Today's comment stems from last week's article on the Tacoma All Ages Music Project, an effort headed by Jeremy Bushnell and Josh Brumley - both with former Viaduct ties. The Tacoma All Ages Music Project is concerned with the lack of opportunities and venues for under-age bands in the area, and has been working for the last few months to improve the situation.
Sam Olsen writes:
"Playing music and getting together with young people is almost illegal in Tacoma. I haven't had legal fun in this town in years. People talk about revitalizing Tacoma, but it ain't gonna happen if you drive all the cool young people out of town."
My friend Amy interviewed me this week for a theater project. When she asked me what advice I'd offer to theater students, even I was surprised how quickly and effortlessly an answer flew from my mouth. "Stop being so goddamn cool all the time," I barked. And the more I think about it, the more convinced I am it was great advice.
In Almost Famous, Lester Bangs (Philip Seymour Hoffman) rails against the "swill merchants" in "the industry of cool." "The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what we share with someone else when we're uncool," he insists.
I've lived and worked in LA. I was born there. I know the unculture of cool, and I fear even countercultural Oly has been infected by it. The unculture of cool is what happens when young artists want nothing more than to persuade us they're amazing, heroic, even bulletproof people who'd be awesome to fuck. Trouble is, we wouldn't care about Superman if we didn't empathize with Clark Kent. Katherine Heigl may be genetically perfect, but I never believe she has trouble getting a date, and I don't give a damn what she thinks about anything.
You want to make great art? Tell us something uncool. Tell us a story so personal you're the only person on Earth who could tell it. Show us the real you, warts and all, or go deep into the skin of a credible human being and live that person's (imaginary) reality from the inside out. (I realize that sounded Jame Gumb sociopathic, but you know what I mean.) Show us a world only you could invent. Quit emulating your cool, plastic idols. Your plastic idols are bullshit. They're faking every minute of it, and have been since the moment they figured out the system.
You want to be a billionaire so frickin' bad? Get an M.B.A. You want to be an artist? Be prepared for scorn and rejection and self-loathing and maybe, just maybe, a deeper redemption than getting your name on some vapid reality show. And if you think cool isn't an unculture, devoid of real value, then name me a single pop radio hit from last year that we'll be singing in twenty years. I'd give a hundred Faith Hills for one Janis Joplin, and so would you.
1. Recently-elected Laurie Jinkins will get sworn in at noon today to the State House of Representatives. According to Jinkins' official Facebook page, seating will be extremely limited for the official swearing-in, but you are encouraged to stop by Jinkins' office after 1:30 p.m. to say hello. Representing the 27th Legislative District, Jinkins is our state's first openly lesbian lawmaker.
2. Olympia's Arts Commission will hold a free community roundtable discussion today at the Olympia Timberland Library at 6 p.m. With area artist and arts organizations invited to participate, today's roundtable will focus on peer reviewing. The roundtable discussions are monthly events, going down the second Monday of every month through June.
3. Kim Archer will bust out the tunes tonight at the Harmon Brewery, starting at 8 p.m. Check tonight's complete live music calendar here.
Thanks again for the article Jason. If anyone has any questions or would like to get involved please don't hesitate to message us.
Also, george, this is not viaduct. I was not an owner of viaduct. Viaduct had 5 owners and all but one of them stepped down anf no longer are involved. I do know people had issues with viaduct and most are valid. I'd love to talk to you and anyone else who has questions or concerns.
Sometimes it's all, like, "Why bother?" - right? Sometimes it's all, like, "I don't even HAVE TIME for a weekend ... I've got errands to run, and chores to do, and I've gotta get hand towels at Target, and Jimmy's got karate, and Saturday night dinner isn't going to cook itself ..."
Well, fuck that noise - if only for the time being (and, more than likely, only in your imagination and purely for the sake of this column).
