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March 25, 2013 at 10:25am

Tricky's Pop Culture Emporium to re-open next week

TRICKY'S POP CULTURE EMPORIUM: It re-opens April Fools Day at a new, bigger location at 17 Tacoma Ave.

FUTURE THINGS ARE COMING >>>

Last December, right after Christmas, Tacoma lost a whole lot of awesomeness when Tricky's Pop Culture Emporium closed down after six years of ensuring Tacomans had plenty of pop culture goodies to purchase. Hair was torn with great sorrow. Tears were shed.

But ... Tricky's is coming back! Next Monday, April 1, Tricky's will reopen at 17 Tacoma Ave. - a mere few blocks from the old location, but now with no leaks and with much more space. Tricky's will have twice the space to be exact, which means twice the awesome.

"I'm right there on North Tacoma Avenue so I'm right on the street, as opposed to the armpit of Tacoma where I used to be," says owner Eugene Kirk. "In addition to more stuff, I have partnered with Northwestshirts.com to be Tacoma's exclusive provider of the coolest new T-shirts and apparel. The additional space means that Tricky's will get just a little bit weirder."

The new Tricky's - trickier? - will have more wall space where Kirk intends to highlight local pop culture artists.

"I'll have a marvelous window display with which to delight and confuse Tacomans," he adds. "New to this location will be a toy boneyard, where random toy parts and accessories will be located."

Expect a soft opening April 1. Kirk doesn't expect to be all the way ready, but will be ready enough to take your money.

March 20, 2013 at 8:13am

Upcoming food and drink pairings in the South Sound

JAMESON IRISH WHISKEY: It's cool to drink it after St. Patrick's Day.

A comforting drink is just what we crave during this rainy time of the year. When it comes with an excellent bite, even better. Here are several noteworthy South Sound drink and food pairings.

Jameson pairing

Thursday, April 18 Chef-owner Tom Pantley of ToscanosCafe & Wine Bar hosts a Jameson Irish Whiskey pairing dinner at 6:30 p.m. Four Jameson whiskeys - including a rare 18-year-old whiskey - will pair with Pantley's talents. Let's break it down:

  • Jameson Irish Whiskey - Thyme and Sweet Vermouth Poached Salmon Sliders;
  • Powers Gold Label Irish Whiskey - Mushroom Ravioli with whiskey and butter sauce;
  • Red Breast 12 Year Irish Whiskey - Prosciutto Wrapped Beef Steak, Fig Sauce, Fried Potatoes and Onions;
  • Jameson 18 Year Old Limited Reserve - Chocolate Toffee Torte.

The cost is $79 per person, tax and gratuity included. Reserve your spot at 253.864.8600.

Kestrel meets Dirty Oscar's

March 26 and 27, Dirty Oscar's Annex will hold its monthly pairing dinner, this version featuring Chef Aaron Grissom's new twists on American dishes paired with Kestrel Vintners. The menu is still a mystery, but the $50 dinner always sells out. Reserve your spot at 253.572.0588.

Taste Tacoma

Maxwell's Speakeasy and Lounge will host the Taste Tacoma food and drink pairing dinner Thursday, April 11. A matrimony of beer and wine from Tacoma winery 21 Cellars and the brewmasters of Wingman Brewers will match with a seven-course dining experience, which will include artisan cheeses from Backcountry Creamery and organic produce and eggs from Terry's Berries. The cost is $85 per person. Reserve your space at 253.683.4115.

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

March 19, 2013 at 8:43am

Olympia Spring Arts Walk has a mobile app

OLYMPIA SPRING ARTS WALK MOBILE APP: "Put down that drink! A spacesynth jam just busted out behind Last Word Books!"

STILL TIME TO DESIGN YOUR LADYBUG COSTUME >>>

The Olympia Spring Arts Walk, and it's highly regarded Procession of the Species, is just six short weeks away, set for Friday and Saturday, April 26 and 27.

Preparation for Arts Walk is in full swing, with artists, businesses and parade participants gearing up for the event that brings 15,000 people - and an additional 5,000 for the Procession of the Species - to downtown Olympia.

"Downtown is full to the brim!" exclaims Stephanie Johnson, arts and events manager for the city of Olympia, and voted Arts Scene MVP in the 2013 Best of Olympia issue.

While the 128 participating businesses have already paired with artists, Johnson recommends prospective contributors to "keep an eye out for places your art would be a good fit and then contact them."

