SUNDAY, SEPT 15 2013 >>>

1. The city of Lakewood, in cooperation and partnership with the Lakewood Subchapter of the Association of the U.S. Army, the 4/2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team and other community partners, will host two welcome home events for members of 4/2, who have recently returned from a nine-month deployment in Afghanistan.  The morning kicks off at 9 a.m. with a parade to welcome and salute the returning troops.  The route begins at the Lakewood Police Department (Lakewood Drive and 95th Street), and ends at Lakewood City Hall (6000 Main St. SW). The homecoming event continues with a family friendly community party at Fort Steilacoom Park. This event will begin at noon and run until 6 p.m. There is no entry fee, and free onsite parking is available.

2. The Red Hot has added three sausage hot dogs to its menu: The Cowboy ($4.75), Berliner ($4.25) and The Dakota ($4.50). TRH bartender Mitchell gave nod to The Cowboy, a locally made beef/cheddar sausage link on a steamed poppyseed bun, topped with barbecue sauce, chopped onions, slice of bacon, nacho cheese sauce and jalapeños. Giddy up! The Cowboy pairs well with Belgian style ales, which are $1 off on Sundays. Oh, TRH opens at 9:30 a.m. on Sundays for the game.

3. Latin Americans love to party. From Mexican tamales to pizza from Argentina, food is crucial in the holiday mix, as is dance, whether it's salsa, samba or merengue. The moves and beats differ, but they always create a purely Latin rhythm. Taste, feel and see the action at Fiestas Patrias, a celebration of Latin America's Independence Day at the Washington State Fair. From noon to 9 p.m. a collection of Latin entertainment ranging from traditional mariachis to colorful folkloric dancers to Roberto Tapia and other well-known musicians playing on the radio will gather in the Main Grandstand. Plus, expect authentic foods, vendors, artisans and kids activities.

4. Pound the buttons on some old school title, claim the next game by placing quarters on the edge of the screen or just watching other players defeat pixelated villains with killer techniques from 1 p.m. to midnight during Dorky's third-year anniversary party. For $20, you will receive unlimited play, trips to the taco bar and quarterly raffles.

5. The Squeak and Squawk Music Festival has invited indie bands from all over the Northwest and beyond to stop by Tacoma and unleash their magic through Sept. 16. Here is the schedule for today: (6-9 p.m., all ages, Library at Sanford and Son) LAKE, Friends and Family and The Hoot Hoots (9:30 p.m., 21+, The New Frontier Lounge) Not From Brooklyn, Fen Wik Ren and the Wheelies. Descriptions of the bands can be found here.

LINK: Sunday, Sept. 15 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

FRIDAY, SEPT. 13 2013 >>>

1. The year was 1938-1939. The minimum wage was first established. Hitler marched into Austria after signing a sketchbook for Indiana Jones. Elliot Gould was born, as were Frank Langella, Tommy Chong ... and the Lakewood Playhouse.Tonight, the Playhous ecelebrates its 75th birday with an anniversary ribbon cutting at 4:30 p.m. and the civic proclamation of "Lakewood Playhouse Day" at 5:30. A silent auction begins with a wine and cheese reception at 6 p.m., which continues until a live auction at intermission of Arsenic & Old Lace. Read Christian Carvajal's full feature on the Lakewood Playhouse in the Music and Culture section.

2. The annual South Sound Wine Trail Fall Passport event kicks off noon to 6 p.m. and runs through Sunday. You can purchase your passport online or in advance at any of the six participating wineries: Madsen Family Cellars, Northwest Mountain Winery, Walter Dacon, Scatter Creek Winery, Medicine Creek Winery and Stottle Winery. Your passport gets you a tasting at each winery. The passport is valid all three days, once per winery. Bonus: Get your passport stamped at all the wineries and be entered for a chance to win a Thurston County getaway for two.

3.Wingman Brewers will its release the first 22-ounce bottle in its new Seasonal Bomber Lineup. Grab a taste of the Coconut P-51 Porter in its the taproom from 2-11 p.m.

4. The Squeak and Squawk Music Festival has invited indie bands from all over the Northwest and beyond to stop by Tacoma and unleash their magic through Sept. 16. Here is the schedule for today: (6-9 p.m., all ages, Library at Sanford and Son) Carletta Sue Kay, You Are Plural, Hands In; (9:30 p.m., 21+, The New Frontier Lounge) Twin Steps, Summer Cannibals, Tangerine. Descriptions of the bands can be found here.

