Weekly Volcano Blogs: Walkie Talkie Blog

Posts made in: September, 2013 (79) Currently Viewing: 1 - 10 of 79

September 1, 2013 at 7:52am

5 Things To Do Today: Breakdance battle, tugboat races, Dayclub, Foam Fest and more ...

Come celebrate in the sun and show love at the culmination of Fab-5's summer LIFE program. Photo courtesy of Facebook

SUNDAY, SEPT. 1 2013 >>>

1. We've raved about the Fab-5 and the L.I.F.E. Program plenty. For those not in the know, Fab-5 created the L.I.F.E. Program (Living In Free Expression) in 2005 as a means of providing "relevant creative outlets" for our area's young people. The L.I.F.E. Program is described as, "an intensive series of urban arts workshops designed to allow youth to develop and explore their unique voices through a variety of different mediums," like DJ-ing, breakdancing, visual arts and creative writing. From 4-8 p.m. at Tacoma's 21st Street Park, join L.I.F.E. and Fab-5 for AFTERLIFE, a celebration of the culmination of this year's L.I.F.E. Program, an event featuring a 2x2 breakdance competition, live painting graffiti fleet, art showcase, photo booth and more.

2. The Weekly Volcano is synonymous with fun, so there's no way we would ever let Olympia Harbor Days festival pass without trumpeting it. Why? Because we love the hell out of some tugboats. And if there's one thing Oly Harbor Days is synonymous with, it's tugboats. And history. And fun. Is there another way we could use the word synonymous in this blurb? Probably. But why push our luck. The important thing is that you head down to Oly's waterfront for the annual tugboat races, which go down at noon.

3. Harlequin Productions' Five Women Wearing The Same Dress is every inch a live situation comedy. Its jokes veer from issue to expected social issue. Much of its acting is in expository sitcom style. The show's language, topics, and brief implied nudity make it too hot for network TV. That's to be expected, as its playwright, Alan Ball, is known for Oscar winner American Beauty and two HBO dramas, Six Feet Under and True Blood. In all those scripts, the female characters' dialogue possesses a certain oratory cadence that sounds less like women conversing and more like Alan Ball delivering a statement. That said, Laura Hanson (as Trisha) elevates the material she was given. All six actors are well-cast as individuals. Catch the show at 2 p.m. Read Christian Carvajal's full review of Five Women Wearing The Same Dress in the Music and Culture section.

4. Paesan Kitchen and Bar's patio is a lovely spot to while away a weekend afternoon, sipping cocktails and old world red wine and watch condo residents walk their dogs. Come Sunday afternoon, tables mean nothing as resident DJ Mr. Melanin and rotating guests spin an eclectic and extremely tasteful selection of lounge, bossa nova and electro soul music 2-6 p.m. This quadruple threat of delicious pizza, booze, sun and hip tunes is known as Tacoma's only daytime summer party, "Dayclub."

5. Picture your perfect Sunday night: the drinks are flowing, the tunes are cranking and you and your friends are dancing it up, having a grand old time. Now picture that evening exactly the same except you are covered in foam. We are not talking about the type of foam that resembles squishy Nerf balls; this is foam that is caused by soap. Soapy foam! Jazzbones hosts Foam Fest 6 with Bring Tha Noize DJ Drummer Duo at 9 p.m. Bring your goggles.

LINK: Sunday, Sept. 1 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

September 1, 2013 at 9:22am

Tacoma City Ballet Scavenger Hunt September clue

As you know the Tacoma City Ballet is in the midst of a yearlong scavenger hunt for Golden Krakatuk Nuts. The nuts tie into the company's highly anticipated Dec. 7, 2013 performance, Prequel to The Nutcracker.

