Spew

Sensational metal

PAUL SCHRAG: BENEFIT FOR BRIAN REDMAN >>>

Metal has evolved. Apparently there are enough enraged teens to have catapulted a full on pop phenomenon, with new metal bands emerging daily.

And, forgive me, most of them suck. Instrumentation is sloppy, riffs are tired and repetitive, and grooves are barren. Even the rage, the heart of it all, seems staged.

But there is hope. And you can find it on a tour of new work by Vancouver, B.C.'s 3 Inches of Blood, a Tacoma staple and one of the best things to happen to metal in a long while.

With a show tonight at Hell’s Kitchen, and the recent tragic loss of former 3 Inches bass player Brian Redman, the time to appreciate this band has never been better. 3 Inches of Blood are tight, brutal and as on-point as ever.

Redman, wherever he is, must be proud.

[Hell’s Kitchen, with The Jet City Fix, Glimpse, Monuments Collide, Saturday, Nov. 7, 9 p.m., $10 suggested donation goes to the family of Brian Redman, 3829 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.759.6003] 

5 Things To Do: Friday

MICHAEL SWAN: FRIDAY, NOV. 6, 2009 >>>

1. The Save The Children benefit concert for Darfur featuring Josh Rizeberg (pictured), Interstate Trio, Alexander The Great, J. Bre, Little Horses and Speakeasy begins at 7 p.m. inside the Wheelock Student Center on the University of Puget Sound campus.

2. Lakewold Gardens’ Beautiful Tables Showcase showcases 30 table decorators from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

3. Tacoma Opera presents The Daughter of the Regiment by Gaetano Donizetti — sung in French with English dialogue and projected English translation — at 8 p.m. inside the Rialto Theater.

4. The Olympia Film Festival begins its nine-day run at the Capitol Theater with a 6 p.m. Opening Night Gala featuring the typical street performance followed by the film Nothing Lasts Forever with its director and Saturday Night Live alum Tom Schiller in the house for a Q&A and capped with a DJ dance party.

5. Weight of the World and VIII Days Clean performs an all-ages metal show at 8 p.m. inside The Liberty Theater in Puyallup.

LINK: Live music and DJs in the South Sound

LINK: Local movie starting times

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

Joeseppi's has a heart, what your beer says about you

RON SWARNER: FOOD MATTERS >>>

US Too Fundraiser: Joeseppi’s Italian Restaurant in Tacoma will donate 25 percent of its profits during its 4-8 p.m. dinner hour tonight to fight prostate cancer.

Half-price Wine: Tentwentytwo South and Maxwell’s Speakeasy offer discounted bottles of wine tonight.

Tightwad Tuesdays: It’s about $2 tacos, $2 beers, and $2 wells at Hell’s Kitchen tonight.

Plan Ahead: Classically-trained French Chef Thierry Liot teaches French Holiday Cuisine Tuesday, Nov. 24 at 6 p.m. inside the Bayview School of Cooking in Olympia. The class costs $45. Reserve your spot at 360.754.1448.

Food For Thought: What your taste in beer says about you.

LINK: Weekly Volcano’s Eat & Drink section

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

LINK: South Sound Happy Hours

LINK: Wine and beer tastings

5 Things To Do: Monday

MICHAEL SWAN: MONDAY, OCT. 26, 2009 >>>

1. Jazzbones will host a special edition of Monday night Rockaroake, complete with a costume contest at 9 p.m.

2. City Club of Tacoma, an organization committed to public dialogue and discussion, hosts a debate on Ref. 71 open to the public at 5:30 p.m. inside the Rausch Auditorium at the University of Puget Sound.

3. The Crown Bar celebrates its second anniversary from 7-9:30 p.m. with food and drink specials and music by the Crown Bar House Trio for $30 a person to benefit the Culinary Arts Students at Clover Park Technical College.

4. The BareFoot Collective’s 8@8 provides a platform for artists to show their work in an informal setting and to participate in an audience to artist constructive feedback session, which begins at 8 p.m. inside the Merlino Arts Center.

5. New Frontier Lounge hosts Rebel Monday/Industry Night with DJ Jason Diamond spinning roots reggae at 9 p.m.

LINK: Live music and DJs in the South Sound

LINK: Local movie starting times

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

About last night ...