5. Nate Jackson, an award-winning comedian from Lacey, is back fresh from The ATL's Comic View taping, and hosts former Monique Show co-host and funnyman Rodney Perry to headline the Nate Jackson's Super Funny Comedy Show at 9 p.m. in the Temple Theatre. Perry, renowned for his quips and thoughtful and physical humor, will receive a boost from DJ Tu Much and live music by The De 1 Experience.

LINK: Friday, Sept. 13 arts and entertianment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

Every week in the Weekly Volcano print edition, we highlight a national food holiday in the Buzz-o-Meter. It's ridiculous, really - the food/drink holidays, that is. No government agency has officially recognized most of them. Industry folks say they have no clue how national food days are determined. Yet, someone, somewhere has declared a day of recognition for every edible imaginable; there's National Tempura Day, National Rhubarb Pie Day, National Crabmeat Day, National Beans 'n' Franks Day, and, of course, National Leftovers Day the day after Thanksgiving. There's a national food holiday every day of the year.

Yesterday, apparently, was National Cabernet Day.

While it's easy to dismiss this "Day" as just another excuse to tie one on, in truth it's a good reason to learn more about "The King of Red Wine Grapes." Cabernet Sauvignon reigns as one of the world's most popular grapes, showing up as the main variety in some of the most renowned (read: expensive) wines on the planet. According to Bob Kinnaman, co-owner of the Wine Bank & Beer Vault in University Place, Cabernet Sauvignon is, "one of the most widely planted varieties on the planet - particularly in California - where pricey Napa Valley lays claim to nearly a quarter of the state's total Cab crop." The grape actually is a cross between two grapes: Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc.

Read more...

FRIDAY, JULY 5 2013 >>>

1. It's officially summer, and longer days and warmer nights mean finding any excuse to be outside. What could be a better nighttime entertainment choice than hanging out in a park? Hanging out in a park with free movies! CinemaGig Outdoors movie series is on with 9:15 p.m. screenings in Skansie Brothers Park. Tonight, it's 100 percent Iowa corn and Kevin Costner in Field of Dreams. Costner, slack but unoffending, is Ray Kinsella, a novice farmer guided by voices to build a ballfield for disgraced diamond great Shoeless Joe Jackson (Ray Liotta); restore the faith of a reclusive novelist (James Earl Jones); and shepherd the apotheosis of a saintly ballplayer-turned-doctor (Burt Lancaster). You will, come.

2. Harmon Tap Room in Tacoma's Stadium District has invited Joe Rosati to perform in its outdoor beer garden at 6 p.m. Grab a beer, kick back in the sun and listen to songs off his new CD, The Candelabra Light.

3. Sometimes you desperately need something to bring a laugh or distract you enough to allow you to let go of whatever has been troubling you, even if only for a couple hours. Lakewood Playhouse's production of The Importance of Being Earnest does all of that. Oscar Wilde's 118-year-old script is as smart and fresh now as when it debuted in London. While director Marilyn Bennett had a fantastic play to work with, her direction of the cast and crew of the quick paced, witty script was flawless. It hits the stage at 8 p.m.

4. Most renowned for its rock sensibilities and downtown Olympia hardcore patronage - as well as favored (pricewise and taste-wise) drinks among Olympians - McCoy's Tavern continues its mild shift of venue personage as it hosts another hip-hop function.  At 8 p.m. the likes of an O'Lacey (Olympia and Lacey) who's who list of factors (cats who make a difference in the scene) such as Heretic, Q-Storm, Double B, Cauze N Efeckt, David Gies, DJ Pasquan and Model Citizens take over the downtown Olympia joint. Be on the lookout for the gritty-grimey-gangsta-styled Prano Tha Don from Seattle and out-of-staters Landon Wordswell and Tim Hoke. This is a diverse lineup of hip-hop that with a couple beers and more - just might be what you need this weekend to keep the party going.

5. The merengue, as well as the bachata and salsa, are taught in mini-versions, with or without partner, at varying levels of experience, every Friday night at Studio 6 Ballroom in Tacoma. After the last instruction at around 9:30 p.m., the club lights flip on, disco ball drops and Studio 6 fills with cross body leads, hand throws and hammerlocks. "It's always fun and memorable," says Natasha Thayer, master coach at Studio 6 Ballroom. "One of the reasons we chose Friday nights was so that you could club hop on Sixth Avenue and go out for food after." Read Nikki McCoy's full feature on Studio 6 Ballroom's Latin dance Night in Northwest Military Clubs/Bars Section.