The artists and businesses may be in place, but the Procession parade workshops continue until April 18. Coordinators encourage volunteer participation to help create, build and design. Three studios are open to the public - a whale studio, butterfly studio and central studio - where animal, insect and luminary costumes and props come to life.

And for those who go to enjoy the art, rather than create it, the city of Olympia created a mobile app that gives real time event updates and acts as a virtual tour guide, complete with interactive map.

For Procession of the Species volunteer hours and information call 360.705.1087.

For more information about Arts Walk and a link to the mobile app, click here.

March 18, 2013 at 11:36am

Survival Knife plays Olympia before tour with Modest Mouse

SURVIVAL KNIFE: The band will tour with Modest Mouse in the spring. Photo credit: Nikki McCoy

SURVIVAL KNIFE HUG CONTINUES >>>

Between Timothy Grisham and I, the Weekly Volcano has given Olympia new band Survival Knife a lot of love. It's justified. The quartet is taking the local and global music scene by storm. 

While at the time of my last interview with Survival Knife, the band didn't mention an awesome tour. It has just been recently announced Survival Knife the band - featuring two former members of Unwound - will be touring with Seattle's alt-pop Modest Mouse

"We know some of the folks in Modest Mouse from years ago around Olympia and Seattle and we have mutual friends that run some of the business aspects of their operation, so I guess it just stemmed from that," says Justin Trosper, vocalist and guitarist for Survival Knife and founding member of Unwound. "Modest Mouse opened up for/played with Unwound years before they got to be big."

The tour kicks off April 10 in Oakland, Calif., with sold-out shows throughout California and Arizona.

Trosper says he's stoked to hit the road once again and looking forward to "hurting people's ears and brains."

Wednesday, March 20 will be your last chance to get your brains and ears brutalized before Survival Knife hits the road. The band will play with Deathfix (ex-Fugazi, Chain & The Gang) and Lois at Olympia's all-ages venue, Northern

NORTHERN, W/LOIS, DEATHFIX, 8 P.M., ALL AGES, $7, 414 1/2 LEGION WAY, OLYMPIA

LINK: Review of Survival Knife's debut single

LINK: Survival Knife profile

March 18, 2013 at 9:16am

Country's diva next door Carrie Underwood coming to Washington State Fair

CARRIE UNDERWOOD: Her song "Two Black Cadillacs" just reached number one status.

FUTURE THINGS ARE COMING >>>

Country's reigning diva next door - the one who made a first impression by way of American Idol and "Jesus Take the Wheel" - Carrie Underwood will perform Friday, Sept. 13 at the Washington State Fair. Are her songs about sassy takedowns of not-to-be-trusted guys, a traumatized young women willing a tornado to pulverize her boozing and the arena-scale murder ballad about a wife and a mistress conspiring against a two-timing man too edgy for the Fair?

Ask Kid Rock who has performed at the Fair.

Carrie Underwood tickets are $95, $85, $65, $45 with reserved seating, and include Fair gate admission, unless noted. Tickets are available Saturday, March 23 at 10 a.m. at www.thefair.com/concerts or 888.559.3247 daily, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.Tickets can also be purchased in person at the Washington State Fair Box Office at Ninth at Ninth Avenue SW and Meridian Street on Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

March 13, 2013 at 11:04am

Plan Ahead: AKA and The Heart Hurt Goods' last show before tour

AKA & THE HEART HURT GOODS: The Olympia band has released its debut album, "Heart Hurt Good."

FUTURE THINGS ARE COMING >>>

If you've seen AKA and The Heart Hurt Goods perform, you've seen how much the band loves its art. You can see it in the band member's fist pumps and facial expressions; in their hip shakes and smiles and in the way they administer their music, be it through a microphone, keyboard, guitar or turn table.

Seven years in the making, Heart Hurt Good, the debut album from Olympia's AKA and the Heart Hurt Goods has 12 fresh songs featuring special guests Double B, Brad Bowman, Nicatine of Free Whiskey, Qstorm, Skyler Blake and Nathalie Elam. The album was produced by Smoke of Oldominion.

"I think of the album as a triumphant album," says Mark Bowen, or AKA. "I lost my mother and my grandfather a year apart from each other followed by cancer in the family and the burning down of my sister's house during the writing of this album - each event dramatically reshaping the album.

