IT'S HAPPENING TONIGHT! >>>

Backstage Bar & Grill Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. EroticCity Princetribute. 9 pm. $8-$10.

Capitol Theater Olympia - Downtown. Andre Nickatina, Xperience, Puget, Q-Storm. All Ages. 8 pm. $20.

• Nowadays Olympia rappers are a dime a dozen. Few have been here, and still remain, since the scene REALLY started popping off in the early 2000s. In the '90s we got an occasional Andre Nickatina or Digital Underground show, but when the new century came around promoters were ready to take a chance on our small city, bringing big-name acts through on a consistent basis to legit clubs and venues. A difficult task at the time for these promoters was not only finding talented local artists, but ones they could count on to help promote the shows in exchange for an opening spot on the bill. One artist that quickly proved capable in this department was a skilled rapper by the name of Puget. Read my full feature on Puget here. - Nic Leonard
  

Hell's Kitchen Tacoma - Downtown. D Town Rebels, Leadership By Assault, Greater Of Two Evils, Noisy Hoodlums. All Ages. 6 pm. $6-$8. I Defy, CFA, Attitude Adjustment, Konkhra, Contrast The Water. 9 pm. $5.

Jazzbones Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Cold Note, Bump Kitchen. 8:30 pm. $10.

Louie G's Pizzeria Fife. Amanda Hardy. All Ages. 8 pm.

Mandolin Cafe Tacoma - Central. Bluegrass extravaganza continues: The Oly Mountain Boys. All Ages. 6:45 pm. The Understory. All Ages. 8 pm. Barleywine Revue. All Ages. 9 pm.

The New Frontier Lounge Tacoma - Dome District. Umber Sleeping, Gems, Death By Stars. 9 pm.

• The string of words that make up the name Death by Stars sounds at once full of portent and utterly frivolous. This dichotomy seems to seep into and help define the band's music as well. Combining the biggest, most direct qualities of punk, electronica and psych-rock, Death By Stars has cooked up a cutting, immediately hooky sound. There's an invigorating quality to Death by Stars that seems to transcend the band's basic formula of spacey, psychedelia-informed vocals encased in programmed beats, exploding into life-sized dance-punk refrains. In a live setting, the band - led by frontman Patrick Galactic - veers into performance art territory, with light shows and costumes. It's a delirious soup - all surface, really. But what a surface it is. Death By Stars plays with local favorites Umber Sleeping and Seattle-based instrumentalist Gems at The New Frontier. "We rarely get to play with bands that fit together so well," says Galactic in a press release for the show. "We are big fans of Umber Sleeping and Gems and are very glad to play with them." - Weekly Volcano

The Olympia Ballroom Olympia. Bob Marley Birthday Celebration, with Live Wya, High Ceiling. All Ages. 8 pm. $12-$15.

The Red Room Tacoma - Downtown. From Deeper Seas, A Hope Not Forgotten, Listen Closely, Illuminator. All Ages. 7 pm. $5.

The Spar Tacoma - Old Town. Stray Dogs Bluegrass. 8 pm.

Stonegate Pizza Tacoma - South. Kashmir (Led Zeppelin tribute). 9 pm.

Tahoma Tea and Co. Tacoma - Downtown. The Trasholes, Fun Police, Secret Wives, Yahtzee. All Ages. 7 pm. NC.

• I've tried to make it a point, when writing about bands, to avoid talking about the ages of the members of the bands I highlight. But I must impress upon you how young the members that make up Gig Harbor garage two-piece Trasholes are, if only to make it abundantly clear to you just how much they have their shit together. Both members are in their early mid-to-early teens, and their music is more sophisticated and weird than you could ever expect. Lead singer and guitarist Ian Call's voice rides that line between adolescence and adulthood, which only makes each voice crack sound that much more punk rock. It's exciting to see another young band following the lead of other shit-kicking acts like the defunct Freakouts and Durango 95. - Rev. AM

Traditions Cafe and World Folk Art Olympia - Downtown. Hot Club Sandwich. All Ages. 8 pm. $8-$12.

Uncle Sam's American Bar & Grill Spanaway. Half Of Infinity, Far From Given. 9 pm.

Washington Center for the Performing Arts Olympia - Downtown. Scrapartsmusic. All Ages. 7:30 pm.

