THURSDAY, MARCH 7 2013 >>>

1. As you chomped on your big ass turkey leg during your Thanksgiving dinner, The Grand Cinema flicked the switch Steven Spielberg's Lincoln. And sure it's more a long-winded history lecture than a movie, but you can't deny the skill that went into it, and well worth the price of admission just to watch Daniel-Day Lewis do his thing. Today, the Grand will screen Lincoln for the last time at 1:30, 4:55 and 8:05 p.m. The film will finish as the seventh highest grossing film in the history of The Grand, right behind last year's Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and just in front of Juno.

2. Former child star, reality TV vet and now 102.5 KZOK morning shift DJ Danny Bonaduce will hang at the Ale House Sports Pub & Grille's happy hour from 4-6 p.m. shaking hands and handing out Joe Walsh/Bob Seger tickets.

3. Why drink alone when you can get your drink on with cool cats who care about environmental issues? On the first Thursday of each month, Green Drinks invites Tacoma and Pierce County residents to do just that - hang out and chat with other green-minded individuals over drinks and snacks. The next session of Green Drinks - which will be held at 6 p.m. inside the Top of Tacoma Bar and Cafe - will focus on community gardens ... and drinks, of course.

4. The 11th annual Sister Cities Film Festival is more than a film festival. It's a cultural exploration of Tacoma's sister cities, of which there are 11 located all around the world. Each Thursday, a film from a sister city lights up the screen of Blue Mouse Theatre - complemented by bonus activities and entertainment. Each week also has its own committee responsible for said entertainment and film selection. Gunsan, South Korea has been Tacoma's sister since 1978 and had a curiously parallel course of development to Tacoma - Gunsan is a port city that boomed in the 1890s due to a rail link, and there is even an American Air Force Base in the vicinity. We're still checking to see if Gunsan has a weekly chalk competition in a park or if Guy Fieri has his Camaro towed down its streets. Anyway, in honor of Gunsan, the film Secret Sunshine will screen at 7 p.m. with a culutral program beginning at 6 p.m.

5. Billy Stoop's open jam consumes Stonegate's Pizza & Rum Bar beginning at 9 p.m. Be sure to sip some La Favorite Ambre Rhum Agricole.

LINK: Thursday, March 7 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

South Sound Sidekick series offers advice from experts living in the, well, South Sound. It posts every Friday. Today, Jusby the Clown will help you discover if you or a loved one is clown material.

Jusby the Clown writes,

If you suspect that you or a loved one might be a clown you might want to seek professional help.

First, know that clowning exists on a continuum with mutually exclusive elements, but some characteristics are shared across historical, geographical and cultural boundaries. Clowns use memorization and improvisation with their voices, bodies and props to entertain, educate and ease suffering. So ask: "Is this potential clown using one or more of these tools to achieve one of these results?"

The clown archetype has roots as ancient as the Trickster animals in origin myths, and the first human clowns were wounded healers or medicine people.  We've always needed clowns. They tell stories with lessons that can be overt or subtle. They speak truth to power. Ask: "Is this potential clown teaching others through mischief?"

In modern times a class clown may have the mad gifts that go with a diagnosis from the DSM like ADHD or Asperger's, and these clowns need to be shown how to channel their energies and insights into appropriate venues. This is their biggest challenge because one of the defining characteristics of a clown is their INAPPROPRIATENESS!  One way to discover if you're dealing with an emergent clown is to note the type and timing of ‘inappropriate' behavior such as word play, puns, rhymes, reversals, exaggerations, distortions of size and tempo, repetition, reversals, repetition, reversals, non sequitur, rubber chickens - general bizarreness both in society and in seclusion. These may indicate possession of Clown Spirit. They must exercise those skills by performing to laughter and applause to satisfy the compulsion. Temporarily. Ask: "Is this potential clown bubbling and bumbling with unregulated impulses to blurt and ‘misbehave'?"