RON SWARNER: GOOD TIMES >>>

Sometimes, when I'm really tired, and the couch is calling, is when I have the most fun in Tacoma. Here are eight things I ran into last night.

Pearl Django kicked off Maxwell’s Speakeasy new Saturday night live music series. The gypsy jazz band fit like a glove in Maxwell’s upscale speakeasy environment. Next Saturday Jazz trumpeter Lance Buller and crew will entertain.

Speaking of speakeasy, the Speakeasy Arts Cooperative in Tacoma hosted an Art Door Auction to benefit Tacoma Art Place.  A broken toed Alan Gorsuch, co-owner of Sanford and Son Antiques, auctioned off all 13 doors. There’s good energy in this downtown Tacoma artist co-op space. Keep your eye here for future events.

The Rollin’ Hots hotdog truck parked outside of the Speakeasy Arts Cooperative serving tasty wieners with a sense of humor. The hilarious owners Kelly and Carrie will come to your event. Send them an email at rollinhots@gmail.com.

Someone asked me what was the reason for the large crowd at The New Frontier Lounge. I pointed to the two guys on stage. Mr. Fusion — original acoustic music by longtime songwriting partners Joe Izenman and Erich Sachs — has a huge following for a good reason: They’re talented.

Ryan Purcell and the Last Round reminds me of Paul Westerberg’s The Replacements with an added Kenny Loggins feel … something. I don’t know. I do know this band equals a fun night. They followed Mr. Fusion at the New Frontier.

Renee Timmer moved like lighting when drumsticks were thrown.

Higher Vibes saxophonist Brett Cummings didn’t have a reason to pretend shoot lead singer Zach Lujan while on Jazzbones’ stage. The joint was packed.

I found The Trampires mascot sweet pea hanging out at the Tentwentytwo South lounge past midnight. He was still out for blood after the Femme Fianna won the Dockyard Derby Dames 2009 Championship Bout earlier in the evening.

5 Things To Do: Saturday

MICHAEL SWAN: SATURDAY, OCT. 24, 2009 >>>

1. Tacoma Symphony Orchestra Opening Concert featuring Bernstein’s “West Side Story Dances,” Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue,” Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man” and Dvorak’s “From the New World” with Andrew Armstrong on the piano, at 7:30 p.m. inside the Pantages Theater.

2. The AIDS Housing Association of Tacoma hosts its 2nd Annual Halloween Ball and Auction at 6 p.m. inside the Temple Theater. This year’s event is called “Thriller.”

3. Walk behind the scenes in an old ballet studio and see what kind of chills, thrills, and arabesques lurk as Tacoma City Ballet dancers are joined by the Bare Foot Collective — and maybe a couple of ghouls and goblins — in an interactive experience titled “The Haunted Theatre: Backstage Tour and Eerie Dances” at 2, 4 and 5:30 p.m. at The Merlino Art Center.

4. Ghost stories from past centuries will be told around a roaring bonfire from 7-9 p.m. as part of “Bonfires, Beaver Pelts & Bogeymen” at the Fort Nisqually Living History Museum.

5. Yeah, right. It's a tie: "Curtains," "A Streetcar Named Desire," Reaper Ride, Art Door Auction, Fang, "The Woman In Black," "Lend Me a Tenor" and more.

LINK: Live music and DJs in the South Sound

LINK: Local movie starting times

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

5 Things To Do: Friday

MICHAEL SWAN: FRIDAY, OCT. 23, 2009 >>>

1. 
The Vile Red Falcons CD Release Party with The Fuzz and The Legend Of Bigfoot begins at 9 p.m. inside The New Frontier Lounge.

2. A free, three-hour bus tour of the Port of Tacoma will depart the South Hill Park-and-Ride at 9 a.m.

3. Walk behind the scenes in an old ballet studio and see what kind of chills, thrills, and arabesques lurk as Tacoma City Ballet dancers are joined by the Bare Foot Collective — and maybe a couple of ghouls and goblins — in an interactive experience titled “The Haunted Theatre: Backstage Tour and Eerie Dances” at 2, 4 and 5:30 p.m. at The Merlino Art Center.