• Like banging on shit? So do the folks behind ScrapArtsMusic, a Canadian performance outfit coming to Olympia this week to blow your mind. On the group's website, ScrapArtsMusic is described thusly: "An earth-friendly, Vancouver-based company that creates unforgettable percussion performances using kinetic instruments skillfully crafted from industrial scraps. 2. An entertaining contemporary invented instrument ensemble. 3. Five extraordinarily virtuosic and innovative drummers. 4. The result of transforming ‘scrap' into "art,' and ‘art' into'"music.'" Intrigued? You should be. The brainchild of percussion freak Gregory Kozak and designer Justine Murdy, ScrapArtsMusic may well prove to be the week's grandest spectacle. – WV
  

LINK: More live music tonight in the South Sound

WE'RE SEEDING OUR TOURNAMENT OF BREAKFAST! >>>

In March, the Weekly Volcano will host the South Sound Tournament of Breakfast. Chosen through the nomination process below, the top 64 vote getters - the cream of the griddle - will compete daily on our blog - weeklyvolcanospew.com - March 15-April 2. Through online voting, readers will pick daily winners until the Best Breakfast in the South Sound is crowned. It's just like March Madness, only with way more syrup. The Tournament of Breakfast grand champion will be announced at our Tournament of Breakfast Party at 6 p.m. April 2 (details soon).

First, we need you to help select the 64 restaurants that should be included in the tournament. Who has the best breakfast in the South Sound? Vote for your favorite below.

LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

213 Foote St NW Olympia - Westwide. Dead Language, Smear, Vizual Noize, spoken word. 7-11 pm.

Cork! A Wine Bar Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Dave Hannon. 8 pm.

Dawson's Bar and Grill Tacoma - South. T-Town Aces. 9 pm.

Hell's Kitchen Tacoma - Downtown. Idols, To The Wind, Ashylus, Navigator. All Ages. 8 pm. $8-$10.

The Hub Tacoma - Stadium District. Fingertips. 9 pm. NC.

Imperial Dragon Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Kingfish Hosts: All City Jam Session & YouTube Video Shoot. 8 pm. $5.

Jazzbones Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Afrodisiacs, Mr. Pink. 9 pm. $10.

Louie G's Pizzeria Fife. The Silent Comedy, Ben Union, Hot Bodies In Motion. All Ages. 7 pm.

• For the past few years - and working off an unusually strong starting point - Ben Union has been working to hone his sound to a fine point. After emerging on the scene with a potent live show and an even more precise debut LP, The Light, Union and his band - drummer Jared Mira, bassist Seth Mira, guitarist Talon Carpenter and drummer "Shazam" - have been working hard to take that certain special sound and reduce it to its most effective essence. Read my full feature on Ben Union here. – Rev. Adam McKinney

Mandolin Cafe Tacoma - Central. The Moss Brothers. All Ages. 6 pm. Tin Man. All Ages. 8 pm.

McCoy's Tavern Olympia - Downtown.  The Hard Way, Glass Elevator, Tripwires. 9 pm. $3.

The New Frontier Lounge Tacoma - Dome District. Midnight Salvage Co., Trees Without Leaves, The Purrs. 9 pm.

• On the opening track of Trees Without Leaves' album, Don't Say Uh Uh!, a master of ceremonies comes on to announce the band, in grand fashion, before they come barreling out in full, goofy force. The over-the-top blues rock of Trees Without Leaves is indebted to the similarly winking tradition of groups like Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show, Tom Waits, and the bluesier elements of Captain Beefheart or, more recently, the positively hallucinatory soul of That Handsome Devil. The lead vocals of Stewie Crockett are howlingly absurd, hugely animated odes to those manic preachers that used to be spotted in stale, smoky nightclubs and barrooms lined with peanut shells. It's all a delirious mixture that lands somewhere in the area of doting homage and full-throated hysteria. - Rev. AM

The Red Room Tacoma - Downtown. Ill Intent, The Beautiful Ones, Bent Life, Swing Low, Bad Influence. All Ages. 7 pm.

Sanford and Son Antiques Tacoma - Downtown. Tacoma Urban Orchestra. 7:30 pm. $7.

• Tonight, the currently trending Tacoma Urban Orchestra will lay down 14 - XIV Underground, a dance opera by Benjamin Smith-Chenovick, at The Library at Sanford and Son Antiques. Event hype promises the premiere of Acts IV and V from the Tacoma Urban Orchestra's winter show of 2012, plus Colin Reynolds of I Low singing tenor, the dance and choreography of Karin Stevens and Katrina Ellison and the costume design of Lisa Fruichantie. Expect quintessential Tacoma at its most awesome. – Weekly Volcano
  

South Bay Pub & Eatery Olympia - Eastside. Mudcat 8 pm.

The Space Tacoma - Downtown. The Warehouse presents Barleywine Revue, 4OnTheFloor, Tango Alpha Tango. All Ages. 8:30 pm. $8-$10.

The Spar Tacoma - Old Town. The Blondes, featuring Steve Stefanowicz, Sherri Woolworth. 8 pm.

Stonegate Pizza Tacoma - South. Billy Moss Birthday Party, with live bands in the Loft. 8:30 pm. Cutting Edge. 9 pm.