LINK: Friday, July 5 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

It's often a highlight of the summer Olympic Games - a team of flexible, coordinated and impossibly strong young gymnasts who put aside pressure and leap, flip and swing their way into history and our hearts.

But they gotta start somewhere - and that somewhere is often the local Y.

Last week, more than 2,000 gymnasts from 107 YMCA gymnastics teams around the country - including 30 from the Lakewood Family YMCA - converged on Savannah, Ga., for the annual YMCA National Gymnastics Championship and Invitational.

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TUESDAY, JULY 2 2013 >>>

1. Meet two Muscle Beach boys from the neon 1980s who fall in love with some circus aerialists and end up join the immortal, 200-year-old traveling troupe, which is part of Portland's Wanderlust Circus. Wanderlust is different from a traditional circus. It's more of a theatrical show, with a storyline titled "The Endless Road" (see: muscle boys in the '80s) that feels a little Steampunk-ish Vaudevillian. Oh stop, there's ton of action, including Risley juggling in which people are juggled instead of objects like barrels. Be sure to arrive on time to see opening act Poki and Ember of Button Wagon who team up with artists from Lookout Arts Quarry in Bellingham to create a surreal circus world of floods and fairytales. The show will go on at 7 p.m. in the Capitol Theater.

2. Lakewood's own Kari Ehli was somewhat of a child protégé and began recording in her early teens. While she lists her influences as rockers Heart and Pat Benatar, her sound is closer to Shania Twain or LeAnn Rimes. With shades of rock, blues and country, Ehli reflects the new face of Nashville with the face of an angel. She uses her powerful pipes to belt out self-penned originals with a sincerity that is genuine. Catch her and her band from 1:30-4:30 p.m. at the Lakewood Farmers Market.

3. The Zen of Bennett, a documentary playing exclusively at The Grand Cinema about Tony Bennett as he approached his 85th birthday in 2011, is like the singer himself -  smooth and classy. Created by Bennett's son Danny, the film centers on the recording of the 2011 album Duets II, which had the singer collaborating in-studio with artists ranging from Aretha Franklin to Willie Nelson. The vocal performances are extraordinary, but the film finds its purpose in Bennett's low-key musings on the value of beauty and authenticity in art. It screens at 2 and 6:30 p.m.

4. Randy Linder's Trilogy Of Rock: A Tribute To Bob Seger, Mick Jagger and Tom Petty hits Red Wind Casino at 8 p.m.

5. The Raven and the Writing Desk are about confounding expectations. A six-piece outfit from Denver, the Raven and the Writing Desk's music initially conjures up connections to bands like DeVotchKa (another literary allusion) and Beirut - these purveyors of gypsy-and-otherwise-worldly musical strains. It's notable that the heart of the Raven and the Writing Desk is located in their piano, violin, and percussion. These instruments can travel anywhere, but fit quite nicely into the sort of theatrical flourish that accompanies gypsy music. Catch the band at 10 p.m. in Le Voyeur. Read Adam McKinney's full feature on the Raven and the Writing Deck in Northwest Military's Music & Culture section.

LINK: Tuesday, July 2 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

The women were different. The colorful tattoos and body piercings were hard to miss.

"We break stereotypes," Cara Ballinger, the spouse of a Joint Base Lewis-McChord soldier and member of the Modified Dolls, said matter-of-factly.

"Our tattoos and body piercings do not make us bad women."

Founded by Holly Roettger and granted non-profit status in 2012, the Modified Dolls is a worldwide organization dedicated to living their mission statement of, "We are the Different making a Difference."

Body modification is the deliberate altering of the human anatomy.  It is often done for aesthetics, group membership, body art and self-expression.

Body piercing, ear piercing and tattooing are common modifications.

One looks different.

To Amanda Tomasura, another JBLM spouse, body modification is about art and self-expression.

"I like to think of my tattoos and piercings as art," she said. 

"Some people buy works of art to hang on the walls of their homes; I put art on my body."

