SXSW 2010, THURSDAY, MARCH 18 >>>

A marching band just passed by my wobbly table inside the Austin Convention Center. It's 1:56 p.m. - Tacoma time - and I've already had three drinks. Hipness and mustaches are everywhere.

In other words, SXSW 2010 is in full effect.

After arriving in Austin last night and making our way to the hotel - which is anywhere but right downtown - we woke up this morning a bit jetlagged, but energized by the prospect of Texas sun and Texas hospitality, which at SXSW (if you're a badge holder, anyway), means gobs and gobs of free drinks, T-shirts, CDs, stickers and guitar picks - among other things. There are probably even free drugs around here somewhere, but I have yet to find them. Perhaps at tonight's Stone Temple Pilots show?

For those playing at home, here's how today's Weekly Volcano SXSW 2010 itinerary is shaping up. (Note: Plans are subject to change as I consume more and more alcohol.)

BIG WHEEL STUNT SHOW: The Tacoma rockers play the "Whoops Party" at Trophy's tonight at 9:30 p.m. Austin time. If all goes as planned, I'll be catching the Big Wheel Stunt Show set and reporting back. Although, if I get so drunk that I end up face down in a pool of Lone Star Beer on some Texas barstool, luckily the band has several more SXSW appearances lined up.

DR. DOG: If you follow all things hip, you know Dr. Dog definitely fits the bill right now. The Philadelphia indie rock group has two shows lined up today, and the Weekly Volcano will be at one of them - either in a little over an hour inside the Austin Convention Center, or later tonight at Lustre Pearl. Will we be cool enough to fit in? The odds aren't good - but we'll give it a go anyway.

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS: I'm torn on this one. When hunkered down at a total music spectacle/orgy like SXSW, one should not waste their time on has-beens. There's simply too much going on, and your time is more valuable than that. Still, STP holds a warm, gooey, early ‘90s space in my guilty-pleasure-loving heart - and there's just something about the band's return to the stage after so many years that seems intriguing - in a "I wonder if Scott Weiland will be all drugged out?" sort of way. Plus, word on the street is Robby Krieger of the Doors will be joining Weiland and Co. on stage. Should I take a shot on this show? I'm taking votes below. ...

ADAM GREEN: The former Moldy Peach is in Austin (so is Kimya Dawson, by the way - though they're unrelated appearances) - and I've been moderately enamored by the singer/songwriter since seeing the Peaches open for the Strokes at the Temple Theater back in the day (yes, that happened). STP may be a tossup, but Green seems like a no-brainer - especially toting a new record.

JAGUAR LOVE: With the Cave Singers also in town, the opportunity to see just about ever former member of Pretty Girls Make Graves is abound. We'll start with Jaguar Love, featuring not only members of Pretty Girls, but also (of course) former members of The Blood Brothers, tonight at Habana Calle 6. Hitting the stage at 1 a.m., it should be quite a nightcap.

THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE PRETTY >>>

If you don't know Alan Gorsuch, co-owner of Sanford and Son Antiques, this blog post sums him up perfectly.

He's nuts.

With arts critic Alec Clayton under the weather, Pappi messing around with our Tournament of Tacos, and Driscoll at SXSW, I had to take the phone call from Gorsuch. Long story short, I couldn't say no. I submit my take on an art installation in his Middle Floor Merchants section at Sanford and Son. He said he understood I wasn't an art critic and didn't care what I wrote.

He's nuts.

Now, I realize that the sacred cow/naked emperor format that somehow has always passed for "art" in the cultural desert of Tacoma has been notoriously bleak, seedy, shallow, confusing, childish, kinky, desperate, wanton and especially, narcissistic. However, this "showing" by an anonymous artist takes the cake.

What on earth is this person's obsession with breasts?

Knockers. Mostly doorknockers. That's what we're supposed to believe the majority of the "pieces" are. As I was able to ascertain from what few of the sober, yet shadowy, figures filling about in the Sanford and Son building, all of the elements and materials used in the comprising of these "works" were once destined for the landfill. "Found objects" all, they were somehow intercepted by our anon person and assembled into what I was forced to visually, as well as manually, masticate.

Gorsuch says everyone is invited to knock the knockers - backdoor knockers, front door knockers, no soliciting knockers, dead doorknockers, knicker knockers, peeping voyeurs knockers and my favorite: the deer knocker, which is a mangy old dead deer head shot 80 years ago by either Jerry Meeker or Jerry Springer, says Gorsuch, and mounted on a 1980s gothic door stolen from the old church in Ruston. Now, that might actually be art, but I'm not sure I know anymore as I've been desensitized.