Here's a refresher: TCB hides hand-painted Golden Krakatuk Nuts inside jewel boxes around Tacoma; inside the boxes is a scroll with prize details, such as gift certificates, merchandise or tickets to Tacoma City Ballet's World Premier of said Nutcracker in December. Each month through the year, Golden Krakatuk Nuts will be hidden at businesses throughout Tacoma. To find the nuts, decipher the poetic clues, which will be posted at Tacoma City Ballet's website, Facebook page, as well as this blog. You find the Golden Krakatuk Nuts and great riches will be heaped upon you! For complete on the contest and Nutcracker performance, click here.

The September Golden Krakatuk Nut clue dropped this morning. This clue will guide you to a restaurant, shop or other business at which the nuts may be in plain sight or may be behind the counter.

Read more...

Filed under: Arts, Contest, Tacoma,

September 2, 2013 at 8:11am

5 Things To Do Today: New Monday Jazz Jam, Mighty Mouth Blues, Rockaraoke, Goth DJ and more ...

Righteous.

MONDAY, SEPT. 2 2013 >>>

1. It's 8 p.m. on a quiet Labor Day Monday in Tacoma, but inside The New Frontier Lounge, the night is still cooking. Pianist Nate D., bassist Cameron and drummer Peter T. launch the city's newest jazz jam inviting talent to sit in with them as the house trio explores straight ahead, funk and space. Not all gigs qualify as a hang, but this one has the precise alchemy that could draw the area's best players: a high level of musicianship, a relaxed atmosphere and a sympathetic intergenerational crowd. Ask any working jazz musician, and the hang is what it's all about. Be a part of history. Join the inaugural Monday Jazz Jam from 8 to midnight at The New Frontier Lounge.

2. Ahhh yeah! It's that time of year! Time for getting it on! That's why Northwest Trek invites you to its "Get Out of the Rut Weekend," your chance to play peeping Tom on the breeding habits of moose, elk, deer and even sheep from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. You see, the "rut," refers to the breeding habits of hooved animals - and we all know hooved animals are the hottest of all! According to hype, "Watch and listen as they grunt, snort, bugle and spar. From wild romance to turbulent action, you won't want to miss this three-day kickoff to the most dramatic time of year at Northwest Trek." So hot.

3. NWCZ Radio's Monday radio show Mighty Mouth Blues will set up the mic inside Stonegate Pizza hosting Bex Marshall and The Delgado Brothers at 8 p.m.

4. Every Monday Jazzbones is packed to the brim with college kids. Party types. The type that wear tight shirts and trucker hats. Throngs of Chad Fratguys and Sarah Sororitysisters swarm the bar, line up for the bathroom and dance to the Rockaraoke - live band karaoke. The Rockaraoke band is skilled, too. Expect $2 PBR drafts, $3 Sinfire shots, $4 Smirnoff flavor vodka bombs.

5. The stereotype is racing through your head: Everyone is in all black, many are wearing dark and heavy eye make-up and every now and then, the DJ stops a tune with a vertebrae-shattering guitar riff for chants of, "Kill! Kill! Kill!" But O'Malley's new "Mondays For The Damned," is not some cartoon-like parody like you see in the movies. For the most part, the 9 p.m. Monday DJ night is just your typical above ground underground new wave, synth pop, goth, industrial and post-punk haven, and, if you're into it, it's one of the best places to find yourself in the company of the city's goth and industrial scene. Night Shift (Nicole and Aaron) and guest DJs will spin, while Rich Sumner screens videos and movies. Get dark over $3.25 micro brew pints and a pound of wings for $5.50.

LINK: Monday, Sept. 2 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

September 2, 2013 at 10:22am

Eat This Now: Hummingbird Cupcake

Now!

Corina Bakery is a delectable little bakery with a classy café like setting serving up Tacoma favorites such as Valhalla Coffee and Mad Hat Tea. Though both of those are reason enough to visit, their selection of housemade baked goods is absolutely exquisite. Corina specializes in specialty cakes, handcrafted pies and cheesecakes with a large selection of gluten free and vegan options for those with dietary restrictions.

