Spew

5 things to do: Saturday

MICHAEL SWAN: SATURDAY, JUNE 27 >>>

1. The Taste of Tacoma kicks in to full gear today. Try some food on a stick, check out plenty of good entertainment, and pee in a Honey Bucket. What more could you ask for? The Taste goes all day, and info can be found here.

2. Check out Chris Cantrell's Romeo and Juliet in Olympia at the Minnaert Center. Saturday's show starts at 2 p.m. and tickets are $12. Oh, and keep in mind - Romeo and Juliet are both dudes in this staging.

3. While you're in Oly, check out Grouper's all ages show at Northern. The ethereal melodies created by Grouper main force Liz Harris echo within the venues and throughout the albums, finding a thought-provoking path to your brainwaves. The music creates an almost suspenseful air and leaves a listener unsure of how to react to the contradictory combination of the spooky and the beautiful. Show starts at 9 p.m.

4. Dick Dale. Duh.

5. The Swellers, Living With Lions, To New Beginnings, Walk The Plank and Serious Black will be rocking the fuck out of the Viaduct in Taocma. Naturally, it's an all ages show - as every show at the Viaduct is. That's the point. This particular orgy of sonic brutality starts at 7 p.m. and costs $10.

New Thursday night music series

MICHAEL SWAN: ON THE HOUSE THURSDAYS >>>

"The Volcano goes out on Thursdays, why don't you?" asks Doyle's Public House booking agent Jesse Turcotte.

Snug.

Doyle's and the Weekly Volcano present "On The House Thursdays," an early, two-hour music set by local musicians. Every Thursday from 7-9 p.m. musicians will present an intimate, low-key show without a doorman collecting money.

The series kicks off this Thursday with the electric jazz and funk musical styling of guitarist Colby Sander.

The remaining April schedule:

April 9: Romeos un-plugged (acoustic country Americana pop duo)
April 16: Motopony, Daniel Blue solo with Greenfield opening (acoustic psychedelic pop)
April 23: Vicci Martinez (solo acoustic)
April 30: Josh Hegg and Jim Char (gypsy guitar duo)

All shows will be followed by DJ Platelunch from Maui, who will spin a musical segue back to the roots.

[Doyle’s Public House, 208 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma, 253.272.7468]

Music, dinner back at Shakabrah

MICHAEL SWAN: NICE TO HAVE YOU BACK OLD FRIEND >>>

If you’re having trouble finding Shakabrah Java, just follow the tragically bright glow of green and red neon to the source. Neon signage is good only in small Eastern Washington towns and Las Vegas, but once inside this hip coffeehouse, you’ll figure out why this is a great hangout.  This café attracts regulars like UPS students, local business people, and beginning this week — performing musicians!

Yes, music is back at Shakabrah Java. This Friday, 2 Thousand Dollar Puma, Rituals and Head Bands rocks it beginning at 8 p.m. Saturday, AmeriSoul will lay down some drum ‘n’ bass. And singer/songwriter Aaron Spiro will perform every Wednesday.

Also this week, Shakabrah adds dinner service to its all day and night breakfast.

Grab a beer, a glass of wine and welcome back the Shakabrah Java we have known and loved.

[Shakabrah Java, now open until 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, midnight Friday-Saturday, 2618 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.572.2787]

Giant Squid

MATT DRISCOLL: THE BAND IS MASSIVE, AND AT HK TONIGHT >>>

Defined as post-metal by those so inclined to define sounds, Giant Squid’s package is much bigger than simple classifications can prescribe. A sonic and visual full meal deal of ball vibrating, doom spelling force (not to mention the class only a cello can provide), Giant Squid mixes a heavier than healthy power with mind-stretching songwriting and fantastical story telling, and pushes and contorts the established boundaries of music — to full affect.

The result is better felt in your chest than read on paper, trust me.

To read my full article on tonight's Giant Squid show at Hell's Kitchen, click here.

Photo:Myspace

P.R.O.A.C.T.I.V.E. Solution

PAUL SCHRAG: TACOMA COMES TOGETHER TO TALK NIGHTLIFE >>>

A whole mess of folks gathered this week at Tacoma Police headquarters to discuss a thorn that’s been stuck in Tacoma’s side for years. Club owners, bar owners, police, city officials, fire officials, restaurant owners, a few bar patrons, community organizers – all were there to try and figure out how to help nurture Tacoma’s nightlife without ruining the fun for everyone else. They were invited by City of Tacoma Safe and Clean team P.R.O.A.C.T.I.V.E., which hosted the three-hour brainstorming session. By the time they were done, everyone gathered had produced what will likely amount to about 10 or 20 pages of suggestions.

