MONDAY, MARCH 17 2014 >>>

1. There are better ways to spend St. Patrick's Day than sitting at home in front of a big-ass bowl of Lucky Charms. Plan your Irish wake here.

2. Meet the creators of Use Your Noodle Doodle - a book based on a true story about a grandma and an overenthusiastic dog that takes readers on a journey from mishap to celebration, with many life lessons for the entire family - at 7 p.m. in the University Place Library.

3. MLKBallet Contemporary Master Class with Spectrum Dance Theater's Alex Crozier is an open class that will explore creative movement and improvisation with an emphasis on level changes, varying dynamics of movement and partner work. It's an intermediate level class, and Crozier has a lengthy list of awesomeness, so you won't be able to fake your way through it. It begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Urban Grace Church.

4. Weekly Volcano music critic Rev. Adam McKinney says there are vocal similarities between Kurt Lindsay and late cult singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley. The Rev. says, "Lindsay's voice, like Buckley's (though, of course, no one can truly touch Jeff Buckley, vocally), is simultaneously full of bravado and wounded timidity. It quivers with feeling, though it might be noted that Lindsay's voice often comes across as more lost, searching, which adds a nice element to what is largely music that errs toward modern rock, with some detours to friendly mixers like R&B and folk." See for yourself over a green beer or three at 8 p.m. when Lindsay performs at the Steilacoom Pub & Grill.

5. State to State's influences are as plain as day, but they earn points for never shying away from that. They'd be the first to tell you that U2, Radiohead and Jeff Buckley wrote their playbook. Still, State to State could only be judged for their idolatry if they were bad at impressions, which isn't the case. Their melancholy anthems, dramatic vocals, and chiming guitars all explicitly point at those classic artists, but it's an effective pastiche. Catch the band with Wonder and Roo at 9 p.m. inside Le Voyeur.

LINK: Monday, March 17 arts and entertainment in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

ONLINE CHATTER >>>

Yesterday's comment of the day comes from Cassandra de Kanter in regards to Jackie Fender's update on the local craft distillery scene.

Cassandra writes,

Port Steilacoom Distillery really is terrific, and well worth a visit to Steilacoom. The Wicked Wind honey liquor is ridiculous. Must taste. (My dad designed the labels for PSDs bottles, so maybe I'm a little biased, but it's true: Wicked Wind = wooonderful.)

Some days we want to eat chicken feet. we want tripe and trotters, crispy fried intestine and all the assorted culinary weirdness that allows Anthony Bourdain to laugh all the way to the bank. We would be just as bored with cheeseburgers every day as someone living in, say, Mauritania would be with nothing but Thieboudiene and Mahfe.

As the South Sound has grown from a culinary backwater to a more cosmopolitan culinary forward region (Charlie McManus to the Mark to Marrow and the few in between) with a supporting cast of international cuisine refugees from all corners of the globe, we have noticed a slow but steady growth in ethnic fare since 1999.

The good folks at Tacoma Community House are well aware of the South Sound's melting pot. TCH provides programs and services to immigrants, refugees and others to help strengthen their lives and help them become a part of the community.

Of course, TCH's efforts take money.

No doubt it was a joyous moment when the idea to host a night of regional ethnic dining as a fundraiser hit the brainstorming chalkboard. It's brilliant.

FLAVOR, a night of dining at immigrant-owned and immigrant-supporting restaurants will be held Thursday, Oct. 24 with participating restaurants kicking back 25 percent of food sales to TCH. Participating restaurants include El Toro downtown, Indochine, Lele, Gateway to India, El Guadalajara, Adriatic Grill, Il Lucano, La Crème Brulee, La Fondita and others. See the full list of participating restaurants here. The list could go deeper, especially in the local Asian culinary field, but it's a worthy start.

To add excitement to the night, TCH will offer several prize packages, including a seven-day Mexico trip, Keurig B70 Platinum Brewing System, restaurant gift cards and cookbooks.