Pretend, if you will, that you're NOT that person. Pretend you're the type of guy or gal that might actually go out this weekend, or DO SOMETHING, or live life outside the safe shelter of your suburban cul-de-sac or Xbox and pizza-delivery existence ... if only for one weekend.
I present to you this week's Prefunk, a weekly weekend primer for you and your liver - with a picture of an alcoholic household pet thrown in for good measure.
(While we're on that note, I'm running painfully low on drunken pet pictures. If Fido or Fluffy has a booze problem, and you've got a phone to capture it on - send pictures my way. I'll make your drunken pet famous!)
((While were on THAT note, I don't think the Weekly Volcano's lawyers would appreciate me ACTUALLY encouraging people to make their pets drink, so I'm probably not doing that ... or am I?))
WASART Annual Orientation Meeting
Saturday, Jan. 8 @ Enumclaw Expo Center Field House
OK! All right! Busted! This event has nothing to do with sexy nightlife, or raging parties, or even doing something most people would consider "exciting." But whatevs. This event IS in Enumclaw, and - quite simply - we don't have much opportunity around here at the Prefunk desk (read: the Folgers can I use outside for my Pal Mall butts) to feature events happening in lovely and picturesque Enum-scratch. When opportunity knocks, one must grab it ...
Plus, while there's a decent chance you've never heard of WASART, it's actually a pretty valuable and important organization that - at the very least - should have its efforts and motives highlighted every once in a while.
WASART is short for Washington State Animal Response Team - an all-volunteer, non-profit organization "specializing in animal disaster preparedness, response, recovery, sheltering and reunification," according to the organization's official website. On Saturday, starting at 9 a.m., WASART will hold its annual orientation meeting at Enumclaw Event Center Field House - an event open to anyone interested in joining and training with WASART, or simply learning more about WASART's goals.
What exactly does that all mean, you ask? Basically, when shit hits the fan WASART is there for our state's animals - the dogs, horses, chickens, pygmy goats, l livestock, pot-bell pigs and all the rest ... probably even the household pets with drinking problems.
What does WASART specifically do?
According to a bullet list provided in a press release for Saturday's orientation meeting, WASART is prepared to:
Evacuate displaced, stranded or abandoned animals
Assist in technical rescue and recovery
Set up operate and staff emergency temporary animal shelters
Identify and document animals
Distribute food
Reunite animals with their families
Coordinate emergency medial treatment for sick or injured animals
Now, at the very least, you know.
PREFUNK: Sure, maybe you don't feel like checking out WASART right now, but you probably will after watching this ...
Saturday: Showers, chance of mixed snow, hi 43, lo 33
Sunday: Chance of snow, hi 40, lo 28
>>> SATURDAY, JAN. 8: BODYBOX CD RELEASE
A mix of funk, folk, bass-driven soul/hip-hop and alternative rock, a Bodybox song (or performance, Bobble Tiki assumes) could go any direction at any time. While none of the band's work comes off like a reinvention of the wheel, and all is comfortingly familiar, Bodybox definitely has a bevy of personalities to draw from - and they pull from them all with skill and obvious care. Saturday, they'll celebrate the release of an 11-song CD at the 4th Avenue Tavern in Olympia
Unless you're completely dead on the inside, there should still be a bit of childlike wonderment that comes from seeing someone do something remarkable. The Peking Acrobats from China - a skilled touring troupe of jugglers, gymnasts, cyclists and tumblers - have the ability to instill such wonderment - and have been doing so for more than 50 years. Sunday, the Peking Acrobats will bring their "Silver Anniversary Tour" to the Pantages in Tacoma.
MATT DRISCOLL Editor and Self-made Hundredaire I'll be dropping by the Northwest Convergence Zone podcast Sunday for my monthly visit with Darrell and the gang. I got real high a few months back and dreamed up this alt-sport/entertainment column - Cup Check. Amazingly it managed to come to fruition. Now I go on the Convergence Zone once a month and pimp the thing, which typically results in some pretty entertaining podcast fun. This week, Darrell tells me Paul Skansi will be calling in - I SHIT YOU NOT! Former Seahawk Paul Skansi ... Should be pretty cool.
