HOMELESS OUT OF SEATTLE >>>

The memory part of my ageing brain fails to dredge up a clear picture of where I first saw Mary Larson's portraits of homeless people in Seattle. I think it was some documentary on telvision, or perhaps I walked into some gallery in the Emerald City not knowing what was showing and there they were. Wherever or however it was, those haunting images stuck with me.

They are pop-style portraits executed with bright colors, and every one is a straight-on portrait with the head practically filling the canvas and looking right at the viewer. Most of them look dignified and happy. Like people you'd really enjoy knowing.

What her paintings do for the people whose portraits they are is something that perhaps no one else could do in any other way. She shows them as what they are: people like any others. How often have we passed homeless people on the streets and seen them, if at all, as a class or group or concept and not as individuals who just might want to be acknowledged - who have parents and children and probably former friends and neighbors who more than likely no longer see them.

I remember that seeing those portraits carried a big wallop when I first saw them, and seeing them again is like running into old friends.

Larson's portraits of the homeless are now on display at the Pierce College Fine Arts Gallery, Steilacoom campus. This is the last week for the show. It closes Friday evening following a closing reception from 4 to 6 p.m.

The gallery will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Through Thursday and beginning at 10 a.m. Friday before the reception. In conjunction with the exhibition, the college is holding a food drive for the needy. Donations of non-perishable or canned food will be accepted at the food deposit located in the gallery.

Larson does not sell these paintings. Instead, she gives them away in exchange for donations for the homeless. Read what she has to say on her website:

"I am an artist and a nurse who works with the homeless. The subjects of my portraits are the patients I help take care of at the clinic where I work. Many of the sitters in my portraits are homeless; some are not. All have been touched by homelessness. There are items that are luxuries for people who are homeless; socks (often worn two months at a time), gloves, hats, underwear, and a cup of coffee. Instead of putting a dollar value on my portraits, I sell them in exchange for items that are given to our patients at the clinic & to other organizations that provide for those in need in Seattle. For purchases from other cities around the world, I work with buyers to identify a homeless organization in their own community where items are donated."

On Larson's website you'll see something you'll probably never see on any other artist website. Most of the portraits are marked as sold along with a line of type indicating what they were sold for, for example: 500 tubes travel size toothpaste and 1000 toothbrushes, 750 Cans of food for a neighborhood food bank, and new hammers to help build new Habitat for Humanity Houses.

I hope you can see this show before it's gone. If you can, please go armed with a food donation.

LINK: Alec Clayton's weekly Visual Edge column

CNN IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

Sometimes, the Weekly Volcano World Headquarters' breakroom turns into the greenroom. After all, the giggle bush paraphernalia is kept next to the company fridge, which is full of diet Shasta and Rainier (perfect for cotton mouth.) Except for the vape machine; Pappi Swarner likes to keep that beauty next to his Mac. Anyway, we have "Sasquatch" the eight-foot bong (a morning time favorite), "Alice" the hookah (group brainstorm sessions) and "Sneaky Pete" (for when we step out the back door for a little Lakewood fresh air).

PUBLSIHER: What Nikki wrote is not true.

So when we caught all the "buzz" (giggle, giggle) about CNN's investigative report from Thurston County on marijuana's affect on driving skills, we had to share.

PUBLSIHER: I have a cup of tea next to my Mac.

We must add, the daily, "heavy user" medical marijuana patient - a 27-year-old babe that exclaims "awesome!" around every turn - can come to our parties anytime.

PUBLISHER: Obviously we do enjoy the word "awesome," but we haven't had any parties since Matt Driscoll left.

And so can the driving instructor, who basically said everyone drove fine, up to like seven times the legal limit of 5 nanograms. What a bro.

PUBLISHER: Did Nikki just call the driving instructor "bro"?

You know what? Even that cop who agreed with the instructor, and the "occasional" smoker - invite them, too! They can all come to our parties - as long as they bring some of that Blueberry Trainwreck.

