Tacoma's Art on the Ave really underscored how, at our cores, we really just are animals on the hunt for our next place of gratification for all our cravings, hungers (Grub Crawl, corn dogs), hobbies (art projects, pole dancing), thrills (carnival rides, palm readings), and addictions (yes, drinking in the sun can be considered an addiction when half the year is spent in pissy weather). And like most simple creatures, no matter what degree of civilized they may be, when we hear great music, we can lose our cool, which we lost many times including Amadon, Rust on the Rails and Nolan Garrett, to name a few.

Yesterday one of the busiest streets in Tacoma was Sixth Avenue - a nine-block span between North Junett and Sprague - where from noon to about 7 p.m. the free, family-friendly event offered food vendors, artists, roller derby girls, one drone, bands and herds of people stopping every five yards to chat with someone they know.

Though body paint and roving packs of teenagers often lead to a damn good time, the Weekly Volcano has a strict "no sticky kids" policy - so we stayed clear of the "Cirque du Tacoma" carnival area at Jason Lee Middle School. Not surprisingly, our day was spent soaking up the 89-degree weather in and out of vendor booths and beer gardens - listing to the bands on the neighboring stages and catching up with friends.

The 16th annual Art on the Ave housed five stages and more than 120 arts and crafts vendors. Here is a tiny portion of what we enjoyed. ...

LINK: 253 Weekend festival action for Saturday July 12

Moving a little slow today? My guess it's because of all the dancing you did yesterday.

Day one of 253 Weekend, at least that's what I'm calling it, is in the books. Too many events and activities to enjoy in the 253; I witnessed a few. Somebody stole toilet paper from one of the Out in the Park port-o-potties! I don't even want to think about the karmic payback the thief incurred for that one.

The music? Awesome. From a marching band playing the "Star-Spangled Banner" followed by Steve Stefanowicz cranking Jimi Hendrix's version opening the Tacoma Old Town Rhythm and Blues Festival to Stephanie Anne Johnson getting her freak flag on at Out in the Park to the raucous one-two punch of C-Leb & the Kettle Black and Perry Acker moving the entire population of Gig Harbor at the 7 Seas Brewing anniversary party, it was an epic day.

Below are a few snapshot from the Old Town Rhythm and Blues Festival, Out in the Park, Harmon Brewing's putt-putt golf tournament and 7 Seas Brewing's fifth anniversary bash. I left the camera at home during The Mix's street party because of ... you know ... dancing.

Tell us what you saw, tell us what you heard yesterday. Tell us what you'll be ripping down doors to catch today.

SEE ALSO

Weekly Volcano photographer J.M. Simpson dropped by yesterday's Lakewood SummerFest

Olympia has gone and done it again. It has outshone itself by coming out in droves to support the creativity and compassion that go hand-in-hand in the little college town.

Oly CLAW, the local chapter of the Collective of Lady Arm Wrestlers, made its debut before a packed Le Voyeur crowd Friday night, as a benefit for SafePlace. The group raised more than $1,600.

"We raised $1,628 in one night, at the fucking Voyeur in Olympia, WA. If that is not the definition of community support and love, then I am going to misappropriate that money, buy a book burning mobile, and head to the library to destroy all the dictionaries on the shelves," said John Manini, aka Mickey the Mouth, who played emcee for the event.

>>> Tammy Turnbuckle and crew party at Le Voyeur, May 30. Photo credit: Heather Michelle Burns

>>> Cold As Isis dance party before arm wrestling action at Le Voyeur. Photo credit: Heather Michelle Burns

>>> Elly Slay Clamp-It and Vegan Villain in the house. Photo credit: Lock and Key Photography

The back room of Le Voyeur was transformed into an underground fight club, with elbow-to-elbow bench seats, fans flying signs for their favorites and wresters throwing veggies and beer cans into the energetic crowd.

"The audience was the best," said Manini. "They were a perfectly mixed cocktail of supportive and surprised. They knew going in they wanted to like it even if they weren't sure what they were getting, and then we went and knocked them on their asses. It was so incredibly satisfying to hear consistent raucous applause, chanting, cheering and all sorts of engagement from start to finish."

