Weekend in the 253

You've made it to Friday! Congratulations! Now what are you going to do with your weekend?
Here are a few suggestions from our friends over at the Weekly Volcano.

FRIDAY, MARCH 9: AMOCAT LIVE

Time flies when you're having fun. Or so the saying goes - and fun is definitely one of the many great, hyper-local bits of awesomeness being served every day at Tacoma's Amocat Café, celebrating one year this Friday with the aptly titled, "Amocat Live." Expect an evening full of live music for all ages including John Dolge, Jon Parker, Micaela Cooley, Sam Bogle, Russ Dahler, Gen Obata, and The Collaborators. Best of all, it's free. Plus, the ambiance at Amocat can't be beat. This event is a win for all involved. Stop bye and thank proprietor Morgan Alexander for a year of service to his community.

• Amocat Live, 7 p.m., NC, 625 Saint Helens Ave., Tacoma, 253.242.3370

SATURDAY, MARCH 10: THE BAD PLUS

Everything is jazz. Or damn near everything. As The Bad Plus proves, bald heads and fu Manchu mustaches are pretty freakin' jazzy, too. But let us not trivialize this world-renowned jazz band, hitting Tacoma's Pantages Theater Saturday, as anything but remarkable. There's good reason why Billboard, and subsequently the Broadway Center's website, hypes the band as, "America's most "audacious, rule-breaking jazz trio." It's because all those aforementioned adjectives apply. Plus there's the facial hair. Catch The Bad Plus in Tacoma Saturday taking on Stravinsky's Rite of Spring - a pairing that should make for quite an evening of entertainment.

• Pantages Theater, 7:30 p.m., $24-$56, 901 Broadway, Tacoma, 253.591.5890

SATURDAY, MARCH 10: POETRY OUT LOUD STATE FINALS

In high school, you went to State in pizza eating and acne. It could have been cooler. Saturday, you'll have a chance to see a dozen Washington high school students get a better jump on their lives than the Little Caesar's slogan, "Pizza! Pizza!" ever afforded you, competing in the Poetry Out Loud State Finals. Presented by the Washington State Arts Commission, with support from the National Endowment for the Arts and The Poetry Foundation, Saturday's Poetry Out Loud State Finals will pit winners from seven regional finals held across Washington state in an ultimate throwdown of poetry recital. Along with ultimate statewide bragging rights, competitors will be vying for an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. to participate in the Poetry Out Loud national finals.

• Rialto Theater, 1 p.m., free, 901 Broadway, Tacoma, 253.591.5890

SATURDAY, MARCH 10: AUGUST WILSON'S JITNEY

Playwright August Wilson is best known for his Pittsburgh Cycle - a series of 10 plays each set in a different decade recalling the struggles and comedies of the African American experience in the 20th Century. That's what happens when you win two Pulitzer Prizes for Drama. At 3 p.m., the Broadway Center, Northwest Playwrights Alliance and hosting venue Washington State History Museum bring us a staged reading of Jitney, part of Wilson's Pittsburgh Cycle that centers on a cab driver's station in the late 1970s. Hype on the Broadway Center website describes the play, saying "his character driven performance features sharp-witted, hustling co-workers who gossip, argue and dream in between jobs."

• Washington State History Museum, 3 p.m., $14, 1911 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.272.3500

SUNDAY, MARCH 11: FREE ELECTRONICS RECYCLING

Speaking of how everyone is becoming a major techie, collecting newfangled and ever-fancier gadgets at warp speed, our desk drawers here at Weekly Volcano World Headquarters sure are full of a lot of obsolete pieces unwanted tech - from flip phones to classic Fisher Price Viewmasters. While we're not about to give away the Viewmasters, everything else can go - which is why we'll likely head to Sunday's free electronics recycling event in the parking lot of Tacoma's Champion Centre (1819 E 72^nd St., Tacoma). Organized by the Seattle-based organization Friendly Earth, the goal of Sunday's event is to take as much unwanted tech off the streets as possible, and recycle it instead of letting it rot in the ground or in your desk drawer. Tax write offs will be given to any donated tech, and the list of accepted electronics is substantial, including appliances, metals, computer equipment and components, home and business electronics, batteries and machinery. Sadly, speakers, light bulbs, paints, wood based products and small miscellaneous plastics will not be accepted - making disposing of that pimped out yet unused lizard tank in your closet still difficult.

• Champion Centre - Parking Lot, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., 1819 E 72^nd St., Tacoma

Time for the Weekend in the 253

Don't know about anyone else, but it's been a long week! The Weekly Volcano has put together today's list of 5 Things to Do, and I've found the solution for my overworked brain. Take a look. Happy Weekend!

