WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

1. It all goes back to history. Everything. Everything goes back to history. There is nothing but history. These words are becoming history as you read them. Even you, some day, will be history. Perhaps you will be a blip; perhaps you will be a chapter. Perhaps your name will become a buzzword, like Reaganomics or Machiavellian. Perhaps. Perhaps you will ramble with no purpose. Perhaps you will wax poetic to the point of nausea. Perhaps you will shove extra food from the buffet into your purse when no one is looking. Perhaps. Perhaps you'll enjoy history Saturday when the best comedians from years and years of the Seattle International Comedy Competitions gather on the Pantages Theater for a night of laughs at 7:30 p.m. Former Comedy Competition champions Darryl Lenox (1999) and Damonde Tschritter (2006) will anchor the night. Armchair philosopher Lenox is one of the best comics to ever come out of Vancouver. OK, he's American, but he lived 14 years in the city, reached a calm on stage and honed his act with his hilarious American take on Canada and Canadians. Although storyteller comedian, actor and writer Tschritter has been known to say he's more like the guy who hangs around your kitchen table telling stories than a stand-up comedian, he was the first Canadian to win the Seattle competition. Perhaps you should attend.

2. Dude, pain is just weakness leaving the body. It's no reason to not do anything. Shoo, weakness, shoo. Go away. It's time to skip that early morning nap and start creating some pain for yourself. That's right - five kilometers of pain. It's the Ruston Way 5K, beginning at 10 a.m. It's said to be one of the flattest, fastest 5K runs in the universe. Elite runners are signed up. But forget about the fact that it celebrates the re-opening of the new and proved Ruston Way; you can reminisce about the demolished tunnel later. Concentrate on your five kilometers of pain. Ignore the pre-run ribbon cutting with dignitaries at 9:15 a.m. Ignore the stunning views of the Puget Sound, Mt. Rainier, the Cascades and the Olympic Mountains. Pain, pain, pain. Best of all, you'll be done in time for your noon nap.

3. Traver Gallery in Tacoma is the only United States venue to host Engaging with Glass: A Survey of Contemporary Glass Art, the first comprehensive survey of Irish glass art in over a decade. The exhibition brings together a broad spectrum of work in glass, ranging from beautifully executed decorative objects to conceptual installation pieces incorporating video elements. The exhibit opens today with a reception from 5-7 p.m.

4. You totally have the opportunity to get lei'd tonight (sorry, we couldn't help ourselves). The annual University of Puget Sound's Hui O Hawai`i student club's Spring Lu'au with its exotic Polynesian food and colorful entertainment hits the campus. The festivities begin with a 5 p.m. dinner offering kalua pig, huli huli chicken, lomi lomi salmon, macaroni salad, poi, chicken long rice, haupia, pineapple and a vegan dish pineapple stir fry in the Wheelock Student Center. At 7 p.m., the crowd will head to the memorial Field House for the band Na Leo O Hawai`I and around a dozen dances from cultures including Hawaiian, Tahitian, Samoan, and Maori, as well as ritual face-painting, grass skirts, the malo (loincloth) and colorful island dresses. Aloha.

5. Beginning at 6 p.m. Hell's Kitchen will host a benefit show for Hang Huong - who was hit by a car - featuring a burlesque show, raffle prizes and the musical stylings of Unhailoed, Psychonaut Deathtrip, LB, Reptile Eruption, Devils of Louden and Phasers On Kill.

PLUS: More events listed in our Weekend Hustle

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music and DJs in the South Sound

LINK: South Sound happy hours

TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012 >>>

1. Psychedelic folk revivalist Joanne Rand will drop by Fusion Integrated Body Studio for a night of avant-garde Appalachian traditionals, southern blues-rock and original orchestral compositions about the human condition. You might have seen her back in the early '90s when she was an integral part of the Seattle music scene. Today, she calls Northern California home, and every rag in that area has printed the word "best" next to her name. The Hinges open the show at 8 p.m.

2. TED is a nonprofit organization dedicated to sharing knowledge and ideas. Most people with an Internet connection probably know about the TED talks posted online, but now Tacoma will have its own TED event. TEDx are locally organized versions of TED talks, and TEDx Tacoma is set to take place from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the theme is Transformation. Speakers will range from artists to business owners to community movers and shakers. Read Kristin Kendle's full feature on TEDx Tacoma in the Arts section of weeklyvolcano.com.

3. Learn to cultivate creativity and live a more artistic life with John Jacobsen, executive director of TheFilmSchool in Seattle, at noon in the theater at Pierce College Fort Steilacoom. During this free, two-hour workshop, Jacobsen will examine what it means to be an artist, how artists tell their stories and why those stories are important.