PUBLISHER: Don't come to our office. And don't bring muffins.

THIS IS CALLED A TEASER >>>

Weekly Volcano scribe Nikki McCoy interviewed Argonaut singer/bassist Matt Sader about the Tacoma's band's new release party Friday at The New Frontier Lounge. Sader's proud of the new release, What's your perfect day?, which KISW's "Loud and Local" show grabbed and is spinning the band's song, "The Battle of Pig Hill." Read McCoy's interview with Sader Thursday in the Weekly Volcano.

The album title prompts the question: What's your perfect day?

McCoy asked Sader what's his perfect day.

"My perfect day would start by heaving a pile of women off of me to be greeted by another holding a tray with corned beef hash and eggs and a 20-ounce Americano with an extra shot. I would walk from my Norwegian Longhouse deep in the Norwegian woods where the black metal corpse paint-wearing dudes take their pictures to my stable where I would ready my black Clydesdale warhorse. My daughter, Elizabeth, would be with me as we rode to the airport to be flown to Disneyland where we would spend most of the day. Then we would head over to the studio to record a new record with the Melvins. After that, we would eat a feast of Hawaiian and Mexican food, and have chocolate pudding covered brownies with whipped cream for dessert. Then we would head back to Norway to play The Ultimate Viking Festival That Rules All Festivals and play in front of 100,000 corpse paint wearing Norwegians on a bill with the Melvins, a reunited KARP with Dale Crover playing drums in place of Scotty, My Bloody Valentine, Neurosis and the original line-up of Kyuss. Then back to the Longhouse in the woods where she would have her Disney Princess castle style bedroom and I would retire under that same pile of women."

What's your perfect day?

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 20 2013 >>>

1. Don't even act like you're not going, Olympians. The Weekly Volcano is celebrating this week's third Best of Olympia issue by blowing the roof off the Capitol Theater, beginning at 6 p.m. No cover. Beer and wine in the balcony. Live music by DJ Joel, Mosquito Hawk and Science! TUSH! Burlesque troupe will grace the stage three times during the night. Thurston County's best and brightest. A killer raffle. The Best of Olympia issue in your hot little hands a day before it hits the street. And, best of all, your favorite local Volcano "celebrities," including the cool chick who bartends, the guy in the hip-hop band and that dude related to John Grisham. 

2. "Tacomapocalypse" is now in its third year, morphing just a tad with each incarnation. The first "Tacomapocalypse" focused on zombies and destruction. The second took a tongue-in-cheek look at the end of the world. "Tacomapocalypse III" in turn is centered on what has lived through the end of days and what that recovery might look like. So if you need a little boost getting over your end-of-the-world fretting from last year, think of "Tacomapocalypse" as a little bit of unconventional therapy. The show hangs at the Amocat Café.

3. The Tanked for Tortoises event tonight at the Parkway Tavern will raise money to help the Madagascar Biodiversity Project and the Radiated Tortoise Project. Every 50 cents spent on beer, cider and wine between 6 and 10 p.m. will go toward helping our friends the tortoises.

4. Dorky's Bar Arcade in downtown Tacoma hosts Trivis for Dorks every Wednesday night at 8 p.m. Weekly Volcano scribe Nikki McCoy has the scoop here.

5. Play bingo with those not just killing time before the Grim Reaper calls their number. Every Wednesday at 9 p.m. inside The New Frontier, bingo players are treated to a rather boisterous evening of number-calling. The music rocks, the prizes are craptastic and there's something very satisfying about yelling "It's not a tumor!" when B-9 is pulled from the hopper (Schwarzenegger anyone?). Sessions are free with $2 margaritas during bingo. Every Wednesday night is also Taco Night with $1 beef, $1 black bean and $2 chicken in soft or crunchy shells.

LINK: Wednesday, Feb. 20 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

THIRD THURSDAY IN TACOMA >>>

There will be mini BLTs. How's that for not burying the lead.

