YOU GOT IT (THE FABULOUS STUFF)! >>>

TUSH! Burlesque troupe isn't the only group in Olympia stripping. The act of stripping, as well as teasing, "tucking" and performing with costume, music and artistic zeal has just been tapped into by another group - New Queens on the Block. The New Queens has produced shows at the Urban Onion since September, dropping a themed show on Olympia every third Friday of the month. In December, the New Queens added holiday flair to its fabulous affair. In March, the show will geek out to a Comicon theme.

New Queens on the Block is a socially conscious group, targeting monies raised to a different community organization every month. Past charities have been Safeplace and South Puget Sound's LGBTQ scholarship program. 

February's show?

Duh. New Queens on the Block presents: The Lupanara: A Burlesque Themed Drag Variety Show Friday at the Onion.

"We wanted to have a platform for a new performers," says Aaron Fury, public relations and stage manager for New Queens. "We wanted to bring new talent and we wanted new queens to have stage experience. And it's a way to help give back to the community."

This month's special Valentine theme is sweet.

"You will see drag from queens and kings, a few fun skits, new challenges for performers and live acts - it's an overall fun experience," says Fury.

URBAN ONION, FRIDAY, FEB. 15, 9 P.M., 18 AND OLDER UNTIL 11 P.M., BAR WITH ID, $6, 116 LEGION WAY, OLYMPIA, 260.943.9242

RIGHT ON! >>>

Slightly less obscure than, say, Uriah Heep in the pantheon of overlooked '70s hard-rock bands, British prog-rockers Wishbone Ash's harmony-laden dual-guitar attack predated Thin Lizzy, the group often credited with inventing it. Of course, Wishbone Ash also perfected the slow beginning/fast ending rock anthem.

Only guitarist Andy Powell remains from the group's '70s heyday, but despite an ungodly number of lineup changes, he's managed to keep Ash on the road and recording. The band's current lineup is Finland's guitar wizard Muddy Manninen, long-time bassist Bob Skeat and drummer Joe Crabtree.

The band's latest album, Elegant Stealth, is the same as it ever was - Gibson Flying V guitars turned up to 11 and good ol' British vocal and instrumental bombast.

While Wishbone Ash's Elegant Stealth Tour brings the band to Tacoma's Jazzbones March 20, the band will concentrate on its third album Augus - considered to be its greatest release - and includes such hits as "The King Will Come" and "Blowin' Free."  Tickets are $25 and available here.

JAZZBONES, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 8 P.M., $25, 2803 SIXTH AVE., TACOMA, 253.396.9169

LINK: Bobble Tiki interviewed Andy Powell in 2008

THERE BE WHALES IN THE HOT SHOP! >>>

Beginning Wednesday, Feb. 13, something unique will happen in the Museum of Glass Hot Shop. An artist will return for the second of two back-to-back residencies, a rare occurrence to be sure. Said artist is Raven Skyriver, maker of intriguingly real-looking marine creatures large and small. He scored two residencies in a row by winning two separate awards at the Red Hot Party & Auction last September. He won both the People's Choice and Artists' Choice awards, each came with a hot shop residency.

His first residency was from Jan. 30-Feb. 3. On that last day, Skyriver gave a talk to the public about his journey to glassblowing, which started when he was just 16 and growing up in the San Juans. Rather than following the traditional high school track, Skyriver went into a tradesman program and asked a Lopez Island glassblower, Lark Dalton, if he could be his apprentice. Skyriver later worked with William Morris as well. The talk was accompanied by slides of Skyriver's work and travels.

When Skyriver's second coming kicks off Wednesday - and running through Feb. 17 - he will continue in the same vein as the first residency, but has some plans for bigger and better things - namely, bigger sea life.

"I think for Saturday, I'm going to make a giant blue whale," he says. "I have a couple other whales I'm going to do, maybe a walrus, a sea lion or seal, and then a couple other things that I don't know if I'll get to - maybe a narwhal."

His usual pieces range from 30 to 40 inches in length, but the large whale he plans to try on Saturday may be as long as 50 inches. Attendees can expect to see a team of about four glassblowers, all creating different parts - a fin here, a tail there.

Skyriver will be in the hot shop from about 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. during his residency.

