RON SWARNER: MUSIC & ART IN WRIGHT PARK PRIMER >>>

This Aug. 15, Music & Art in Wright Park 2009, which began in 1993 as Music in the Park, returns to Tacoma â€" showcasing some of the best bands in the area, including Guns & Rossetti, Girl Trouble, Post Stardom Depression, Broken Oars, The Plastards, James Hilborne and the Painkillers, Zeke, C.F.A., Zook, Stone Axe, Starstruck, Tarek Wegner, Tallest Tree, The Coloffs, NeutralBoy, and Mico De Noche. The Saturday outdoor concert at Wright Park will be free.

As a sponsor of Music & Art in Wright Park, the Weekly Volcano will highlight a band or two every day until the Aug. 15 show, which runs noon to 8 p.m.

Today’s Music & Art in Wright Park band I'm pushing on you is James Hilborne and the Painkillers.

Back in June Weekly Volcano scribe Mark Thomas Deming sat down with the Painkillers. After spinning their new CD, Ghost Country, and chatting with Drew Schot, Billy Stambaugh, James Hilborne and Rick King, Deming tagged their music as old, weird America folk. Read the full story here.

Here’s a taste of the musical stylings of James Hilborne and the Painkillers:

LINK: To read a little history on Music in the Park, jump to here.

RON SWARNER: MUSIC & ART IN WRIGHT PARK PRIMER >>>

This Aug. 15, Music & Art in Wright Park 2009, which began in 1993 as Music in the Park, returns to Tacoma â€" showcasing some of the best bands in the area, including Guns & Rossetti, Girl Trouble, Post Stardom Depression, Broken Oars, The Plastards, Pain Killers, Zeke, C.F.A., Zook, Stone Axe, Starstruck, Tarek Wegner, Tallest Tree, The Coloffs, NeutralBoy, and Mico De Noche. The Saturday outdoor concert at Wright Park will be free.

As a sponsor of Music & Art in Wright Park, the Weekly Volcano will highlight a band or two every day until the Aug. 15 show, which runs noon to 8 p.m.

Today’s Music & Art in Wright Park band I'm pushing on you is Post Stardom Depression.

While officially not a band since November 2006, Post Stardom Depression is reuniting, once again, this time for the Music & Art in Wright Park show. Jeff Angell, Kyong Kim, Brent Saunders and Josh Fant â€" together once again. It’s a return most rock fans in the 253 continue to beg for, including Donny of Zeke who asked the band to reunite for this show. The last time I remember hearing their dark, moody blues rock was at the benefit for Kim’s daughter in March 2008.

Here's a taste of the musical stylings of Post Stardom Depression:

LINK: To read a little history on Music in the Park, jump to here.

By the way, Angell's band The Missionary Position has a new album out. If you don't want to travel to Seattle (see their MySpace page), you can hear the new songs Sept. 19 at Doyle's Public House.

RON SWARNER: MUSIC & ART IN WRIGHT PARK PRIMER >>>

This Aug. 15, Music & Art in Wright Park 2009, which began in 1993 as Music in the Park, returns to Tacoma â€" showcasing some of the best bands in the area, including Guns & Rossetti, Girl Trouble, Post Stardom Depression, Broken Oars, The Plastards, Pain Killers, Zeke, C.F.A., Zook, Stone Axe, Starstruck, Tarek Wegner, Tallest Tree, The Coloffs, Neutral Boy, and Mico De Noche. The Saturday outdoor concert at Wright Park will be free.

As a sponsor of Music & Art in Wright Park, the Weekly Volcano will highlight a band or two every day until the Aug. 15 show, which runs noon to 8 p.m.

Today’s Music & Art in Wright Park band I'm pushing on you is C.F.A.

This past April Bobble Tiki grabbed C.F.A., or Cody Foster’s Army, for his Tiki Logic music column in the Weekly Volcano:

• You can call it by its full name, Cody Foster’s Army, or simply by the letters CFA, but know one thing: this band crushes. In CFA’s relatively short lifespan as a metal entity, Bobble Tiki has come to know and â€" more importantly â€" much respect the thunderous licks of one of T-town’s truest sons. Cody Foster’s Army is as real as it gets. Make no mistake.

Read the rest here.

This isn’t Foster’s First Music in the Park Show. He played two previous shows in the mid-90s in the popular T-town band Poppa Wheelie.

Foster is also co-producing Music & Art in Wright Park free music festival with Ken Johnson and Bennett Thurmon.

“I felt T-town could use a free event to bring us together,” Foster wrote via e-mail. “This is a blue collar town beat up by the economy. I know every one has heard that from every direction, but I have felt it first hand.

I felt we could do this with the town’s best interest in mind, not ours.”