Read more...

SOUTH SOUND THEATER AND VISUAL ARTS REVIEWS >>

Harlequin's "Rabbit Hole": Thoughts on grief and a well-made play

Irish stew: Ingredients don't always mix in "Cripple"

Re-envisioned medieval: Lisa Sweet at Kittredge Gallery

LINK: Arts and entertainment calendar for the South Sound

THIS JUST IN >>>

This just out of the City of Tacoma headquarters:

On March 31 at 9 a.m., the City of Tacoma in partnership with the Washington State Department of Transportation, will host a ribbon cutting celebration to commemorate the completion of the re-cabling work and the turnback agreement for the Murray Morgan Bridge.

In February, the bridge was closed for the cables to be removed and replaced. The cabling work is now complete and the bridge will re-open to pedestrians by the end of March. The celebration will also acknowledge the turnback agreement between the City and State. In December 2009, the City took over ownership, operation, and maintenance of the Murray Morgan Bridge.

All are welcome to attend the ribbon cutting on the west side of the bridge (near the intersection of A and 11^th streets) where both City and State officials will speak, a ribbon will be cut and the bridge will be raised and lowered. 

For more information, visit the Murray Morgan Bridge project Web site at www.cityoftacoma.org/MMB.

THURSDAY, MARCH 18: FOUR BATTLES ON THE DOCKET >>>

The field has been set, the competitors narrowed. Sixty-four of the greater Tacoma area's best tacos are set to do battle in the Weekly Volcano's Tournament of Tacos. It's like March Madness, only with more indigestion. Every day through April 1 visit this blog and cast your vote - using this bracket in today's Weekly Volcano print version to guide you through the daily matchups. Then, on April 5, join us at Station 56 for the Official Tournament of Tacos Party - where our winner will be announced during halftime of the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship game. 

Only one taco can be crowned champ, and it's up to you to decide. The Weekly Volcano's Tournament of Tacos. It's on!

GAME 1: Masa vs. Chevy's Fresh Mex

The Tournament of Tacos leads off with a clash of heavyweights.  Masa from the trendy Sixth Avenue side of town takes on Chevy's Fresh Mex, a 38^th Street mainstay. 

GAME 2: Taqueria el Sabroso (10906 Pacific Hwy. SW) vs. Los Tres Hermanos (2728 S 12th St.)

The East Side's Taqueria el Sabroso, featuring a fine deep-fried pork choice, looks to tame the popular 12th Street area truck and Tournament of Tacos favorite, Los Tres Hermanos.  Good early match-up.

GAME 3: Sam's Taqueria (downtown Puyallup) vs. Josefina's

A hidden jewel tucked away in downtown Puyallup, Sam's Taqueria and its uniquely spiced meats takes on Josefina's - which might be best known for its hard to miss, pink Pacific Avenue location. 

GAME 4: Top of Tacoma Bar & Cafe vs. The Harmon Brewery & Restaurant

A great match up to close out day one.  East Side vs. Downtown.  Booze vs. beer.  Happy hour taco (Top of Tacoma) vs. fish delight (Harmon).  

>>> CLICK HERE TO VOTE!

Tomorrow's Taco Battles

Game 1: Vuelve A La Vida vs. The Grill at Meadow Park

Game 2: Jack in the Box vs. Taco Bell 

Game 3: Taqueria La Fondita vs. Tiende Y Taqueria Zomora

Game 4: Mazatlan vs. Azteca

MAKE A DAY OF IT >>>

St. Patrick's Day is my favorite holiday. First, because green is my favorite color - and incidentally, with my coloring, I look pretty damn good in it. Second, because I fear snakes, and St. Patrick is famous for ridding Ireland of the scaly critters.

You can probably come up with better reasons to celebrate St. Patrick's Day; one of them should be the food and drink that go along with the holiday.

The downtown Tacoma Cutters Point coffee joint have drawn shamrocks on many of their 12-ounce coffee lids. If you order a 12-ounce drink, and you see the green thing on the lid, the drink is free.

Paddy Coyne's Irish Pub in downtown Tacoma will host dancers from the Comeford School of Irish Dance for a little Irish stepdancing, as well as a bunch ol' Irish live music. They'll swing open the doors at 9 a.m.