FRIDAY, DEC. 16, 2011 >>>

1. You can hate on the holidays all you want, but there's no denying they bring a wealth of artful yearly traditions. Tacoma Symphony Chorus' take on "Messiah" in St. Charles Borromeo Church fits this bill. As pre-event hype of tonight's event acknowledges, "Chorus Director Geoffrey Boers always brings a fresh take to Handel's beloved work," and there's no reason to expect this year to be any different. Four vocal soloists - soprano Denise Lees, mezzo-soprano Melissa Plagemann, tenor James Brown and Benjamin Harris - will join Tacoma Symphony Chorus and Orchestra, creating an event that's almost to put the whole family in the spirit. Find more info here.

2. Check out the 'Tis The Season Holiday Benefit Show this afternoon at the Mandolin Café in Tacoma, featuring an awesome collection of musical talent: James Coates, Gina Belliveau, Kurt Lindsay, Nick Sandy, Denny Foreman and Megan Biegalski. The fun is all ages and kicks off at 6 p.m.

3. Have you been to the Crystal Saloon in Enumclaw yet? To be honest, neither have we. But, if anything is going to intrigue us into going it might be DJ Dirty White, who - according to hype - will be spinning rock, hip-hop, top 40 and dance hits all night long. We repeat: DJ Dirty White is in Enumclaw tonight at the Crystal Saloon. That is all.

4. It's a good night for comedy in Tacoma as comedian Andy Woodhull is at the Tacoma Comedy Club and Harold Gomez is at the Grit City Comedy Club.

5. Throw up your devil horns and pound a few beers with I Defy tonight at Hell's Kitchen.

Music, Hair, Passion and Fashion!

There are few things I love more than hair, and one of those things is definitely MUSIC - the most powerful, moving (I believe) form of communication. Music speaks to me at all moments - when I'm sad, I throw on a little Jeff Buckle; when im upset, bring out my Fiona Apple or Rage Against the Machine; when im feeling romantic, nothing is better than a little Chris Isaak; when i want to dance, bring out that Chromeo or Chk Chk Chk!!! There isnt a situation, emotion, or event music cannot express for me.

Right now is an exciting time in music! With an influx of what I'm sad to say are performers and not musicians, we are often presented with only generic, although entertaining and foot tapping, music. I long for depth, meaning, and passion in my music. So from my computer to your eyes, and hopefully to your ears, I will be sharing amazing music i find.And believe me there is a lot out there.

This week my new obsession is PASSION PIT, an electropop band from Cambridge, Massachusetts. Passion Pit formed in 2007 after Michalel Angelakos wrote and performed a solo album - originally a belated valentines gift for his then girlfriend - and was approached by the other four future members. Magic was born.

This is my favorite track from the 2009 album "Manners." It's titled, "The Reeling." ENJOY,  and see you next week with another music post!

"Music is moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and charm and gaiety to life and to everything"

-Plato

A Night of Style at Embellish

If you take the word of this year's Weekly Volcano's Best of 2010, then we hold "kick ass art shows". Well, we've decided to take some of that talent and use it for good. We're going to end our Customer Appreciation Month with a shindig on September 30th in honor of you, the client. What this means is we'll provide the eats, the drinks, the mood lighting and the entertainment and all you have to do is show up. With music provided by one of T-town's local DJs and quick "tips and tricks" tutorials by some of your favorite Daymakers, this is sure to be an awesome night. This will also be an opportunity for you to book appointments with discounts offered only on this night and purchase product at a rate that's unheard of!!

We're sending the invitations to all of you but will only be able to host 30 of you fabulous folks at once so first 30 to RSVP will make it on the list!! Email us or call before it's too late!!

Also....

Vote!!


King 5's Best of Western Washington
Tacoma Weekly's Best of Tacoma


And....

Don't forget to stay tuned to you Facebook, Twitter or Myspace for day to day special deals!!

What An Honor!!

It's always nice to be recognized. All of your favorite Daymakers would like to thank the Weekly Volcano for... well... making our day!!

If you missed the Best of Tacoma 2010 last night at Masa then you missed a good one. Many of Tacoma's finest were honored for their awesome-ness and a large number of well deserved recognition was cleverly delivered by two very lively and entertaining hosts. Tacomans from all over gathered together to give each other a round of applause. Good times were had and warm and fuzzies filled the room as all recipients and spectators basked in the glow of each other's awesome-ness!!

The Weekly Volcano's The Best of Tacoma

What are you doing tonight?!? Well, I hope your answer sounds something like, "Well, I heard there's going to be this awesome thingy going on at Masa today. It's the Weekly Volcano's Best of Tacoma 2010 Premiere Party....."

Why you ask?!? Some of your favorite Tacoma businesses will be honored for their Tacoma-ness (which equals awesome-ness) tonight at 6pm. Come hang with some of your favorite Daymakers and help us cheer on some of ours and your favorites!! We'll see you tonight!!