Here is a taste of the musical stylings of C.F.A.

LINK: To read a little history on Music in the Park, jump to here.

RON SWARNER: MUSIC & ART IN WRIGHT PARK PRIMER >>>

This Aug. 15, Music & Art in Wright Park 2009, which began in 1993 as Music in the Park, returns to Tacoma â€" showcasing some of the best bands in the area, including Guns & Rossetti, Girl Trouble, Post Stardom Depression, Broken Oars, The Plastards, James Hilbourne and the Pain Killers, Zeke, C.F.A., Zook, Stone Axe, Starstruck, Tarek Wegner, Tallest Tree, The Coloffs, NeutralBoy, and Mico De Noche. The Saturday outdoor concert at Wright Park will be free.

As a sponsor of Music & Art in Wright Park, the Weekly Volcano will highlight a band or two every day until the Aug. 15 show, which runs noon to 8 p.m.

Today’s Music & Art in Wright Park band I'm pushing on you is Starstruck.

Girl bands. There've been a lot of 'em: Fanny, the Runaways, Girlschool, Vixen, the Go Gos, Jale, Shiva Speedway, the Donnas, Kittie. Joining the list is Starstruck. OK, the Tacoma all-girl “tween” rock quartet hasn't yet reached the same echelon as the previously mentioned bands, but their pop rock sound has built a large following in T-town. Starstruck will be playing their own material off their recently released EP as well as covers, possibly including diddies from Nirvana, Hole, Paramore, Pink, and Billy Idol at Music & Art in Wright Park Aug. 15..

Here's a taste of the musical stylings of Starstruck:

STARSTRUCK- ERASED FROM THE WHITE BOARD

LINK: To read a little history on Music in the Park, jump to here.

RON SWARNER: MUSIC & ART IN WRIGHT PARK PRIMER >>>

This Aug. 15, Music & Art in Wright Park 2009, which began in 1993 as Music in the Park, returns to Tacoma â€" showcasing some of the best bands in the area, including Guns & Rossetti, Girl Trouble, Post Stardom Depression, Broken Oars, The Plastards, James Hilbourne and the Pain Killers, Zeke, C.F.A., Zook, Stone Axe, Starstruck, Tarek Wegner, Tallest Tree, The Coloffs, NeutralBoy, and Mico De Noche. The Saturday outdoor concert at Wright Park will be free.

As a sponsor of Music & Art in Wright Park, the Weekly Volcano will highlight a band or two every day until the Aug. 15 show, which runs noon to 8 p.m.

Today’s Music & Art in Wright Park band I'm pushing on you is Guns & Rossetti.

According to the band's Web site, “Guns & Rossetti is not a cover band. G&R is made up of Chuck Wood as the drummer, Marsh Gooch as bassist, "Regis" Phil Bentz on guitar, and Mr. Rossetti as songwriter/singer. … The band's sound is an 'honest, bitter but catchy medium energy exercise in soft hard rock.'”

“Guns & Rossetti is basically the same lineup as the short lived Root Barrels, an experiment that broke up due to some of the Ten Commandments being broken,” Rossetti explained to Weekly Volcano editor Matt Driscoll last year. Read the full interview here.

Most are familiar with Dick Rossetti from his days as a smart-ass DJ on 107.7 the End. But for longer than Rossetti was a Seattle radio personality he’s been a rocker. He’s fronted a string of beautifully gritty local rock outfits, including Twink the Wonder Kid and the aforementioned Root Barrel. He also fronted the local band Comb Over with Pat Bostwick.

I remember Rossetti best from his early '90s band, Squirt. My former weekly newspaper, Choices, sponsored the July 1994 Jolly Third outdoor rock concert in Wright Park featuring Squirt, Running With Scissors, Delilah, Uranus, Jerry Miller, Laughter Train and others. I remember Rossetti busting out the big rock moves that afternoon as he bantered with the crowd and stroked some big ol’ nasty tones on his bass.

Here is a taste of the musical stylings of Guns & Rossetti:

LINK: To read a little history on Music in the Park, jump to here.

RON SWARNER: MUSIC & ART IN WRIGHT PARK PRIMER >>>

This Aug. 15, Music & Art in Wright Park 2009, which began in 1993 as Music in the Park, returns to Tacoma â€" showcasing some of the best bands in the area, including Guns & Rossetti, Girl Trouble, Post Stardom Depression, Broken Oars, The Plastards, James Hilbourne and the Pain Killers, Zeke, C.F.A., Zook, Stone Axe, Starstruck, Tarek Wegner, Tallest Tree, The Coloffs, NeutralBoy, and Mico De Noche. The Saturday outdoor concert at Wright Park will be free.