Tahoma Tea And Co. (The Den) Tacoma - Downtown. The Loose Buoys, Dale Everett and the Broken Song Byrds. All Ages. 7 pm.

Traditions Cafe and World Folk Art Olympia - Downtown. The Righteous Mothers, Steve Schalchlin. All Ages. 8 pm. $25 suggested donation.

LINK: More live music tonight in the South Sound

LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

Eagle's Hall Olympia - Downtown. KBRD Benefit Swing Dance, with Lakewood Community Jazz Band, Syd Potter, Jessica Blinn, Greta Jane Pederson, Vicki Anderson, Rich Sikorski, Lizzy Boyer, Brad Schrandt, Christine Corey. All Ages. 7 pm. $10-$20 suggested donation.

Eastside Club Tavern Olympia - Downtown. Eldridge Gravy & The Court Supreme, The Brown Edition. 9 pm. $5.

Forza Wine Bar Gig Harbor. Chicken Joe. 7 pm.

Hell's Kitchen Tacoma - Downtown. Big Wheel Stunt Show, Fonzarelli, Dungeon Science, Dreams Jaded, DJ Darren Selector. All Ages. 8 pm. $5. Sok & The Faggots, Reptile Eruption. 11 pm. NC.

The Hub Tacoma - Stadium District. Tai Shan. 9 pm. NC.

Imperial Dragon Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. T. Bone & The Porterhouse Boys. 8 pm. $5.

Jazzbones Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Rae Solomon, Aces Up. 8:30 pm. $10.

Louie G's Pizzeria Fife. Left 4 Dead, Vigilante Justice, Rancheros, Hairstorm. All Ages. 8 pm.

Mandolin Cafe Tacoma - Central. Alejandro Fleites & Friends. All Ages. 8 pm. NC.

The New Frontier Lounge Tacoma - Dome District. Dandy CD Release Party. 9 pm.

The Olympia Ballroom Olympia. Vagabond Opera & Erav Rev Double CD Release Party, with DJ Sweet Elite, belly dancing by Heidi Joe Landin. All Ages. 8 pm. $15-$18.R&B

The Red Room Tacoma. The Mural Project, Cell Phone Parking Lot. All Ages. 7 pm. $5.

The Spar Tacoma - Old Town. The Buckets. 9 pm.

LINK: More live music tonight in the South Sound

WHEN WEATHER REPORTS SCARE >>>

AccuWeather just dropped this on the Weekly Volcano World Headquarters:

January 16, 2012 – State College, PA – After a modest round of wintry weather over the weekend, more snow, including a potentially historic winter storm will target the Pacific Northwest this week, with heavy accumulations expected, even in Seattle.

In the Cascades of Washington and Oregon, snow will be measured in feet and along some western-facing slopes, it could take multiple yard sticks to total up the powder!

Read more...

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LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

4th Ave Ale House Olympia - Downtown. Hitchkick CD Release Party, with Midstokke. 9 pm. $5.

Amocat Cafe Tacoma - Triangle District. Amocat Live! featuring the Amocat House Band. All Ages. 7 pm.

C.I. Shenanigans Tacoma - Northend. Live Jazz. 7-10. NC.

Cork! A Wine Bar Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Louis Degal. 8 pm.

Dawson's Bar and Grill Tacoma - South. Highrollers. 9 pm.

Eastside Club Tavern Olympia - Downtown. Mosquito Hawk, Iron Goat, Resident Kings, Dirty Birds. 9 pm.

Forza Wine Bar Gig Harbor. Kelsie Bahr. 7 pm.

Hell's Kitchen Tacoma - Downtown. Argonaut, Umber Sleeping, Ten Suns. 9 pm. $5.

Le Voyeur Olympia - Downtown. Feeding Frenzy, Brandon Reid. 10 pm.

Louie G's Pizzeria Fife. Jonny Smokes, Jason Kertson, Amanda Hardy. All Ages. 8 pm.

Maxwell's Restaurant & Lounge Tacoma - Downtown. Lance Buller Trio. 7 pm.

The New Frontier Lounge Tacoma - Dome District. Vile Red Falcons Album Release Party, with The Fuzz, Surreal Sutra. 9 pm.

The Red Room Tacoma - Downtown. Cowardice, Four Minute Mile, Rookie Town, Vincible, Undefined. All Ages. 6:30 pm. $5 with formal wear / $8 without.

The Royal Lounge Olympia - Downtown. Aaron Daniel's One Man Banned. 8 pm.

South Sound Manor Tumwater. Olympia Community Bluegrass Music Show, with The Blackberry Bushes Stringband, Mission Mountain, Black River Bluegrass. Proceeds benefit SafePlace, Bread & Roses. All Ages. 8 pm. $5.

Tempest Lounge Tacoma - Upper Tacoma. Nick Deongi. 7:30 pm. NC.