Urban Alchemy, a new Tacoma shop offering unique handmade gifts, fine art and home décor to those who enjoy shopping under Tivoli lights, will embrace the Tacoma Art Mingle, keeping its Opera Alley doors open a wee bit long to offer, yes, mini BLTs.

Thursday marks the second Tacoma Art Mingle - what the Tacoma Art Group tagged the new Third Thursday art walk - and Urban Alchemy is in. The cute shop has been in since it opened its doors the day the world was suppose to end, Dec. 21. I can only assume the Mayans didn't want to deprive Tacoma of lampshade chandelier, Alexis St. John's space hamster Chelsia Berry Designs. And, of course mini BLTs.

"Urban Alchemy is part gallery, part retail for handmade gift and home décor," says owner Therese Tucker. "It's a smorgasbord of awesomeness by local artists and artisans. I represent close to 40 artists, including myself, and though my store is largely filtered through my tastes and preferences, I really strive to create a community of creativity with my artists."

During Thursday's Art Mingle, the store aims to impress and cause mass drooling for all who enter. There will be, yes, mini BLTs. There will be caprese sticks. There will be cheese plates and special secret sauces. Of course, a cute shop needs an assortment of desserts, which will don fancy trays. Laurie Tucker, who is also one of the artists at the gallery/store, will cater the deliciousness.

Therese Tucker also promises off-the-hook ambiance, not just during Art Mingle. She promises jaw drops during store hours.

"It's a-mazing," she says. "Like, everyday it's amazing. I'm telling you, there is a magnetic field in the store or something. I'm told daily that the store is such a lovely place to be. During Art Mingle, it will be even more so, because many of the artists I represent will also be here mingling. I know the artwork in my space will be humming with joy to see their makers again. It's something you can viscerally feel in person. So, you should get over here and feel it. A. Maze. Ing."

And have a mini BLT.

URBAN ALCHEMY, 10 A.M. TO 7 P.M. MONDAY-SATURDAY, NOON TO 6 P.M. SUNDAY, 711 OPERA ALLEY, TACOMA, 914.882.5764

LINK: The fabulous Tacoma ART BUS will stop at Urban Alchemy - jump onboard.

NEWS FROM THE SOUTH >>>

Part podunk, part shabby chic and part punk rock, Centralia and Chehalis are more than just outlet malls, shotguns and restaurants with names such as Country Cousin. Our sister cities to the south provide a plethora of antiquing opportunities, authentic Mexican fare such as La Tarasca (real deal, baby!) and a thriving counter-culture of burlesque, artists, musicians and so much more.

Those in the know stop in Centralia for McMenamins Olympic Club & Hotel's handcrafted beers, booze and burgers or an overnight stay and cut-rate movie on one of the historical theater's comfy couches.

In Centralia, I always make time for dives. The Hub Bar & Grill serves greasy grub with a dive bar feel, like New Frontier or McCoy's, and have housed local rock band favs Fitz of Depression, Stone Axe and The Hard Way. Why do these dives continue to shake when the bands take breaks? The railroad line is a stone's throw away.

Just across the block from the dives, Phantom Tattoo is celebrating its one-year-post-fire anniversary. Owner/artist and Luche Libre fan Sean Lindseth will tag you with his signature style and likely have a beer with you afterward.

I would be amiss to not mention the relatively recent incarnation of Twin City Tease, a burlesque troupe celebrating the finer things that Lewis County has to offer.

In the '40s, Yard Birds hatched in Chehalis, offering a quirky, homey, everything-you-need-under-one-roof store/mall/shopping experience. More than anything, Yard Birds may be remembered for the massive 60-foot Yard Bird sculpture that guarded at the entrance to the Chehalis store. Though that Yard Bird statue burned to the ground in 1976, the Yard Bird that replaced it - which doubled as a helicopter hangar - still stands in Chehalis to this day, thanks to fundraising effort by Jason Mattson.

