WEDNESDAY, NOV. 30, 2011 >>>

1. Scout Niblett, originally hailing from England, manages to wring more tremulous menace out of her guitar than seems quite possible. A singer/songwriter with a taste for the ominous, Niblett has a way of making songs that straddle the line between intimate and violently standoffish. The moment her vocals lull you into a feeling of personal connection, a guitar stab crashes in to create a separation. Echoes of Nirvana and the Beatles run through Niblett's music, which tends toward the minimal. Rarely are more than a guitar and drums featured, and this starkness transforms the music into a sort of void, open, waiting to be fallen into. Tonight Scout Niblett plays the Capital Theater Backstage in Olympia.

2. Can you guess what "Pin a Dorito on an American" is about? This art installation by Lynn Di Nino is part of the Greater Tacoma Community Foundation's Fourth Annual Foundation of Art Award exhibit show, which itself is a part of Spaceworks Tacoma, a program that utilizes vacant storefronts to display various forms of art. "Dorito" features five sculptures of people, each around 16-inches tall, and each enormously fat. Di Nino says her inspiration came from the United States' unhealthy relationship with corn byproducts. It's humorous examination of what is quite a real problem. Catch Di Nino's "Dorito" today at the Chamber of Commerce Building in Tacoma between 5 - 7 p.m. as part of a celebration of (and showing of work from) the Greater Tacoma Community Foundation's artist of the year nominees.

3. This week's installment of Wednesday Sessions at Jazzbones brings the hot country licks of Aces Up. The best part: It's all ages. The show kicks off at 9 p.m.

4. MetroGruv on Tacoma's Sixth Avenue (formerly Hell's Kitchen) busts out the burlesque shows tonight - surely enough to get the rainbow unicorn painted on the front of the building all riled up.

5. And it's "Quiz Night" at Engine House No. 9 - get your smarty-pants on.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music tonight

LINK: This week's freebies

WE SCENE IT >>>

If you're a frequent bar-goer in the South Sound, then you've surely been corralled into going to a trivia night, only to be stumped by the name of Jupiter's second moon. We all know the empty feeling of watching geekier teams chug beer after free beer after winning each round of trivia, then continuing to drink and win while much drunker than you, and it aint pretty. We all know the feeling of being beat by individuals with one eye on the English football on the boob tube. And we all know what it's like to be mocked unmercifully by someone who calls himself Trivia Newton John.

If you seek a mellower atmosphere to share your knowledge of actor Abe Vigoda or the difference of a traverse stage from a three-quarter thrust, may we suggest Monday nights at the Mandolin Café.

From 6-8 p.m. host Jeff Ross tosses out random trivia questions about movies, sports, news and geography to teams of players - while students study in the corner, ladies knit and that one guy dozes next to the fire. The winning team of each round - six total - receives a bowl of candy. The overall winning team scores a free drink, which means beer and wine.

It's a challenging, fun night.

Last night Weekly Volcano photographer Steve Dunkelberger dropped in on the Mandolin to watch seven teams battle it out.

Team Awesome

Team Bob Loblaw

Team Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

[Mandolin Café, Monday Trivia Night, 6-8 p.m., 3923 S. 12^th St., Tacoma, 253.761.3482]

LINK: More photos of Mandolin's Trivia Night

MONDAY, NOV. 28, 2011 >>>

1. Today in Olympia the legislature's special session kicks off - with lawmakers in town to grapple with the ominous budget shortfall. Swaths of education supporters organized by the Washington Education Association will also be in Oly for "Standing Strong. Standing Together" - a rally at the West Capital Campus against cuts to education funding. The rally runs from noon to 12:45 p.m., though those attending the rally are encouraged to arrive by 11:30 a.m.

2. The University of Puget Sound invites one and all to a "Fossil Fuel Forum" tonight from 5 - 6 p.m. in Trimble Forum. Including four UPS professors, the forum aims to educate students and community members about coal, all other fossil fuels and their alternatives.

3. Hip Bone hits the stage at 8 p.m. tonight at The Swiss. Blues on a Monday is very fitting. Get in on the action.

4. Stuck in Lacey on a Monday night with nothing to do? We've all been there. Try Team Trivia Night, kicking off at 7 p.m. at Farrelli's Gourmet Wood Fire Pizza. Yes, you can totally win prizes.

5. In Tacoma, hot trivia action can be found at the Mandolin Café, hosted by Jeff Ross. It's all ages, gets going at 6 p.m. and is totally free to get in on (though we do recommend buying a coffee ... because coffee is delicious).