Uncle Sam's American Bar & Grill Spanaway. Cody Rentas Band. 8 pm.

The Warehouse House Party Tacoma - Downtown. Drew Grow, St. Paul De Vence, Sporty Lee. All Ages. 9 pm. Secret Password.

LINK: More live music tonight in the South Sound

LINK: Friday the 13th events

LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

4th Ave Ale House Olympia - Downtown. Wide Eye Panic, No Living Witness, Esitu, December In Red. 9 pm. $6.

Al Forno Feruzza Pizzeria Olympia. Lizzy Boyer, Tarik Bentlemsani. All Ages. 7:30 pm. NC.

Dawson's Bar and Grill Tacoma - South. Rock N Roll Magic. 9 pm.

Doyle's Public House Tacoma - Stadium District. McTuff funk soul boogaloo and Jesse T's birthday. 9 pm. NC.

Forza Coffee University Place. Sky Pilot unplugged. AA. 7pm. $5.

Hell's Kitchen Tacoma - Downtown. South 11th, Psycho 78, Overboard, Sources In Code. 9 pm. $5.

Imperial Dragon Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Rich Wetzel's Groovin Higher Orchestra. 9 pm.

Jazzbones Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Pulling A McMahan Birthday Show, featuring The Chicharones, Animal Nation, Pink Bead Federation, Chase & The Dragon. 7 pm. $8.

Louie G's Pizzeria Fife. The Petting Zu, Atomic Outlaws, In All Honesty. All Ages. 8 pm.

Maxwell's Restaurant and Lounge Tacoma - Downtown. Lance Buller Trio. 7 pm.

The New Frontier Lounge Tacoma - Dome District. Tallest Tree, A Leaf, Pocket Panda. 9 pm.

• A Leaf is one of the first bands I ever wrote about. Now, two and a half years later, I find myself returning to the band's music with fresh ears and a newfound admiration for the velvety smooth sounds they create. Drawing inspiration from the British folk-rock of the '60s and '70s, as well as the more bombastic elements of Britpop - and occasional dips into dream-pop territory - A Leaf's music is absorbing and soothing, while still carving out moments that surprise and delight in equal measure. This is music that would be for listening to on a sunny spring drive, or alone, in a darkened room, as rain steadily raps on your windows. A Leaf is a band fully formed, clear of intent and vision, a continuing bright spot in Tacoma. - Rev. Adam McKinney

Spar Cafe Olympia. Paul Silveria. 8 pm. NC.

Stonegate Pizza Tacoma - South. Jerry Miller Band. 7 pm. Michael Jackson Tribute Night. 9 pm.

Tempest Lounge Tacoma - Hilltop Tacoma. Gina Belliveau. 7:30 pm. NC.

LINK: More live music in the South Sound

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Mount Rainier Park: It will likely open Saturday to allow workers to grieve the death of ranger Margaret Anderson. (News Tribune)

Fife Police Lt. Doug Burrus: Messed up again. (News Tribune)

Anderson Island: Out with the Christians, in with the chum. (News Tribune)

Drama In Iowa: Narrow loss a big win for Santorum. (CNN)

Yahoo Stays Alive: Brings in PayPal president Scott Thompson to run it. (CNN)

Meisterjintao Jintaomeister: There will be no entertainment on the TV. (BBC)

Arcade Fire and Decemberists: Part of the Hunger Games soundtrack. (MTV)

Weird: Axe body spray is trying to create a graphic novel. (Adrants)

Science Fiction Movies: 70 of them are coming our way this year. (io9)

Comic Book Men Preview: AMC's new show about Kevin Smith's comic book store. (Television Blend)

Amy Winehouse: Patti Smith wrote a song about her. (NME)

Get Smarter: 31 ways. (The Daily Beast)

Every New Year's Eve we do it to ourselves. Why? Is it the sweet clink of the ice cubes? The exhilarating pop of the cork? Or just the way the night seems to open up into endless magical possibilities?

Whatever it is, things aren't so magical the next morning. There's nothing glamorous or exhilarating about bloodshot eyes swollen shut. Instead of trying to remember who dropped the poison into your eyeballs, soothe the savage orb with wikiHow's seven steps to cure puffy eyes. You're so welcome.

From everyone at the Weekly Volcano and Spew land, we wish you a happy new year!

LINK: 5 Ways to be a Better (cough) You!

Weekly Volcano's bosses ran the numbers and decided that since you'll all be drunk anyway, there's no use in turning the lights on Christmas Day. So: We'll be back Monday with more frivolity. In the meantime, thanks for reading and commenting this past year. Consider our stockings stuffed.

So "Merry" this and "Happy" that, whatever suits your fancy or your need. Just don't forget the "Ho Ho Ho" that, maybe better than anything else, keeps it all in perspective.

Oh, and Happy New Year. That's unambiguous.