Mark Oct. 24 on your calendar as the night you stand up for immigrants while sitting down for a meal.

THURSDAY, JULY 25 2013 >>>

1. The Grand Cinema teaches science in a different way: First it secures a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and the Coolidge Corner Theatre Foundation to pair films with lessons in science. Next, it invites notable figures from the world of science, technology and medicine to give introduction lessons using those long pointer sticks to tap the screen while nodding their heads. Each film is used as a jumping off point for the speaker to reveal current scientific research or technological advances, providing the perfect combination of entertainment and enlightenment - even for the most science-phobic culture vulture. Then, of course, everyone watches the film, paying close attention to key factor brought to light by the big brains before the screening. Science on Screen kicks ends its run at 6:45 p.m. with a screening of Obselidia, a bittersweet love story about a librarian who complies an encyclopedia of "obselete things," and tries to live his life surrounded by objects that technology has rendered extinct. Dr. Elizabeth Fortenbery, a sociology professor at Tacoma Community College, will discuss what can be lost when a language disappears.

2. Freddy Pink will play blues and clssic rock at 6:30 p.m. in Puyallup's Pioneer Park.

3. Pacific Lutheran University continues its 15 annual Jazz Under the Stars concert series tonight from 7-9 p.m. The series, a different band every Thursday through Aug. 15, features singer Stephanie Porter tonight.

4. The Kareem Kandi Band will fill the lobby of the Hotel Murano with jazz from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m.

5. Cairo, Show + Tell and DJ Melodica entertain at 9 p.m. in The New Frontier Lounge.

LINK: Thursday, July 25 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

SUNDAY, JULY 7 2013 >>>

1. Count yourself blessed, Tacoma, because you got to see something few people in the world have seen. Throughout his career Eric Carle, famous for children's books such as Brown Bear - Brown Bear, What Do You See? And The Very Hungry Caterpillar and more than 70 other picture books - has created art for his own personal satisfaction that he never showed to anyone outside of family and friends. He called it his "Art Art," and he had to be coaxed into showing it publicly. To our great benefit, Tacoma Art Museum Director Stephanie Stebich is a personal friend of the Carle family. She is the one who talked him into showing this work, and Tacomans were to the first to see it. And it is great. Absolutely outstanding. Read Alec Clayton's full review of "Beyond Books: The Independent Art of Eric Carle" in the Weekly Volcano's Arts section.

2. Jazz musicians are some of the coolest cats you'll ever meet, such as groovy jazz pianists Joe Baque. Pronounced in French as “Bach,” it is almost as if Baque were destined to play piano, and his career has been amazing as he has accompanied the likes of Lena Horne, Stan Getz and Louie Armstrong and has played at such legendary clubs as the Roxy, Carnegie Hall and Radio City Music Hall. The one-time pianist for the NBC orchestra settled in the Northwest much to the delight of local jazz connoisseurs in 1984 and has been a staple on the scene ever since. Catch him at 11 a.m. at the Olympia Farmers Market.

3. Rich Wetzel's 15-piece jazz-rock, Latin funk big band will perform from 5-8 p.m. at Stonegate Pizza. Jerry Miller's band will take the stage after.

4. Jeanne Hopkins, the singer and songwriter better known as Jeanlizabeth, hosts an open mic at 8 p.m. every Sunday in the Steilacoom Pub and Grill. The night's entertainment can include poetry readings, original songs and rock covers from Pink Floyd to modern hits. Past crowds ran the gamut of age groups, but many, including seniors, wore hoodies.

5. Northern all-ages music venue hosts its first comedy show featuring  Jason Traeger (Portland), George Chen (Oakland), Nicole Calasich (San Francisco), Zach Mandeville (Olympia), Bridget Irish (Olympia), Sarah Adams (Olympia) and special treat Bongo Randay Speaks at 8:30 p.m.

