SPICE WITH FRIENDS >>>

It's 8 p.m. on a Sunday night when I walk into Trago Mexican Kitchen and Cocina Lounge in Olympia's Capital Mall. The ambiance is nice - warm earthy tones and lots of candlelight. Around 20 people spread across the lounge - a handful saddled up to the bar. It definitely doesn't feel like I'm hanging out at the mall. 

Across the room I spot Jeff and Abbie Rose - who own Paisley's Cafe, as well as Metro across from Trago - sitting with their employees. The table is one martini and one plate of nachos committed. I'm in.

To properly review a new food and drink joint, you have to try the cocktails. Unfortunately, since my New Year's Eve escapades in downtown Oly, I've been on the wagon and intend to ride it for a while. Team Metro agrees to drink for me.

Trago Mexican Kitchen opened its doors Friday, Dec 23. The Roses have a theory on why the last two restaurants - a Sushi Go Round and some kind of seafood buffet - didn't make. They believe the restaurants' open-floor plan felt like a cafeteria. Trago, which has big sister locations in Seattle, has re-configured the space into half lounge/half dining area, with plenty of coziness and curves.

The wall that separates the space is less of a wall than an aesthetically pleasing defining area where a candle-lined arched window and the see-through brick fireplace add to the atmosphere.

As we discuss what to order Trago chef Mike Beierle walks past with an interesting dessert in hand, which he intends to deliver to the owner at Tony's hair salon across the corridor. (Oh yeah, we're in the mall.) The dessert is a new creation - an avocado cheesecake with chocolate sauce and strawberry tequila sauce drizzled on top! Beierle promises to bring a slice by after it cools a bit.

Another item stopped me in my tracks: Jalapeno margarita ($8). I assign the drink to my new friend Blake (Rose's employee) who happily accepts. The danger blend is jalapeno-infused Cuervo Tradicional Silver with chunks of jalapeno and choice of lime, cranberry or strawberry puree. Blake chooses strawberry and the result is A+ - sweet and spice and everything nice.

Since we were on a spice kick, I order jalapeno rellenos, supposedly the hottest item on the menu. (Hey, I'm not drinking. I needed a kick.) The Jalapenos are stuffed with cream cheese and herbs, wrapped in bacon and drizzled with crema. It lived up to its reputation - causing sweaty palms, pink cheeks and all. By the end of the meal, I'd built up a tolerance and enjoyed the combination of savory and spice.

I need to balance out the spice - time for the cheesecake. It's rich. We all agreed it's meant for sharing. The crust is perfect. The texture is creamy divine. I'd like to see Beierle play off the jalapeno margarita by adding a touch of jalapeno to the cheesecake's strawberry tequila sauce.

Beierle says he will be expanding the menu over the next few weeks, bringing down dishes from Seattle, but putting his own Olympia twist on it.

"I want to open people's eyes to what food can be," he says. "They can come to a Mexican restaurant that's not just beans and rice on a plate."

All in all, I enjoyed Trago. Next time I will try new menu items.

The joint is packed on weekend nights. I could easily see grabbing a movie next-door at Century Theater and making a night of it. 

TRAGO MEXICAN KITCHEN, 11-12:30 A.M. SUNDAY-THURSDAY, 11-1 A.M. FRIDAY-SATURDAY, HAPPY HOUR 3-6 P.M. AND 9 P.M. TO CLOSE DAILY, 625 BLACK LAKE BLVD., OLYMPIA, 360.338.0515

LINK: 2013 Best of Olympia voting is open

MONDAY, JAN. 7 2013 >>>

1. Rich Wetzel's Groovin' Higher Jazz Orchestra has been popping up in local bars and restaurants, introducing folks to jazz of years gone by, as well as a few current numbers. Lately, the big band has put more emphasis on the jazz-rock fusion, some hot Latin jazz and some big band rock tunes from Chuck Berry and James Brown. That said, Maynard Ferguson hovers above the band like Obi-Wan Kenobi. Wetzel and crew visit The Royal Lounge's Monday Jazz Series at 8 p.m.

2. Dale Croes, wet archaeological site specialist, talks about a 10,700-year-old Northwest Coast wet site discovery on small Ellen Island in southernmost Haida Gwaii, off the west coast of British Columbia at noon inside the Washington State Capital Museum.

