DON'T BE LIKE BARRY >>>

Everyone likes a good party. Or almost everyone does. We've got this friend, Barry, who doesn't like parties AT ALL. He's adamant about it. But he's also in the minority. That's why we feel more than comfortable saying next Thursday's Best of Olympia 2012 Party at the 4th Avenue Tavern is going to be, for all intents and purposes, "off da hook." Music from Scott Taylor and the Fond Farewells and headliners Glass Elevator, $2 Oly draft all night long, a huge raffle, Olympia trivia, a large percentage of the Volcano's esteemed staff in one spot (and available for mass ridicule), and the debut of the Volcano's Best of Olympia 2012.

What else could you want?

Probably nothing we can deliver.

What we can deliver is all the aforementioned goodness for free - which should hopefully be enough to please everyone ... except Barry.

[4th Avenue Tavern, starts at 6 p.m., free, with Glass Elevator, Scott Taylor and the Fond Farewells, 210 Fourth Ave. E, Olympia, 360.786.1444]

LINK: Read the Best of Olympia 2011 issue

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT >>>

What's our favorite thing about the "Boobie Bash" scheduled for Valentine's Day at Hell's Kitchen? Well, you'll be happy to know the fact it inspired the Tacoma Weekly to run with the headline "Show your love for boobies this Valentine's Day" is only second on our list.

Yes, it's hard to top the cause behind this event, even for schmucks like us.

Raising money for the "Team Lisa' Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure account - who's namesake, Lisa Gauthun, is diagnosed with stage 4 terminal cancer according to Clare Jensen's story in the Tacoma Weekly - the "Boobie Bash" promises live music from Moron Broz, Blood Hunger, Deathbed Confessions and Czar, as well as burlesque performances and raffle prizes galore.

[Hell's Kitchen, with Moron Broz, Blood Hunger, Deathbed Confessions, Czar, 928 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.759.6003]

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 8, 2012 >>>

1. Pacific Lutheran University and the school's School of Arts and Communication kick off the fledgling SOAC Focus Series today with an exhibition of printmaking from around the country. Designed as an annual event, this year's first-ever SOAC Focus Series will center on a theme of compassion. According to hype, the series will have a goal of bringing together "talented students and faculty each year," with "a common theme will be selected and discussed through a multi-disciplinary approach. ...  Each year, the theme selected will be relevant, timely and appropriate to the mission of SOAC and PLU." Today sees the opening of the National Print Exhibition: The Human Experience, a collection of juried printmaking entries from around the country that are apparently, "as varied as the human experience," and feature, "many touchstones that speak to us in different ways and tie one individual to another through the love of art and a broader understanding of each other."

2. Do you enjoy comedy? Do you like bliss? Then you'll want to catch the musical Newsday called "blissfully funny," Mel Brooks's adaptation of Young Frankenstein, in its final day today  at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts in Olympia. The production, developed in Seattle in 2007 and hit Broadway two years late, is a mostly faithful translation of the 1974 movie. It includes all your favorite moments: "Abby Normal," "Puttin' on the Ritz," Frau Blücher's way with horses and one enormous schwanzstucker. (Voof!)

3. There was a time when the Big Friction Jam at Jazzbones was THE place to be for Sunday night maxin', relaxin' and jammin'. Powered by the groove-heavy leanings of saxophonist Brett "Big Friction" Cummings, the Big Friction house band took the stage, laid down the funk and groove, and magic ensued, with a cast of talented locals streaming through to take the stage and get down. TonightJazzbones will welcome back the Big Friction Jam for an evening that's sure to blow your usual Hump Day plans out of the proverbial water. If you're down to jam on it (or enjoy when others jam on it) this one's for you.

4. In all-ages musical action, tonight at the Mandolin Café Really Old Airplanes will play from 6 -7 p.m., and singer/songwriter Gina Belliveau will lay it down from 7-8 p.m.

5. The Northern Pacific Coffee Co. in Parkland holds its renowned open mic tonight from 8 - 11 p.m. There's no cover, and sign-ups star at 7:30 p.m. Bring the kids, because the NPCC open mic is totally all-ages.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music and DJs tonight

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Garage On Broadway: The city-owned garage next to the McMenamins Elks Temple is not looking good. (News Tribune)

The Show Must Go On: despite budget shortfalls the Tacoma City Council will continue to fund local events and neighborhood markets. (News Tribune)

Fourth Of July In The Boonies: Pierce County Council says residents in unincorporated Pierce County can continue to blow shit up for eight days. (News Tribune)

GOP Presidential Race: Rick Santorum's hat-trick reshaping the contest that will decide who runs against President Obama in November. (CNN)