The root of the word clown means clumsy. Clowns achieve successful engagement with their audiences by showing our human foibles, failing repeatedly until reaching an innovative solution. Another great challenge of a clown is to become graceful and at ease manipulating their bodies, voices and props.  To meet the goals of entertaining, educating or easing suffering a clown will safely transition between confident incompetence and uncertain proficiency. And back. Ask: "Does this potential clown make easy things look hard and hard things look easy?"

If you or a loved one answered YES to these questions, seek immediate professional assistance. Unsupervised emergent clowns can become a liability to themselves and their communities. A well cared for clown will improve the quality of life for the society that adopts it.

I call out to all whom self-identify as clowns (Buffoons, Comedians, Fools, Jesters, and Pranksters, et al.) to help preserve and improve the field of clowning by collaborating as mentors and mentees. As the Diet Coke is to the Mentos, so shall Elders hold sacred carbonated space and direct the natural exuberance of Young Clownlings to greater heights.

Jusby the Clown is a founding member of the Olympia Clown Collaborative, a welcoming community that provides support, encouragement and mentorship to First of Mays and evolving clowns, allowing them to progress toward their uniquely realized selves. He has pied more than 750 willing faces including Dr. "Patch" Adams.  He is also a Certified Laughter Yoga leader and graduate of the Simple Fool's Silly School of Top-Secret Esoteric Clowning. Connect with him online at jusbytheclown.com

LINK: Make film gore with household items

LINK: Parenting advice for punk rockers

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LINK: Roommate advice

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LINK: Music business advice

LINK: First tattoo advice

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THURSDAY, FEB. 7 2013 >>>

1. The 11th annual Sister Cities Film Festival is more than a film festival. It's a cultural exploration of Tacoma's sister cities, of which there are 11 located all around the world. Each Thursday, a film from a sister city lights up the screen of Blue Mouse Theatre - complemented by bonus activities and entertainment. Each week also has its own committee responsible for said entertainment and film selection. The festival kicks off with Tacoma's oldest sister - Kitakyushu, Japan - at 6:15 p.m. featuring the Stadium High School Taiko Drumming group, a Japanese Garden at Point Defiance update and the Japanese film, What the Snow Brings.

2. Why drink alone when you can get your drink on with cool cats who care about environmental issues? On the first Thursday of each month, Green Drinks invites Tacoma and Pierce County residents to do just that - hang out and chat with other green-minded individuals over drinks and snacks. The next session of Green Drinks - which will be held at 6 p.m. inside The Office Bar at Grill - will focus on downtown Tacoma's pacific Avenue Streetscape Project ... and drinks, of course. Read Kristin Kendle's interview with the project's consulting firm here.

3. Urban homesteading, backyard farming — call it what you will, the movement for self sufficiency and sustainable living is booming. In South Sound neighborhoods it seems more and more houses sport a chicken coop or custom greenhouse. Soon, the most dedicated local homesteaders may be able to join ranks of urban farming trailblazers elsewhere who are exploring a new way of bringing the farm to the city: raising goats. Seattle author Jennie Grant will discuss urban farming trends, as well as her book, City Goats: The Goat Justice League’s Guide to Backyard Goat Keeping, at 7 p.m. inside King's Books.

4. Every 15 years or so, the American musical veers in a new and unpredictable direction. When it works, it inspires a wave of imitators. Phantom and Les Miz spawned a decade of bombast. Rent added urban flava and moved gay life and issues to the forefront. Weekly Volcano theater critic Christian Carvajal believes Next to Normal, which debuted on Broadway less than four years ago, is the model for the next wave. Catch the show at 7:30 p.m. inside the Capital Playhouse. Read Carvajal's full review of Next to Normal in the Weekly Volcano's Arts section.