This weekend, why not meander south and check out another favorite local, The Shire, where a crowning of this year's Miss Yard Bird goes down Saturday night. As part of the Yard Bird pageant festivities, burlesque dancers Kitty Calamity (aka Miss Yard Bird), Momo La Vein, and Luna Landing will shake their tail feathers.

THE SHIRE, MISS YARD BIRD PAGEANT AND FUNDRAISER, SATURDAY, FEB. 23, 9 P.M., $5, 465 NW CHEHALIS AVE., CHEHALIS, 360.748.3720

IT'S A SANDWICH SERIES >>>

In a quest for awesome sandwiches, you should be creative. Delis, cafes, bars - those are obvious choices. If cars could drive by themselves (I think some all ready do), a sandwich command would most likely end at a deli, café or bar. Medi's Pizza & Pasta, with its medium thick pizzas, inexpensive calzones and delicious linguini, doesn't scream sandwiches. But if something good is coming out of the oven - as it often is at Medi's - you just might stumble across this spot anyway, as you follow your nose for the source of those spicy Italian aromas.

Medi's puts as much care into its Italian meatball sandwich as it does with its pizza. Housemade meatballs of pork and beef with Italian seasoning, piled into a freshly-baked hoagie roll, then smothered in fresh marinara sauce - again housemade - and topped with stretchy, gooey mozzarella cheese is how Medi's does it, and does it well.

Bonus: Medi's includes a side cup of its tasty marinara with each sandwich.

Yes, the pizza rocks. That said, order a cold one, a side of chips and hit that accompanying pepperoncini for a guaranteed sweet, spicy and hot sandwich experience.

MEDI'S PIZZA & PASTA, 4-10 P.M., SUNDAY-WEDNESDAY, 11 A.M. TO 11 P.M. THURSDAY, 11 A.M. TO 2 A.M. FRIDAY-SUNDAY, 2710 SIXTH AVE., TACOMA, 253.272.2531

A LITTLE SLOW TODAY >>>

Last night was the annual Best of Olympia party hosted by everyone's favorite free alternative weekly, Weekly Volcano. And what a party it was. Held at the Capitol Theater, it was our largest Best of party to date. In fact, a better name for the shindig would be the Best of Olympia Show. Emcee Elizabeth Lord entertained, Science! and Mosquito Hawk rocked, TUSH! Burlesque dazzled, winners were celebrated and prizes were doled out.

The Weekly Volcano staff worked its ass off — both at the show and at the after party inside King Solomon's Reef. We're a bit slow today. Please stand by. ...

In the meantime, please grab a copy of the Weekly Volcano and check out the 2013 Best of Olympia issue. It's freakin' killer.

THURSDAY, FEB. 21 2013 >>>

1. Marissa Meyer is a YA author from Tacoma and a Pacific Lutheran University graduate. She's a fan of Firefly. She wrote Sailor Moon fan fiction for 10 years. Cinder, the first book in her Lunar Chronicles, is about an android Cinderella in futuristic China was on the New York Times Best Seller list. In short, she is one of the lucky few whose love of sci-fi and all things nerdy has paid off. At 6 p.m., Scarlet, the second book in her Lunar Chronicles, will be celebrated at King's Books in Tacoma. Meyer will read or speak before the signing frenzy. Also expect robots from SOTABots, swag and a costume contest for the best Cinder and the best Scarlet.

2. The Pierce Conservation District and Stream Team host the annual Meeting & Awards Banquet at 5 p.m. at The Evergreen State College Tacoma campus. The accomplishments of last year's efforts will be celebrated as well as honor volunteers and community partners working to conserve natural resources and support sustainable farming throughout Pierce County. Presentation of District and Stream Team awards begins at 6:15 p.m., followed by guest speaker David Montgomery.