Watch Out For The Thing: Russian scientists are reporting success in their quest to drill into Lake Vostok, a huge body of liquid water buried under the Antarctic ice. (BBC)

Metallica: It has its own summer music festival. (USA Today)

Jay And Silent Bob: The cartoon. (Paste)

Today's Lesson: The history of the middle finger. (BBC)

Times Are Tough. Even for Batman. (Comicbeat)

TUESDAY, FEB. 7, 2012 >>>

1. Bring your love of the bagpipes out of the closet and into full view today when Dick Hensold, billed as "one of America's finest traditional bagpipers," drops in on Tacoma for a performance brought to us by the Old Town Music Society and Puget Sound Revels. Dabbling in Northumbrian smallpipes, reel pipes, seljefloyte, sackpipa and piborn according to promotion - in traditional and historical styles including Cape Breton, early Scottish, Northumbrian, Scandinavian, Irish and medieval - Hensold seems certain to blow the roof off the joint.

2. Tonight at Varsity Grill join the United Way of Pierce County's Project:U for a fundraiser and food drive event. The Varsity Grill will donate 20-percent of all sales proceeds to the United Way of Pierce County cause, and canned food donations will be collected for area F.I.S.H. food banks.

3. Saint Martin's University in Lacey will celebrate the 200^th birthday of Charles Dickens today with what's described as "a marathon reading of the renowned author's works." According to hype, Saint Martin's English Department and the English honor society Sigma Tau Delta will host the event from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Harned Hall. Expect excerpts from Great Expectations, A Christmas Carol, A Tale of Two Cities and more.

4. Tuesday means it's time for another Ha Ha Tuesday at Jazzbones, a night of comedy hosted by the venerable Ralph Porter. After the comedy, stick around for Jazzbones' hot weeknight DJ action.

5. It's open mic night at Tugboat Annie's in Olympia. Bring your geetar or your best songs and show the world what you've got (and by "world" we mean the collection of Thurston County folks on hand at the favorite local watering hole).

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music and DJs tonight

MONDAY, FEB. 6, 2012 >>>

1. Catch the Greta Jane Quarter tonight at the Fourth Ave. Tavern in Olympia, as, after a long run at the Royal Lounge, Ms. Greta Jane Pederson's jazz combo featuring Cary Black, Vince Brown, and Andrew Dorsett reclaims Monday nights at a new downtown Oly locale.

2. Throw on your best aging t-shirt and limber up your devil horns, because Monday means it's time for yet another Metal Monday at The New Frontier Lounge. The head-banging starts at 9 p.m.

3. Monday night is trivia night at the Tacoma Comedy Club on Market Street. There's no cover to get in, and the questions kick off at 7 p.m. In addition to the general thrill of victory, cash and prizes are also advertised.

4. Speaking of trivia, one of the best trivia nights in the area goes down each Monday at the Harmon Tap Room in Tacoma's Stadium District. It runs from 6 -8 p.m., with the winner of each round a $50 cash prize according to hype.

5. Common sense might suggest getting loaded on a Monday night and singing your ass off at the China Clipper's "Late Night Karaoke" might be a questionable idea. But screw common sense. With the karaoke starting at 9 p.m., we suggest sucking down a couple of the Clipper's notoriously strong drinks and then letting it all hang out.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music and DJs tonight

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Today In Scumbags: Josh Powell set fire that killed him and his two sons at Graham-area home. (News Tribune)

Olympic Pharmacy and Healthcare Services: The Gig Harbor pharmacy is being sued for incorrect dosages. (News Tribune)

U.S. loses Embassy in Syria: Intense blasts echo through the Syrian city of Homs after a weekend bloodbath ended in hundreds of deaths, activists say. (CNN)

New York Will Go Nuts: Super Bowl champs New York Giants will receive a giant parade. (CNN)

US And Israel: Working together to prevent Iran from going nuclear. (BBC)

Super Bowl Ad Metter: Doritos wins. (USA Today)

Madonna's Half-time Show: See it again. (YouTube)

Shown Only In Nebraska: Will Ferrell's Super Bowl ad. (New York Magazine)

Love At The Bottom Of The Sea: The Magnetic Fields release new video. (Out)

Famous Authors Chime In: The greatest books of all time. (The Atlantic)

Soul Train Flash Mob Tribute To Don Cornelius

WE SCENE IT >>>

Tacoma's Goldfinch is working on a new album, and it is going to be very, very good. One of my fine Volcano colleagues will pop up one of these days and tell you all about the band's Spaceworks Tacoma residency at 1310 MLK, and the process behind their new work in progress, so I'll leave that to the experts, and just say that between the Seattle Folk Festival and Saturday night's gig at the aforementioned space, I've been fortunate enough to hear a healthy dose of their new material, as performed in stripped-down fashion by Aaron Stevens and cellist/harmonizer Emily Ann Peterson, and I have already decided that it will be one of my favorite records of the year.