5. There's a certain familiar moment when you're hanging out with very close friends, being giddy and silly, and there's a way that you make each other laugh that's so specific and so unique that it's hard to recreate anywhere else. For sure, it's hard to recreate in the setting of a comedy club. A professional comedian is designed to make you laugh, but that certain type of laugh is so particular that it's almost banned from comedy clubs. Todd Glass can make you laugh like an audience member might but he can also touch you in the way that a close childhood friend can hit your buttons. In a way, um, he's magical. Glass begins a three-night run at the Tacoma Comedy Club at 8 p.m. tonight. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's interview with Todd Glass in the Weekly Volcano's Bars & Clubs section.

LINK: Thursday, Feb. 7 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

THE LOWDOWN ON WHAT'S UP THIS WEEKEND >>>

WEATHER REPORT

Friday: Partly sunny, some fog, hi 50, lo 36

Saturday: Partly sunny, some fog, hi 50, lo 38

Sunday: Partly sunny, some fog, hi 49, lo 39

>>> FRIDAY, FEB. 1: TACOMAPOCALYPSE III

We'll be frank. Apocalypse-like events usually only happen once. If an apocalypse-like event ever returns, it's either really bad news, or a sign that things weren't that apocalyptic in the first place. The good news about the Treefish Studio-produced "Tacomapocalypse III," set to inhabit Amocat Café during the month of February starting Friday, is neither statement is true. A collection of two and three-dimensional art that's heavy on the zombie, and designed to offer a gruesome alternative to the usual Valentines-style lovey-dovey crap that's everywhere else this time of year, Tacomapocalypse III is the sequel to last year's successful Zombie "Tacomapocalypse II." The electronic musical stylings of local musician Gibson Starkweather will rock the walls of Amocat. Technophobic Android will also make a special appearance.

• Amocat Café, Tacomapocalypse III opening party, 5-9  p.m., free, 625 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma, 253.242.3370

>>> SATURDAY, FEB. 2: ART OF CHOCOLATE WALK

Those who have already caved and thrown out their New Year's resolution to abstain from sweets, prepare to get giddy. Gig Harbor, the quaint gateway city of the Olympic Peninsula, hosts the fourth annual Art of Chocolate Walk Saturday. Held in conjunction with the Gig Harbor First Saturday Art Walk, The Art of Chocolate is designed to be a walking tour of art and sweets. The idea is to get your passport stamped by as many participating locations as possible, for a chance at a number of prizes - perhaps more important, however, The Art of Chocolate promises an opportunity to sample chocolates and confections, check out cookbooks on chocolate and chat with sweet-makers. — Weekly Volcano

• Downtown Gig Harbor, noon to 6 p.m., Gig Harbor waterfront, gigharborwaterfront.org

>>> SATURDAY, FEB. 2: SACRED HARP SINGING

Shape note singing dates back centuries to early singing schools, with each solfoge note of the scale being given a different shape to ease sight-reading. When groups gather, they form a "hollow square" with the four voice parts of a typical choir facing one another. No pitch pipes or other instruments tune the group - that's done by the song leader. Who is that? Whoever's turn it is. They stand facing the tenors, who always have the melody. Want to see all of this in action? The Scared Harp Singing sing-along goes down Saturday at Fort Nisqually Living History Museum. - WV

• Fort Nisqually Living Hisotry Museum, 2-4 p.m., Point defiance PArk, 5400 N. pearl St., Tacoma, 253.591.5339
  

>>> SATURDAY, FEB. 2: ILLUMINATED BALL

Last year's Illuminated Ball - the Procession of the Species main annual fundraiser - turned the Eagles Hall in Olympia into an enchanted forest. An intricate tree canopy decorated the walls and ceiling, and all around, tables, chairs and especially people, were glowing, glittering and celebrating illumination. How will it look this year? Live music by The Brown Edition, an illuminated pageant, no host bar and appetizers, plus all things glowing, lovely and artistic will make for a splendid evening. - NM

• Eagle's Hall, 8 p.m., $65/adv. $75/door, 805 Fourth Ave. E., Olympia, 360. 929.9907