>>> Jugalette fuels for her match. Photo credit: Lock and Key Photography

>>> Ivana KrushU psychs opponents out. Photo credit: Lock and Key Photography

Entourages escorted the costumed wrestlers to the front of the room, where the ladies flexed and failed until one competitor remained: Ivana KrushU. Ivana was crowned winner with Marie Armtoinette pulling second and the Vegan Villain taking in fan favorite.

Oly CLAW plans on having events every few months. Stay tuned for upcoming dates. To find out more about Olympia's awesome non-profit SafePlace, click here.

>>> Elly Clamp-It and Marie Armtoinette square off at the Oly CLAW match at Le Voyeur, May 30. Photo credit: Heather Michelle Burns

As we have mention, Red Williamson and Arno Matz of newspinphoto.com are photographing the Sasquatch! Music Festival at The Gorge for the Weekly Volcano. Their photos have been nothing less than spectacular. You must see Friday's Sasquatch! shots as well as Saturday's pics.

Their photographs from yesterday's shows were slow coming. The lowly few working here at the Weekly Volcano World headquarters today speculated what caused the delay. Were Red and Arno face down in the dirt? Did they hook up with a tribe of free spirits and were halfway to Northern California?

"Sorry for the delay. I'm wiped," texted Williamson.

Completely understandable. The two hugged and clawed their way through hordes of happy, young concert to capture photographic evidence of crystal clear guitar lines, pop built for computer speakers and trippin' youth wearing what ever they found in the back of their hatchbacks.

The wait was worth it. Team Newspinphoto has done it again. Enjoy Sunday, May 25 at the 13th annual Sasquatch! Music Festival at The Gorge.

>>> Team America

>>> John Grant

>>> Pollens

>>> Tacocat candy heart

>>> La Luz

>>> Tune-Yards

>>> Party Animals

>>> Dad!

>>> Shakey Graves

>>> Syd Arthur

>>> Black Joe Lewis

>>> Black Joe Lewis fans

>>> The Flavr Blue crowd

>>> Happy Viking

>>> Oh Canada!

>>> Haim

>>> Kid Cuti

>>> Portugal The Fan

>>> Major Lazer

>>> Major Lazer butt

>>> See ya next year!

Thank you very much ...

>>> Red Williamson!

>>> Arno Matz!

LINK: More photos from Sasquatch! Music Festival Sunday, May 25

Coachella schmoella. The 13th annual Sasquatch! Music Festival is a more laid-back, beautiful festival than Coachella. At Sasquatch!, people mill about from stage to stage, looking for the right music for their mood. Sasquatch's smaller stages give everyone the chance to be a part of the set, unlike the massive Main Stage, with its explosions, light shows and jam-packed crowds.

Red Williamson and Arno Matz of newspinphoto.com are photographing Sasquatch! for the Weekly Volcano. Red's photography has received many a Best of Olympia honor, so were thrilled he's snapping photos for us at The Gorge Amphitheatre this weekend.

Did you catch their shots from yesterday's Sasquatch! action? Awesome.

For more information on the 2014 Sasquatch! Music Festival, click here.

Without further ado, below are Saturday's Sasquatch! scenes captured by Team Newspinphoto. Enjoy.

>>> Willy Mason

>>> The Bright Light Social Hour

>>> Deap Valley

>>> The Augustines

>>> Headbanger

>>> All American Girl

>>> Bubble Boy

>>> Right Eye

>>> Best Friends Forever

>>> Couple shoppers

>>> Violent Femmes

>>> Neko Case

>>> The Grizzled Mighty

>>> Cloud Control

>>> M.I.A.

>>> The National

>>> Super Geek League

>>> The Cut Copy

LINK: More Sasquatch! Music Festival photos snapped Saturday, May 24, 2014

The 13th annual Sasquatch! Music Festival has taken over the Gorge Amphitheater this weekend, bringing with it plenty of people in weird costumes and great music for them to get down to.

And Red Williamson is there.

The newspinphoto.com photographer from Olympia took some time off from producing music videos for Demaro and Double B to snap shots with his fellow photographer Arno Matz from the Sasquatch photo pits. As you can see below, it was a wise choice on our part. The photos are awesome.

For more information on the 2014 Sasquatch! Music Festival, click here.