3. Director Roger Michell’s Hyde Park on Hudson supposedly chronicles the momentous first meeting of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Britain’s King George VI, but all that’s just background noise. Really, the movie is about how FDR’s dowdy distant cousin, Daisy Suckley (Laura Linney), had a schoolgirl crush on the commander-in-chief.? Hyde Park on Huson screens at 2:05, 4:15, 6:50 and 9 p.m. inside The Grand Cinema in Tacoma.

4. "In the Family centers on one of the notable performances I've seen — if, indeed, it is a performance. ... This is his first feature, and may signal the opening of an important career." So wrote Roger Ebert of Patrick Wang, the writer-director and star of a drama whose plot could scarcely be more topical in these parts: A gay parent in Martin, Tenn., faces losing his son when his dead partner's sister files a custody challenge.In The Family screens at 6:30 p.m. inside the Capitol Theater in Olympia.

5. The Olympia Area Square Dancers will be offering a free Introduction to Square Dancing class with a 10-week set of lessons starting at 7 p.m. inside Lac-A-Do Hall, 1721 46th Ave. NE in Olympia. 

LINK: Monday, Jan. 7 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

FUTURE THINGS ARE COMING >>>

These are the eight best jazz shows in the South Sound this month.

Vitamin J Jazz Jam Session

Avid jazz fan and performer Ron Smith continues his Vitamin J Jazz Jam into the New Year. During the Seahawks game today at Traditions Café in downtown Olympia, pianist Brian Kinsella, bassist Steve Luceno and drummer Craig Cootsona provide the core for beginning to advanced level players and singers. 2:30 p.m.

Rich Wetzel's Groovin' Higher Orchestra

Rich Wetzel's Groovin' Higher Jazz Orchestra has been popping up in local bars and restaurants, introducing folks to jazz of years gone by, as well as a few current numbers. Lately, the big band has put more emphasis on the jazz-rock fusion, some hot Latin jazz and some big band rock tunes from Chuck Berry and James Brown. That said, Maynard Ferguson hovers above the band like Obi-Wan Kenobi. Wetzel and crew visit The Royal Lounge's Monday Jazz Series Jan. 7. 8 p.m.

Kareem Kandi Band

Saxophonist Kareem Kandi's sound alone is enough to clear the room of contenders. It is vast, big enough to house the entire Guinness Pint Club at Doyle's, the whole Tacoma School of the Arts music program and half the holdings of the Tacoma Art Museum's Warhol exhibit. Size is not per se of much value if it isn't personal, unique, sacrosanct. Kandi's sound is virtually unrelated to the roomy traditions of soul saxes, honking saxes or deep-chested boudoir ballad saxes. It derives from the classic, free, often enthusiastic tradition of Joshua Redman as filtered through Dexter Gordon and Sonny Stitt, all of whose shadows can be traced-Redman in Kandi's funky organicism, Gordon in his dynamic harmonics, Stitt in the intensity that coats his every note with a Gritty City finish. Kandi has been hanging with organist Delvon Lamarr and drummer Adam Kessler, which has added groovy innovation to Kandi's sound. The Kareem Kandi Band heads back to The Swiss Jan. 9 for another Wednesday open jam session. 7 p.m.

Vince Brown

Many associate the banjo with The Beverly Hillbillies - or rather, bluegrass pioneer Earl Scruggs strumming its theme song. Vince Brown certainly knows his way around a bluegrass banjo, but he also explores jazz with his banjo, which isn't a big leap from progressive bluegrass. Blending bluegrass, folk, jazz, and other genres, Brown is considered one of the South Sound's foremost banjo virtuosos. The upbeat Brown - who adds his talent to Hot Club Sandwich, Tune Stranglers, Greta Jane Quartet, and plays and teaches guitar, banjo and ukulele in Olympia - strums everything every Wednesday at Swing Wine Bar & Café. 6-8 p.m.

Lance Buller

Trumpeter/singer Lance Buller, who is a reincarnation of Louis Prima, transcends boundaries, transcends styles, is very honest and sincere as a musician and digs high-energy swing songs. He's a showman. Yet, he's all business. And his business is first-class jazz. Catch Buller and his band every Friday at Maxwell's Restaurant & Lounge. 7 p.m.