Corina Bakery is open today until 5 p.m. I highly recommend you leave your abode right now and indulge in Corina's Hummingbird Cupcake ($2.80). This moist little morsel of goodness is a delicate spice cake teasing with bits of banana, pineapple and walnuts throughout. The cream cheese butter cream frosting adds a lovely richness to each little nibble. The sprinkles and hard candy butterfly on top are a cute little touch that only adds to the guilt of my decadent splurge.

Pair with an Americano and you've achieved perfection.

HUMMINGBIRD CUPCAKE, open today until 5 p.m., regular hours 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Corina Bakery, 602 S. Fawcett, Tacoma, 253.627.5070.

Filed under: Food & Drink, Holidays, Tacoma,

September 3, 2013 at 7:09am

5 Things To Do Today: Film Forward, "The Attack," Tasting Tuesday and more ...

"Chasing Ice" is the story of one man's mission to change the tide of history by gathering undeniable evidence of climate change.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 3 2013 >>>

1. Audiences from Bosnia to Columbia, from Maine to Puerto Rico, from China to Tacoma will grab a taste of independent film, as the Sundance Institute's Film Forward program rolls on for a fourth year. Film Forward will travel to eight locations - four in the United States, four overseas - from February to October 2013 - including a run in Tacoma, Sept. 3-7. The touring program doesn't focus on a traditional movie audience, but aims to "enhance greater cultural understanding, collaboration and dialogue around the globe by engaging audiences through the exhibition of films, workshops and conversations with filmmakers," according to its website. Today's opening free films are Chasing Ice and La Misma Luna (Under the Same Moon). Chasing Ice screens at 6 p.m. in the Washington State History Museum with a post film discussion moderated by Dr. Harry Stern of the Polar Science Center at the University of Washington. La Misma Luna screens at 7 p.m. in the STAR Center with a post film discussion by lead by Pedro Gomez, director of Washington Latino Voters' Alliance and moderated by Laura Rodriguez of Metro Parks Tacoma.

2. The Attack is the latest film from Lebanese director Ziad Doueiri, adapted from the international best-selling novel of the same name by Algerian authorYasmina Khadra and, like many great films, the story behind the story sounds like the plot of a movie in its own right. Mohammed Moulessehoul, who writes under the pen nameYasmina Khadra, fled his native Algeria in 2000 during the waning days of the Algerian Civil War in order to escape government censorship of his work as well as the possibility of violent or fatal reprisals from outside extremist sources and the government itself. He currently lives as a political exile in France. Doueiri, on the other hand, came under fire from the Arab League due to his decision to film his movie on location in Tel Aviv, Israel and use Israeli actors to play some of the roles. As a result of this unsanctioned collaboration, The Attack is essentially blacklisted in every Palestinian country in the Middle East, includingDoueiri's home country of Lebanon. With so much opposition toward both author and director, you might assume their works tackle some very controversial and inflammatory subject matter. You'd be right. The film screens at 2:15 and 7:05 p.m. at The Grand Cinema. Read Jared Lovrak's full review of The Attack in the Music and Culture section.

3. Every Tuesday, Maxwell's serves two chef's choice appetizers and two house wines or draft beers for $15. Chef Hudson Slater tells us, "It's nothing over the top but keeps things fun and fresh." Chef Slater and server extraordinaire and wine pro Kent Bolden sample wines weeks in advance, mull them over, discuss possible pairings, sample more, then create a new Tuesday experience.

4. If hearing the sound of your own cackling voice echoing off the walls of your shower stall has you craving the sound of something a bit more harmonious, check out the local songbirds at Victory Music Open Mic at the Antique Sandwich Co. It's guaranteed to be jam-packed with gorgeous sounds and humbling verses, as the South Sound's greatest up-and-coming acoustic musicians bare their souls impromptu-style. Performances start at 7 p.m., and if you're thinking that your shower-time ballads are ready for public consumption, you can sign up for your own moment in the, er, sun at 6.