4. Comedian John Garnett recently moved back to Tacoma from Los Angles where he rubbed shoulders with Brad Pitt, Clint Eastwood and many other celebrities. "Tacoma has always felt like home, full of REAL people, who wake up to REAL lives. Nothing like the big rush hour driven, dollar sign eye'd, people I met when I lived in LA and New York I wanted to be real again," says Garnett who will open Ha Ha Tuesdays at Jazzbones at 8:30 p.m. before headliner Daniel Dugar hits the stage.

5. Every 17th of the month Doyle's Public House hosts a practice session for its big St. Patrick's Day party. Practice makes perfect in the eyes of owners Russ and Dave. However, the party will be taken a notch higher as the Stadium District watering hole will also celebrates its sixth anniversary. Expect corned beef and cabbage as well as 2006 prices on all goods. Oh, and for some reason Doyle's can't mention the band fronted by Junior that will rock the joint, in a very sexy way, at 8 p.m.  

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music and DJs in the South Sound

LINK: South Sound happy hours

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2012 >>>

1. Writing from a lesbian and/or feminist perspective is easier today than it was 30 years ago, thanks in large part to the sustained work of women activists and by growing mass acceptance of their arguments. The level of anger and revolt and solidarity is not the same today as it was in the '70s or '80s. Or is it? Internationally acclaimed slam poet, full-time writer, performing artist and activist, Tony-nominated Staceyann Chin probably can answer the question. The strong and versatile self-described out-poet with a Caribbean-accent and huge, parted Afro has seen and experienced the light and dark of life of plantation-era Jamaica, and carries a worldly perspective, identifying with Caribbean and Black, Asian and lesbian, women and New Yorkers. She speaks about her experiences of growing up in Jamaica and the consequences of her coming-out at 7 p.m. inside Schneebeck Concert Hall on the University of Puget Sound campus.

2. A Hope Not Forgotten, Darasuum, I/Delilah, Beneath All Kaos and Silent Planet rock the all-ages Red Room beginning at 7 p.m.

3. As far as virtuosic young piano prodigies go, Ran Dank is totally dank, yo. And by that we mean he's the bomb. Even better, he's performing at 7:30 p.m. inside the Washington Center.

4. Watch 10-20 comedians try out their new material during Tacoma Comedy Club's open mic beginning at 8 p.m. It don't cost nutin'.

5. Want to get into the habit of doodling dudes? Tonight at 8:30 p.m. The Mix hosts live body painting giving Tacoma's creative community an opportunity to socialize, sip and scribble. Most succinctly described as figure-drawing sessions with a gay twist, the sessions are open to the public, as long as you're of drinking age. Oh, there will be drinks.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music and DJs in the South Sound

LINK: South Sound happy hours

FRIDAY, MARCH 23, 2012 >>>

1. Peter motherfucking Frampton and his talk box are headed to Tacoma tonight, bringing the 35^th anniversary tour for Frampton Comes Alive to the Pantages Theater and delighting a whole generation of mid-70s kinda-sorta rockers in the process. As part of the celebratory vibe for the 35^th anniversary of Frampton Comes Alive, the Grammy award-winning guitarist will bust out the entire album. Boom! It's talk box time.

2. Cut. It. Out. Former Full House semi-star Dave Coulier continues his weekend run at the Tacoma Comedy Club tonight.

3. The Reduced Shakespeare Company is a three-man comedy troupe set to be holed up in Tacoma tonight at the Rialto and  offering a show that promises to, "cover every sport from every continent ever played in 90 minutes." Pretty bold stuff, we know, but that's pretty much what you'd expect from an outfit like the Reduced Shakespeare Company - which touts on its resume, "seven stage shows, two television specials, several failed TV pilots, and numerous radio pieces."  

4. Dancer-turned-comedic-filmmaker Mitchell Rose has plenty of notches on his belt. He's been awarded five fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, for example, and has seen his work grace the gigantic screen in Times Square. Dude's accomplished, in other words. Tonight, Rose hits Olympia's Kenneth J. Minnaert Center for the Arts with The Mitch Show, billed as, "a fast-paced evening of comic films and audience-participation pieces," and "maniacally funny, often poignant, and always surprising." We'll get behind anything that's maniacally funny.