"It's like a tutorial on how to draw from the powers of love when shackled by personnel grief, sorrow and pain," he continues. "I hope it helps during the late nights when left to your thoughts. This album has acted as a teacher for me. ... I'm very proud of it."

Catch AKA and the Heart Hurt Goods before the band rakes its album on tour March 18, and get a little of that Oly hometown lovin'.

MCCOY'S CAVERN, W/FUNK AGENCY, SATURDAY, MARCH 16, $3, 9 P.M., 418 FOURTH AVE., OLYMPIA, 360.352.0696

March 11, 2013 at 9:36am

Plan Ahead: Glaswegian indie pop trio Golden Grrrls coming to town

GOLDEN GRRRLS: The indie-pop rockers Golden Grrrls releases its debut self-titled LP on Slumberland Records Feb. 26.

FUTURE THINGS ARE COMING >>>

Hailing from Glasgow, Scotland and recently wrapping up a UK tour, the Golden Grrrls trio will play its air-tight set of indie pop punk laced with impeccable harmony March 20 at Le Voyeur in Olympia. (Check out why Le Voyeur is the perfect venue for the Golden Grrrls here.)

"What began as bedroom guitar experimentation soon bloomed into a fully-formed pop language inspired by the '80s New Zealand and Australian indie pop scenes, DIY punk and Glasgow's own rich pop history (think The Vaselines, The Pastels)," according to Grrrl's hype. "Drummer Eilidh Rodgers' inventive, loose-cannon drumming and lead vocals have framed Ruari MacLean's baritone from the beginning, with newest member Rachel Aggs (also of Trash Kit) bringing an effortless melodic sensibility on guitar and backing vocals."

A listen to the band confirms the sensation. Plus, who can resist a name like Golden Grrrls?  Blanch, Sophia, Rose and Dorothy were the OG's of riot grrrls. 

LE VOYEUR, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 7 P.M., ALL AGES, 404 FOURTH AVE. E., OLYMPIA, 360.943.5710

LINK: Live music tonight in the South Sound

March 11, 2013 at 7:52am

Grab the baggie from your closet's top shelf and shake it out at King's Books

ELLIOT SAWYER: The former Scrabble Rouser offers a Scrabble tribute to Tacoma.

BRING ON THE ELUSIVE Q-WITHOUT-U WORDS >>>

When Words with Friends is not enough - never fear. When Deluxe Scrabble with your significant other loses its shine - don't you fret! The world of word games has much to offer you. Your wordy nerdiness is not at an end yet, young padawan.

Scrabble Rabble has come to King's Books. Whether you've never played Scrabble before or consider yourself armed and dangerous with a letter tile, you can join in, play a few rounds of Scrabble, and help raise funds for a good cause.

The event rises out of the ashes of a former event, Scrabble Rousers. Like Scrabble Rousers, raised funds still go to the Tacoma Community House. The group is now self-running, too.

The first fresh incarnation is at King's Books Wednesday, March 13, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. The goal is to have two timed 45-minutes games once a month, with up to 20, two-person games running.

"We try to march people on the basis of self-identified ability, but we'll also be keeping a score based ladder, so that a 300 point a game player doesn't get matched with a 100 point a game player," says organizer Richard Lovering.

The cost to play has also gone down from $10 in the past to $5 now. If you can't afford the $5, they still might even let you in.

"We used to have theme nights - bad poetry night, pirates night, murder mystery night," says Lovering. "Now we're just playing Scrabble, but as things roll out, we may do more. We donate to TCH because we always have, but we are open to other charities. In our re-infancy, big profits have yet to happen. When they do, we'll figure out a way to give 'em away to a worthy cause."

For future game times, check out Scrabble Rabble on Facebook.

KING'S BOOKS, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 6:30-9:30 P.M., $5,

ELLIOT SAWYER:  The former Scrabble Rouser offers a Scrabble tribute to Tacoma.

March 10, 2013 at 10:03am

First peek: Shake Shake Shake in Tacoma

SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE: Co-owner Robert Stocker will soon make shakes shakes shakes. Photo credit: Steve dunkelberger

PHOTOS PHOTOS PHOTOS >>>

Friday night, I was privy to a personal tour of Shake Shake Shake, the 40-seat, retro-themed walk-up Tacoma Stadium District burger joint that owners Steve Naccarato and Robert Stocker as well as Chef Gordon Naccarato will soon(!) serve roadside diner style burgers, hot dogs, fries and local fruit shakes. Grabbing the apron strings of several restaurant industry folks, including Dirty Oscar's manager Jennifer Johnson, I poked around the joint with my camera, as well as sampled its burgers, fries, shakes and malts. Wow.