McTuff

Hammond organist Joe Doria and his veteran crew guitarist Andy Coe and drummer D'vonne Lewis - with regular guest saxophonist Skerik - cross the barriers of jazz with powerful keyboards, rhythmic drums, screaming sax and sometimes fuzz-distorted guitar. Improvisational and funky with a whole lotta swagger, the band's epic jams knock the mind into the far reaches of a 1970s version of space and then butt into an uncontrollable groove. The Seattle band drives down Marine View Drive for a stint at the "Jazz LIVE at Marine View" series Jan. 13. 5-7 p.m.

Steve Luceno

This Olympia Latin-American jazz progenitor has added his guitar talent to many a project over the last 40 years, including the beloved Ocho Pies as well as Obrador, Bert Wilson, John Stowell, Joe Baque and Dennis Hastings. Luceno is a bona fide master of his art form, and Washington Center deserves some Latin seasoning, which will not be in short supply Jan. 18 when Luceno, John Croarkin, Phil Lawson and Drew Gibbs enter the Black Box Cabaret Jazz Series. 8 p.m.

Climate Change

It wouldn't be wrong to call them a band of accomplished sidemen, but guitarist Tarik Bentlemsani (Brown Edition), guitarist Ariel Calabria (Rebirth), drummer Michael Olson (Ocho Pies) and vocalist Dennis Hastings sound unmistakably formidable as co-leaders in this feisty pop/jazz collective. Climate Change drops in on the Waterstreet Café's Late Night Series Jan. 25. 9:30 p.m.

LINK: 2013 Best of Olympia voting open

SUNDAY, JAN. 6 2013 >>>

1. You know what we like? Movies. You know what we like even more? Action movies. You know what we like even more than that? Action movies and drinking! Brace yourself for the grueling week ahead by taking in a flick, a cold beer, and all the free popcorn you can stuff down your gullet at the Brotherhood Lounge's Sunday Movie Night. You'll be treated to such inherently silly filmmaking as Premium Rush, all on the Brotherhood's nine-foot-screen with surprisingly intense sound. Then hang around after the movie discuss the finer nuances of Joseph Gordon-Levitt's performance till it's officially Monday.

2. Today is the last day to bundle up, pinch your cheeks until they glow and strap on a pair of silver skates, Hans Brinker, for a glide across the frozen expanse at Tollefson Plaza. The Franciscan Polar Plaza, located on the corner of Pacific Avenue and South 17th Street ends today. Hit the ice from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

3. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. inside the Puyallup Fairground's Showplex, the Puyallup Home and Garden Show will serve up the best in home design, landscaping and decorating. Expect product demonstrations and guys in Janet Jackson headsets slinging vinyl siding. It just might be enough to inspire you to make that kitchen island or storm door a reality.

4. For every adult male that never outgrew smashing his matchbox cars into each other, the Tacoma Dome brings back Grave Digger, Bounty Hunter, Captain America and more, in (ahem, let me change to my commercial announcer voice) an OUTRAGEOUS display of monster truck POWER, watch them FLIP, JUMP and SMASH!!  The final day of Monster Jam begins at 1 p.m. inside the Tacoma Dome.

5. A big band at Stonegate Pizza on a Sunday night? Hell yes. Rich Wetzel's Groovin' Higher Jazz Orchestra will cram together on the South Tacoma Way joint's stage beginning at 8 p.m. Let's swing, baby!

LINK: Sunday, Jan. 6 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

C.I. Shenanigans Tacoma - Northend. KC Brakes presents pop folk rock night. All Ages. 7-10 pm. NC.

Doyle's Public House Tacoma - Stadium District. All Night Yard Sale. Jesse Turcotte's birthday show featuring All Night Yard Sale his Gypsy/Latin/jazz/junk thang. 9:30 pm. NC.

Jazzbones Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. The Missionary Position, Deborah Page. 8:30 pm. $7.

• The idea of soul and rock becoming increasingly intermingled and on the mainstream radar, with bands like The Heavy and the Black Keys, is one that I've wrestled with over the past couple years. Of course, the issue of credibility and appropriation are always going to be present in the discussion, but to my ears the bigger issue is something much more intangible - a bristling that comes up my back, and I can't help but picture Blueshammer from Ghost World. Better than the large part of rock bands incorporating soul touchstones, The Missionary Position manage to emerge relatively unscathed from these comparisons. Their combination of alt-rock, post-grunge influences and '70s soul flourishes is tasteful and seemingly completely sincere, which helps a great deal in avoiding that bristling feeling. - Rev. Adam McKinney

Le Voyeur Café and Lounge Olympia - Downtown. Soccer Babes, Statue & Cowboy. 9 pm.

