THURSDAY, NOV. 11, 2010 >>>

1. If you can't say it in 6 minutes and 40 seconds, don't say it at all. That's the theory behind Pecha Kucha, a sort of mini lecture series that started in 2003 when Tokyo architects invented it to make their PowerPoint presentations less dreadful. Tacoma's version of Pecha Kucha Night - volume 8 - hits the Harmon Taproom at 5:30 p.m. featuring some of PK's favorite past presenters. Michael Sullivan, Derek Lunde, Michael Stoddard, Antonio Edwards, Jeremy Gregory, Kris Crews, Patricia Lecy-Davis and Geoff Weeg.

2. The Tacoma Freedom Fair Patriotic Pizza Party to raise funds for the Fourth of July celebration runs from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Round Table Pizza locations in Tacoma and University Place. The Round Table franchises are a big supporter and has committed a large percent of today's sales to support next year's Freedom Fair.

3. As in conjunction with their Street Botany show, Maria Jost and Bobby Smith will discuss their art and ecology in reference to, and possibly inside, their recently installed geodesic dome interpretive center at 6 p.m. inside Fulcrum Gallery.

4. Chandler O'Leary is kind of infatuated with Mt. Rainier - and this is a good thing. For one, it resulted in Local Conditions, O'Leary's interactive book. With 120 image flats and a viewing box, Local Conditions allows readers to literally create millions of Rainier-related scenes. From 7-9 p.m. O'Leary will chat about her work and love of the mountain in Room 020 in the Collins Memorial Library's basement.

5. DJ Toner spins vintage rock and soul beginning at 8 p.m. inside The Brotherhood Lounge in Olympia.

LINK: It's Art at Work month!

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

BRING ON THE WEEKEND>>>

Boo! It's Halloween. Or basically Halloween. Or whatever. The time has come for grownups to dress up in all sorts of bizarre and uncalled for costumes (my favorite so far is the slutty Chilean miner), and drink crazy amounts of Jagermeister in a pagan-like ritual the likes of which are seen but once a year.

Or something. Or whatever.

Anyway, the time has also come for The Prefunk, a weekly weekend primer for you AND your liver (with an added picture of an alcoholic household pet thrown in for good measure).

The Brotherhood's Halloween Ball

Saturday, Oct. 30

There are a lot of places you can get tanked on Halloween, or the night before Halloween for that matter. Your apartment. A friend's house. Your stepdad's basement. Work.

But few of those places will leave you with satisfaction that getting drunk at the Brotherhood in Olympia will Saturday night.

Not only is the Brotherhood on the short list of top places to drink and hangout in Oly, but Saturday it's also the place to find, without a shadow of a doubt, the best Halloween Ball in town.

And the kicker is 50 percent of proceeds from the night will go to SafePlace, a domestic violence advocacy group that deserves all the help it can get.

Basically, it's a win-win-win-win. And there's probably another win in there somewhere. You really can't go wrong.

DJ MSG will be in the house, and costumes are strongly suggested. The Weekly Volcano's Nikki Talotta, as noted in "The Weekend Hustle," will be behind the bar dressed as a Slutty Guitar. So look for that. It all kicks off at 9 p.m.

PREFUNK: Now is the time to finally unveil your Cornel West costume. Put the finishing touches on it (do you have a pocket watch yet?) and go forth and celebrate!

EMAIL NOW!>>>

We're giving away two sets of tickets to Saturday's Tacoma Community House Antique Quest and Wine Fest at the Museum of Glass. The event is 21+, runs 7-10 p.m.

Here's some info from this week's paper.

And here's some info from the Tacoma Community House website.

Email calendar@weeklyvolcano.com right now and tell us why you love antiques, wine - or better yet all of the above. At the end of the day we'll pick two lucky people and award each a pair of tickets to the event -- valued at $75 a piece.

Go forth and email...

HAIR MATTERS >>>

So the days of the extra-short, "Caesar" haircut are long over, boys. That's right, the Jack Donaghy mane is in. Not short, not long. Donaghy. Besides, look at yourself. You need a trim. Sorry. But that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Drag that snowboarder hair (you know who you are) over to The Salon Professionals Academy Friday and Saturday for their Cut-A-Thon for a trim before it becomes a full-on mullet. Their professionally trained students will provide you with quality services while under the watchful eye of their experienced educators.

You can get your cut for the bargain price of only $10, safe and secure in the knowledge that all proceeds of this two-day-only event will be going straight to benefit City of Hope for Breast Cancer, which is the official charity of the TSPAs throughout our stylish nation. You can also pick up a TSPA for Ta-Tas T-shirt, which will look bitchin' with your new haircut.

