened shortly after 6 p.m. And a packed house witnessed a modified version of the band - Heart drummer Ben Smith filled in for the absent Darin Watkins - as it romped through fan favorites and few fresh, new cuts, including "Hold Me, Darlin',""Kiss" and "Let Go." A sample of Martinez and company in action below.

But before the show, Tacoma's rising star took a few minutes to tell us what she's been up to in the City of Angels.

What to expect from Vicci: Expect her to branch out by injecting synth, strings and even a little drum machine into her previously rootsy sound.

"I think most people when they hear it at first kind of go, ‘Oh, whoah. This has synthesizers. And this sounds like it could be at a dance club.' It's kind of crazy. And then there's some bluesy soul influenced stuff in there, too.

"I've been playing for years, and you just evolve. There's always gonna be people that critique and can be negative about things. But all I can say is I'm evolving and I want to continue to evolve. I'm never gonna put myself in any category. I'm just going to do what I love."

Superstar in training:

"People do recognize me. I didn't realize how many people actually do watch The Voice. It's so funny because I always get recognized when I'm in my sweats and I just worked out and look like I just woke up. But, whatever. I don't care. That's what I love about Tacoma. You get to wear your sweats wherever the hell you want."

Going Hollywood:

The old Vicci rocked rocked saggy jeans, over-sized t-shirts and bare feet on stage. The new Vicci rocks skinny jeans, makeup and - gasp - Florentini and Baker.

Say it ain't so, Vicci!

"I've been a tomboy my whole life - always wearing oversized stuff. I want to be comfortable, whatever. But (the makeover) kind of happened on the show. We started wearing our own clothes, and the stylists on the show just kind of took us to this other level.

"I'll admit, I've always been bad with style and makeup and whatever the hell. I don't care about it. But if somebody's going to help me out, cool, I'll do it."

TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY >>>

Dave Matthews will waddle back to the Gorge with all the hot rock 'n' roll excitement of a beige sweater to kick out the DMB noodle jams with openers The Avett Brothers Friday, August 31 through Sunday, Sept. 2.

A press release from Live Nation says, "Dave Matthews Band returns to the road this summer with an extensive North American summer tour launching on May 18 at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in Woodlands, TX. The group - which ranked as the biggest ticket seller worldwide of the past decade - took last year off from touring, so this will be its first outing since 2010."

Matthews, of course, will sell out all three dates. 

What's cool is Allen Stone, the youngster from Chewelah, Wash., will open the shows. Seattle's City Arts mag says Stone has "...a voice that astounds everyone who hears it, a rich caramel tone as full as it is limber, reaching back into the annals of soul's greatest hitmakers, rippling like Stevie Wonder, swaying like Bill Withers, ascending like Prince. It's a voice that has attracted his young, talented bandmates and the night's adoring crowd. It's a voice that shatters prejudice. And it's a voice that is trying to say something."

Tickets are $48.50 and $75 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, March 9 at LiveNation.com, all Ticketmaster outlets, or charge by phone 1.800-.745.3000.

TUESDAY FILM SERIES ALERT >>>

I often think the Academy Awards have about as much to do with honoring cinematic excellence as a high school cheerleading contest has to do with which girl does the best backflips. I wish the television broadcast could include a screening of the winning live action shorts to celebrate this wonderful cinematic art form. Instead, this year's broadcast included a hilarious euphemistic bit with the cast of Bridesmaids arguing that length doesn't matter - when it comes to films, that is. "I'd rather have a short film that is nice to me than a long one that lies there and makes me do all the work." Wise words from Kristen Wiig.

The Shore grabbed this year's live action short Oscar with its surprise twist of an O. Henry tale.

The Academy Awards 2012 nominees for Live Action Shorts are hitting movie screens across the nation, including The Grand Cinema tomorrow. You may view the following five nominated shorts at 2:05 and 7:10 p.m.

Pentecost (11 min): When Damian is forced to serve as an altar boy at an important mass in his local parish, he faces a difficult choice: conform to the status quo, or serve an extended ban from his life's passion - football.  

Raju (24 min; in German and English with English subtitles): The filmmakers of RAJU succeed at making the moral dilemma faced by couples wishing to adopt emotionally palpable. 

The Shore (31 min; contains some Gaelic with English subtitles): After 25 years in exile, Jim Mahon (Ciaran Hinds) returns to Ireland to show his American daughter Patty (Kerry Condon) his Belfast roots. But things don't go as planned when she learns of a secret love triangle and a long-lost best friend.

Time Freak (11 min): A neurotic inventory creates a time machine, only to get caught up traveling around yesterday.

Tuba Atlantic (25 min; In Norwegian with English subtitles): Everybody is going to die one day. Oskar, 70, is going to die in six days. He is now ready to forgive his brother for a disagreement years ago. Will he reach his brother, who lives on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, before it's too late?

[The Grand Cinema, Tuesday, March 6, 2:05 and 7:10 p.m., $5.50-$9, 606 S. Fawcett Ave., Tacoma, 253.593.4474]

LINK: South Sound movie times

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Snow: Yes, get your ass ready for school. (News Tribune)

Tacoma Gangs: They are targeting middle schoolers. (KPLU)

Bremerton School Shooting: Warrant out for the dumbass mother. (News Tribune)

Washington State's Minimum-Bail Bill: House Bill 2668 died. (The Olympian)

Iran Nuclear Talks: United States and five other countries want to hug it out. (CNN)

Super Tuesday: Nearly 20 percent of the delegates to the Republican convention will be chosen tonight. (The New York Times)

Hack This: Three members of the infamous hacking group Lulzsec are arrested, and charges against other suspects are expected to follow. (BCC)

Happiest Cities in the U.S.: Did the South Sound make the list? (The Daily Beast)

Facebook Vs. Bands: Out of tune. (Hypebot)

Cat Curfew: Japan's popular cat cafes are getting slapped with a curfew. (Time)

Was It Over When The Germans Bombed Pearl Harbor?: Animal House musical is planned. (The New York Times)

French Prankster Remi Gaillard: He lives in an elevator now. (Laughing Squid)

And then there's this ...