>>> SATURDAY, FEB. 2: "NEON MAN" AND BRAD UPTON

Watching Henrik Bothe's "neon man" routine, where he lines his body with glowing tubes, shuts off the lights and creates an onstage animation is worth the admission alone. Bothe also escapes a straight jacket while riding a unicycle, and juggles with four legs. Paired with national touring comedian Brad Uptown and his side-busting jokes, the duo go together like hippies and Haight Street. And just as if you were on the infamous street in San Fransisco, expect tracers (from the neon man) and uncontrollable bouts of laughter. — Nikki McCoy

• The Royal Lounge, 8:30 p.m., $12, 311 Capitol Way N., Olympia, 360. 705.0760

>>> SATURDAY, FEB. 2: DANCE PARTY

Thank heaven, the days are getting longer, new green buds are sprouting and seasonal light disorder is hopefully wearing off. One good way to shake off that winter funk is to get out and dance your fucking ass off. Seriously, close your eyes and shake that thing. Weekly Volcano you catch the Polyrhythmics and AKA and the Heart Hurt Goods at the Olympia Ballroom. With at least eight instruments aboard, Polyrhythmics busts out the funk like no other, and always bring a packed house. - NM

• Olympia Ballroom, 9 p.m., $10, 116 Legion Way SE, Olympia, 360.943.9242

WHAT SOME OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS ARE UP TO

CHRISTIAN CARVAJAL Theater Critic
After seeing Cirque du Soleil's "Amaluna" Thursday night, we're catching "Next to Normal" at Capital Playhouse and Olympia Family Theater's all-youth production of "James and the Giant Peach." Oh, and apparently there's some sort of ballgame on Sunday?

REV. ADAM MCKINNEY Music Writer
This weekend's a tough call. There's a perfectly good show at the New Frontier, featuring Wes Sp8 and members of Solvents (whom I really enjoy). OR, there's a Santee show up in Seattle at the awesome all-ages mecca, the Vera Project, which I haven't visited since I was underage. Might be fun to go back.

ALEC CLAYTON Arts Critic
Gabi and I are going to the opening of "Out of the Silence," a very special art exhibition to raise awareness of anti-gay bullying and in support of Pizza Klatch, a group that provides support (and pizza) to students at six high schools in Thurston County. The opening is Friday night starting at 5 p.m. at the Urban Onion in Oly.

NIKKI MCCOY Feature Writer
Friday, I'm going to party it up with my cousin Tess, who is really like my best friend and sister, too. (Hey girl! Wassup? Shout out to you on your birthday! Coco!! XOXO!) I'm pretty sure there will be dancing and enchiladas involved. Saturday, I will clamber onto my roof with a big janitor's broom and a bottle of vinegar and scrub out the moss that's growing through shingles like all that alien vegetation in Stephen King's "Creepshow." Sunday is R & R and football.

TIMOTHY GRISHAM Music Writer

This is the first weekend of February; the month where winter can either hit hardest or ease toward spring. In that end I look forward to that spring optimism by planning a beach hike. It is going to be 55 on the coast Saturday! Sorry bands, films, art shows. You'll have to wait. Then on Sunday I'm going to the Motorcycle exhibit at the Washington State History Museum.

STEVE DUNKELBERGER Nightlife Correspondent
Well, Nugget got a new puppy, Luke Skywalker Dunkelberger, so I imagine I'll be covered in puppy spit and fur by the end of the weekend. Other than that, I'll be watching "Grease" with the girl child and going to the Free Radical Media Exchange to drop off and pick up some more hard-bound lovin'.