5. The Lance Buller Trio will class up Maxwell's on St. Helens Avenue tonight, busting out tunes starting at 7 p.m.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music tonight in the South Sound

LINK: The Weekend Hustle

MONDAY, MARCH 19, 2012 >>>

1. Comedian Alysia Wood remembers getting her start at the house emcee at Tacoma's Comedy Underground. While these days Wood lives in L.A. and is prepping for the release of her debut comedy album on Standup! Records, Princess, she returns to the Northwest tonight for a celebratory (and sure to be laugh-filled) show at Stonegate Pizza. Produced by Grammy award-winning producer Dan Schlissel, Princess may well be the start of even bigger and better things for Wood.

2. As a popular poet once noted, "Makin' your way / in the world today / takes everything you've got." Yes, it's back to the coal mines, tired already from late partying at the BroHo. You need something to soak up that beer, and an artist with mad flow to screw your head on straight. We float you home, Gentle Reader, on the soothing cadences of Poetry Night at al Forno Ferruzza. That's right, it's a full-on poetry slam, slathered in delicious mozzarella. Your lingering hangover demands this. An offshoot of a beloved Portland pizzeria, al Forno offers hearty calzones and pies, a range of wines at $7 a half-carafe, and now, THE KNOWLEDGE. Preach it.

3. Catch rising Tacoma band Death By Stars tonight at Magoo's as part of Showcase Monday. DJ Pocket Square will also be in the house, with the action kicking off at 8:30 p.m.

4. Tonight at the Swiss drink beer and behold Dakota Bob & The Businessman Band, starting at 8 p.m. and featuring absolutely no cover charge.

5. Drop in on Tap Room Trivia tonight at the Harmon Tap Room on St. Helens Avenue. Look for a $50 cash prize for the winner of each round and too much fun to contain - running from 6 - 8 p.m.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music and DJs tonight in the region

TACOMA REPRESENT! >>>

When comedian Adam Norwest, 25, returns to his home by Point Defiance Park he'll be wearing a shiny crown. Yesterday morning he learned he won Country Music Television's Next Big Comic title. Norwest began his comic career at age 13. In a few short years he was the youngest comedian ever to compete in the prestigious Seattle International Comedy Competition and has been seen on cable TV's Man Up, Stand Up, as well as Comedy Brew.

Now he's king of CMT comedy. Well done sir.

The Weekly Volcano caught up with Norwest from Birmingham, Alabama.

WEEKLY VOLCANO: Congratulations Adam. What did you win?

ADAM NORWEST: I won the title of CMT's Next Big Comic, and a recording deal with Rooftop Comedy Records.

VOLCANO:Take us through the steps to the crown.

NORWEST: The competition had thousands of comedians, which was narrowed down to 12 by CMT. Then, through online voting by fans, CMT narrowed it down to the final four. They flew us to Birmingham to compete live in front of 500 people at the Stardome. After the live show, and a little more voting, it was announced yesterday that I won.

VOLCANO: What was the joke that nailed it?

NORWEST: I'm 25 years old, and I just found out your brain is fully developed at 25. Dammit.

VOLCANO: When may Tacoma bow in your presence?

NORWEST: I will be opening for Dave Coulier (Uncle Joey from Full House) March 22-24 at the Tacoma Comedy Club, and then back to headline the club on May 3.

LINK: CMT video of Adam Norwest

SATURDAY, MARCH 10, 2012 >>>

1. Presented by the Washington State Arts Commission, with support from the National Endowment for the Arts and The Poetry Foundation, today's Poetry Out Loud State Finals will pit winners from seven regional finals held across Washington state in an ultimate throwdown of poetry recital. Along with ultimate statewide bragging rights, competitors will be vying for an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. to participate in the Poetry Out Loud national finals.

2. Ariana Throne's one-woman "dance drama" Collision looks at rape culture in American college life. She herself was involved in two such collisions, and much of her performance is uncomfortably autobiographical. Throne uses a variety of performance skills to examine our views about rape - and to tell her own story - from multiple angles. She brings much to the table: self-penned guitar ballads, a black-light dance routine, tongue-in-cheek vignettes. Throne's show runs today and tomorrow at the Evergreen State College. Read Christian Carvajal's full feature on Collision in the Arts section at weeklyvolcano.com.

3. There's not much that's funnier in this world than Dave's of Milton. See for yourself when Dave's hosts its "Comedy Night," tonight featuring Jay Wendell Walker and Rodney Sherwood. The laughs are hosted by Stephen Morton Jr., and expect musical guest O Dark 30.

4. It's Grown Folk Saturday at Last Call Bar in Lakewood. Expect DJ C-Luv to bust out all sorts of "old skool," hits from the 1970s, ‘80s and ‘90s  dance hits.