3. It's the third Thursday of the month. In Tacoma, that's means an extra emphasis on the arts. Tonight's quest for art will lead you directly to the steps of science. That's right, the University of Puget Sound and Tacoma Art Museum have teamed up to present an Art+Science Salon - an evening of 10 artists and scientists delivering 10-minute presentations - Pecha Kucha style - at 6 p.m. inside the Tacoma Art Museum.

4. Speaking of third Thursday, tonight is the Tacoma Art Mingle, which was formerly called the Third Thursday Artwalk. Whatever the name of the special night, it's still very hard to walk the damn thing. For the last two-plus years Tacoma has had the Art Bus to rely on - the creation of T-Town's own Angela Jossy, and pretty much the bestest idea there ever was. Each third Thursday the Art Bus shuttles riders from gallery to gallery, venue to venue accomplishing more than any one person could ever dream of on foot, and at the same time building a communal vibe that's worth its weight in gold. Tonight's Art Bus celebrity host Darrell Fortune of NWCZradio.com will help guide you through such stops as FabLab, 253 Collective, Embellish Multispace Salon, Urban Alchemy, Brick House Gallery, B2 Gallery and Catwalk. Tickets are $10 regular admission and $20 for VIPs. VIPs get gift bags with items from lots of local businesses. The Bus pushes off from the Tacoma Art Museum at 6 p.m.

5. Anyone who believes that Tacoma is still a blue-collar backwater town with few ties to the outside world had better stay away from the 11th annual Sister Cities International Film Festival, which launched two weeks ago. The experience might just shatter everything that poor soul holds to so misguidedly. Tacoma is an international city in every sense of the world. At 6:15 p.m., the Cuba Sister City Committee will present a cultural program celebrating Tacoma sister city Cienfuegos, Cuba. After the hoopla, the film The Beauty From Alhambra will screen. The story is set in 1920s Cuba. Rachel is an ambitious chorus girl set on becoming a cabaret star at the famous Alhambra Theater. Her artistic talent and help from the theater owner are enough to make Rachel's dream a reality. But along the way, she loses the love of her life and instead finds a passion that puts her career at stake.

LINK: Thursday, Feb. 21 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

CHECKING IN WITH AN OLD FRIEND >>>

Among Tacoma's bustling Theater District shops and eateries, you'll find the Renaissance Cafe. For the last 13 years owner Keith Flowers has brewed up a kitschy cafe dining space that is welcoming, fun and colorful. Old school art fills the wall space, an etch-a-sketch can be found among the bookshelves and housemade soups, cookies and deli sandwiches are abundant.

And breakfast?

According to Flowers, "that's our specialty, though our lunch is pretty good too you'll find."

Flowers has seen the emergence of the Museum of Glass, LeMay Car Museum and Tacoma's light rail as well as a slew of local shops. All of which you'd think would exponentially increase business. Think again.

"Here's my paradigm. Someone will fly in from San Francisco or New York and find us before they find their hotel even. Meanwhile locals walk by with their cups of Starbucks and Subway sandwiches. It goes against the conventional wisdom ‘eat where the locals go.' I feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone sometimes."

Flowers even recalls how he decided to run a $1 latte special for a while. Advertising on a sandwich board placed on a sidewalk that receives ample foot traffic. While outside sweeping one day he spied the Starbucks manager wiping down their outdoor seating area and jokingly asked if his deal was stealing away some business. The manager pulled him to the side and stated that some clientele was actually warning them that the place down the way was undercutting their prices. Locals were warning a coffee giant that the ma and pa place next door was offering a deal?

That doesn't sound like an overwhelming sense of support for a local business owner.

"When it comes down to it," say Flower, "we depend on the 'irregular', our out-of-towners to keep us afloat. I sometimes feel like Rod Serling wrote this place's story."

So then the question begs to be asked, why not support a local joint that offers up good coffee and great sandwiches and breakfast?

Do tell my fellow Tacomans.

RENAISSANCE CAFÉ, 5 A.M. TO 4 P.M., DAILY, 1746 PACIFIC AVE., TACOMA, 253.572.1029