>>> JBLM spouses Amanda Tomasura, Jennifer Whitaker, Em Seymour and Jackie Fenton of the Modified Dolls took part in a bake sale last Saturday at Old Navy in the Lakewood Towne Center.Photo credit: J.M. Simpson

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FRIDAY, JUNE 21, 2013 >>>

1. Typically, we at the Volcano don't like to travel farther on our skateboards than Best Burgers down the street, but we may have to make an exception for this unique challenge: the Go Skate Tacoma Sk8venger Hunt. Presented by the wacky scavenger-hunt enthusiasts over at Go Skate Tacoma, in conjunction with the opening of the new Spaceworks Tacoma skateboard shop Grit City Grindhouse, this "rad" event has teams of two to five people skating throughout Tacoma (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) gathering pictures of the solutions to clues presented at Grindhouse, which is owned by Taylor Woodruff and Robert Boyle. From 7-10 p.m. the winners will be celebrated over pizza and music.

2. The concept of the Broadway Center's Cathedral series is simplistic to the point of perfection: get some beautiful-sounding artists to perform in beautiful spaces designed to bounce around beautiful sounds. These are not raucous events, but rather contemplative experiences that take exploit churches' natural abilities to heighten and highlight negative space. This time around, our money is on Denver's Paper Bird as the band most likely to fill in those empty spaces. A baroque art-folk-pop seven-piece, there's never a moment wasted or tossed away without being occupied by some lively instruments or flatly gorgeous harmonies. Shenandoah Davis and Elk & Boar join Paper Bird at 7:30 p.m. in Tacoma's Immanuel Presbyterian Church.

3. Sometimes you desperately need something to bring a laugh or distract you enough to allow you to let go of whatever has been troubling you, even if only for a couple hours. Lakewood Playhouse's production of The Importance of Being Earnest does all of that. Oscar Wilde's 118-year-old script is as smart and fresh now as when it debuted in London. While director Marilyn Bennett had a fantastic play to work with, her direction of the cast and crew of the quick paced, witty script was flawless. It hits the stage at 8 p.m.

4. At 8 p.m. inside B2 Fine Arts Gallery, the ‘Til Midnight Poetry Series launches for the summer featuring the poetry and hybrid art of Travis Anderson and his presentation, "Bathers of the Sun, Bathers of the Moon." Anderson will perform his unique brand of poetry/gospel/hip-hop inspired by fellow artists Leonardo Lanzolla, Jennifer Kuhns and Mary Pacios. Anderson's performance begins at 8:40 p.m. followed by an open mic and open studio, where the community is invited to participate.

5. If you're a celluloid lovin' madman and you needed a sendoff film before jumping on your zombie horse and riding off to Austin, Texas, the late Lucio Fulci's flick The Beyond would do the trick. The Italian director upped the gore quotient in this blood-soaked, surrealistic nightmare of hell on earth film. Sadly, this scenario will indeed play out as Grindhouse Theater host Justin Giallo is outta here, but not before screening The Beyond, bustin' out trivia, passing out creepy prizes and biting a few necks. The acariness begins at 9 p.m. in The Grand Cinema.

LINK: Friday, June 21 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

SATURDAY, JUNE 15 2013 >>>

1. It's hard to believe it's been 28 years since Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) first leaped into that plutonium-powered DeLorean and time-traveled back to 1955. LeMay - America's Car Museum is kicking off its summer drive-in movie series at 4:30 p.m. (movie starts at sunset) with Back to the Future. ACM will have a giant 40-foot movie screen that will allow people to park and watch the movie – free of charge – from their cars or spread out on its lawn with blankets and chairs — accompanied by ACM's two DeLoreans on the showfield. Additional activities including zip-lining and food will be available for purchase.

2. Opening today and running through Oct. 6, The Herb and Lucy Pruzan collection will be on display at Tacoma Art Museum. Representing half a century of art collecting, the Pruzan collection features more than 100 works from well-known Northwest artists including such art world stars as William Cumming, Gaylen Hansen, Paul Havas, William Ivey, Fay Jones, James Martin, Alden Mason, Ginny Ruffner, Preston Singletary, Akio Takamori, and more. Called Creating the New Northwest, the exhibition shares the story of how Northwest artists have shaped new perceptions and a new sense of artistic identity.

3. The sundresses and flip flops that are released from their closets this time of year are fine and dandy for this fundraiser.at 4 p.m., break out your inner Algernon or Lady Bracknell (please imagine the "r" rumbling like thunder as you read that name) for Lakewood Playhouse's Party on the Patio, which benefits the playhouse in, er, Lakewood. Before its 8 p.m. staging of The Importance of Being Earnest, the staff and board - none of them named Earnest - will host an outdoor cook-out on its patio, which no doubt will be wickedly clever, full of brilliant aphorisms and entirely insincere - at least the play will be. Expect a silent auction, raffle, board elections, open house and more leading up to curtain time. A jaunty romp from beginning to end we're sure.