MUSEUM OF GLASS, RAVEN SKYRIVER ARIST IN RESIDENCE, 9 A.M. TO 5 P.M. WEDNESDAY, FEB. 13-SUNDAY, FEB. 17, $5-$12, 1801 DOCK ST., TACOMA, 866.468.7386

EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT >>>

It's time for another Progressive Dinner Tour presented by Studio 6 Ballroom. I love this concept. You eat at different places along Sixth Avenue in Tacoma, meet new people, learn about local businesses and, at the end, you dance and gobble dessert.

How fab is that? 

This month's Progressive Dinner Tour has a Valentine's Day spin. Studio 6 says you can join a group of singles or a group of couples. Also, the event has been titled "6 ways to Stimulate your Sense on 6^th Ave," although I counted only four ways - meals at Six Olives, Gateway to India, Cork! Wine Bar with dessert back at Studio 6. Maybe number five is Maia Santell & House Blend filling Studio 6 with blues and jazz for dancing. Maybe the sixth way to stimulate your senses is a surprise.

The tour is set for Sunday, Feb 17, launching at 4, 5 and 6 p.m. The 6 p.m. tour is the singles only tour. If you purchase your ticket by Sunday, Feb. 10, you can save $15 and enjoy all of the above for $35. That's less than you'd spend at an evening at Crapplebees!

Anyway, I'm not making commission here, just wanted to tell you the Progressive Dinner Tour is cool.

STUDIO 6 BALLROOM, SUNDAY, FEB 17, 4, 5, OR 6 P.M., $35/ADV, $50, 2608 SIXTH AVE., TACOMA, 253.905.5301

LINK: Six love stories from the South Sound

CARMEN REMIX >>>

For its 2012-13 season, Tacoma Opera is all about girl power. Its next installment of feminine mystique is La tragedie de Carmen staged Feb. 8 and 10 inside Rialto Theater.

Peter Brook’s La tragedie de Carmen is a stripped-down version of the famous Georges Bizet opera Carmen. The story focuses on passionate gypsy girl Carmen, who seduces a very naïve soldier named Don Jose. Jose leaves his steady and faithful girlfriend, but then Carmen in turn ditches poor Jose for someone else. Pimpin' really truly ain't easy. As the show's title suggests, much tragedy ensues.

The original Carmen is filled with grandiose show and general pompousness for which opera is so well-known. La tragedie de Carmen does away with most of this and tells the story without the pomp, aiming to strike directly at your heart instead.  

"In my opinion, La tragedie de Carmen should really be subtitled, Carmen, Up Close and Personal, because it's one of the most intense and intimate operas you'll ever see," says Noel Koran, Tacoma Opera general director. "And the four singers portraying Carmen, Don Jose, Micaela and Escamillo are four of the most personable, talented and magnetic performers that have ever graced the Tacoma Opera stage."

RIALTO THEATER, 8 P.M. FRIDAY, FEB. 8, 2 P.M. SUNDAY, FEB. 10, $25-$66, 310 S. NINTH ST., TACOA, 253.591.5894

VALENTINE'S DAY IN TACOMA >>>

We love Valentine's Day! What a sweet opportunity to love your lovey, or else throw your love on a desired lovey.

Screw Valentine's Day! What a sick opportunity for third-rate corporations (the greeting card people, the chocolate people, the flower people) to guilt the in-love into spending money, or else threaten the out-of-love with feelings of inadequacy and alienation.

We love Valentine's Day! It's the one day when everyone will feel a little loved.

Screw Valentine's Day! No one will feel loved; those who do are fakers - unwilling participants in a cruel-cruel lie.

Ah, Valentine's Day ... it never fails to make schizophrenics of us all. We so want to believe in a day of love, and we so want to rage against the love machine. We so want to eat an entire box of love chocolates, and we so want to gag ourselves with a heart-shaped plastic straw and subsequently spew said chocolates onto something meaningful or expensive.

Thank Gawd the good people at The Swiss understand us. Thank gawd the downtown bar believes in true love. Thank gawd The Swiss knows Valentine's Day is a delicious cake with a creamy arsenic center.

The Swiss will celebrate both sides of love on Valentine's Day. On one side of the expansive bar will stand a Love Wall for those who met at The Swiss and later got married, to pin their wedding photo to it, have dinner and enjoy some bubbly. On the other side of The Swiss will stand the Divorce Shredder for those who met at The Swiss, got divorced and would like to shred their wedding photo. The divorce crowd is also invited to have dinner and enjoy some bubbly.