The New Frontier Lounge Tacoma - Dome District. Santee. 8 pm.

• After living and traveling in Europe for the past year or so, singer-songwriter Heater Loepp has finally made her return to Washington. As the frontwoman for indie folk-pop outfit Santee, she started turning heads with her intimate lyrics, endearingly scratchy vocals and the warm bed of instrumentation provided by the rest of the band, which now includes Joel Myers and Conor Sisk from the Speedwobbles, and Spencer Kelley from Basemint. Word is that Santee is in the Swoon Records studio working on their long-awaited debut LP. It'll be about time for a band that has garnered as much good will as Santee has. In the meantime, their return to Tacoma is bound to be a joyous homecoming, full of drunken group hugs and even drunker dancing. — Rev. AM
  

The Pig Bar at South Bay BBQ Olympia - Downtown. The Oly Mountain Boys. 8 pm.

The Red Room Tacoma - Downtown. Bad Influence, Cowardice, No Choice, Malice. 7 pm.

The Spar Tacoma - Old Town. Reggae night with Vibe Project, The Approach. 8 pm.

Stonegate Pizza Tacoma - South. Crosswalk. 9 pm.

Tollefson Plaza Tacoma - Downtown. Electric Salchow Stage at Polar Plaza: SweetKiss Momma. The Weekly Volcano presents live music at the Franciscan Polar Plaza every Saturday. All Ages. 7-9 pm. NC for music.

Traditions Cafe and World Folk Art Olympia - Downtown. Vince Brown, LaVon Hardison. All Ages. 8 pm.

Uncle Sam's American Bar & Grill Spanaway. Negative Inside. 9 pm.

Westgate Bar and Grill Tacoma - Northend. True Holland, China Davis. 9 pm. $5.

LINK: More live music Saturday, Jan. 5 in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

HOW TWEET IT IS >>>

Whether you've been on Twitter since its beginnings in 2006 or you're a Twitter neophyte, you know keeping up on important tweets can be overwhelming. If you follow everything and everyone that you find interesting, you can end up with hundreds and hundreds of Tweets showing up in your feed on a daily basis.

Don't despair. Every Saturday the Weekly Volcano shares important and pointless Tweets from South Sound Twitter accounts, and sometimes beyond, so you may stay on top of health and hick updates - and the latest action on the streets.

Have you tried our new specials yet?Mesquite Grilled Swordfish?Yes please!

— Asado Cucina(@asadotacoma) January 5, 2013

Memo to self: when @safeway checker shouts out for a calculator, that's a bad sign

— Walter Neary (@wtneary) January 5, 2013

Eric Davis nears the turn around during this morning's inaugural Tacoma Runners 5K Run at Point Defiance Park flic.kr/p/dHVhNu

— Rob McNair-Huff (@RobMcNairHuff) January 5, 2013

This is by far the most hick thing I've ever been a part of... #tacoma #monsterjam

— Ainsley O'Keefe (@ainsleyokeefe) January 5, 2013

as seen in the high school library I was at today #tacoma twitter.com/boxhounds/stat…

— Pam (@boxhounds) January 5, 2013

@patrickdempsey so happy for you & Tully's....wish you could bring back my favorite Tully's in Old Town #Tacoma

— Jena Marks (@paintmarks) January 5, 2013

Police (about 5 cars) + UW #Tacoma security are on the scene of an attempted assault at 19th and Pacific.

— Andrew Sorensen (@AndrewX192) January 5, 2013

I love Tacoma, but I tell people in other states that I'm from Seattle. It's just easier that way. #Tacoma

— Justin Hayes (@jhayesfunny) January 5, 2013

Evergreen hosting a @tedx event Feb 25. Speakers must apply by Jan 18. bit.ly/RxhbHa. #olympia. @evergreenstcol

— Evergreen MES (@EvergreenMES) January 5, 2013

Not bad for our first try at a panorama shot. #Tacoma, you're beautiful. ow.ly/i/1kBuI

— Bates Tech College (@BatesTechnical) January 5, 2013

Tacoma News Tribune: Lincoln High student charged with threatening to shoot up school bit.ly/Vo67u8 #tacoma

— The News Tribune (@tacomaupdates) January 4, 2013

After almost 16 months, union picket in front of downtown #Tacoma grocer appears to be over: bit.ly/10ZAc9f