4. Vocal legend Tony Bennett pushes boundaries when it comes to his duets, most notably those with k.d. lang. But when it comes to flying solo, the man gives the people exactly what they want: his smooth, elegant, laidback take on standards you'd swear were his to begin with. Each time through the South Sound the man has sounded suave ... and has looked it too. Remember that canary-yellow sport coat he wore? How about the voice? Cynics may call it a gimmick, but Bennett's modern-era performances always include an a capella number. All said and done, when the spotlight shines, silence covers the room, and a still-strong version of, perhaps, "The Best is Yet to Come" flows from the 86(!)-year-old Bennett. Bonus: Bennett's 7:30 p.m. concert at the Pantages Theater is a benefit for the arts in public schools.

5. When jazz trumpeter Lance Buller isn't holding court at Metropolitan Market's espresso area or every Friday at Maxwell's Speakeasy, he's producing jazz concerts, including a Jazz@TMP series at Tacoma Musical Playhouse. Buller has lined up another winner as the Black Swan Classic Jazz Band from Portland, Ore. and their vocalist, Marilyn Keller will fill the old Narrows Theater with music one would find in the French Quarter of New Orleans in the 1920s or F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby at 8 p.m. According to hype, "Black Swan will serve up blues, stomps, marches, ragtime and gospel. Songs will be selected from the 1890s through Tin Pan Alley through the Golden Age of song to selections recently composed by our band members."

LINK: Saturday, June 15 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

TUESDAY, JUNE 4 2013 >>>

1. About a decade ago, Cody ChesnuTT expanded the language of bedroom pop albums with his Headphone Masterpiece, a 36-track album that showed the breadth of one man's peccadilloes in an environment where he was fully able to explore every fleeting notion. Lo-fi R&B, folk creepers, a capella chants, experimental asides - nothing was off the table, and this freedom managed to telegraph the mixing and matching of genres that would eventually leave the venue of bedroom recordings and become the norm in independent music. But, to bring it back to 2013, there's a certain nobility in upholding the traditions of bedroom pop, which is something Plant Parenthood does quite well. Sam Petschulat formed Plant Parenthood as a solo recording project, as you do. Catch Plant Parenthood with Generifus at 10 p.m. in Le Voyeur. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on Plant Parenthood in Northwest Military's Music & Culture section.

2. Since its introduction in 1894, the motorcycle has spawned a variety of cultures and uses. As basic transportation, as leisure activity or as a die-hard lifestyle, millions of people have a love affair with Choppers, Crotch Rockets, Thumpers and all things two-wheeled. The action-packed exhibit "Let's Ride! Motocycling The Northwest at the Washington State History Museum is a celebration of the region's never-waning motorcycle culture - will include interactive exhibits, videos and impressive displays of machines from 1906 to the 21st century. Check it out from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

3. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the city of Lakewood launches its second annual farmers market season. Running each week through mid-September, the Lakewood Farmers Market will provide the community with locally sourced fresh produce, baked and canned goodies and handmade gifts at City Hall.

4. If hearing the sound of your own cackling voice echoing off the walls of your shower stall has you craving the sound of something a bit more harmonious, check out the local songbirds at Victory Music Open Mic at the Antique Sandwich Co. It's guaranteed to be jam-packed with gorgeous sounds and humbling verses, as the South Sound's greatest up-and-coming acoustic musicians bare their souls impromptu-style. Performances start at 7 p.m., and if you're thinking that your shower-time ballads are ready for public consumption, you can sign up for your own moment in the, er, sun at 6.

5. There are trivia competitions all around the South Sound on a Tuesday night, where you can unleash your inner Ken Jennings. And while you won't approach Jennings-like earnings, you can win some cool stuff, ranging from gift certificates, to concert or sports tickets, to a VHS copy of All of Me, the film starring Lily Tomlin and Steve Martin. Sweet! Two of our favorite Tuesday night trivia are at Fish Tale Brew Pub in Olympia and Farrelli's Wood-Fire Pizza in Tacoma, both start at 8 p.m.

LINK: Tuesday, June 4 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area