The Swiss is calling its Feb. 14 night Love Wall, and addition to dinner, bubbly and the memories, Top 40 band VIP Club will rock the party.

While it will be sweet to watch the married couple reminisce and slow dance to a Boyz II Men song, the real action will be on the divorce side, especially once the bubbly kicks in. Bring your cameras for future photo pinnings.

THE SWISS, THURSDAY, FEB. 14, 8-11 P.M., NO COVER, 1904 JEFFERSON AVE., TACOMA, 253.572.2821

GO SOUTH SOUND! >>>

Three Olympia bartenders - Lisa David from Quality Burrito, Katie Rains from former Cicada and Sherilyn Lightner from Mercato - are headed to Seattle to show off there margarita- and Manhattan-making skills at Speed Rack, an all-female bartending competition to raise money and awareness for breast cancer. For the past three months Speed Rack has been searching the country for the fastest female bartenders in the states. Sunday, in Seattle, 18 "Mixtresses" from Seattle, Spokane, Portland, and Olympia's power trio will throw-down.

Speed Rack is in its second season of competition. Last year it raised nearly $70,000. The final contestants will head to New York City this May.

"OK ... how I'm feeling in three words - nervous, excited and focused!" exclaims Lightner, who has tattoos, Bettie Page bangs and is known to call her regulars "Bar Butterflies."

The 18 female bartenders will compete round-robin style, on speed, accuracy, taste and presentation. The women must be prepared to mix four drinks from a list of 50 time-honored cocktails.

"I spent a lot of time fine tuning and perfecting my Old Fashioned, and I've got it dialed in," says Lightner.

Entry donation includes sample drinks and appetizers courtesy of sponsors. All proceeds go to support breast cancer research.

CENTURY BALLROOM, SUNDAY, FEB. 10, 3-7 P.M., $20 ADVANCE, $25 DOOR, 915 E. PINE, SEATTLE

THURSTON COUNTY GOT CUPCAKIER >>>

"My soul has had enough chicken soup, now it wants cupcakes." - Princess Cupcake, administer of cupcake-forum.com.

Princess Cupcake, we agree.

That is why we're happy to announce the city of Lacey has just climbed a few notches on the coolness ladder, bringing in downtown Olympia's cupcake queen, Cecilia Mikler and her successful business, Bonjour Cupcakes. The shop celebrated a soft opening Wednesday, Jan 30.

"We wanted to bring our goodies to a new market," says Mikler. "There's nothing like this in Lacey."

Bonjour specializes in gourmet and exotic cupcake blends; producing from-scratch cupcakes that make the sweet tooth swoon. Gluten-free options are available too.

Last week I sampled a divine chocolate chipotle mini cupcake. The first bite bursts with chocolate, followed by a slow creep of earthy spiciness of chipotle, making the cocoa of the next bite savorier. I also tried a blueberry lime mini. I have to say; the frosting is my favorite part - light as air and not overly sweet. 

The Lacey location is just as cute as downtown, with a shabby-chic feel, nice music, kids' tea play set and eating area and family board games.

They also have a bigger and more private space for larger parties. Wise since baby showers, cake-decorating parties and birthdays are popular at the cupcake shop.

Speaking of parties, Bonjour will have a grand-opening celebration at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb 9. The Oly Rollers derby girls will be in the cupcake house helping with giveaways such as Bonjour cupcakes, T-shirts and derby bout tickets. The Thurston County Chamber will also perform an official ribbon-cutting ceremony. 

Sounds fancy - just like anything pertaining to cupcakes should. 

BONJOUR CUPCAKES, 10 A.M. TO 7 P.M. MONDAY-THURSDAY, 9 A.M. TO 9 P.M. SATURDAY, 11 A.M. TO 5 P.M. SUNDAY, 730 SLEATER-KINNEY ROAD, LACEY, 360.489.0891 / 609 CAPITOL WAY S., OLYMPIA, 360.515.0564

IT'S TIME FOR THE SISTER CITIES FILM FESTIVAL! YAY! >>>

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 beginning Feb. 7, 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.