4. Ghost stories from past centuries will be told around a roaring bonfire from 7-9 p.m. as part of “Bonfires, Beaver Pelts & Bogeymen” at the Fort Nisqually Living History Museum.

5. The Going Green at The Mix — Approve 71 Fundraiser begins at 8 p.m. inside The Mix.

LINK: Live music and DJs in the South Sound

LINK: Local movie starting times

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

Art Door Auction Saturday

SUZY STUMP: NEW SPEAKEASY HOSTS BENEFIT FOR TACOMA ART PLACE >>>

At the Art Door Auction benefiting Tacoma Art Place Saturday it’s unlikely you’ll find steel doors with signs reading “Liquid Chromatography Procedures” or “E. coli ORFmers.” Scientists would rather recreate the thermodynamic conditions of planetary interiors using a diamond anvil cell than donate to art auctions. It’s the way the world works.

What you will most likely find Saturday at the new Speakeasy Arts Cooperative are doors adorned with cartoon characters, poetry, vibrant scenes and the proverbial barrel full of monkeys.

Auction organizer and Speakeasy director Angela Jossy has asked local artists to paint, design or craft real house doors to be auctioned off, with half of the profits paid to the artist and half to Hilltop community arts center Tacoma Art Place.

“Last year every last door sold during the auction and the bidding was lively and exciting! The proceeds last year completely paid for the expenses of Glassroots Festival,” explains Jossy. “Even now people tell me how much they cherish their art door and how many compliments they get on it.”

The party will kickoff with the auction at 8 p.m. Alan Gorsuch, owner of Sanford and Son, will serve as auctioneer. There are approximately 14 art doors (more keep popping up every day) created by some of Tacoma's favorite local artists: Ellen Miffit, Matt Ecklund, Yvette Simone, Doug Hudak and Maree McRae. After the auction, a party celebrating the new Speakeasy space, as well as Halloween, will kick it with DJs Linda, Matt and Kevin, plus food and drinks.

"I can't thank enough ReHarvest Center for donating the doors, and Alan and Cheryl of Sanford and Son for running the auction," adds Jossy.

If a door with a barrel of monkeys painted on it comes up for bid, either get out your checkbook or get out of my way. It may be a charity event, but I have a 6-year-old niece. After giving her my old Risk game set last Christmas, I need to score some major points with her parents.

[Speakeasy Arts Cooperative, Saturday, Oct. 24, 8 p.m., no cover, bring your checkbook for auction, 746 Broadway, Tacoma, 253.426.5704]

LINK: Speakeasy Arts Cooperative background

LINK: Upcoming Speakeasy events

Photo by Paul Uhl

5 Things To Do: Monday

MICHAEL SWAN: MONDAY, OCT. 12, 2009 >>>          

1. The Tacoma Cult Film Club heads back inside the Acme Grub Cage at 7 p.m. for films featuring Coffin Joe, the ‘60s Brazilian icon of horror from plus usual shorts, trailers, and a raffle.

2. Dine at Joeseppi's Italian Ristorante from 4-8 p.m. and 25 percent of your bill will go to the Hospitality Kitchen, which provides 1,300 meals a day to homeless men, women and children.

3. The Washington Center offers a free film screening of master choreographer Paul Taylor's 
DANCEMAKER at 7 p.m. followed by a post-film Q&A with some of the 
Paul Taylor Dance Company.

4. LAKE, Karl Blau and Allan Boothe will play an all-ages show at 7 p.m. inside The Den at urbanXchange.

5. Little Bill & The Bluenotes drop by The Swiss for an 8 p.m. free show.

LINK: Live music and DJs in the South Sound

LINK: Local movie starting times

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

Tempest to go all ages

RON SWARNER: TODAY IN TEMPEST LOUNGE >>>

The liquor board sent Denise Tempest and Michelle Douglas the official letter. Their Tempest Lounge has been given the green light to be an all-ages spot — as soon as the two owners build the barrier in front of the bar.

In other Tempest news, their benefit Sunday for Ref. 71 raised $7,773. Not bad. They built a stage for the occasion for the musical stylings of Evan Purcell and The Kim Archer Band. A bigger stage is in the works next summer.

Here are a couple of pics from the benefit show:

By the way, it’s iPod Tuesday at the Tempest.

[Tempest Lounge, 913 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Tacoma, 253.272.4904]