>>> Balloon Girl

>>> Chance the Rapper crowd

>>> Circus troupe

>>> Cool Glasses Guy

>>> Die Antwood crowd surf

>>> Eyeball Creature

>>> Happy fans

>>> Horned Creature

>>> Outkast

>>> Phantogram

>>> Maya Rudolph

>>> Sam Lachow band

>>> Sasquatch!

>>> Super Geek League

LINK: More photos from the 2014 Sasquatch! Music Festival

What did it sound and feel like in Tacoma during the Roaring '20s? The Lewis Community Spouses Club and guests discovered last night at The Mansion on Broadway. From flapper costumes to songs from Irving Berlin and Malvin Schonberger, the united organization of enlisted and officer's spouses at Joint Base Lewis-McChord went retro in a big way for its Wine & Cigar tasting event at the historic downtown Tacoma mansion.

It was a time the crowd wanted to return to, it seemed. Smiles and laughter filled the many rooms of the 130-year-old mansion, complete with breathtaking views of Puget Sound, Mt Rainier and the Tacoma skyline - at least from the cigar lounge on the Mansion's back deck.

Maybe the smiles were aim at the cause. The night was a benefit for the Lewis Community Spouses' Club's Welfare and the Fort Lewis Scholarship Fund. Weekend cabin stay at White Pass, golf outing at Chambers Bay, top shelf bourbon and cigar baskets, private dinner party hosted by the 2-75th Ranger Battalion and more were auctioned off as guests sipped wine from locals Stottle Winery, Madsen Family cellars and others.

Keep an eye out for future Lewis Community Spouses' Club soirees. The organization knows how to throw a party.

As you read in the After Action report in this week's Ranger newspaper print edition, the Rangers from the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, are conducting a military training exercise at Fort Hunter Liggett and neighboring Camp Roberts, of the California National Guard. The exercise runs through Feb. 5, and includes units from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, from Fort Campbell, Ky., and Air Force Special Operations Command from Hurlburt Field, Fla. Rangers are being tested on their combat skills in a simulated urban environment similar to those they may find during combat missions. This is a routine military exercise conducted periodically to maintain a high level of combat readiness for the Rangers.

The U.S. Army has uploaded several photos of the 2-75thRanger Regiment at Fort Hunter Liggett on its Flickr page.

>>> U.S. Army Rangers, assigned to 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, advance toward their objective during Task Force Training on Fort Hunter Liggett, Calif., Jan. 22, 2014. Rangers conduct rigorous training to maintain their tactical proficiency. Photo credit: Spc. Steven Hitchcock

>>> 2-75th Rangers prepare to provide suppressive fire for an assault element advancing on the objective during Task Force Training on Fort Hunter Liggett, Jan. 22. Photo credit: Spc. Steven Hitchcock

>>> 2-75th Rangers exit a cleared building after a live fire exercise on Fort Hunter Liggett, Calif., Jan 23. The dry climate along with the intense training was the cause of this Ranger's nosebleed. Photo credit: Spc. Steven Hitchcock

Click here to see more awesome photos of the 2-75th.

LINK: Walkie Talkie Flickr

For the past six Saturday nights, the Weekly Volcano has hosted live music at the Franciscan Polar Plaza ice rink in downtown Tacoma. We witnessed amazing music, holiday cheer, hipsters falling right on their skinny-jeans bums, and couples, awash in love, rosy from the fresh air, celebrating their wedding proposals on ice. Congrats, adorable couples.

Tonight is the last night for our music stage at the ice rink, the Electric Salchow Stage as we call it. The lovely voice of Leah Tussing will meet the incredible shredding guitar skills of Rafael Tranquilino on our stage from 7-9 p.m. It's free to watch, or $4-$8 to skate. A thousand thanks to the Tacoma Art Museum for allowing us to takeover the rink every Saturday night.

To inspire, we present a few photos we have snapped during our Saturday night live music sessions, which began with the Kareem Kandi Band Nov. 23, followed by SweetKiss Momma the next Saturday, then Rebekah Ann Curtis, Strangely Alright, Kurt Lindsay Band and last Saturday, Kim Archer.

Someone, quick, trump the photos below with a flash mob on the ice tonight.

Read more...