Saturday's festivities were not all about Goldfinch, of course. Not content to deal in one art form at a time, Spaceworks, Goldfinch and the Warehouse engineered an evening of improv comedy, storytelling from KUOW producer Megan Sukys - amusing anecdotes from the life of her South Carolinan family - and live painting in the corner by Britton Sukys, crafting a colorful piece that no-one failed to be impressed by as they passed.

Headliners OK Sweetheart got the house bouncing with their energetic brand of pop, and an oddly entertaining short film about a man and his exercise ball rolled briefly on the wall. But like every other show I've seen them open in recent months, Stevens and whatever brethren he brings along on any given night continually own the show from front to back.

So hurry up and make that record, guys. I want to listen to it. Over. And over. And over.

LINK: Goldfinch and Spaceworks Tacoma

SUPER SUNDAY, FEB. 5, 2012 >>>

1. The musical Hair is much like a jam band concert: it's multi-sensual, it elicits an emotional ride, and it's probably about 15 minutes too long. That said, director Heidi Fredericks shakes every last nugget from Hair's theatrical dime bag at Capital Playhouse at 2 p.m. Read Weekly Volcano theater critic Christian Carvajal's review of the show here.

2. You spend hours wandering around consignment stores, yard sales and ... nothing. Stroll into a store and the floor models, the displays, the marked up, trendy, full-price, why-wait-for-a-sale-when-you-can-have-it-now stuff? You love it. You want it. You need it. Break the cycle. Rethink your thought process. Antiques. The older they are the better. And, unlike the average retail giant merchandise, you can sometimes get a deal. So come check out "America's Largest Antique & Collectible Show" and see the previously owned and "family friendly" (thank heavens) art and antiques. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Puyallup Fairgrounds.

3. All told, there were more than enough laughs in the script and performance for all sides, compressed into a remarkably short runtime - less than two hours including intermission. Lakewood Playhouse's Play It Again, Sam - which hits the stage at 2 p.m. - proved to be a great deal of fun for everybody involved. Read Weekly Volcano theater critic Joe Izenman's review of the show here.

4. According to the Merriam Webster online dictionary, Xanadu is an idyllic, exotic or luxurious place. How that translates into a roller disco is a question best answered by early-1980s pop stars and Tacoma Musical Playhouse. The musical Xanadu, on stage at 2 p.m., tells the story of 1980s chalk artist Sonny Malone and his involvement with the Greek Muses. Sonny is unhappy with his art and determined to commit suicide when he's visited by the Muses who travel to Venice Beach, Calif. to inspire him. Because of Zeus' rules, Clio (Leah Wickstrom in TMP's production) must disguise herself; she does so by wearing roller skates and leg warmers, sporting an Australian accent and calling herself Kira. Read Weekly Volcano theater critic Joann Varnell's review of the show here.

5. The routine is simple. You look through the songbooks scattered around the joint, write down a song title and your name on a piece of paper, and hand it to the deejay. In a few minutes, you'll hear him say, "Dave, c'mon down," and the fantasy begins. You're Bob Dylan or Shania Twain - or whoever the hell you want to be. It's cheap therapy, if nothing else. The Mix in Tacoma's Triangle District will fire up its karaoke after its Super Bowl Party.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music and DJs tonight

LINK: Local happy hours

Next to the question "Don't you ever shut up?" Bobble Tiki's mother, the saintly Mrs. Tiki, was most often heard to ask her precious Bobble when he was young "Aren't you ever happy?"

"Well, excuse Bobble Tiki for living!" was his usual snappy reply - even then charmingly referring to himself in the third person.

But Mrs. Tiki had a point. Is Bobble Tiki ever happy?  On rare occasions, such as today when local music promoter Flash send Bobble Tiki a heads up on his Guttermouth Show March 2 at the Backstage Bar & Grill.

Combining the best parts of the oral tradition and street-side drainage systems, Huntington Beach's Guttermouth serves its punk rock fast, loud and snottily enough to make Bobble Tiki don his "Don't Make Me Get Out My Flying Monkeys" T-shirt for the show. The band will provide a night full of songs about fecal matter, your mother, unhealthy relationships with farm animals and more four-letter words than you can shake a forest full of sticks at.

Opening for Guttermouth will be Boldtype, Neutralboy, The Uncivil and South 11th. 

[Backstage Bar & Grill, Friday, March 2, 8 p.m., $12 advance, $15 door, 6409 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.564.0149]