— Kathleen Cooper (@KCooperTNT) January 4, 2013

Tacoma Shift Happens 2013 will be held on Monday, January 28th!It is FREE to attend ...Please RSVP at the... fb.me/2djdvz6uv

— Tacoma Shift Happens (@tacomashift) January 4, 2013

@brosage Mekong is Olympia’s most amazing Thai place and I am on a self inflicted New Years diet. No bad Pad Thai for me…

— Mathias Eichler (@einmaleins) January 4, 2013

Tacoma News Tribune: DUI emphasis patrol nets 543 arrests in Pierce County bit.ly/WbVFnA #tacoma

— The News Tribune (@tacomaupdates) January 4, 2013

The Murray Morgan Bridge wasn't open for New Year's, but should be in time for its 100th anniversary. exit133.com/7315/murray-mo… #Tacoma

— Exit133 (@exit133) January 4, 2013

Hey #Tacoma, are there any gyms around here that aren't ridiculously expensive like the Y? Bonus points for not too beefcake-filled...

— ¡Jamie!(@ThriceJamie) January 4, 2013

Lino Tagliapietra's exhibition at the @museumofglass closes this Sunday! Don't miss out on this incredible art! bit.ly/MBjjsE

— Tacoma Regional CVB (@TravelTacoma) January 4, 2013

Is University Place WA near #tacoma full of rich white people and secret societies? One YouTube user says yes: patch.com/A-0MrV

— Enumclaw Patch (@EnumclawPatch) January 4, 2013

Shorter version of earlier tweets: very frustrated with @intercitytransi schedule & how it doesn't connect up with amtrak schedule.

— Elaine Nelson (@epersonae) January 4, 2013

how much does being a gym rat pay? ...that lifestyle is looking very appealing

— chad (@olybuzz) January 4, 2013

Port Steilacoom Distillery Vodka and Gin is at the cabana. Come and try a Rangoon Gimlet #tacoma twitter.com/TacomaCabana/s…

— Tacoma Cabana (@TacomaCabana) January 4, 2013

John & Johanne Hewitt bit.ly/X3pmdw of NeverNeverLand, wrote this book in the 1970s (tnx to Steve Dunkelberger). twitter.com/CallaghanPeter…

— Peter Callaghan (@CallaghanPeter) January 3, 2013

Watch the sunshine of the last few days give way to clouds... feedtacoma.com/webcams/?cam=n… ...via our #Tacoma Narrows time-lapse webcam. #farewell

— FeedTacoma.com (@feedtacoma) January 3, 2013

Those were some genuine crack heads with face tats, helped push start my car! #Tacoma #CrackHead

— Tyler Zemanek (@ZemanekTyler) January 3, 2013

Tacoma News Tribune: Tacoma's Blue Mouse Theater raises $75K needed to stay open bit.ly/VClIW6 #tacoma

— The News Tribune (@tacomaupdates) January 3, 2013

The #Tacoma transit tsunami is a year away. Will our leaders let it wash away 30+ years of transit progress? piercetransit.org/press.htm

— Chris Karnes (@TacomaTransit) January 3, 2013

I should probably open my Christmas presents soon.

— Kenny Coble (@kennycoble) January 3, 2013

Beautiful frosty morning in Tacoma...be careful on your commute, it's slick in some places.#tacoma #piercecounty

— David Curry (@DavidgCurry) January 2, 2013

Tacoma News Tribune: Fiscal cliff disaster avoided: Congress staves off tax hikes bit.ly/VrKDMw #tacoma

— The News Tribune (@tacomaupdates) January 2, 2013

Ahh love coming home to #Tacoma for #Gibson's #froyo @ Gibson's Frozen Yogurt instagr.am/p/T9wWeVANPP/

— Jessica Martin(@JessicaKM2) January 2, 2013

S/O to @donnellrawlings He KILLED it last night in #Tacoma Can't get #Unchained theme song outta my head! See this man's standup Twitter!

— Meredith (@Mere253) January 1, 2013

i've always wanted a taco ma or be in ta coma but i guess i'll just settle for bein in #tacoma

— Nicci Guizzetti (@Grizzmanetti) January 1, 2013

Well, Tacoma, you all had a chance to see my chiseled abs at 8am today, diving into the Sound. My six-pack gets smaller in the cold.