The Salon Professional Academy

Friday, Oct. 8-Saturday, Oct. 9 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
3702 S. Fife St., Suite B102, off 38^th Street, Tacoma
253.617.7009

FRIDAY, OCT. 1, 2020 >>>

1. Here we go again. For the 39th time. Olympia Arts Walk. It's a madhouse of art, music and performance arts of all types. Arts Walk turns all of downtown Olympia into a very crowded and festive art gallery and performance space. Professional artists, amateur artists, students from elementary school through college, musicians, storytellers, and performers of all types show their stuff in galleries, cafes, barber shops, tattoo parlors and on the streets from 5-10 p.m. Be sure to catch the Silent Art Auction inside the Capitol Theater, as well as these highlights.

2. Throughout the month of October, you'll receive discounts - and help support the Breast Cancer Resource Center - after you purchase a $10 hot pink bra pin at participating Sixth Avenue businesses. The kick-off event featuring pink chick merchandise and pink hair extensions happens at 5:30 p.m. inside Cork! a wine bar located at 3012 Sixth Ave.

3. The Broadway Center opens its season with Cirque Mechanics' Boom Town, whichbrings together a number of great circus performers and tosses them onto a stage filled with 19th century mining equipment upon which they flip, twirl and twist about. Trust us: it's awesome. Taking audiences on a trip to the 1860s "small frontier town" of Rosebud, where two "ambitious saloon owners" are battling for the gold rush-fueled patronage of the townsfolk. The Cirque Mechanics explosiveness starts there at 7:30 p.m. inside the Pantages Theater and only gets better. 

4. Poet Chloe Bonnett headlines the Speak Your Soul open mic at 8 p.m. inside The Den Tea Bar. Donations go toward the Fund for Women & Grils.

5. DJ Broam and Chronie Diego will drop the latest in electro pop beats at the First Friday Dance Party at the Tempest Lounge beginning at 9 p.m. 

REMEMBER: 253Heart Film Festival is tonight

LINK: New movies open today

LINK: Concert go on sale today

MORE FUN THAN A HALL & OATES CONCERT >>>

Tacoma Art Place held a fundraiser art and gift auction last night at The Villa Cafe & Imbibery to benefit its non-profit community art outreach programs.

Musician Angela Jossy provided the soundtrack while Pierce County's top brass and art lovers bid on donated art, dinners, gift bags while tossing back Tacoma attorney Erik Bjornson's signature drink, the Mr. Tacoma,

The ever-tall and newly fathered Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist donated one of his top-selling books and took a break from the campaign trail to wave the flag, as did the Energizer bunny of volunteers and local politicians, Auditor Julie Anderson.

Top gifts included a private tour of the Elks McMenamins project with Grace Pleasants and rare Daniel Blue blue T-shirt that was custom sewn and crafted.

I nabbed a Chinese Szechuan crab dinner for four at Tacoma Szechuan with state Rep. Dennis Flannigan. Bjornson and I are going to grab a fourth and solve all of the county's ills over booze and egg rolls.

LINK: Donate to Tacoma Art Place

TACOMA ART PLACE AUCTION TONIGHT >>>

As you read in this morning's 5 Things To Do, Villa Caffe & Imbibery is hosting a benefit for Tacoma Art Place tonight beginning at 5:30 p.m. A silent auction is included in the fun. Here is a partial list of items to bid on, including the value of each item as determined by Tacoma Art Place:

• Daniel Blue blue T-shirt that is custom sewn: $250 value
• Charming two-bedroom beach house on Whidbey Island for the weekend: $350 value
• Chinese Szechuan crab dinner for four at Tacoma Szechuan with Rep. Dennis Flannigan: priceless
• Swedish Relaxation Massage donated by Jewell Day Spa: $70 value 
• ElectraSpa gift certificate: $50 value
• Pacific Grill gift certificate: $50 value
• Koi Dreams painting by Michelle Merritt: $1,800 values 
• Tour of the Elks McMenamins project with Grace Pleasants and coffee at Amocat Café with your group of four friends: historic and priceless
• Wearable art instruction with Bo Chambers of LBO Designs: $40 value
• Signed copy of The King of Methlehem: A Novel by Tacoma author Mark Lindquist: priceless

And much more.

MUMBAI MEETS DISCO >>>

Sanford and Son Antiques received a big slap of fabulous for its adult prom Saturday night. Gigantic red, pink, silver, gold and black flowers clung to ceiling and walls amid colorful lighting and shiny metallic streamers as the store's library was transformed into a Bollywood movie set, the theme for the annual fundraiser this year benefiting the Companion Animal Rescue Society.

The costumes matched the décor. Lovely ladies attending went all out East Indian in saris, churidar, kurti pants, and belly dancing outfits in lace, chiffon and satin with gems and bells and teasingly draped sheer silks and scarves while others went as high-glam as possible in red carpet worthy gowns and skyscraper highs. Men wore suits, tuxedos and traditional kurtas and sherwanis to the dance party.

