ONLINE CHATTER >>>

Today's comment comes from Charles H. Dawrs in response to Joshua Swainston's recent article on KGHP radio personality Mike Kelly - a man who really loves reggae.

Dawrs writes,

I was fortunate enough to have been Mike's roommate in college and we were in the right place at the right time to see live performances of the greatest reggae artists in the late 70's. Bob Marley and the Wailers, Peter Tosh, Toots and the Maytals, ect., etc. Mike is now my main link to the reggae scene with his magnificent collection of records which he so generously shares with all. Cool running with you man! Aloha from Chuk D. !

ONE LOVE >>>

Among the dense evergreens that surround the banks of Carr Inlet a rhythmic island beat thumps. From behind Peninsula High School, between the art department and the football field, emanates reggae, ska, dub, rock steady, mento and dance hall. Every Wednesday night, KGHP FM plays host to Mike Kelly and his radio program, Kelly's Heroes, a show that's been going strong for 20 years .

Before Kelly moved to Gig Harbor in 1990, he managed reggae bands in Chicago, Illinois, most notably Smokey and the Seventh Seal. But Kelly's love for the island sound was grown from a young age.

"My first reggae album was Desmond Dekker with the Israelites," Kelly says. "I bought that in 1970, at the time not knowing that it was called reggae. It was just a cool song and still is a cool song. I remember buying that for 45 cents at K-mart in Westminster, California. I was 11 at the time."

After the location shift from the Midwest to the Northwest, Kelly took a radio class taught by KGHP founder Don Hofmann. Shortly thereafter, he found himself spinning records at the high school station. Kelly's Heroes started in 1991. After two decades on the air, the show is now the longest-running Jamaican radio show in the United States.

 To read Josh Swainston's full story click here.

SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011 >>>

1. The Hilltop Artists Spring Glass Sale runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Jason Lee Middle School. It's a good opportunity to browse or add to your glass art collection. Or, if you're looking for something else, find the Volcano's comprehensive South Sound arts and entertainment calendar here.

2. Down by the water, catch the opening of "Wheels, Whistles and Wonder: the Extraordinary Maritime Collection of Bill Somers" at the Foss Waterway Seaport.

3. The Malcolm Clark Band celebrates 10 years at the Fuse Cafe in Ruston. Or, if that's not your musical cup of tea, peruse the Volcano's extensive live local music listings here.

4.Catch Billy Farmer for a open mic and acoustic jam at the Gig Harbor Farmers Market at Uptown.

5. Vote for Tacoma's best baristas, politicians, bloggers, bartenders and local businesses in the only 253 "Best Of" issue that matters. The Volcano's annual Best of Tacoma issue publishes July 28, and this year's readers' poll launched last week. Let your vote be heard now! Find all the details here.

WE'RE A BIG BOY NOW >>>

The Weekly Volcano's "personal" Facebook page is closing in on FB's 5,000 friends limit. Holy wow is right. We've started a "fan" page, which will allow us to compile as many friends/fans as technologically possible. If you're on FB and dig the Volcano's posts, quips, discoveries and news breaks – as well as content that doesn't appear either online or in print – go to facebook.com/weeklyvolcanofanpage and please "like" us.

Bonus: To make you really "like" us, we will enter those who "like" us before 5 p.m. Wednesday, June 8 into a random drawing for a free one night stay for two in a King Deluxe Room at the Hotel Murano. You will need to redeem the room before June 30, 2011.

The new Weekly Volcano Facebook page will also be your guide to exclusive Weekly Volcano events, promotions, blogs and photos.

Thank you!

LINK: Like us

YOU MAY HAVE SEEN HER WORK WHILE HIGH-ROLLING IN VEGAS >>>

Daphne Nixon is a transplanted oil painter, originally from New York and California, just in the past two years drawn to the awesomeness that is the Tacoma area. Now based in Gig Harbor, Nixon currently has work hanging at both the Proctor Art Gallery and Gallery Row in Gig Harbor.

Nixon's extensive background in painting started in childhood. "I first learned to paint from my dad," she says. "He used to draw and paint and I really admired him for it. Dad's family painted too. If we went on a family picnic, everyone on his side of the family would bring a little box of paints and pastels and we'd eat and they'd break out everything and start drawing."

But it doesn't stop there. Nixon focused on art in high school and then went on to get a BA from the School of Fine Arts at Yale. She studied the masters in Florence, Italy, and in Holland. She attended the Arts Students League in New York City, and studied with a number of professional artists to hone her skills.

It's no wonder Nixon can capture the nuances of metal and my attempts look like gloppy leftovers at IHOP.

To read Kristin Kendle's full profile of painter Daphne Nixon click here.

FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2011 >>>

1. See Romeo & Juliet through a new lense at the Evergreen State College in Olympia. Find details here. And find the Volcano's extensive South Sound arts and entertainment calendar here.

2. Sugar Sugar Sugar is set to get sexed up and guttural tonight at the New Frontier Lounge in Tacoma. It's gonna be awesome. Trust us. Or, peruse the Volcano's comprehensive South Sound live local music listings here.

3. Meet photographer Ed Kenney, and see his solo exhibition Fourth Phase: Early Images today at Morso in Gig Harbor, during an opening reception today from 6-8 p.m.