— Daniel Rahe (@danrahe) January 1, 2013

Tacoma News Tribune: Man shot charged with Tacoma burglary after hospital stay bit.ly/VVPLah #tacoma

— The News Tribune (@tacomaupdates) January 1, 2013

Follow the Weekly Volcano on Twitter. Because otherwise we're coming to your house, and while we will bring wine, we will not, under any circumstances, take off our shoes.

THE LOWDOWN ON WHAT'S UP THIS WEEKEND >>>

WEATHER REPORT

Friday: Clouds and sun, hi 47, lo 39

Saturday: Mostly cloudy with a few showers, hi 45, lo 38

Sunday: Cloudy with a little rain, hi 44, lo 33

>>> FRIDAY, JAN. 4-SATURDAY, JAN. 5: BROADWAY'S NEXT HIT MUSICAL

Broadway's Next Hit Musical looks hilarious. It's song. It's dance. It's audience participation. Most importantly, it's improvised. The crowd gets to choose four different song titles, vote on the Broadway's next hit musical and then watch as the talented crew improvs an entire musical based on the winning title. With a witty cast, plot twists and an assortment of situations, each night is different and each night will certainly be memorable. - Nikki McCoy

• The Washington Center for the Performing Arts, Friday and Saturday 7:30 p.m., $9-$26, 512 Washington St., Olympia, 360.753.8585

• Fulcrum Gallery, 5 p.m., free, 1308 S. MLK Way, Tacoma
  

>>> FRIDAY, JAN. 4-SATURDAY, JAN. 5: OLY MOUNTAIN BOYS

The Oly Mountain Boys are stomping their way into the Yew Year. With nine shows booked in the South Sound over the next two months, the bluegrass masters start with a show tonight at The New Frontier Lounge in Tacoma and Saturday at The Pig Bar in Oly. The five piece uses all the bluegrass faves - harmonious vocals, mandolin, guitar, banjo, fiddle and bass - to hone a sound that's their own. Plus, they know how to dress. Have you seen the hats they wear? -NM

• The New Frontier, w/Rusty Cleavers and Michael Gee, Friday, 9 p.m., $5, 301 E. 25th St., Tacoma, 253. 572.4020

• The Pig Bar, Saturday, 8 p.m., no cover, 619 Legion Way SE, Olympia, 360.943.6900

>>> FRIDAY. JAN. 4-SUNDAY, JAN. 6: MONSTER JAM

For every adult male that never outgrew smashing his matchbox cars into each other, the Tacoma Dome brings back Grave Digger, Bounty Hunter, Captain America and more, in (ahem, let me change to my commercial announcer voice) an OUTRAGEOUS display of monster truck POWER, watch them FLIP, JUMP and SMASH!!  Fun for the whole family, get there early and get up close and personal with the trucks and drivers in the PARTY PIT! This weekend ONLY at the MONSTER JAM ROCK THE DOME BATTLE OF THE MONSTER TRUCKS. BE THERE!! Well, that was obnoxious. I'm sure the real event will be much more entertaining than those commercials. Maybe. - NM

• Tacoma Dome, Friday 7:30 p.m., Saturday 2 p.m., Sunda, 1 p.m. $10-$22, 2727 E. D St., Tacoma, 253.272.3663

>>> FRIDAY. JAN. 4-SUNDAY, JAN. 6: PUYALLUP HOME SHOW

For three days inside the Puyallup Fairground's Showplex, the Puyallup Home and Garden Show will serve up the best in home design, landscaping and decorating. Produced by Trade Shows Northwest, a company that makes its living putting events like this together, according to hype the Puyallup Home and Garden show promises to provide "homeowners with wonderful ideas on enhancing their home´s comfort and functionality, as well as the overall look and appeal of their home." Expect product demonstrations and guys in Janet Jackson headsets slinging vinyl siding. It just might be enough to inspire you to make that kitchen island or storm door a reality. — Weekly Volcano

• Puyallup Fairground's Showplex, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 4-Saturday, Jan. 5, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 6, $7-$8, Ninth and meridian, Puyallup, 253.874.8711

>>> SATURDAY, Jan. 5: RETRO SKATE NIGHT

Go old school in Puyallup Saturday at another Retro Skate Night at Tiffany's Skate Inn. Retro is all the rage these days, from Atari to tube socks, and Retro Skate Nights at Tiffany's - featuring tunes from the '70s, '80s and '90s - are probably better than both of those things. Get funky from 7:30 - 10:30 p.m. — WV

