CONCERT ALERT >>>

Grammy award-winning R&B artist John Legend - the man behind the singles "Ordinary People," "Used to Love U," "So High," and "Save Room" - will entertain Puyallup Fair goers Tuesday, Sept. 14 at 7:30 p.m. Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings will open so Legend can score a scone or two before he goes on.

Tickets are $35, $45, $55 and $75, and will go on sale at 9 a.m. Saturday, June 26 at the Fair's ticket center and Ticketmaster.

DINING NEWS, NIBBLES AND BITS >>>

Ole!: Mazatlan Restaurant on South Hill Puyallup offers $1.99 burritos every Monday in the bar.

Benefit: Dockside Bistro and Wine Bar presents an Ash Hollow Estate Vineyards wine dinner to benefit Thurston-Mason Crisis Clinic tonight at 7 p.m. The cost is $100. Reserve your spot at 360.956.1925.

Monday Deal: Engine House No. 9 serves an all-you-can-eat spaghetti dinner every Monday for $4.95, with each meatball priced at 25 cents. Also, they knock a dollar off martinis every Monday.

Another Monday Deal: The Hub serves spaghetti or Fettucini Alfredo for $5 every Monday from 5-10 p.m. For another $3 you can receive cheesy garlic bread, three meatballs or grilled chicken breast.

Wine Discount: Budd Bay Café in Olympia offers half-priced bottles of wine every Monday.

The Food Lab: baking powder vs. baking soda

LINK: Restaurant coupons

LINK: Wine and beer tastings, dinners and events

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

LINK: Send us your restaurant and lounge news

CONCERT ALERT >>>

The former Mr. Pamela Andrerson's good-humored salutes to his own cocksmanship, not to mention his skill at Xeroxing classic boogie, won't entirely offset occasional pretensions toward relevance when he revisits the Puyallup Fair Sunday, Sept. 26 at 7:30 p.m.  Two years ago Kid Rock and his wack pack - including Rev. Run of Run-DMC - packed the Puyallup Fair Grandstand, performing songs of his Rock N Roll Jesus album.

The tickets - $40-$85 - to go on sale on Saturday, June 12, at 9 a.m. through the Fair and Ticketmaster.

IDOL HANDS >>>

Adam Lambert makes a stop on his Glam Nation Tour at the Puyallup Fair Tuesday, Sept. 21 (tickets go on sale Saturday, June 5, at 9 a.m.). He brings with him female guitarist Orianthi. Lambert was the season eight runner-up on American Idol - which means he actually won. Other than Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood - exceptions who went huge - it's hard to remember the names of the other six winners more or less the names of any subsequent albums or songs.

Tickets are $25, $30, $35, $45 for the Golden Circle, and include Fair gate admission, and seats are reserved.

CONCERT ALERT >>>

Fans of acoustic and Americana should definitely make Gaelic Storm a priority when they perform Tuesday, Oct. 12 at the Puyallup Fair & Events Center's Americraft ShowPlex. If you've never heard of them, they're the Irish band in Titanic. But don't let that stop you.

Tickets for the 7 p.m. show are $35 for reserved seating, $25 for the less fortunate, and both go on sale Saturday, June 5 at 9 a.m.

Irish beers will be sold prior to, during and after the show, which is nice.

BRING ON THE WEEKEND >>>

It's here - the weekend! And not only is it the weekend - it's Memorial Day Weekend! Many of us have three full days off ahead, and whether you're headed out of town or simply going to enjoy the rain here in T-Town, it's time to get ready for the party - with another tasteless installment of The Prefunk: A weekend guide for you and your liver.

RETRO NIGHT ROCK and SKATE @ TIFFANY'S SKATE INN in Puyallup

Saturday, May 29

This one hits a little close to home for me. You see, back in the day, I went to Hilltop Elementary (RIP) in Edgewood. Every year, we held our elementary "skate nights" at Tiffany's Skate Inn in Puyallup.

You remember elementary school skate nights, right? The hokey pokey. The race (which I never won - since I was a horrible skater, but always participated in for the free small Cherry Coke ticket). And the awkwardness associated with holding a sixth grade girl's hand as you both stiffly circle the floor on four wheels.

Good times.

Tiffany's obviously realizes I'm not the only "grownup" with fond, nostalgic memories of elementary school skate nights. I'm also not the only person who rarely has plans for a Saturday night that doesn't involve takeout dining and couch silence - which is exactly the kind of monotony one can conquer with Tiffany's ever Saturday Retro Skate Nights. Think music hits from the '70s, '80s and '90s, rental skates, falling on your ass - and old-schoo, P-Town fun.

PREFUNK: I have sure pure memories of elementary school skate nights that it would seem wrong to tarnish them with recommendations of preparatory drinks or drugs.

That said, I was high on sugar 24/7 as a youth, so I see nothing wrong with main-lining a couple Pixie Sticks in the parking lot before heading in.

JAGUAR LOVE, JUICEBOXXX at THE DEN @ URBANXCHANGE

Sunday, May 30

The truth is, not everyone in town will be making a mass exodus this Memorial Day Weekend, and not every hip music fan will be at the Gorge for Sasquatch! Facts are facts.