5. Every Tuesday night at Stonegate Pizza on South Tacoma Way Leanne Trevalyan hosts an acoustic open mic at 8 p.m.

LINK: Tuesday, Sept. 3 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

September 3, 2013 at 9:44am

Words and Photos: Fab-5's AFTERLIFE celebration

Fab-5 and friends celebrated AFTERLIFE Sunday, Sept. 1 in Tacoma's 21st Street Park. Photo by Pappi Swarner

For those not in the know, Fab-5 created the L.I.F.E. Program (Living In Free Expression) in 2005 as a means of providing "relevant creative outlets" for our area's young people. The L.I.F.E. Program is described as, "an intensive series of urban arts workshops designed to allow youth to develop and explore their unique voices through a variety of different mediums," such as DJ-ing, breakdancing, visual arts and creative writing. Sunday afternoon in Tacoma's 21st Street Park, Fab-5 celebrated the culmination of L.I.F.E.'s summer program with AFTERLIFE, an event featuring a 2x2 breakdance competition, live painting graffiti fleet, food and happy smiles. Fab-5's Chris Jordan's spontaneous dancing and rapping brought cheers, as DJs Sav1, DigOne and others keep the groove going until 8 p.m. After several hours, the final two breakdance crews were members of F2D (Fresh Descendants) and Massive Movement. Each member danced three rounds and at the end, F2D took home the title.

There was good sportsmanship all around. Crews shook hands before and after each battle. People were cheering on the sidelines and dancing in their own side ciphers.

Read more...

September 3, 2013 at 10:46am

Art House Café makes changes, adds happy hour

Art House Cafe's brick oven pizzas are paired with beer and wine during its happy hour. Photo courtesy of Facebook

Since opening in April of this year, Art House Café has been serving patrons in the Stadium District of Tacoma breakfast, lunch and dinner while adjusting things along the way. They've made changes to their menu and added a happy hour, with the most notable change being a new head chef.

As of June, Mark McClure has been serving as the restaurant's head chef after the departure of Dustin Joseph.

"Chef Mark's passion for creating with food is exceptional," says co-owner Lucia Armstrong. "He was behind many of the recipes from the original menu and has only improved the local sourcing and quality of our ingredients, the variety and flavors."

Since then, he has revamped Art House Café's menu for summer, adding local seafood dishes and larger plate options, as well as a breakfast pizza that's available all day. Their new fall menu will debut in October.

The restaurant's new happy hour runs Monday-Thursday 4-6 p.m. and 8-10 p.m., Friday-Saturday 4-6 p.m. and 9-11 p.m., and Sunday 3 p.m. to close. It features lower-priced food items such as lamb sliders for $8 and spicy prawns priced at $8. You can even order up one of their wonderful brick-oven pizzas with a beer or wine combo for $10. Well drinks and house wines are also offered at $4 and $5, respectively.

If you haven't been to Art House Café in a while, it's worth a revisit to check out their changes and enjoy the new happy hour.

ART HOUSE CAFÉ, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, 111 N. Tacoma Ave., Tacoma, 253.212.2011

LINK: South Sound Happy Hours

Filed under: Food & Drink, Tacoma,

September 3, 2013 at 11:37am

Nerd Alert!: Sensory Overloads night and video game movies

"ICH HUNGER": The German expressionist art film will meet Tacoma's BareFoot Collective Sept. 21 at The New Frontier Lounge. Photo courtesy of Facebook

Oh, hello there. I didn't notice you peering over at me as I write my first Nerd Alert. What's that you say? You'd like to hear about some nerdy news and happenings for the near future? Well, I'm not Zoltar, so lower your expectations. And get out of that oversized suit, because I'm not going to magically make you a grown up. Quite the opposite.

Thinking about my nerdiest interests, my thoughts first turned to movies. So, I thought I'd get you up to speed on some movie-related business. A note: if you are in a large group of girls, please refrain from reading these events aloud.