• Tiffany's Skate Inn, 7-10 p.m., $7, 113 N Meridian, Puyallup, 253.848.1153

>>> SUNDAY, JAN. 6: LAST SKATE

Sunday is the last day to bundle up, pinch your cheeks until they glow and strap on a pair of silver skates, Hans Brinker, for a glide across the frozen expanse at Tollefson Plaza. The Franciscan Polar Plaza, located on the corner of Pacific Avenue and South 17th Street ends today. Hit the ice from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. — WV

• Franciscan Plolar Plaza, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., $4-$8, 17th and Pacific avenue, Tacoma
  

WHAT SOME OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS ARE UP TO

CHRISTIAN CARVAJAL Theater Critic
Amanda and I will be celebrating our fifth anniversary as a couple by going on our first-ever ski weekend.

CHRISTIAN CARVAJAL Theater Critic
I'd be a fool to miss the Santee show on Saturday, which also features personal favorites of mine People Under the Sun and I Like Science. That's a crazy solid lineup. If you haven't seen People Under the Sun and their gauntlet of vintage synthesizers, you're missing quite a sight.

ALEC CLAYTON Arts Critic
I shall watch the Seahawks whup up on Washington (I hope, I hope, I hope,) and I'll write a chapter or two in the next great American novel.

NIKKI MCCOY Feature Writer
Playing catch up on housework, staying under blankets as much as possible and paying bills. You know, recovering from the holidays.

JOSH RIZEBERG Music Columnist
Tonight I'm hosting a nice little local hip-hop show at The Loch's. Catch W.O.L.F. Gang, Sic Ill, J.U.I., Gho$t Kapone, Cauze-N-Efekt, 36uh0! and D.J. Reign. It's only $5 and the doors open at 9 p.m. Saturday from 1-2 p.m. I'll be teaching some spoken word/poetry at D.A.S.H. Center for the Arts. Contact the Center to enroll or just stop on by. Saturday, I'll also be at Awall's video shoot. I don't want to give too much away. Stay tuned!

JACKIE FENDER Food Writer
Just good ol' work. I'll be slinging booze, writing and returning emails and ideally getting January's Wrist issues out on the stands.

JOANN VARNELL Theater Critic
For the first time in weeks I don't have a single thing planned other than church and football! We've already taken the Christmas tree down and organized all the toddlers new toys. If the weather is nice we may let the boy ride his new tricycle outside or take the dogs for a walk. Otherwise, I need to make a new lining for my pea coat and figure out what it means to be defiantly creative and do some of that.

STEVE DUNKELBERGER: Photographer
I will be strapped to my Xbox 360 with my kids touring the Disney games. Also, I'm talking the female offspring to see Children's Hour at Lakewood Playhouse.

TIMOTHY GRISHAM Music Writer
I am still a bit miffed that the world did not end last month. I really planned on it, and spent way too much on gifts for family that I would never see again. But alas, I did see them again, and now I have to do the yearly ritual of returning unwanted gifts at a mall I hate going to. While I am there I am going to catch Django Unchained to easy my psychotic state, or amplify it depending on how you look at it.

ROCKFORD ROWLEY All-Ages Music Columnist
This weekend, I will be scouring antique stores in an attempt to furnish my apartment.

LINK: Even more local events that we recommend

LINK: Comprehensive South Sound Arts & Entertainment Calendar

FRIDAY, JAN. 4 2013 >>>

1. A January tradition within the cold, concrete environs of the Tacoma Dome, Monster Jam - the Superbowl of Motorsports - brings together the top vehicles in outdoor entertainment for an engrossing evening of car-crunching, wheelie-popping, mud-churning action. By this point, the bill-topping position of morbid monstrosity Grave Digger is beyond a given - GD, after all, is to monster trucks what Jenelle Evans is to public arrests - but even the acolytes among us are getting somewhat weary of the green-and-black marauder's protracted dominance of the sport. So a rebellious impulse deep inside us is pulling for an upset win by Robosaurus or Maximum Destruction. Monster Jam rolls into the Tacoma Dome at 7:30 p.m. for a three-day smash.

2. 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, the club lights flip on, disco ball drops and Studio 6 fills with cross body leads, hand throws and hammerlocks. Read Nikki McCoy's full feature on Studio 6 Ballroom's Latin dance Night in the Weekly Volcano's Clubs/Bars Section.