LINK: Sunday, July 7 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013 >>>

1. Well, in Tacoma there's Freedom Fair. Duh. Find details right here. 

2. Then there's a huge celebration at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Click here for details.

3. What's that? You live in Tumwater. Well, they really know how to celebrate the Fourth of July in style with the Artesian Family Festival and Thunder Valley Fireworks show.

4. The picturesque town of Steilacoom also knows how to party on the Fourth of July. Here's a link to Steilacoom's Fourth of July celebration. 

5. Honestly, you should just check in with our Fourth of July Command Center for all the goods.

6. You could blow your fingers off ... but that kind of sucks.

LINK: Thursday, July 4 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

Soaking in rays of sunshine atop Topside Bar and Grill is bliss enough. Add a cold craft brew from its divine selection and a nibble and you're loving life.

During my most recent visit I took in the spectacular waterfront view and sun drenched dining area and tried Topside's smoked salmon quesadilla ($14).

I was not disappointed. Sadly, a photo can do no justice to the flavor within this warmed golden flour tortilla. Blacks beans, roasted corn, melted cheeses and copious amounts of local wild salmon made this appetizer a real treat. It's all too often you're looking a "seafood" appetizer face to face, only to be sorely disappointed by the lack of a tasty fishy friend. This is not the case with Topside's quesadilla.

The chipotle sour cream only adds a zesty richness to the dish that further elevates the flavors. And just think, this is just an appetizer. The rest of the menu features some tasty sounding entrees and sandwiches for lunch and dinner hour that can fuel your stroll through town.

SMOKED SALMON QUESADILLA, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, Topside Bar and Grill, 215 Wilkes St., Steilacoom, 253.212.3690

SATURDAY, JUNE 8 2013 >>>

1. If Arrington de Dionyso's Malaikat Dan Singa is a mouthful of a name, then his music does well to invade every other one of your senses. For years, de Dionyso has been making a name for himself as one of the premier practitioners of experimental music in the Northwest. Unlike other experimental artists, whose work consists of beauty in chaos, de Dionyso is conceptual and thought-through in the extreme. Catch Malaikat Dan Singa with MTNS, DJ Urine and the Nadines at 8 p.m. in 2nd Cycle on Tacoma's Hilltop. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on Arrington de Dionyso's Malaikat Dan Singa in Northwest Military's Music & Culture section.

2. Older homes are typically loaded with character, and some people love nothing better than to stroll through a neighborhood and check out the architecture. For them, there is the Steilacoom Historical Home Tour. The outing, which is hosted by the Steilacoom Historical Museum Association and hasn't happened in almost 40 years, features six privately owned historic homes dating from 1858 through 1895, including five built when Washington was still a territory. The tour runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

If there's one thing we know, it's Tacoma like to run, and drink. The Tacoma Runners prove it every Thursday night. Metro Parks knows this fact too. At 6 p.m. in Wright Park it will host its Sneakers to Suds - the first of four 5k events in its Pub Run Series. Each 5k is open to ages 21 and older and includes post-race festivities, which means drinking in local watering holes. Participate in trivia contests and post-race fun at Parkway, Tap Room and Amocat Café.

4. Shyan Selah & The Republic of Sound will headline a night of live music featuring Northwest hip hop legend Xola Malik, aka Kid Sensation, rock and blues act Monica-Crystal & The Beat Bandits and local acoustic songstress Stephanie Anne Johnson at 8:30 p.m. in Stonegate Pizza.

5. Future Bass dance party brings a little dub, some Dirty South bounce, some mini-backpack drum 'n' bass, sassy house, badass soul, squiggly squeaks, breaky beats, distorted hip-hop samples and wobbling bass lines - like pathological gamblers through paychecks - at 9:30 p.m. in The New Frontier Lounge.