And it's not as sad as it seems.

You see, for those smart enough to be sticking around, and especially the kids, the Den @ UrbanXchange dropped a last minute bombshell on the music scene that will totally make hanging around town worth it.

Sunday, after Wheelies and Makeup Monsters finish wreaking havoc on the stage - in a sonically awesome way - none other than Jaguar Love and Juiceboxx will hit the all ages music venue, surely packing all the indie sheakness both acts carry with them. Comprised of former members of Pretty Girls Make Graves and The Blood Brothers, predominatly featuring Cody Votolato (yes, Rocky's bro) and Johnny Whitney - Jaguar Love wrecked SXSW this year, and the band's intense set should play nicely within the Den's open embrace. The band will then head east to the Gorge to play Sasquatch! Monday afternoon. Juiceboxxx, an acclaimed rap artist from Milwaukee, has also experienced SXSW success and should add nothing but sheer awesomeness to the bill.

PREFUNK: Nothing. This show is awesome. In a sentiment I rarely mumble, there are no toxins needed for enjoyment.

See you next week. Enjoy your holiday.

FUTURE THINGS ARE COMING >>>

There has been a lot of great news about rocker Bret Michaels lately. First, his brain hemorrhage brought him closer to his girlfriend. And now we discover he's coming to the Puyallup Fair Sept. 10.

This just in from the Puyallup Fair World Headquarters:

Puyallup, WA - May 7, 2010 - The 2010 Puyallup Fair will be rocking on opening night, Friday, Sept. 10, thanks to the Puyallup Rodeo Justin Boots Playoffs, followed by a performance by Bret Michaels, front man for the legendary rock band, Poison. Michaels is a multi-platinum superstar with the #1 timeless smash hit, "Every Rose Has its Thorn.

The Friday, Sept. 10 Bret Michaels "Roses and Thorns World Tour 2010" concert follows the Puyallup Rodeo, which kicks off at 6:30 p.m. The concert is part of Columbia Bank's Puyallup Fair Concert Series at the Puyallup Fair & Events Center. Tickets go on sale Saturday, May 15 at 9 a.m. here and Ticketmaster outlets. Prices are $50 for Golden Saddle / $35 / $30, and include Fair gate admission, and seats are reserved.

NOSH PIT >>>

Opening Today: All signs point to El Guadalajara opening back up today at its new location inside the Neighborhood Market building at 3002 Sixth Avenue. The menu will be the same as it was in the Stadium District. The low ceiling freaks me out a bit.

Sushi And Dessert: Sushi Station - the newest conveyor belt sushi restaurant in Puyallup - offers two interesting desserts: deep-fried Oreos and deep-fried cream puffs drizzled with chocolate. Watch them go round and round daily at 10305 156th St. E. in Puyallup.

Tightwad Tuesday: $2 beer, $2 wells, and $2 tacos are the new black from 4 p.m. to close at Hell's Kitchen.

Tuesday Is The New Thursday: Thursday, April 29, restaurants in Pierce and Thurston counties will donate 25 percent of their food revenue to local AIDS service organizations as part of Dining Out For Life. Click here for the list of participating resturants. New this year will be the discount loyalty card that will be awarded to Dining Out For Life diners who donate $25 or more at 12 participating Dining Out restaurants. The card is good for 20 percent discount off Tuesday dining for one year at: Doyle's Public House, East West Proctor, Gateway to India, Happy Dragon Chinese Restaurant, Harmon Brewing, HG Bistro, The Mandolin Café, Marzano Restaurant, Old Milwaukee Café, Ravenous Restaurant, Southern Kitchen and Tempest Lounge.

LINK: Wine and beer tastings, dinners and events

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

LINK: Send us your restaurant and lounge news

Here is a snapshot of El Guad's new bar.

SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 2010 >>>

1. Click! Cable TV hosts another Free Family Movie at The Grand Cinema screening The Goonies on two screens at 10:30 a.m.

2. The Museum of Glass kicks off another round of its History of Glass Lecture Series with a look at glassblowing - from Roman times up to the emergence of stained glass in Medieval Europe - from 1-2 p.m.

3. Jim MacCarthy's "Rio" will be will be playing at Woody's On The Water in Tacoma from 7-10 p.m. This combo features Jim Trefethen on tenor sax playing jazz standards, bebop and bossa.  

4. It's Retro Night Rock and Skate from 7:30-10:30 p.m. at Tiffany's Skate Inn in Puyallup.

5. Paris Spleen, Wild Orchid Children, Gypsies and Womberang will perform an all-ages show at 7 p.m. inside The Den @ urbanXchange. Bobble Tiki gives pops to Paris Spleen.

LINK: Movie showtimes in the South Sound

CONCERT ALERT >>>

Ann and Nancy Wilson are coming back to the Puyallup Fair Saturday, Sept. 25. Tickets go on sale Saturday, April 24 at 9 a.m. here. Prices are $60 for Golden Circle, $40 and $25, and include Fair gate admission, and seats are reserved.