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music tonight

SUNDAY, NOV. 20, 2011>>>

1. Culminating a full week of celebration in the name of 50 years in the pizza business, Tacoma's iconic Cloverleaf will welcome the band Sunny 4 Cast to "rock out" tonight. Not surprisingly, there will also be beer specials. There have been specials all week, in fact, from kids' nights, to happy hour beer prices all day, to pizza "squashing" contests. Good times have been had by all. As we're reminded by press release, "The Cloverleaf was established in 1951 and began serving our World Famous Pizzas in 1961. ...The purpose of this celebration is to thank our loyal customers. We could not have made it 50 years without them and that is why we are hosting this celebration, in their honor."

2. Drop by Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Tacoma for Blues Vespers and be treated to the sure-to-be-spectacular jams of Rod Cook & Toast with special guest Jay Mabin.

3. Been jonesing for some drum circle action? Ted Brown Music has you covered. Check out the all-ages community drum circle every Sunday at Ted Brown Music on Tacoma Mall Boulevard from 6:30 - 8 p.m. There's no cover charge, and you can bring your own drum or one can be provided.

4. Check out the Super Rock Trivia Contest Karaoke at the Westgate Bar and Grill - billed as, "live band karaoke with a twist." The fun starts at 11 p.m., after "Sunday Jam Night" wraps up.

5. The Fair Trade Market, hosted by St. Leo Parish and Urban Grace Church, promises a guilt-free way to start your holiday shopping. In its final day today at Catholic Community Services, the annual event is your chance to get in on, "baskets, ornaments, linens, musical instruments, food products and more from vendors such as Ten Thousand Villages, Theo Chocolate, Laughing Lotus, L'Arche, and many more," according to pre-event hype. 

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound
LINK: Live music tonight

LINK: This week's freebies

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 16, 2011 >>>

1. It's Wednesday, which means it's time for another Wednesday Session at Jazzbones. Tonight, Roman Holiday takes to the stage, promising to rock like few things will this Hump Day.

2. The real appeal of Puget Sound Pizza's karaoke is its inimitable host, the Reverend Colin. A tall, bearded man who always sports a utilikilt, Rev. Colin possesses a wealth of oddball musical knowledge and a disarming ease for calling everyone "baby." Having hosted karaoke for a little more than 12 years, Rev. Colin conducts karaoke with a sure hand and a sense of fairness with who gets to sing and how often; he once told me that he prides himself on not accepting bribes from people to be moved to the top of the singing rotation. See for yourself tonight at Puget Sound Pizza, when Karaoke with Colin kicks off at 9 p.m.

3. It gets dark at, like, 3:30 p.m. every afternoon these days. It's cold, wet and growingly miserable outside. The time is right for a movie. May we recommend heading to the Grand Cinema for a warm bag of popcorn and a great flick. Offerings like The Way, Martha Marcy May Marlene, Margin Call, Lost Airmen of Buchenwald and Being Elmo all seem worthy.

4. Get your bingo on and win fabulous prizes tonight at Pints & Quarts on Olympia's Westside. The fun starts at 8:30 p.m. and it's free to play.

5. 2. Holy crap! Hump Day already? That must mean it's time again for Masa College Night. Expect flesh.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound
LINK: Live music tonight

LINK: This week's freebies

TUESDAY, NOV 15, 2011 >>>

1. The Olympia Film Festival continues today, running through Nov. 20 with screenings at the Capitol Theater. Find a full schedule of Olympia Film Festival events here.

2. Grizzled Mighty will perform tonight at Uncle Sam's American Bar Grill in Spanaway. We don't know much about Grizzled Mighty, other than the band's promo shot (above) is totally hot. Literally.

3. Remember the swing dance revival of the late ‘90s? That was fun, right? Well, there's no reason for the good times to stop thanks to OlySwing. Tonight at the Eagles Club in Olympia drop in on the weekly swing dance action from 7:30 - 10:30 p.m. For those in need of a swing refresher or some tips to get started, there's a "quick" beginning swing dance lesson from 7 - 7:30 p.m. hosted by Christine Corey. The action is all-ages, with a $5 admission.