LINK: Saturday, June 8 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

<<< VOTING CLOSED FOR THURSDAY, MARCH 28 2013 >>>

A week ago we began pitting 64 of the South Sound's best sandwiches - voted in by the Weekly Volcano readers - in head-to-head battles. Today marks the end of First Round action. The last eight sandwiches will enter the area bright eyed and fresh. At the end of the day, four sandwiches will join the other winning 28 sandwiches in the Second Round, four will pick up the crumbs and go home. This is a tournament, folks, not a playoff. Each match is do or die - one misstep and you're out of the dance. Leave the bread out on the counter a little too long, forget to add lettuce, and you can pack your sandwich bag and go home.

Yesterday's Results

Game 1: Cuban Fish Sandwich (Asado, 2810 Sixth Ave., Tacoma) vs. Albacore Tuna Po'Boy (Tides Tavern, 2925 Harborview Dr., Gig Harbor)

In a battle over the Narrows Bridge, Asado cruised to victory and securing roughly 60 percent of the vote by the time things were said and done. This one was over early, and the pummeling lasted all day. Luckily for all of us, Tide's Tavern doesn't need the Tournament of Sandwiches to get by ... it has an awesome deck, not to mention a grubbin' Albacore Tuna Po-Boy. The high-powered Asado moves on to Second Round action.

Game 2: Philly Cheesesteak Tempeh (Le Voyeur, 404 Fourth Ave. E., Olympia) vs. Egg Salad Sandwich (Steilacoom Pub & Grill, 1202 Rainier St., Steilacoom)

In a back and forth matchup pitting two fairly evenly matched competitors (at least in the eyes of voters, it seems), Le Voyeur was eventually able to pull ahead of the Egg Salad Sandwich at the Steilacoom Pub thanks to a late run - grabby 52 percent of the votes. The loss has to be especially tough for Steilacoom Pub, as they entered the Tournament of Sandwiches with plenty of hype, mainly coming from, well, the entire town of Steilacoom. That said, Le Voyeur thanks its lucky stars every time it makes a bank deposit for the damaged livers of Evergreen students, and it has its eclectic music scene, so the fact it's moving on to the second round isn't shocking. You can't question Le Voyeur's following, and sometimes a following is just what it takes in the Tournament of Sandwiches.

Game 3: Farmhouse Philly (Dirty Oscar's Annex, 2309 Sixth Ave., Tacoma) vs. Notorious P.I.G. (The Ram, 3001 Ruston Way, Tacoma)

It would have been an upset of monumental proportion had The Ram somehow managed to defeat Dirty Oscar's Annex, but - alas - it was never meant to be. Dirty Oscar's dominated from tip-off to the final seconds yesterday, collecting votes at almost a three to one ratio and securing 73 percent of the votes. Rock stars and moonshine lovers unite - Dirty Oscar's will not be denied!

Game 4: The Chief (Sparks Firehouse Deli, 621 Fifth St., Puyallup) vs. Jan's Mufalletta (Joeseppi's Italian Ristorante, 2207 N. Pearl St., Tacoma)

Everyone loves a good comeback, and this may have been one of the better clutch performances in the (obviously short) history of the Tournament of Sandwiches. Down by a substantial margin by midday, Sparks Firehouse was able to rally the troops at halftime, and by the time the final buzzer sounded the Puyallup deli had walked away with an impressive victory, racking up 57 percent of the vote. Next up for Sparks' Chief sandwich, a Second Round dogfight with Dirty Oscar's Farmhouse Philly. ...

Stick a toothpick in them! The following are advancing to the next round:

• Asado's Cuban Fish Sandwich
• Le Voyeur's Philly Cheesesteak Tempeh
• Dirty Oscar's Farmhouse Philly
• Sparks Firehouse's The Chief

The daily sandwich battles here on Spew are sponsored by Subway in Orting, Puyallup, Tacoma, Spanaway and Lakewood.

OK, let's check out today's First Round sandwich battles. Vote for one sandwich joint per battle. Voting for today's sandwich battles ends at 11:45 p.m.

<<< VOTING CLOSED FOR WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27 >>>

Well whaddaya know! It's still March, and dagnabit if all that "Madness" isn't still in the air! What's one to do with all that pent up "madness?" It can make for quite a dilemma. ...