As a sponsor of Music & Art in Wright Park, the Weekly Volcano will highlight a band or two every day until the Aug. 15 show, which runs noon to 8 p.m.

Today’s Music & Art in Wright Park band we’re pushing on you is the Broken Oars.

“Broken Oars has been pummeling Tacoma since its inception a couple of years ago,” wrote Weekly Volcano editor Matt Driscoll two years ago.  “Led by their quintessentially punk frontman â€" Ike (who you may remember from Crossbones fame), Broken Oars is anything but a sinking ship. They do punk the way it was meant to be done, without apologies, without reservations.”

Here is a taste of the musical stylings of the Broken Oars:

LINK: To read a little history on Music in the, jump to here.

SUZY STUMP: ENTRANCE DENIED: THE ART OF THE CHASTITY BELT >>>

In the South Sound, female virgins can be a cunning bunch, often confining themselves to family picnics and church potlucks, infrequently venturing beyond the watchful eyes of a guardian or God. But in captivity, especially when gathered at an art gallery hosting a chastity belt show, I imagine they can be quite simple to identify. The prudent business suit (in conservative black or a summery peach); the comfortable flats; no wedding ring; the air of suppressed longing, all are obvious signs of a virgin.

The chastity belt show I speak of opens at Mineral Saturday, July 18. Entrance Denied: the Art of the Chastity Belt is a group show focusing on, well, chastity belts. The show will run through Sept. 5.

Now, talking to said virgins can be a tricky enterprise, requiring both prudence and discretion. Why not practice your virgin conversations on obvious virgins at the show's July 18 opening.

If you spot a virgin by Fisher and Farrell's chastity belt piece above, throw out this line: "I think the fruitful acts associated with sex are best delayed until after a prolonged and binding courtship."

If you spot a virgin by Bill Dawson's chastity belt piece, drop this line: "I find conversation an acceptable substitute for physical intimacy."

These lines can go a long way toward winning their admiration and trust.

[Mineral, Entrance Denied: the Art of the Chastity Belt, July 18-Sept. 5, opening reception Saturday, July 18, 4-8 p.m., 301 Puyallup Ave., Tacoma, 253.250.7745]

MICHAEL SWAN: FUTURE THINGS ARE COMING >>>

The Olympia Little Theatre stages Heaven Can Wait beginning April 24. I’m not sure how they’ll stage this one given its ease at hopping between numerous locales both earthy and celestial.
It’s the story of Joe Pendleton, a boxer who dies in a plane crash just before he's set to embark on a championship run. Insisting to the angel who nabbed him that there's been some mistake, Pendleton learns from the angel's superior, Mr. Jordan, that an error has indeed been made and that he's not set to die for another 50 years. But since his earthbound body has been cremated, Pendleton 's forced to occupy the human shell of Mr. Farnsworth, a heartless millionaire whose wife and assistant are plotting to murder him.

[Olympia Little Theatre, Heaven Can Wait, April 24-May 17 7:55 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 1:15 p.m. May 3, 10 and 17, $10-$12, 1925 Miller Ave. N.E., Olympia, 360.943.7500]

My favorite version of the story stars Warren Beatty as a football player.

RON SWARNER: SAVE THE DATE >>>

MATT DRISCOLL: STRAIGHT TO DVD >>>

There’s some action scheduled to go down at the Post Office in downtown Tacoma over the  next week or so â€" or, more accurately, the old courthouse above the Post Office.

The New Tacoma Neighborhood Council sent out an update today, letting it be known that a film permit has been issued for a movie scheduled to shoot in the old courthouse between Monday, Oct. 13 and Wednesday, Oct. 22. From what we here at Weekly Volcano World Headquarter understand, they’ve already started moving in the props for next week’s action.

However, the New Tacoma Neighborhood Council release doesn’t give many clues as to what movie is being shot. Luckily, we’ve done some digging.

Apparently, it’s what knows as a “major, low budget feature.” We assume that means it’s a smaller film being put together by major players, not necessarily that the film has a majorly low budget â€" but who knows.

Anyway, the movie will be called The Whole Truth, and it stars Elisabeth Rohm (better known as that chick form Law and Order), along with Rick Overton, Sean Flanery (Powder, bitches!), John Fuglesang, and Tin Tin the Dog.

Here’s how the movie’s Web site describes the forthcoming project:

A greedy, high living acting coach transforms disgusting criminals to appeal to juries, until she overhears a client she helped set free plan a heinous crime - and becomes his target for murder. Escaping death and finding who she really is becomes the most expensive - and rewarding experience of her life.

And did I mention it stars Tin Tin the Dog?

So, if you see a bunch of C-list actors milling around the Post Office downtown over the next week or so, it probably has something to do with The Whole Truth.

Is it too early to start some Oscar buzz?