4. Tuesdays seem to be the hottest night for the overeducated South Sound masses to prove their intellectual worth. And where do such brainiacs head? Glad you asked. The GEEKS head to Paddy Coyne's Irish Pub. The Tacoma watering hole is the site of John Dicker's Geeks Who Drink pub quiz night. Dicker, a genius from Colorado, has taken the Irish Pub quiz tradition to a new level with Geeks Who Drink games across the nation, including every Tuesday night at the downtown pub, hosted by graphic artist and Weekly Volcano production assistant Holland Hume. The quiz consists of eight rounds of eight questions and is played in teams of up to six people. Questions are read aloud by the quizmaster; teams write their answers on provided sheets and turn them in at the end of each round. The team with the most points after eight rounds is the winner.

5. Need a good laugh? Try Jazzbones, where every Tuesday comedian Ralph Porter hosts Ha Ha Tuesday starting at 8 p.m. There's a $5 cover, and DJ Omar spins for the masses after the jokes.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound
LINK: Live music tonight

DO YOU KNOW YOUR TACOMA HISTORY ... AND LOVE FOOD? >>

Foodcaching is a new smart phone app alerting customers of awesome food deals at 16 restaurants in the greater Tacoma area. You may download the app for free on your iPhone and Android here.

Every local foodie app launch deserves an awesome treasure hunt game to go with it, right?

Right.

The Weekly Volcano has teamed up with Foodcaching for the True Tacoman game. Every Tuesday and Friday right here on Spew, we'll post a Tacoma history trivia provided by the Washington State History Museum. If you know the answer, run to one of the 16 participating restaurants, come clean with answer and you'll receive points on your Foodcaching app, which you downloaded free here. We'll be running the True Tacoman trivia game through the end of the year.

The person will the most points on Dec. 31 will be crowned the True Tacoma and be flooded with various food prizes.

Here's today's Tacoma trivia question

The present day building which houses the Washington State History Research Center in Tacoma dates back to 1911, when the Washington State Historical Society shared space with another historical organization, the Ferry Museum. Clinton P. Ferry - the Tacoma businessman for whom the Ferry Museum was named - was given a special name in the City of Destiny. Was it:

A) The Duke of Tacoma

B) The Robber Baron

C) The Crown Prince

D) Skookum Clint.

Answer the question correctly at one of the 16 participating restaurants below and score points - besides the awesome food deals from the restaurant. The correct answer will be revealed Tuesday Nov. 8 on Spew. Also keep an eye on this blog for bonus game points and a special invite to the True Tacoman Game Party in early 2012.

Oh, you can download the free app here.

Participating restaurants

• 1022 South, 1022 South J St., Tacoma, 253.627.8588, Facebook
• Capers Cafe & Take Home, 2602 N. Proctor St., Tacoma, 253.761.4444, Facebook
• Dirty Oscar's Annex, 2309 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.572.0588, Facebook
• Dorky's Arcade, 754 Pacfic Ave., Tacoma, 253.627.4156, Facebook
• Harmon Brewery & Eatery, 1938 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.383.2739, Facebook
• Harmon Tap Room, 204 Saint Helens Ave., Tacoma, 253.212.2725, Facebook
• The Hub, 203 Tacoma Ave. S., Tacoma, 253.683.4606, Facebook
• Jake's Bar & Bistro, 215 Wilkes St., Steilacoom, 253.581.3300, Website
• Massimo Italian Bar & Grill, 4020 Bridgeport Way W., University Place, 253.503.1902, Facebook
• Marrow Kitchen & Bar, 2717 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.267.5299, Facebook
• Over The Moon Cafe, 709 Court C/Opera Alley, Tacoma, 253.284.3722, Facebook
• Pacific Grill, 1502 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.627.3535, Facebook
• The Social Bar & Grill, 1715 Dock St., Tacoma, 253.301.3835, Facebook
• STINK Cheese & Meat, 628 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma, 253.426.1347, Facebook
• Top of Tacoma Bar & Cafe, 3529 Mckinley Ave., Tacoma, 253.272.1502, Facebook
• TWOKOI Japanese Restaurant, 1552 Commerce St., Tacoma, 253.274.8999, Facebook

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 2, 2011 >>>

1. Author and musician Alice Bag is presented tonight at the Olympia Timberland Library under the billing of former "lead singer of The Bags, the first female-fronted punk band to play the Masque during the West Coast punk revolution of 1977." Bag will play three songs and sign copies of her latest book, Violence Girl. For more info go here.

2. Test your smarts and wittiness tonight at the Harmon Brewery during the restaurant and bar's appropriately named, "Trivia Night." The action is hosted by Gordon Adams and gets going at 6 p.m.