Unless, of course, you've found something like the Weekly Volcano's Tournament of Sandwiches to help get you through. Throughout the month (and into early April, even) the Volcano's readers will be voting on the South Sound's best sandwiches through daily head-to-head matchups here on Spew. We started with 64 South Sound sandwiches, and only one can be crowned king.

Without further ado, let's get down to business.

Yesterday's Results

GAME ONE: Club House (Old Milwaukee Café, 3102 Sixth Ave., Tacoma) vs. Jake's Sandwich (Dirty Dave's Pizza Parlor, 3939 Martin Way E., Olympia)

For a relatively small town, Olympia has more than its fair share of top-notch sandwiches - which is going to make for some interesting battles down the road. With 5th Ave Sandwich Shop and Darby's grabbing most of the headlines, Dirty Dave's can fly relatively under the radar. Oh, but the eaters of the area know - which is probably why Dirty Dave's Jake's Sandwich took down the beloved Old Milwaukee Café's Club House, nabbing almost 60 percent of the votes.

GAME TWO: Reuben (Peterson Bros. 1111, 1111 S. 11th St., Tacoma) vs. Hammock Sandwich (Schooner Pub and Galley, 5429 100th St. SW, Lakewood)

The Eleven Eleven is a relatively newcomer on the sandwich scene, creating goodness and slinging drinks in a lively, neighborhood joint. The Schooner Pub has been a neighborhood hangout for years, where the game or your daily meeting with your old friends is more the focus than sandwiches. In terms of comparing the two joints, at least in regards to a hangout, it's a dead heat. Comparing the two sandwiches that battled yesterday, it's not even close. Eleven Eleven grabbed 75 percent of the votes, and moves onto the Second Round.

GAME THREE: Steak Torta (Vuelve a la Vida, 5310 Pacific Ave., Tacoma) vs. Ikonos Gyro (Ikonos Real Greek Souvlaki, 4920 Point Fosdick Dr. NW, Gig Harbor)

Vuelve A La Vida started up in 1995. Six months after its inception, the owner sold it to the mysteriously named Senor Douglas, who's owned it ever since. Most people know the joint for its authentic Mexican food, featuring prizes such as tongue and goat and featuring banners boasting no chips & salsa. That said, Tournament of Sandwiches officials were a bit surprised Vuelve's Steak Torta grabbed 71 percent of the votes over Ikonos Gyro, which is one tasty treat. It doesn't matter now, the Steak Torta moves onto the Second Round.

GAME FOUR: Vietnamese Banh Mi (Pacific Grill, 1502 Pacific Ave., Tacoma) vs. Italian Grinder (Shamrock Tavern, 11118 Pacific Ave. S., Tacoma)

Unexpectedly, this was an epic battle ... the kind of thing Tournament of Sandwiches "instant classics" are made of. A surprisingly low scoring affair, with much of the action on defense, the fourth seeded Pacific Grill and the 13th seeded Shamrock Tavern were in a dead heat - literally tied - going into the final hours of the competition. Back at Weekly Volcano World Headquarters, Tournament of Sandwiches officials frantically discussed what to do in the case of a tie? Overtime? Coin flip? See which establishment could deliver a sandwich to our Lakewood office the fastest? Then, our guess is, the drinks kicked in at the Shamrock, phones came out and the Parkland tavern edged out the win, securing exactly 53 percent of the vote. This one will go down in the history books.

Stick a toothpick in them! The following are advancing to the next round:

• Dirty Dave's Pizza Parlor's Jake's Sandwich
• Peterson Bros. 1111's Reuben
• Vuelve a la Vida's Steak Torta
• Shamrock Tavern's Italian Grinder

The daily sandwich battles here on Spew are sponsored by Subway in Orting, Puyallup, Tacoma, Spanaway and Lakewood.

OK, let's check out today's First Round sandwich battles. Vote for one sandwich per battle. Voting for today's sandwich battles ends at 11:45 p.m.