3. The hysterical Broadway's Next Hit Musical is the only unscripted theatrical awards show. Audience members submit song titles on a slip of paper. These go into a fishbowl; four cast members draw "titles," develop a backstory for the musical the song appears in and create a scene and song on the spot. The first half ends as the audience votes on the "winner," who receives "the coveted Phony Award." A second half features a full "musical," featuring the winning song, four-six scenes, costumes and new improvised songs. Catch it at 8 p.m. inside the Washington Center in Olympia.

4. Something seems so right about the marriage between punk rock and the washboard. Skidding your hand along the grooves of a washboard elicits nothing more than a visceral rattle - a crude affront to the idea of percussion and what it means to be a member of a band. Punk rock similarly shatters the idea of a rock 'n' roll band. It seems only natural to combine the worlds of bluegrass and punk, and the Rusty Cleavers do so magnificently, with all manner of mandolin, banjo and backyard clatter coming together in a cacophony of spirited group-singing and hoops and hollers. Catch the band at 8 p.m. inside The New Frontier Lounge.

5. The Loch's in downtown Tacoma hosts Friday Night Flowcase, a night of hip-hop featuring D.J. Reign on the tables and performances by J.U.I., W.O.L.G. Gang, Cauze-n-Efekt, Sic Ill, Gho$t Kapone and 36uh0. Of course Josh Rizeberg is hosting it. It kicks up at 8 p.m.

LINK: Friday, Jan. 4 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

THE WEEK OF JAN. 3-9, 2013 >>>

In this week's issue of the Weekly Volcano ...

It's the first week of the year, and you know what that means: crystal-ball time at weekly newspapers. Here at the Weekly Volcano, we have identified local people we expect to make headlines in the coming 12 months. Each one earned a spot on this list, but the Weekly Volcano is more interested in what they plan to do next. We asked each of our illustrious 13 to tell the South Sound what they intend to accomplish in 2013.

To reductively describe what Matt Wheeler - AKA Teardropcity - does, his music sort of sounds like a hip-hop/country hybrid with vocals that sound straight out of Beat Happening. Rev. Adam McKinney takes a closer look at what Teardropcity call "400-year-old hip-hop."

Jackie Fender could feign interest in NASCAR, football, baseball - sports in general to hang with friends at a sports bar. Sometimes, a sports bar works even without the sports. The Loose Wheel Bar & Grill in Puyallup is such a joint. During he visits, the clientele wasn't overwhelmingly motorheads or football buffs. She found an eclectic group. Read her thoughts on Loose Wheel's food.

PLUS: Josh Rizeberg asks Shao Sosa about Eastern Washington hip-hop

AND: Music critics' picks of the week

THURSDAY, JAN. 3 2013 >>>

1. Victoria B.C.'s Compassion Gorilla floats through its own little universe, a cultural synthesis held forcefully aloft by full-bodied vocals and a unique concoction of world beat, Latin folk, dub and psychedelic music rhythms. The band wraps audiences in a spell of dance, magic and melody with racy horn lines, brazen guitar harmonies, driving hand-percussion rhythms, and thick bass lines. However, it's always been about those incredible voices caught in the interplay of music and rhythm. Catch Compassion Gorilla with the Artesian Rumble Arkestra at 9 p.m. inside The Royal Lounge in Olympia.

2. Bundle up, pinch your cheeks until they glow and strap on a pair of silver skates, Hans Brinker, for a glide across the frozen expanse at Tollefson Plaza. The Franciscan Polar Plaza, located on the corner of Pacific Avenue and South 17th Street, from 4-9 p.m.

3. Think running and drinking don't mix unless there's a K-9 unit involved? Not true. For two years the Tacoma Runners - a group of T-town pavement pounders - have gathered at Tacoma watering holes at 6:30 p.m. to jog a 3-mile loop, followed by multiple drinks at the launch point. It's been a smashing success. This week's run starts and ends at Meconi's Pub in downtown Tacoma.

4. If it's laughs you're looking for find comedian Duane Goad at the Tacoma Comedy Club at 8 p.m. He's sarcastic.

5. If you're like most people, there's part of you that really enjoys shaking your ass without regret. Luckily, Masa hosts T-Town Thursday with Deejay Sessions. Sure there are $2 wells and $5 Jagers until midnight. And the ladies get in free. But, you don't care. You want to shake you ass to some Top 40 and hip-hop. It's cool.

LINK: Thursday, Jan. 3 arts and entertainment events in the greater TAcoma and Olympia area