3. Volcano visual arts critic Alec Clayton says that the latest show at Childhood's End Gallery seems to be geared toward gift buying - a prequel to the holiday season and a celebration of the gallery's 40^th year in Olympia. Everything is decorative, colorful and safe almost to the point of blandness, but very well done. It's a group show, and all of the artists display well-honed skills. Check it out for yourself today, or any time before the exhibit wraps up Nov. 13.

4. Tatoosh will bust out the classic rock at Stonegate Pizza on South Tacoma Way tonight. Swing by, have some pizza, maybe some rum, and enjoy the Hump Day good times. There's no cover and the music kicks off at 9 p.m.

5. Stuck at home with a small child in the Graham area? Don't go crazy ... go to this afternoon's "Play To Learn" event at the Graham Library. From 1:30-3 p.m., the weekly "Play To Learn" festivities offer "parents, grandparents, neighbors, family, and friends who nurture children ages six and under." According to hype expect individual play, fun group activities, songs, and circle time for children and adults.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music tonight

TUESDAY, NOV. 1, 2011 >>>

1. It's true! Santee will perform at Tacoma's New Frontier Lounge tonight with Portland's CORDUROY and special guests. This show should be a good one. The action kicks off at 9 p.m.

2. Work off your Halloween hangover tonight at the delicious and hip Dirty Oscar's Annex on Sixth Avenue during the club/restaurant's weekly "Musician's Industry Night." The good times are chaperoned by host Steve Perez.

3. So, you've been telling yourself: "One of these days I'm finally going to make it out to the Midland Tavern ... or Lil Vic's ... or whatever it's called. Well, make tonight that night! Action the bar bills as "Crazy Vegas Barstool Bingo" runs from 7 - 9 p.m.

4. The scene is pretty messed up right now. Life provides more questions than answers. There's a lot to discuss ... a lot to worry about. In Olympia, luckily, Last Word Books opens up its doors on Tuesdays (and, really, every day) for encouraged and lively discussions about politics, contemporary issues and the world around us. It's called the "Tuesday Read-In," and the free event runs from 5 - 7 p.m.

5. Across the Narrows Bridge, drop in on the Harbor History Museum exhibit The Artistry of Quilts, described as a "beautiful collection of both antique and new quilts displaying the fine artistry of this centuries old craft." The Artistry of Quilts is available for viewing all day, from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., and runs through Dec. 4.

EXTRA CREDIT: Give a woodchuck a tuna melt

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music tonight

LINK: Freebies this week

THURSDAY, OCT. 20, 2011 >>>

1. Art Chantry practically invented the poster art and album cover art associated with grunge. He's done album covers for Nirvana and Hole, and posters for Hempfest. His art has been shown in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Museum of Modern Art, Seattle Art Museum, the Smithsonian and the Louvre. Right now, under the title Parkland is Burning, you can see a large selection of Chantry's work at Fulcrum Gallery. Even better? Tonight, hear the artist himself delve into his four-decade career. It promises to be awesome.

2. Was it always destined that bluegrass and punk would make such a happy marriage? In hindsight, it seems like a natural fit, but the first person to bring a banjo or washboard into a punk band had to have had such brilliant intuition. The Load Levelers continue in this tradition, slamming together the most recognizable tropes from punk and Southern music into a freakish amalgam that also finds the time to inject some speed metal into the affair. These parts have been privy to the Load Levelers for many years, in various incarnations. The band earned a reputation early on for wild and unpredictable shows. Though it's many years on, but you can probably expect to see some pretty crazy shit tonight when they burn through Hell's Kitchen.

3. Volcano music scribe Nic Leonard is perhaps better known as Nicatine of Olympia-based rap outfit Free Whiskey. Or, we mean, he's the dude with the mustache. Now are you picturing him? Good. Anyway, Free Whiskey has been gaining steam for a while now [thanks, in no small part, to Nic's mustache and the track "Man's Best Friend (Mustache Song)"], and tonight the group will release a much anticipated EP, What Am I Going To Tell My Mom?, with a show at the Royal Lounge. Sure, it's a conflict of interests of sorts to promote the show of someone who writes for us, but it's also going to be dope - so we did what we had to do. Free Whiskey for all. 

4. Check out the "Open Jam" at Stonegate Pizza tonight with Billy Roy Danger & the Rectifiers.

5. Head to The Ram Restaurant and Brewery on Tacoma's waterfront to get in on the "Geeks Who Drink" pub quiz. The trivial good times kick off at 8:30 p.m. and there's absolutely no cover ... though you'll probably want to bring enough coin for a drink or two (it's in the name, after all).

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music tonight