STEPH DEROSA: Person, Place or Thing Correspondent This weekend I plan on writing a haiku about the late rapper, Eazy-E. In it I will try to refrain from using the word "fuck." Wish me luck.
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BRETT CIHON Meat Market Correspondent I have a full weekend of Meat Market. On Friday evening I'm headed to O'Henry's Pub in Puyallup to check out the action. Saturday, I plan to watch the Hawks game in the afternoon then cruise on over to the Lakewood Denny's. Probably won't be much dancing, but I received a hot tip that the Denny's might make for great Meat Market fodder. Even if it's a bust, I'll still get to order a Grand Slam. Things are looking up.
NIKKI TALOTTA Features Writer Looking forward to a great weekend! Friday the hubby and I are going house hunting - it's a buyer's market out there, and we're gonna see what Oly has to offer. Friday night I'm mixing up martinis, shooters and such. Saturday brings me back to the bar, serving up happy hour while watching football. And Sunday is reserved for reading books and writing articles.
JOE IZENMAN Music/Theater Critic Let's see... Seahawks playoff game on Saturday, poker game with beer draft Saturday night, DnD Sunday... I'm not sure I can survive any more excitement than that, but if I find a way, it'll probably involve movies at the Grand, returning Christmas presents and buying birthday presents. Because I'm hardcore like that.
JOANN VARNELL Theater Critic I've been thinking about having some down time and this weekend sounds as good as any other time. Translation? I got no plans other than sticking as close to home and my occasionally-rolling little son as possible.
JENNIFER JOHNSON: Lifestyle/Leisure Writer Dinner and intellectually stimulating games on Friday evening. Yoga and kickboxing on Saturday morning, gonna shake, shake, shake it Saturday night.
CHRISTIAN CARVAJAL: Theater Critic I'll be in tech rehearsals for Frost/Nixon at Tacoma Little Theatre most of the weekend, but I am planning to attend two different board game nights--by which I mean orgies! By which I mean board game nights.
STEVE DUNKELBERGER Meat Market Photographer Hitting Stanley and Seafort's for my dad's birthday Friday and then the Bull Market at Paradise Bowl for a shoot of Ladies Night.
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ALEC CLAYTON: Visual Arts Critic Nothing doing this weekend except PFLAG-Olympia meeting.
Who better to perform at this charity show - benefiting the Wolftown Wildlife Rehabilitation Project and embattled "Green Scare" pro-Earth advocates - than Wolves in the Throne Room, the lauded, frosty-sounding Olympia noisemakers who are philosophically green, but whose music is ostensibly black (metal)? This homecoming show heralds their return from recent big-time dates like the UK's All Tomorrow's Parties festival, and will be their last local performance for a good while - the genre-blurring trio plans to spend the remaining winter months sinking their fangs into a brand new full-length record, one which will hopefully prove as satisfyingly atmospheric, haunting and intricate as their acclaimed Diadem of 12 Stars, Two Hunters and Black Cascade releases. Their set is sure to be hard and heavy - this ain't your daddy's environmentally-conscious fundraiser.
