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Words that come to mind while thinking about Sean Alexander's new drawings at Fulcrum Gallery include funny, sad, inventive and hopeful. Also precise, obsessional, illustrational, folksy and cartoonish. Alexander's drawings are many things. Boring is not one of them. Alexander is no stranger to Tacoma's art scene. He was co-founder of
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Budgeting is no fun. For instance, just the other day Bobble Tiki made the painful decision to only hit the bikini barista stand three days a week on his way in to the office. It's called fiscal responsibility. Saturday, State Sen. Steven Conway and 29th District Rep. Connie Ladenburg will
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There are legends in the world of music - and Nanci Griffith is one of them. Originally from the musical hotbed of Austin, Texas, and a one-time kindergarten teacher, Griffith's "folkabilly" career has spanned decades. Her voice and poignant songwriting have carried her to a level of notoriety and admiration
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OH MY FLIPPIN' GOD, Y'ALL! The taiko drummers of Kodo are coming to town. What?! You say you've never heard of taiko drummers? How do you stand yourself, gaijin? Kodo, the Japanese word for "heartbeat," is also the name of an internationally adored group of four dozen percussionists (and fue and shamisen players) from
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The Northwest Regional Barista Competition - sponsored by the Specialty Coffee Association of America and hosted by Dillanos Roasters - is coming to the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center this weekend. Shot-pulling competitors from Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Idaho and Wyoming - along with a bevy of judges from across the
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In the words of director Jeffrey Painter, Shakespeare's Twelfth Night "celebrate(s) the world turning upside down." It's been produced as an antic farce, and also like Kenneth Branagh's downhearted production. The Evergreen Shakespeare/Animal Fire co-production draws from both ends of the emotional spectrum, and to lovely effect. Yet this Evergreen
Ragnet
In every issue of this fine rag my hack team of wannabe journalists and I tackle some of the most laughable criminal acts that have recently happened in our area. Then - if we're doing our job - we write about those crimes in a way that makes you chuckle,
Military Life
He talks about them like an uncle talks about his favorite nieces and nephews; perhaps that accounts for the mysterious "Uncle Spidey" nickname. He's not a huge guy. He has a quiet intensity about him that seems fitting for an individual who has served in the Marine Corps and has
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Despite the fact that his latest album's called First Blood, Nobunny (aka Justin Champlin) is less Rambo and more rambunctious, capturing on record the same sweaty, libidinous insanity typical of his live shows (where Champlin cavorts around in a freakish bunny mask, American Apparel underwear, stylin' denim jacket and little
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FALL FROM GRACE Saturday, Jan. 29 Fall From Grace is a band that's seen more than most. Even before emerging from the Seattle area music scene - kicking, screaming, thrashing and hand-clapping with the best of them - each member had already overcome odds and dealt with experiences that might have buried
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The Artichoke Project seem like pretty stressed out guys. Their songs are spindly monsters that queasily sprint on by, all blurry and confused limbs in unusual places. I suppose their music is best described as progressive rock, but it seems to lack all of the vacant noodling that is a
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Mosquito Hawk, Olympia's newest supergroup power band is testing the waters this Friday night at McCoy's. With Jerry Zeigler (Fitz of Depression) tearing up drums, Jon Merithew (C Average) ripping guitar, Olivia Love (Black Bettie) belting out vocals and local Phil Heinze pounding bass, this band will no doubt turn
News Front
As Sgt. Whitney Conder walked around the wrestling mat last July, proudly holding the U.S. flag above her head, it was a moment of celebration and fulfillment. Wrestling for the U.S. Pan American Games team in Canada, at 116 pounds, Conder had just won a gold medal, beating her opponent from
Food Matters
GET IT WHILE IT'S HOT >>> Often, when a business closes it's viewed as a negative situation. On the other hand, the closing of Water to Wine, a favorite wine shop in Gig Harbor at the corner of Peacock and North Harborview Drive, may just be one of positive
Music
There was a time when, for fans of indie music, the genre of dance went underground. For the late ‘80s and into the ‘90s, dancing became persona non grata at most aboveground indie shows, due to the massive influx of irony and detachment. It's hard to pin down exactly when
Arts
The difference between what B2 Gallery is calling it's "Pop-Up" shows and its regular shows is 1) the Pop-Ups don't run as long and 2) the art is more reasonably priced. As for the quality of the art, there is little or no difference. The "Pop-Up at B2" running through Sept.
South Sound Cinema
Downtown Tacoma's only nonprofit, independent movie theater is proud to once again announce an annual Back to School admission special during the month of September for students and educators. Throughout the entire month of September, admission to any film screening will cost only $5.50 for K-12 and higher-education students, teachers
Scene It
Like many, I went through a short hookah phase in my late teen years. I recall many nights spent lounging around my buddy's apartment, a big group of friends passing around the hookah hose while discussing the merits of an extended trip to the Amazon. Maybe some reggae playing; maybe
Music
For the longest time, I couldn't have told you why those two W's sitting next to each other in the middle of Slowwave made me feel so uneasy. Something about two W's in cahoots looked to me like dissonance. Then it hit me: Deep sleep is also known as slow-wave
Music
"I suspect we're named after a porno," says Heddie Leonne, the front woman for one of Olympia's wildest and most original acts, Night Fox. "I don't know where the name came from, honestly. Originally we were called Jesus Pieces but then Chonie (Night Fox's beatsmith) demanded we be called Night