His name is Charlie McManus. And he knows Irish food. The chef/co-owner of Primo Grill and the Crown Bar has Irish stew with house-made soda bread, colcannon, champ and Guinness-braised lamb shanks on both menus today, among many other tasty items. He also has Red Breast 12 Year whiskey sitting on his bar shelves.

The Old House Café in the Proctor District has lamb stew, corned beef and cabbage on its menu today.

Doyle's Public House will open at 6 a.m. for those who want to get a jump on the day. Live music will start at 3 p.m. and run nonstop until midnight. Ockham's Razor doing most the work, but Pierce County Firefighter's Pipes & Drums will be helping out.

In regards to music, The McKassons are at the Mandolin Café at 7 p.m.; Mooncoyne at The Spar in Old Town at 7 p.m., The Fun Police and Ten Miles of Bad Road will play Irish sets at O'Malley's Irish Pub starting at 8 p.m.; and the rest are listed in our music calendar.

LINK: Or you could just escape it all and go to the movies

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17, 2010 >>>

1. It's St. Patrick's Day. Time to party.

2. The Pierce County Arts and Cultural Planning Community Forum will gather opinions at 4:30 p.m. inside the Soundview Building. Go help plan the arts.

3. Screw green beer; let's climb a wall at 5:30 p.m. inside the Centre at Norpoint.

4. The Sixth Avenue Progressive Dinner visits 6 Olives, Origin 23 and Studio 6 Ballroom at 5:30, 6:15 and 7 p.m. Dance to jazz and blues by Maia Santell & House Blend from 7:30-10:30 p.m. at Studio 6. Reserve your spot here. 

5. The Fort Steilacoom Choir and Olympic College Chamber Choir joins the Pierce College Concert Band in Bernstein's "Chichester Psalms" and Smith's "Don Quixote Symphony #3" at 7:30 p.m. inside the Lagerquist Concert Hall at PLU.

LINK: Movie showtimes in the South Sound

THEIR INVENTION >>>

GreySlade Music's Chad Hagedorn (The Happy Vanishing) and John Walker (John Walker and the Hitchhikers) wrote and produced the art rock/sci-fi folk album The Measurement Problem as a force known as My Own Invention.

And they want feedback.

Download The Measurement Problem here. Listen to the "musical journey down a rabbit hole which will assuredly entertain and stimulate" as they describe it. Then send them your thoughts on the album.

Some early reviews are in:

"The album is simply wonderful - I haven't heard it yet, but I know it's simply wonderful!" - John's Mom

"They're such nice boys!" - Chad's Mom

THIRD THURSDAY ARTWALK ON A BUS >>>

Every Third Thursday ArtWalk participant has had that Moment. The Moment you know you will look back on six months (or a year, or 10 years) from now and laugh. Laugh and laugh and laugh, just laugh hysterically that you couldn't find the Tollbooth Gallery, or that you got lost on one of the 14 floors inside Sanford and Son, or that you had to lie down on the sidewalk due to fatigue halfway up to the Fulcrum Gallery on Hilltop.

Or maybe you don't laugh. Maybe you're an ArtWalk hatter because of the Moment.

Angela Jossy of the Speakeasy Arts Cooperative wants to eliminate the Moment. She wants to make it easier for you to enjoy the Walk.

She has a bus.

WEEKLY VOLCANO: So you have an ArtWalk Bus.

ANGELA JOSSY: Yup, I'm organizing an ArtWalk tour via bus Thursday night beginning at 6 p.m. at the Speakeasy. The "Art Bus" will hit Embellish Multispace Salon, Tacoma Art Place, Fulcrum Gallery, 253 Collective and Mad Hat Tea Company before dropping everyone off at the Rialto Theater at 8 p.m. Next month we will add more stops, make two round trips and have it running three or four hours instead of two. I want to start with a more modest plan on this first attempt.

VOLCANO: Steph DeRosa isn't driving, is she?

Read more...

ONE OPENS, ANOTHER CLOSES >>>

People craving a cup of joe in Tacoma's Theater District can finally look further than their own kitchens and office coffee machines. Café Messina - located at 744 Market St. - opened this week for business. Serving Urban City Coffee Roasters coffee and baked goods from the San Francisco Baking Company, this roomy coffee shop also serves soups, salads and sandwiches.

It is with a sad heart that I announce that Vinum Wine & Coffee Lounge has closed at 10th and Pacific in downtown Tacoma.