[The Loft on Cherry, Wolves in the Throne Room with RVIVR, Druden & Alda, Sunday, Jan. 9, 8 p.m., all-ages, 525 Cherry Street, Olympia, 360.790.3887]
Where Sordid Sentinels succeed is largely on the basis of their tight arrangements, always firmly in the palm of propulsive drums and (Riley) Gratzer's pounding bass lines. "Four minutes and out" seems to be their motto, and there's joy to be found in the knowledge that a band has taken care to construct a concise delivery system of rock ‘n' roll to your brain parts. - Rev. Adam McKinney
"Meth metal" band Owen Hart have a talent for demanding attention, whether through the aggro assault of their music or with disarmingly twisted, comical track titles. They're as heavy as they are heavily self-aware; even their name has a morbid, winking quality, deriving from the famed WWF wrestler who plummeted 78 feet to his death at Kemper Arena in 1999. - Jason Baxter
Liz Janes' new album for Asthmatic Kitty, Say Goodbye, is pretty close to flawless. Regardless of whether or not her Starbucks-friendly instincts tickle your earholes, it's hard to deny that her voice is gorgeous and supple, her lyrics insightful, and the arrangements sublime ... - Jason Baxter
Fast-forward to early 2011, and (Jeremy) Bushnell's vision is closer to becoming a reality. Bushnell and former Viaduct co-worker Josh Brumley (who, like Bushnell, is a veteran show-runner with a decade of experience) have been spearheading an effort to establish a one-stop all-ages arts and music destination for Tacoma's youth - a nonprofit public space in the vein of Seattle's always all-ages Vera Project. As the "Tacoma All Ages Project," they're working in tandem with the city's Live Music Alliance - a "dedicated committee of volunteers" in town working for the betterment of the local all-ages scene. The two organizations meet monthly. - Jason Baxter
"Meth metal" band Owen Hart have a talent for demanding attention, whether through the aggro assault of their music or with disarmingly twisted, comical track titles. They're as heavy as they are heavily self-aware; even their name has a morbid, winking quality, deriving from the famed WWF wrestler who plummeted 78 feet to his death at Kemper Arena in 1999. And while the quintet's songs hit with all the force of an unexpected gut-punch, silly titles like "Fuck Morrissey, Fuck The Smiths, Fuck The Cure" and "Welcome To Worthless-Piece-Of-Shit-Ville, Population: You" (from their forthcoming Earth Control, due out Jan. 18 on Vitriol Records) make their music all the more disorienting and impressive.
The band will play Northern in Olympia on Friday. For the full story, click here.
Below you'll find a video of Owen Hart performing at Rainfest at Tacoma's much-missed Viaduct.
1. Get your Sunday night dance on tonight at Gruv Lounge on Sixth Avenue. DJs Michael Sherman, Chris Savenetti and Bilori will be doing the spinning.
2. Today is your absolute last chance to check out ZooLights. Billed as the region's biggest walk-through light show, ZooLights includes animated light sculptures, live entertainment, snacks, animal encounters, and the Paul Titus Carousel. While enjoying your stroll, be thankful you're not in charge of this holiday light display.
3. Every Sunday morning from 8:30 - 9:30 a.m. Urban Grace Church serves breakfast to Tacoma's homeless and low-income population. Find you how you can get involved at urbangracetacoma.org.
4. Rich Wetzel, his horn, and his well-known Groovin' Higher Orchestra will tear into Stonegate Pizza twice today - at 5 and 9 p.m. Bonus: there's no cover.
5. Tammy Faye & The Thrill Billies will be at O'Callahan's Pub & Grill today at 4 p.m. For those playing at home, O'Callahan's Pub & Grill is in Lakebay, at the corner of 92nd and Key Peninsula Highway. O'Callahan's Pub & Grill also has some "award winning chowder," according to hype. Sadly, we know very little about Tammy Faye & The Thrill Billies other than that's the most awesome band name we've heard in the last three weeks.
THE LOWDOWN ON WHAT'S UP THIS WEEKEND >>>
WEATHER REPORT
ATT DRISCOLL Editor and Self-made Hundredaire
STEPH DEROSA: Person, Place or Thing Correspondent
BRETT CIHON Meat Market Correspondent
NIKKI TALOTTA Features Writer
JOE IZENMAN Music/Theater Critic
JOANN VARNELL Theater Critic
JENNIFER JOHNSON: Lifestyle/Leisure Writer
CHRISTIAN CARVAJAL: Theater Critic
STEVE DUNKELBERGER Meat Market Photographer
ALEC CLAYTON: Visual Arts Critic
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