4. Get funky tonight with Phunkatron at Jazzbones in Tacoma. You know you want to.

5. Comedian Johnny Cardinale stops into the Tacoma Comedy Club tonight.

ONLINE CHATTER >>>

Today's comment comes from Ctash in response to our SPEW post from January on the closing of Water to Wine in Gig Harbor.

Ctash writes,

It is sad to see a respectable wine store go out of business. There are a small percent of really good wine stores operating. The ones that actually can tell you if the wine you are purchasing is ranked at an 80 or a 90+ rating. I would like to know if you will continue to do business elsewhere or some how revise your business by have bi-annual wine tastings for a ticket cost that is profitable to you and stirs up the wine drinkers in the community.

COO COO CA CHOO >>>

Peninsula School District radio station KGHP needs to raise funds to stay on air. As we see it, they can do one of two things. First option, capture the upscale, educated market that loves pledge drives by converting the station to an all pledge drive format. Instead of broadcasting its current eclectic scale of entertainment - which includes jazz, blues, reggae, roots and Americana, classic rock, vintage music and local sports - the station would switch to a 24-hour programming dedicated to sniffy radio personalities wheedling listeners to send money for a designer tote bag, or to enter a raffle to win a weekend of wine-tasting in Walla Walla. KGHP's new format will include programs such as "Guess Who's Asking for Money?" "Pledgie Home Companion" and "This American Checkbook."

The second option would be a radio stunt. According to the following press release, it looks as if KGHP is going with the stunt.

KGHP's Station Manager the Walrus, will begin his attempt to walk from Owens Beach in Pt Defiance Park to the Summit of Mt Rainier on Monday June 13^th at High Noon. The Goal is to raise one dollar for every foot he climbs in Elevation. So Mt Rainer is 14,411 feet in height, we hope to raise $14,411 to continue to allow Community Radio KGHP to continue to broadcast great Radio Entertainment for the Local South Sound Community. The Public is welcome to come out and join the walrus on his walk, or to support us on line at KGHP.ORG

There are many opportunity's for the Public to support our fundraising goals by purchasing a KGHP-TEE Shirt, Or Dedicating a Song to the Walrus, Signing up to become an Underwriter, or just a simple Donation.

Anyone interested in more info can contact the Walrus at 253.225.1195.

STUPID HEADLINES >>>

OK, OK. SO maybe the "Where are they now?" headline is a little bit ridiculous when referencing a past Weekly Volcano Tournament of Tacos Champion. It's only been a little over a year. Everyone knows Moctezuma's Mexican Restaurant hasn't gone anywhere (still in Tacoma and Gig Harbor).

Still, it's good to see the restaurant isn't getting complacent after being crowned king of tacos by our readers. We got this press release late this week:

Moctezuma's Restaurant Helps Tacoma Rescue Mission
At 5pm on Monday May 2nd Moctezuma's Mexican Restaurant will feed 450 low-income and homeless individuals at the Tacoma Rescue Mission.
 
Moctezuma's will be donating 500 ground beef burritos, refried beans, rice, and fresh chips and salsa for the event.  Moctezuma's owner, Arturo Garcia, and his family will be there in person to help serve the burritos along with other Moctezuma's staff members.
 
The goal of the event for Moctezuma's is to make sure that each of the 450 people attending will get to experience and enjoy a taste of Cinco de Mayo, one of the most important and busiest holiday's for the restaurant.
 
Moctezuma's Mexican Restaurant is a family owned, award-winning restaurant with locations in both Tacoma and Gig Harbor.  Moctezuma's has been a big part of the Tacoma-Pierce County community since it was established in 1978.
 
As stated on their website, The Tacoma Rescue Mission provides free, healthy and well-balanced meals 365 days a year. Meals are provided for all low-income and homeless individuals in the community--both residents and non-residents of the Mission.  For more information visit www.rescue-mission.org

THE POLLS ARE NOW OPEN >>>

Spring is in the air.

This means lust is in the air - and in the pages of the Weekly Volcano.

Once again, the Volcano is unleashing The Sexy Issue, giving one and all the chance to gaze at the sexiest people in the South Sound - as voted on by all of you, our dear readers.

Our annual celebration of the flesh, The Sex Issue is the Weekly Volcano's way of showcasing the South Sound's sexiest denizens - and by denizens we don't mean celebrities; we're talking about regular dudes and dudettes who just happen to look sexy as hell. Not just cliché sex appeal, of no relation to AXE Deodorant Body Spray campaigns, and certainly much more than mere looks, the Volcano Sexy Issue attempts to answer simple question: What defines sexiness in the South Sound?

This year, we are asking you to nominate the person who makes you all hot and bothered in the following categories: Bartender, Barista, Delivery Person, Real Estate Agent, Athlete, Servicemember, Drummer, Tattoo Artist and Mom.

On Thursday, June 2, the Weekly Volcano will publish The Sexy Issue, immortalizing the sexy, chosen few forever.

Help us find them.

Voting ends May 12 - so help the Weekly Volcano find the South Sound's hottest citizens. Vote today!

Vote for the South Sound's sexiest people (please include where they work):