Sept. 21: Sensory Overloads

OK, yes, there will be punk music. And yes, some of that music will be done by local favorites like Girl Trouble, Red Hex, and Trees and Timber. And yes, this is a function that will be held at a bar.

Read more...

Filed under: Nerd Alert!, Screens, Music, Tacoma,

September 4, 2013 at 7:29am

5 Things To Do Today: Film Forward Day 2, "Grand Coulee to Grunge," brewers night, "Dates With Kate" and more ...

"The Light in Her Eyes" offers an extraordinary portrait of a leader who challenges the women of her community to live according to Islam, without giving up their dreams.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 4 2013 >>>

1. 1. Audiences from Bosnia to Columbia, from Maine to Puerto Rico, from China to Tacoma will grab a taste of independent film, as the Sundance Institute's Film Forward program rolls on for a fourth year. Film Forward will travel to eight locations - four in the United States, four overseas - from February to October 2013 - including a run in Tacoma, Sept. 3-7. The touring program doesn't focus on a traditional movie audience, but aims to "enhance greater cultural understanding, collaboration and dialogue around the globe by engaging audiences through the exhibition of films, workshops and conversations with filmmakers," according to its website. Today's free films are Valley of Saints and The Light in Her Eyes. Valley of Saints screens at 5 p.m. at the University of Puget Sound with a post film discussion moderated by Peter Wimberger, professor of biology and director of the Slater Museum of Natural History at UPS. The Light in Her Eyes screens at 9 p.m. in The Grand Cinema with a post film discussion with Julia Meltzer, director of the film; Dr. Therese Saliba, professor of Middle East Studies and international feminism at The Evergreen State College; moderated by Dr. David Coon, associate professor at University of Washington Tacoma.

2. Secretary of State Kim Wyman's Legacy Washington team created the "Grand Coulee to Grunge" exhibit, focusing on the eight stories from Washington state that changed the world. In one visit to the State Capitol, you and your family can learn how awesome the state is in terms of business, science, technology and music. Drop by the exhibits opening from 4-6 p.m.

3. Headed by Barry and Renee Watson, founders and previous owners of Tacoma staple the Rosewood Cafe, Pint Defiance is a must visit for any lover of the hops. Pint Defiance seamlessly marries the concept of craft beer retail space with a pub. The walls are lined with coolers neatly displaying a unique collection of canned and bottled brews by region. From 5-7 p.m. Pint Defiance hosts The Two Beers/Seattle Cider crews to talk shop and give away some schwag. Pint Defiance will have draft offerings from both on tap: Two Beers—Pumpkin Spice Ale, a fresh hop IPA, and a very rare keg of bourbon-barrel aged Heart of Darkness CDA.

4. After a 5.5 year-long relationship Kate Bergstrom ventured into the world of online dating. It hasn't always been pretty but she has had quite the entertaining time meeting more than 100 men. After realizing that her friends and family were living vicariously through her dating stories she thought she might share them with the world, one man at a time. She wrote a book, Dates With Kate: Tales and Tips From An Online Dating Veteran, which she'll discuss and hang out at 6:30 p.m. in The Swiss.

5. In 2011, readers of this fine rag voted the Top of Tacoma Bar and Cafe the best bar in Tacoma. This was due in no small part to their well drink Wednesdays. Two dollar well drinks after 7 p.m. Are you kidding? That's, like, riding the train to funkytown for only eight bucks. Yes, please. The kitchen stays open to midnight. Choo, choooo!

LINK: Wednesday, Sept. 4 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

September 4, 2013 at 10:28am

Olympia's Central for green living

West Central Park

The West Central Park, a privately owned park that opened in May at the corner of Division and Harrison in west Olympia, has spent the summer living up to its goal of being an open community space to gather, relax and network.

Saturday, from 1-5 p.m., the park hosts a Sustainable Living Exposition, bringing in more than 20 local businesses and organizations, including GRuB, Intercity Transit, city of Olympia and Native Plant Salvage Project.

Read more...

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