LINK: Even more local events that we recommend

LINK: Comprehensive South Sound Arts & Entertainment Calendar

THURSDAY, JAN. 24 2013 >>>

1. Remember that time in high school when your parents went away? You know, plot line of every teenage movie ever made - except this time, you blew up the house. Standing in the ashes as your parents roll up, what do you do? Say it with us now - iiiiiimprovise. Take notes Thursday, Jan. 24 at the Washington Center while watching the best and blithest live comedians and next time you're in a lose-lose situation, you'll wondrously make screams turn to laughter. On the main stage, Ryan Stiles, Greg Proops, Joel Murray and Jeff Davis star in Whose Live Anyway? - 90 minutes of improvised comedy and song made up before your eyes from your suggestions. In the black box, the Center's Comedy in the Box series features the best from the Seattle Comedy Competition. Both begin at 7:30 p.m., which is not funny. Read Sean Contris' interview with Ryan Stiles in the Weekly Volcano's Arts section.

2. Alec Clayton, author of The Backside of Nowhere and art critic for the Weekly Volcano, recently published Return to Freedom, which begins where Backside left off - the day of the hurricane that wiped out the little bayou village of Freedom, Miss. Teenage hoodlums, who looted an electronics store during a flash flood many years ago, are now adults - one with an alcoholic wife and three teenage children, the other an evangelical preacher - living in the same condo overlooking the bay with an unicycle-riding street performer and single mother who owns a diner. Their lives are as stormy as the hurricane from which they are still recovering. Hear Clayton and local actors Luke Amundson, Michael O'Hara, Sharry O'Hare, Samantha Camp, and Jenifer Rifenbery read scenes from Clayton's new book at 7 p.m. inside King's Books. Discussion and book signing will follow.

3. Against a background of a long drawn-out war and a counter-culture of free love, cross-dressing, and pastoral lyricism, the 1660s look a lot like the 1960s in Or, a neo-Restoration comedy at 8 p.m. inside Harlequin Productions in Olympia.

4. Blending many of the principles of traditional bluegrass and Americana roots, Barleywine Revue supplies a contemporary flavor to their music by playing primarily original tunes. Expect the fiddles, banjos and voices to fire up at 9 p.m. inside The Swiss. Warning: The Tacoma Runners are using The Swiss as their base tonight. Expect to see a mass reflector vest hoedown.

5. Blues dancing derives from the so-called "Black vernacular" of Southern dance styles and includes such moves as the Lindy and the irresistibly named "Funky Butt." Worst case scenario: you have two left feet but get to listen to Nina Simone. Check out OlyBlues Dance at 9 p.m. inside the Eagles Ballroom.

LINK: Thursday, Jan. 23 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

FRIDAY, JAN. 18 2013 >>>

1. At 8 p.m., the Backstage Bar and Grill and Puddin' Pie Productions will combine rock music and comedy into one Rockin' Comedy Extravaganza package featuring two bands and five comedians. A line-up of comedians - including Travis Simmons "The Big Funny," Justin Hayes, Greg Baldonado, Jeremy Whitman and Eric "Puddin" Lorentzen - start off the night followed by Hookerfist, a Tool tribute band, and local rockers C.F.A. The event is a NWCZ Radio sponsored listener's party, with on-air host Darrell Fortune playing emcee. Read Nikki McCoy's full feature in the Weekly Volcano's Music section.

2. Bates Technical College will commemorate the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s iconic march on Washington D.C. and "I Have a Dream" speech with an 11:30 a.m. program that will remember the past and celebrate the future. Spoken word poet Lucas Smiraldo, also known as Vanilla Soul, and local activist and leader from the Civil Rights era Dr. Moses Harris will join Master of Ceremonies and former Bates President Lyle Quasim for the event, which will also feature speeches from Commander Sergeant Major Sherman Fox and Dr. Harris' daughter, Frances Lizette Renée Harris.

3. Members of the Saint Martin's University community will gather at 6 p.m. inside the Worthington Center for its annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration honoring the legacy of the prominent human rights activist. Featuring a Southern-style dinner, the evening will include remarks by Tyler Calvi, the University's student body president, and University President Roy F. Heynderickx, Ph.D. A powerful performance by spoken word poet Chas Jackson will round out the evening.