"The Kitakyushu committee will be having the Stadium High School Taiko Drumming group perform," says Debbie Bingham, Sister Cities coordinator. "This will be followed by a briefing on the latest project the committee is working on - rebuilding the Japanese Garden at Point Defiance. Metro Parks staff will talk about this project and show pictures from a recent trip to Kitakyushu to study Japanese garden design."

Festivities start at 6:15 p.m. If an awesome dose of world culture isn't your thing, then get your lame self to Blue Mouse by 7 p.m. for the Japanese film, What the Snow Brings. The plot follows formerly successful Manabu Yazaki after he has lost his remaining cash on an older racing draft horse. After this failure, Manabu seeks out his estranged brother, who agrees to let him stay if Manabu works as a stable hand. The characters - right on down to the aging draft horse Unryu - are remarkably complex and intriguing. The film has won awards left and right, including Best Director and Actor at the 18th Tokyo International Film Festival.

Tickets are $10 via Brown Paper Tickets, or $80 for the full nine-week festival.

BLUE MOUSE THEATRE, THURSDAY, FEB. 7, 6:15 P.M., $10, $80 PASS, 2611 N. PROCTOR ST., TACOMA, 253.752.9500

LINK: Tacoma Sister Cities Film Festival schedule

FUTURE THINGS ARE COMING >>>

As far as Sundays go, the next big one drops Feb. 24. Oscar day. The day all those little-golden-statue-grubbers have been losing sleep over. You want to watch, you know you do. But. You are cool. You are hip. You are in. And, in your crowd, you do not watch the Oscars. It is not done. But, oh, how you want to.

The Grand Cinema's Academy Awards Party will include a fundraiser element this year, raising funds to help the movie theater convert to digital and continue to bring first-run independent films to Tacoma. Your ticket helps keep The Grand alive, and you will get to alleviate your social conscience while maintaining your coolness, as well as enjoy tasty food, beer and wine, participate in a costume contest and win prizes for guessing winners.

We threw a couple questions at Grand Cinema's Market Director Zach Powers, a hip guy in his own right, regarding the upcoming Academy Awards Party & Fundraiser.

WEEKLY VOLCANO: Anything new at this year's Oscars Party?

ZACH POWERS: Yes, there is an entire new VIP viewing area and buffet dinner provided by our friends at Maxwell's Restaurant. We are selling two types of tickets - general admission, which is basically everything the event has always included such as snacks, open seating in the theater and access to all the event activities - and VIP tickets, which grants event goers access to the second viewing area, the full dinner buffet and two complimentary drinks.

VOLCANO: Please say there's still dessert.

POWERS: hello cupcake and Corina Bakery will be there.

VOLCANO: Is the costume contest based on characters from this year's films?

POWERS: The costume contest is always film related, and mostly has to do with the past year's films, but sometimes the costumes can be film related - folks dressing up as iconic characters or film personalities.

VOLCANO: So, 60 percent of the total films nominated for Academy Awards were screened at The Grand this past year. Can you name them?

POWERS: Amour, Bests of the Southern Wild, Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook, The Sessions, The Master, Anna Karenina, 5 Broken Cameras, The Gate Keepers, The Invisible War, Searching for Sugar Man, Inocente, Kings Point, Mondays at Racine, ...

VOLCANO: You're going to name them all, aren't you?

POWERS: You asked. Open Heart, Redemption, Kon-Tiki, NO, A Royal Affair, Hitchcock, Chasing Ice, Adam and Dog, Fresh Guacamole, Head Over Heels, ...

VOLCANO: You are reading this off a list.

POWERS: No, I memorized it. Maggie Simpson in The Longest Daycare, Paperman, Asad, Buzkashi Boys, Curfew, Dood Van Een Schaduw, Henry and Moonrise Kingdom.

VOLCANO: Nice work Zach. What film does the Grand staff think will win best picture?

POWERS: Thanks. That's a tough question. We root for films that screened at The Grand against the rest of the field. The two films that most are predicting to win are Zero Dark Thirty and Lincoln - both of which are currently playing at The Grand.

THEATRE ON THE SQUARE, SUNDAY, FEB. 24, 5 P.M., DOORS AT 4 P.M., $30-$80 ADVANCE, 915 BROADWAY, TACOMA, 253.593.4474