I'll let my camera do the talking.

SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE, 124 N. TACOMA AVE., TACOMA, 253.507.4060

LINK: More Shake Shake Shake photos in our Photo Hot Spot

March 8, 2013 at 1:03pm

Steampunk Vapory Lounge to open next month in Tacoma

STEAMPUNK VAPORY LOUNGE: The stairs leading up to the lounge will be a decorative focus. Photo credit: Pappi Swarner

FUTURE (PAST) THINGS ARE COMING >>>

Last weekend, after a long, grueling day of floor sanding, JoAnna Farr fell into a chair, lifted the remote as if it weighed 10 pounds and pressed on. The show Modern Marvels welcomed her home. The episode featured "The Marvel of Steam" stating "the largest steam explosion known to modern man was Mount St. Helens."

A smile erupted on Farr's face.

She sat up, threw her hand into the air knowing the next giant steam explosion is going to occur at Steampunk Vapory Lounge on St. Helens Avenue in downtown Tacoma.

Farr and business partners Jim Oliver and Natalie Durflinger will open the vaping/beer & wine lounge next month, if all goes well. The shop will sell electronic cigarettes and e-cig accessories, in addition to providing an environment for vaping e-cigs backed with local beer and wine.

An electronic cigarette, or e-cigarette, does not contain tar or carcinogens that can harm the body like typical cigarettes, but does contain nicotine. The nicotine is turned from liquid to vapor by a lithium battery-operated heating element inside the e-cigarette. It is then inhaled and exhaled simply as water vapor. The nicotine is absorbed into the system and the exhaled water vapor does not leave lingering odors or anything in the air.

"E-cigarettes satisfy not only the nicotine crave, but the entire habit and addiction of smoking cigarettes," told me as I toured the shell of the future Steampunk Vapory Lounge. "Many long-time smokers use vaping to quit smoking."

Farr says their vaping juices are made locally - many of which are organic. They are working with several local juice creators, including, Banzai Vapors in Tacoma, which will introduce a steampunk juice flavor for the grand opening of the Steampunk Vapory Lounge.

The Steampunk Vapory Lounge is the brainchild of Oliver and Durflinger. Farr met the two at her former business venture, the SideBar Bistro.

"Their office was literally next door to the restaurant and they were also our best customers," explains Farr.  "Natalie's daughter even worked with me at the restaurant.  Jim, Natalie, and I had plenty of time to talk - as the SideBar was usually empty - and they had mentioned they were in the process of opening their own firm.  Fast-forward a year. ... The Bistro had closed, and Natalie called me out of the blue to offer me job in their thriving law firm - Durflinger, Oliver, and Associates, on St. Helens Avenue. We found that we really enjoyed working together and soon after I started, they asked me to be part of Steampunk Vapory Lounge. So once we found this great new space, right down the street from the firm, we went straight to work."

Farr explains the SideBar failed because of "a terrible location, tanking economy and outrageously high rent. It was a business owner's worst nightmare. It cost me my marriage. Needless to say, I was more than leery to ever open another business."

The cozy space will easily morph into the trio's Neo-Victorian antique theme. Expect ornate tin ceilings, rich dark hardwood floors and plush leather seating. The color scheme will vary from beiges to velvety maroons - all laced with black trim to match the amazing original staircase that curves up to the upstairs lounge. Dotting the walls will be unique signage and artwork.

Unbeknownst to the trio during planning phases, The Tea Works - a few doors down in the St. Helen's Ave. Mercantile - carries a steampunk theme. Tea Works will add a few elements to the Steampunk Vapory Lounge's interior, including assisting the trio with signage.

While local beer and wine contracts are in the initial phases, it looks as if Pacific Grill will cater SVL's food, making proposed vape meetings and wine tastings more desirable.

If you have been dreaming of vaping e-cigs and sipping a local brew in a post-apocalyptic, neo Victorian parlor, keep an eye on this blog for more details on the Steampunk Vapory Lounge's opening.

STEAMPUNK VAPORY LOUNGE, 759 ST. HELEN'S AVE., TACOMA

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