5. Join Tacoma's master of Karaoke, the Rev. Colin, at Engine House No. 9 tonight. The tunes start getting belted out at 9:30 p.m.

MORE THINGS TO DO: The Weekend Hustle

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music tonight

FRIDAY, MARCH 9, 2012 >>>

1. The Weekly Volcano has a Street Team of 20-somethings who attend events in the South Sound, takes photos, blogs and distributes flyers and posters for future events. They also host events, such at the Street Team Pub Crawl. How do you get in on the first Street Team Pub Crawl? Show up at Charlie's Sports Bar & Grill in Olympia at 6 p.m. tonight. If you miss the mark, you can join up with the Volcano Street Team along the route. A free door prize raffle will be held at each location so don't dilly-dally. Here's the schedule.

2. Today brings the South Sound Technology Conference to the University of Washington Tacoma, a one-day event designed to bring together, "leaders from industry, education and government to discuss and demonstrate innovations and their applications," according to pre-event hype. The day-long event features a morning keynote by VP Product Development Expedia Steve Jarvis, a panel discussion on the mobile app development "explosion," and a lunch keynote by White House Cybersecurity Coordinator Howard Schmidt. Find more info about the South Sound Technology Conference and more in the Volcano's Weekend Hustle.

3. Time flies when you're having fun. Or so the saying goes - and fun is definitely one of the many great, hyper-local bits of awesomeness being served every day at Tacoma's Amocat Café, celebrating one year this Friday with the aptly titled, "Amocat Live." Expect an evening full of live music for all ages including John Dolge, Jon Parker, Micaela Cooley, Sam Bogle, Russ Dahler, Gen Obata, and The Collaborators. Best of all, it's free. It good times start at 7 p.m.

4. Comedian Slade Ham performs twice at the Tacoma Comedy Club tonight, taking the stage at 8 and 10:30 p.m. Meanwhile, the Comedy Underground Presents at Tacoma's Big Whisky Saloon presents Kortney Shane Williams and Joe Fontenot will keep things funny at Grit City Comedy Club.

5.In Olympia at Traditions Café and World Folk Art,  drop in on what's sure to be an enchanting event for all ages, "The Heartsparkle Players Present Stories From Outside Your Comfort Zone." It starts at 7:30 p.m.

MORE THINGS TO DO: The Weekend Hustle

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music tonight

THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2012 >>>

1. Almost exactly a year ago the Washington D.C. comedy troupe Capitol Steps descended on Olympia and the Washington Center for the Performing Arts, bringing with it a full bag of political humor and clever song parodies about things that rhyme with Scalia. Major laughs ensued. Tonight the Steps return to our state capital, no doubt full of new material thanks to a whole year of new inspirations - from the seemingly endless Republican presidential candidate debates to the many sweater vests of Rick Santorum.

2. PLU debuts David Lindsey-Abaire's Rabbit Hole tonight at the school's Studio Theater. The production starts at 7:30 p.m. According to hype, "Ultimately, as Rabbit Hole so beautifully demonstrates, compassion for ourselves and for each other makes us stronger as individuals and wiser as a community."

3. Slide in and catch Sandy Harvey in the Piano Lounge at El Gaucho in Tacoma tonight. The swank gets heavy around 6 p.m.

4. Thursday is the new start of the weekend, and what better way to kick things off than the open mic and "Musicians Night" at Tacoma's Rock the Dock Pub & Grill and hosted by Big D of 9 Pound Hammer? There's really not. The fun starts at 9 p.m. and there's absolutely no cover.

5. Weekly Volcano hip-hop columnist Josh Rizeberg gave us the lowdown this week on Hacienda Real. Tonight, check out the club for yourself during "Thursday Night South Sound with Skrilla and DJ J City." Expect a Top 40 party kicking off at 9 p.m.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music tonight

STAND-UP COMEDY CAN BE BRUTAL >>>

There's nothing worse than a person who wants to be funny but isn't. It's painful to watch. There's a difference between having a good sense of humor and possessing the ability to be funny in front of a crowd, knowing timing, tone and body language.

I've been a judge for the Seattle International Comedy Competition at least once in each of the last three decades. I've watched one comedian after another take the stage to a thunderous round of applause, say words, then leave to a few hand claps. The competitors would repeat the process night after night in a different city until a champion was crowned.

Brutal.

Factor in a panel of humans - with jobs, mortgages, family and demons of their own - is there to judge, as well as pay for their own drinks. The results can be a crapshoot.

There isn't room for amateurs, at least at the Seattle International Comedy Competition.