4. The Social Bar and Grill hosts local creative writing publication Wrist Magazine's launch party Jan. 18 at 7 p.m. Beats provided by DJ Mr. Melanin while you can meet the staff and local authors and nosh on culinary treats and sip on some of the best craft cocktails in town. Tacoma winery 21 Cellars will be in the house too.

5. Talented Tacoma photographers command the Madera Architectural Elements Showroom once a month, illuminating their work and creativity with the visually aided enhancement implied by the name of the series, TRIPOD Slide Shows. Created by Tacoma artist Lynn Di Nino, the night of digital slides features three local photographers and one creative theme.  The next TRIPOD Slide Show slides into Madera from 7-8:30 p.m. featuring 15-minute slide shows by photographers Becky Frehse, Ann Darling and L. Lisa Lawrence under the theme "Footloose and Fancy Free, all over the World."

LINK: Friday, Jan. 18 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

FUTURE THINGS ARE COMING >>>

So two bands, five comedians and one radio host walk into a bar.What sounds like the start of a joke is really this Friday's Rocking Comedy Extravaganza at The Backstage Bar and Grill in Tacoma.

A string of comedians including Travis Simmons aka "The Big Funny," Justin Hayes, Greg Baldonado, Jeremy Whitman and Eric "Puddin" Lorentzen will start off the night followed by Hookerfist, a Tool tribute band, and local rockers C.F.A. The event is a NWCZ Radio sponsored listener's party, with on-air host Darrell Fortune playing emcee.

The Weekly Volcano caught up with C.F.A. vocalist/bassist Cody Foster for the lowdown on Friday's extravaganza.

WEEKLY VOLCANO: It's about time comedy and rock music melded in the South Sound. Don't you agree?

CODY FOSTER: It makes sense. People watch us and tell us we are funny. We don't find us to really be funny. We think of ourselves as more, well, challenged. But all three of us are comedian fans. So we are excited to get to watch comedians, then do a set. It will be very surreal. Never done that in the 27 years as musicians.

VOLCANO: Why do you think shows like this are important to Tacoma?

FOSTER: This is a great hybrid of entertainment. Who doesn't like to laugh and get rocked? The big deal comes from not having your eardrum pounded all night. There is definitely a place for that. We have been talking with Eric and Travis and if this goes well we will do something else.

VOLCANO: What can people expect from C.F.A?

FOSTER: The usual, dumb controlled chaos. Loud.

VOCLANO: Since we're talking comedy, I got a nerdy Star Wars joke for you: What temperature is it inside a Tauntaun? It's "Luke" warm! Aha ha!

FOSTER: That is F'n great! We will be using that one for sure.

VOCLANO: Do you have any good jokes or one-liners?

FOSTER: I don't think my rubber pants will fit you. Come on, the safe word can't be ouch! Better to ask forgiveness than permission.

VOLCANO: Nice. What would you say to somebody to get his or her butt out to the show?

FOSTER: I would start by letting everybody know that this is an independent show put together by comedian Eric Puddin Lorentzen. Which means a comedian picked the other comedians. The best booked shows start this way.

VOLCANO: Anything else you'd like to add?

Foster: Come down and get loose. We are filming for a video!

BACKSTAGE BAR AND GRILL, FRIDAY, JAN 18, 8 P.M., ALL AGES UNTIL 11 P.M., $9 AT BROWNPAPERTICKETS, 6409 6TH AVE, TACOMA, 253.564.0149.

LINK: Rocking Comedy Extravaganza on NWCZ Radio

SATURDAY, JAN. 12 2013 >>>

1. The Future Bass DJs - Mr. Melanin, BROAM and Bobby Galaxy - have been a mainstay of the Tacoma alternative club/nightscene since 2009, blending cultures and genres by mixing the cutting edge of hip-hop, heavy electro dance music and indy electroclash remixes. It's a night of infectious, soulful beats backed by lush visuals and classic breakdancing videos. It's awesome. Get into the groove beginning at 9 p.m. inside The New Frontier Lounge.