That’s good — because cracking this nut is going to be almost as difficult as typing P.R.O.A.C.T.I.V.E. more than once.

“I’m glad the city is coming around,” says Bob Hill, who represented The Swiss with co-owner Jack McQuade. “I think this was very positive, having everyone communicating.”

Nightclub summit tonight

PAUL SCHRAG: PUT YOUR LOCS ON AND REPRESENT TACOMA CLUBS >>>

It’s about time. After years of batting the idea around, dealing with troublesome nightclubs has risen to become a top priority for Tacoma officials, who will host a meeting tonight from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at, ahem, Tacoma Police headquarters, 3701 S. Pine St. The meeting will vet issues surrounding the sometimes tense co-existence of downtown dwellers and late-night businesses. Currently in the brainstorming stage, new rules and regulations for clubs could include approval of mandatory security plans prior to receiving a business license, background checks and training for security personnel, and applying design standards aimed at maximizing security. If applied, most of the new provisions would be folded into the city’s existing cabaret license.

Local officials also are looking at creating an association of club owners, citizens and city officials — much like the Chamber’s Business Improvement Area — that would encourage businesses and others to work together to deal with this perennial issue. You know, as opposed to just when they’re feeling annoyed.

If you care about nightclubs, nightlife, and helping Tacoma become a 24-hour city, this is the meeting to attend.

See you there.

LINK: Previously in the Weekly Volcano

Photo: McCabe's American Music Cafe/Ron Swarner

Club Impact to close

MICHAEL SWAN: TACOMA ALL-AGES ROCK CLUB TO CLOSE >>>

Derek Smith, the man behind Club Impact, send this little announcement our way.

After 11 years of hosting INCREDIBLE all-ages shows in Tacoma, the legendary Club Impact will be having it's 11 Year Birthday Show/Party on Sat. April 18, and it's Final Show on Sat. April 25th.  We also have shows EVERY Saturday until then so we would absolutely love to see your faces at these events. 

Thank you all very much for your support!  We'd love to hear back from people as to their "experiences" in the past 11 years of Club Impact so we can put together a scrapbook of sorts. 

For the latest info go to www.myspace.com/clubimpact

Oh, good lord!

One step forward...

PAUL SCHRAG: CITY-LED TEAM SET TO TACKLE NIGHTCLUBS NEXT >>>

A group of citizens and city officials are moving forward with plans to clean up troublesome business in Tacoma. The P.R.O.A.C.T.I.V.E. Business Licensing team, part of Tacoma’s Safe and Clean initiative, already has developed a complex provisional license program for landlords who let their properties go to pot, or crack, or mold, or piles of garbage. Next on its list of business classes to clean up is clubs. The amazingly acronymic group will hold a public meeting next Monday, Feb. 9 at Tacoma Police Headquarters to let the people have their say.

Let’s get that monster of an acronym out of the way first. P.R.O.A.C.T.I.V.E. - Providing Resource Opportunities Advocating City of Tacoma’s Ideal Visionary Environment. Translation: city officials are trying to change the perception that responses to troubled businesses are too-often after the fact. They hope to do so by creating city ordinances and programs that will help avert common problems.

Weekly Volcano blast

MICHAEL SWAN: IT'S ON THE STREETS AND INTERWEB TODAY >>>

The green issue
How green is Tacoma? by Erik Hanberg

Time to join the club
Tacoma Police and club owners need to work together to solve problems by Michael Swan

Leader of the resistance
The Pierce County Council's Tim Farrell has a challenge on his hands by Matt Driscoll

Whole lotta nuts
Local nutcracker performances by Tyler Hemstreet

American Troubadour
Tyler Hentschel's Insomniac Folklore hits Le Voyeur by Matt Driscoll

The right stuff... for 1990
Right or wrong, the New Kids on the Block are back by Bobble Tiki

Art Slam
Plus art walk, belly dancing and ugly sweaters by Suzy Stump

Trouble with DeRosa
McCann motors feels DeRosa's wrath by Steph DeRosa

Link: Weekly Volcano online

Sushi at Station 56 (part deux)

MATT DRISCOLL: SECOND TIME’S THE CHARM >>>

In June, I published a small story on the Spew about Station 56 being bought by the folks behind the Jazzbones empire.

Unfortunately, at the time I was wrong. Station 56 had not yet been purchased by Terry Suzuki and Jazzbones.

Today I’m hearing it’s actually official. According to an email I received, the papers on the transaction were signed on October 24th.  The same people that own Jazzbones now own Station 56.

Or so I’m told. I’ve been wrong before.

Either way, it seems that sushi I was promising at Station 56 may actually become a reality someday.