And yet people like Mike Agostini continue to sign up and go through the grueling routine.

Agostini left teaching in 1997 after a 13-year run to start the Fairlane Painting Company. He always wanted to try stand-up but didn't work up the nerve to try until age 44. He broke his cherry at an open mic night at The Comedy Underground in Tacoma. The prestigious Seattle International Comedy Competition was his ultimate goal. In the '80s, Agostini pointed flashlights at seats during the competition at the Paramount Theatre. He'd pause and watch the comedians. He knew someday. ...

Twenty-two months after that first open mic night Agostini's name graced the list of SICC contestants.

"I knew it would be a one-time shot and I had also heard of all the bizarre things that occur almost every year, so I hired a film crew to follow me on my adventure," says Agostini.

The resulting documentary, Broken Mike, captures not only Agostini's pursuit of a dream but also the passion of several other contestants as they experience one of the most stressful weeks of their lives.

Broken Mike earned The Award of Excellence in Filmmaking from the Canada Film Festival. The one-day festival receives hundreds of submissions. It's an honor to be selected.

"I am traveling up there to attend the festival and awards presentation on March 31," Agostini says proudly.

Before Agostini heads north, he's screening the documentary in Tacoma Saturday night at the Grit City Comedy Club. I tossed a couple questions his way.

WEEKLY VOLCANO: How would you describe the documentary?

MIKE AGOSTINI: The doc is not just about me. It's a behind-the-scenes look into the minor league ranks of stand-up comedy. All famous comedians working today started the same way - one nighters battling with drunken hecklers. The doc captures all of it.

VOLCANO: How did you fare?

AGOSTINI: I start off well but quickly see my dream fading as I am consistently near the bottom of the 16-person field. Each new night brings new hope and I try again only to see the same result. Yet, every night I pick myself up and try again.

Others experience success. Some snap! Arlo Stone defends the Spotted Owl and threatens to burn down new construction sites in order to protect the old growth forests. Not a popular thing to say on stage in front of 700 loggers at The Columbia Theater in Longview.

VOLCANO: Has Broken Mike opened new doors?

AGOSTINI: Canada Film Festival is the first success, so I would have to say yes. Sixteen other festivals including Sundance have rejected the doc. Sundance is Mecca to filmmakers. I had to try. I am not sure why it is not experiencing more success. Maybe it is the content? Most docs focus on social issues or starving children. Mine has neither. The film was shot with some great cameras but the lighting is not always perfect - maybe that's why? To me it has a Gonzo or Guerrilla feel to it. Two doors that I hope it opens are Tacoma and the Seattle film festivals. I've submitted to both. Tacoma makes the decisions June and Seattle in April.

VOLCANO: How long was the film process?

AGOSTINI: The actual editing of the film took almost six years. I entered SICC in November of 2006 but was unable to afford an editor. We had 26 hours of film. In August of 2011 I finally met an amazing young man named Sean Puno who agreed to edit the film for me in exchange for 25 percent ownership of the profits. He knows there will be no profits; he's just a nice guy. But what he did was amazing.

The soundtrack is from Stewboss - an L.A. based band I met while down there a few years ago. Their music is a major reason the doc works.

VOLCANO: What are your reflections on your chops as a comic at this point in your career?

AGOSTINI: Funny to watch the film now. A lot of the jokes I do in the film I no longer do. Maybe it's me in a pink bra that is hurting my submission record?

I'm glad I started stand-up. Glad I entered SICC. But I rarely do stand-up these days. I still love it when I do. I've become Bill Murray on the piano in Groundhog Day. I can look at a stage and say to myself, "I could make these people laugh in here."

My new passion is acting. You can look me up on IMDB.com. I even got to work with Luke Perry on Leverage. He was awesome.

VOLCANO: What is your favorite time of day to watch a film in a theater?

AGOSTINI: I prefer watching movies in the afternoon. It is less expensive, and there is nobody wrestling with a plastic wrapper directly behind me.

VOLCANO: Why the screening Saturday night?

AGOSTINI: The event is a fundraiser to raise money for travel expenses to The Canada Film Festival as well as others that we will hopefully get into. Admission to the event is on a donation basis - whatever people feel like contributing. I will also have DVDs for sale of Broken Mike for $15. I will also be performing that same night - doing an extended "guest spot" with headliner Joe Fontenote at 8:30 p.m.

[Grit City Comedy Club, Broken Mike screening, Saturday, March 10, 5:30 p.m., donations, Broken Mike DVDs $15, 445 Tacoma Ave. S., Tacoma, 253.961.4262]