2. Man's best friend comes in many shapes and sizes. There are small dogs, big dogs, hairy dogs and dogs that shit and piss all over the place. There are cute dogs, ugly dogs, stinky dogs, and, well, dogs that shit and piss all over the place. From 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Puyallup Fairgrounds (specifically, the Puyallup Fair & events Center) the Western Washington All Breed Dog Show Cluster will end its weekend run in epic fashion - pitting the most privileged and pampered yappers you'll ever seen in a battle royal for canine supremacy.

3. The waves of shock reverberated throughout Tacoma. Mouths fell agape. Eyes stared in bewilderment. Dogs paced nervously. On April 14, 2011 the beloved and historic pagoda at Point Defiance Park was set ablaze by a 15-year-old boy. The nearly 100-year-old building - built in 1914 and a replica of a 17th century Japanese lodge - that went from streetcar station in May 1914 to home to a lot of weddings up to 21 months ago, was destroyed. Seven million dollars later, The Pagoda opens today at  2 p.m. with self-guide tours, history lectures, speeches and hugs until 5 p.m.

Even if you don't quite understand the complicated politics behind the bitter intractability of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, you'll have a visceral reaction to 5 Broken Cameras, a documentary that captures five years of protests via the amateur lenses of Emad Burnat, a Palestinian farmer whose hometown of Bil'in on the West Bank was overtaken by Israeli settlements just as his youngest son, Gibreel, was born. The documentary will be screened at 5 p.m. inside the First United Methodist Church. Emad Burnat's brother, Iyad Burnat - a nonviolent activist from Bil'in - will host the film, then discuss his life in the West Bank under Israeli military occupation.

5. "When you eat pancakes out of a bag in a semi-public place, there are rules," says comedian Kyle Kinane midway through an eight-minute story about watching a man on an airplane eat pancakes out of a grocery bag. You or I might see such a sight and, upon reporting it to our friends later, the extent of our story might be just, "Pretty weird, right?" But that's not how Kyle Kinane operates. On his first album, Death of the Party, and his second, Whiskey Icarus, Kinane tells stories both large and small, but they are never short of epic in the telling. Whether it's a story about the terror of using a bathroom in a sketchy bar, or about what it means to receive a blank fortune cookie, or about the rules of speeding tickets for bicyclists, Kinane wrings short stories out of even the most mundane things, and it's always hilarious. Catch him at 8 and 10:30 p.m. tonight at the Tacoma Comedy Club. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's interview with comedian Kyle Kinane in the Weekly Volcano's Arts acetion.

LINK: Saturday, Jan. 12 arts and entertainment events in the greter Tacoma and Olympia area

THE WEEK OF JAN. 10-16, 2013 >>>

In this week's issue of the Weekly Volcano ...

"When you eat pancakes out of a bag in a semi-public place, there are rules," says comedian Kyle Kinane midway through an eight-minute story about watching a man on an airplane eat pancakes out of a grocery bag. You or I might see such a sight and, upon reporting it to our friends later, the extent of our story might be just, "Pretty weird, right?" But that's not how Kyle Kinane operates. Rev. Adam McKinney interviews Kinane before his three-day run at the Tacoma Comedy Club.

Imagine it's the early '90s. You are young, have an ear for music and love going to and recording shows. You hang on the scene long enough to make friends, start selling merch and next thing you know, you're at roadie status. Fast forward to 2001, after working with the Melvins - and on the road with Kill Rock Stars band xbxrx - tours collide with a group that asks you to come along on its next tour. Little do you know that you'll be driving a tour that will take you through the East Coast as the Pentagon is still smoldering from 9/11, that you will be accompanying a band that has been strong for the last 10 years, on its final tour, and that the music you record along the way will be compiled and released 10 years later in limited edition vinyl and unlimited digital downloads. If this scenario happened to you, you'd be Mike Ziegler.