And then there was the food: horsd'oeuvres had an Indian slant with cucumber and lemon, and beet yogurt salads, hummus and pita, and seriously tasty Indian meatballs courtesy of Dan Briggs. Refreshing teas from Mad Hat Tea Company, Naughty Nellie and other tasty beers, glasses of Arrogant Bastard, Estrella and Flying Fish wines went down like water.

Tacoma's favorite garage band Girl Trouble kicked the night off to a roaring start. Partygoers danced till they were sweaty and the Library almost tropically humid. Band Si Si Si was welcomed back for a second year delivering ear-piercing and overly loud surf punk and pop tunes. Prom goers had just enough liquid merriment to make it through the set though some were looking a little tired of the volume. The second Si Si Si finished, memorable dance hits "I Will Survive," "Dancing Queen," "Billie Jean" and "YMCA," which had hilarious crowd participation, were merely a handful of the fun songs played by DJ Infinity above the black and white checkered dance floor.

DJ Infinity also acted as master of ceremonies until it was time for prom committee member Donna Herren, who looked smashing in a gold tube dress, to take the mic and reveal the year's theme winners. Sanford and Son owner Alan Gorsuch was crowned prom king and surprisingly not his wife, Cheryl, but Michelle Smith of Fleur de Lis was prom queen - as well as picking up title of Most Imaginative Female costume. Male Best Dressed and Most Imaginative Male costume saw a two and three way tie. People also voted for a giant black and white cow used in the photo backdrop for Female Best Dressed.

DJ Infinity reinvigorated the crowd after titles were awarded with Michael Jackson's P.Y.T. and other '80s pop songs. Giddy laughter floated above the smiling dancing crowd as the evening wore to a happily exhausted end.

LINK: More photos of the night in our Photo Hot Spot

FRIDAY, SEPT. 17, 2010 >>>

1. The current record for Largest Food Drive Ever netted half a million pounds of food.  Now Emergency Food Network, Northwest Harvest, Tacoma Public Schools and the Stadium Centennial Foundation hope to celebrate the Stadium Bowl's 100th anniversary by doubling that record from Friday to Saturday.  Fill the Bowl kicks off (that's a pun, sports fans!) with a 3 p.m. parade, followed by the epic feline gridiron battle of the Tigers of Stadium High vs. the Lions of Bellarmine Prep and screenings of "10 Things I Hate About You" and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" beginning at 10 p.m.  All donations go to food banks right here in the Puget Sound area.  Cash donations are greatly appreciated; giving $10 is as simple as texting "Hunger" to 89544. To donate more, text "Hunger" followed by the dollar amount to 27138.

2. Chalking up the concrete spaces around Frost Park from noon to 1 p.m. might not top most people's list of things to do today. However, let us throw this enticement at you: If the Feed Tacoma peeps vote your chalk art as the Frost Park Chalk Challenge winner, you'll win two two-day passes to the Tacoma Craft Beer Festival Oct. 1-2 at the Foss Waterway Seaport. We're talking 50 breweries and more than 100 different craft beers. We're talking a $74 value. We're done talking.

3. Black Sheep Creamery co-owner and cheese maker Brad Gregory will introduce Metropolitan Market customers to artisan and specialty cheeses from 3-7 p.m.

4. Elizabeth Lord is many things:  bartender, storyteller, gifted actor - and, once a year, Lord Franzannian, the gruff but lovable drag host of Oly's premier vaudeville revue, Lord Franzannian's Royal Olympia Spectacular, which hits the Midnight Sun Performance Space stage at 8 p.m. We don't know what the good Lord's lineup will be this year, but odds are there'll be music, juggling and lovely ladies of all shapes and sizes removing frilly garments for your edification and pleasure.

5. Doyle's Public House throws a "Halfway to St. Patrick's Day Party" featuring Ockham's Razor at 9 p.m.

LINK: New movies open today

LINK: Concerts go on sale today

2.5 ACRES OF AWESOME >>>

The current record for Largest Food Drive Ever netted half a million pounds of food.  Now Emergency Food Network, Northwest Harvest, Tacoma Public Schools and the Stadium Centennial Foundation hope to celebrate the Stadium Bowl's 100th anniversary by doubling that record from Friday to Saturday.  Fill the Bowl kicks off (that's a pun, sports fans!) with a parade, followed by the epic feline gridiron battle of the Tigers of Stadium High vs. the Lions of Bellarmine Prep.  All donations go to food banks right here in the Puget Sound area.  Cash donations are greatly appreciated; giving $10 is as simple as texting "Hunger" to 89544. To donate more, text "Hunger" followed by the dollar amount to 27138.

Fill The Bowl

Friday, Sept. 17 4 p.m. to Saturday, Sept. 18 4 p.m.
Stadium High School, 111 N. E St., Tacoma

LINK: Celebrating 100 years of Stadium's bowl