Approaching its 125th year is an exciting time for all involved with the University of Puget Sound. Its web page boasts memories in pictures and words, including sporting events, kayaking trips and even tent camping in the library, where one student was highly dedicated to study for finals. For UPS president Ronald R. Thomas, 2013 also marks his 10-year anniversary of overseeing the university. Like students and staff, Thomas also has fond memories of time spent on campus.

Now that the holiday season has passed, many winter brews are exiting through a secret side door not to be seen again until next year when pinecone wreaths adorn our doors and Christmas lights dazzle from every window pane. It's not too late to get your lips around a pint or two of dark, delicious, roasted brews.Jackie Fender and two local beer experts taste several winter beers brewed in the area.

The original Fresh Blends was at Hell's Kitchen on Sixth Avenue. The night lasted one year and it brought down some of the best Seattle hip-hop to perform in Tacoma. The Fresh Blends stage housed the SportinLife roster and artists such as Xperience. Weekly Volcano columnist Josh Rizeberg says Fresh Blends has returned to Tacoma.

The "Greek and Roman Mythology" exhibition at Tacoma Community College is outstanding. The operative word is strength - depicted strength of character, purpose and ideology; beauty and strength in the human body, and strong drawing and composition. There is also a lot of humor and wisdom in the way these contemporary South Sound artists react to ancient myths. Read Alec Clayton's review of the show here.

LINK: The Broadway Center staff tell Neil Berg his business

LINK: Music critics' picks of the week

SATURDAY, JAN. 5 2013 >>>

1. Winters here are cold and wet, and it's better to admit that fact and find a way to enjoy the season than to stay home depressed. Ice skating, with its low requirements in start-up costs and athletic prowess, may be the perfect way to beat the winter doldrums. It's charming and, in Tacoma, it comes with live music. Tonight is the last edition of the Weekly Volcano Electric Salchow Stage at the Franciscan Polar Plaza ice rink. Back from recording in Nashville, SweetKiss Momma has the honor of being the last live band to rock it for the season. The band will fire up its Southern soul rock sound at 7 p.m. and perform for skaters until 9 p.m.

2. The Tumwater Pioneers arena soccer team makes its South Sound debut at Tumwater Indoor Sports at 7 p.m. against the Marysville Ruckus. The Pioneers are a semi-pro indoor soccer team competing in its first season in the Premier Arena Soccer League and feature athletes from the Olympia area including a number of current players and alumni from The Evergreen State College, Saint Martin's and South Puget Sound soccer teams.

3. Chris Thomas is best known as "The Mayor of Rap City." He worked on Run-D.M.C's and Public Enemy's national tours in the late '80s. His hip-hop know-how led him to BET's music video television program Rap City, which helped launch many music careers. He hosted the show, which began in 1989, until 1993. Rap City ended in 2008. Thomas, who is now in his 50s, still hosts programming for the Washing Wizards and his own "TV Icons of Comedy" tour. Thomas will join Shai, Jay Lamont, Damon Williams and Willie Brown for a comedy show at 8 p.m. inside Tacoma Temple Theatre.

4. True Holland and China Davis will rock the Westgate Bar & Grill at 8 p.m. in celebration of Marnie's birthday.

5. Musician Jesse Turcotte celebrated his birthday this week. If you have followed his birthday schedule in the past you know he typically celebrates it with a live music extravaganza at Doyle's Public House, the Stadium District pub where he pours spirits. Sue enough, this year isn't any different. Turcotte's band All Night Yard Sale - a Gyspy, Latin jazz funk thang - goes live at 9:30 p.m. with Turcotte on bass, Josh Hegg on guitar, Colby Sander on guitar and Jeff Berghammer on drums. If you follow live music in the area, you know these musicians are kind of a big deal.

LINK: Saturday, Jan. 5 arst and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area