Sure, you like beer - but have you ever worn it? Wrapped your entire being in it and then spent a day in a warehouse devoted to it? That's what the South Sound's most dedicated beer enthusiasts did at the Big Beer Festival, held at the Foss Waterway Seaport yesterday. Set in a more intimate environ that its larger summer Tacoma Craft Beer Festival counterpart, 20 small breweries poured 5.5-ounce shots of beers that contained a minimum of 6 percent alcohol by volume to 1,500 beer drinkers. By all accounts, it's was a success.
Pacific Northwest rockers and Ripple Music recording artist Cody Foster Army has a 42-page, independently released comic book chronicling the band's superhero alter ego and its exploits in the City of Destiny titled Cody Foster Army and the Smelter's Curse.
Penned and illustrated by fellow musician Potter - who performed in the '90s band Poppa Wheelie with C.F.A. bassist/singer Cody Foster - captures the band on a comedic sci-fi superhero adventure through destruction where bravery and overcoming selfishness is its only hope for survival.
The book was written and illustrated by Tacoma artist and author Potter who will lead the band through two more adventures down the road.
The Weekly Volcano will post a panel from the comic book every Thursday on this website, as well as in our print edition distributed throughout greater Tacoma and Olympia area.
Cody Foster Army and the Smelter's Curse is available for the Android and iPad at Indy Planet Digital for $1.99. Indy Planet also offers a print version.
indyplanet.com/digital/index.php?manufacturers_id=12716
Or order a print copy directly from Indy Planet Sent to your door for $6.50 plus shipping:
indyplanet.com/store/index.php?manufacturers_id=12716
A number of limited edition, signed and numbered copies will be available through the band or at:
Rocket Records, 3843 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.765.5186
Poison Apple, 907 Pacific Ave, Tacoma
BZ Productions hosted a Mardi Gras Costume Contest, complete with full-on bead craving hotties, Friday, Feb. 8 at Jazzbones in Tacoma. With $100 for best the best Mardi Gras outfit on the line, BZ asked the Jazzbones crowd to stay away from the trashy look. It got trashy. Fast. - Steve Dunkelberger
Kim Archer Band performed Friday, Feb. 8 at Jazzbones in Tacoma. The band brought its signature soul and energy to the stage with a tight set of classic R&B covers. - Steve Dunkelberger
I dropped in on The Front featuring RJ Medeiros playing at Rock the Dock Pub & Grill Friday, Feb. 8. The band brought out the power ballads for a mix of over 50 rockers and those who love them. The jam proved that age is just a number - some of those folks can cut a rug with the best of them ... even if that rug is covering their scalps. ??" Steve Dunkelberger
I dropped in on C.I. Shenanigans along the Ruston Way waterfront Friday, Feb. 8. Gina Belliveau and Cottonwood Cutups were in the Fireplace Room, performing before date couples, families and old dudes snapping their fingers to the down beat. A kid or two played games on cell phones as the music blasted the room. Belliveau packed a lot of power into a spritely frame while Cottonwood did ... well, what Cottonwood does ... brought the thunder. - Steve Dunkelberger
BZ Productions knows how to throw a party, if the definition of party includes booze, fist pumping, short skirts and low necklines. BZ hosted a "Naughty or Nerd" contest Friday, Jan. 25 at Jazzbones in Tacoma. One hundred dollars was the prize money. Suffice to say, the audience cheered loudest for one naughty nerd because ... well, the beauty had blouse issues. Photography by Steve Dunkelberger.
Cartoonist's League of Absurd Washingtonians, or C.L.A.W., held its ultra secret "Great Yearly Ceremony" at the Knights of the Pythias Temple in downtown Tacoma Monday, Jan. 21. The purpose behind the ceremony was a departing of its Eyes (officers) and the installation of its new Eyes, as well as the â??Remembrance of the Declawed.â?? During the ceremony the members praised the robot Overlords through songs and rites.
Oh, there was booze and funny hats. And of course, cake. There is always room for cake.
To learn more about CLAW, check out its website. Be afraid. Be very afraid. The members have children. ??" Steve Dunkelberger
Jeanne Hopkins, the singer and songwriter better known as simply Jeanlizabeth, plays host to an open mic every Sunday night at Steilacoom Pub and Grill. The night has become a playground for musicians to tinker and receive feedback from their peers. It's almost a guarantee to hear a mix of punk rock songs on a ukulele, indie covers and folk originals every Sunday. In addition to the talent, the Steilacoom Pub open mic will occasionally be blessed with a random drunk strummer or sheet music reader making it one of the more entertaining music nights in the South Sound. Photography by Steve Dunkelberger
Lady Gaga's Born This Way Ball Tour arrived at the Tacoma Dome Monday, Jan. 14 and with it, the debut of the Born Brave Bus tour. Hours before the concert, hundreds of fans thronged two tents adjacent to the colorful bus where they played games, made videos, and learned about social services. Photography by Paul Murray/Murray Photos
The Weekly Volcano dropped in on the Saturday hip-hop night at the Backstage Bar & Grill in Tacoma. Photography by Steve Dunkleberger
Remember back in the day when you were in your first apartment and spent a memorable Saturday night with your friends just blaring the record player and singing along to random selections from your album collection? Toss in a pitcher of PBR and extreme lighting and that is karaoke at Bob's Java Jive. Sunday through Tuesday nights has Nikki Weatherhead on the mic. The spunky Tacoman never seems to lake energy or a smile even if the sign up sheet is less than full. Monday, Jan. 7 brought Tacoma filmmaker and all around hipster G.W. Welsh to the mic to celebrate his birthday. It was a good time. Photography by Steve Dunkelberger
Weekly Volcano fired up its Electric Salchow Stage Saturday, Jan. 5, hosting local rock band SweetKiss Momma for a night of Southern rock and couples skates. That's right. Besides rocking the Franciscan Polar Plaza louder than the previous five bands, SweetKiss Momma called for two couples skates, one funky skate and actually reversed the flow of the skaters during its two-hour set at the downtown Tacoma ice rink.
Bandito Betty Lou Who isn't a huge fan of jingtinglers, floofloovers, trumtookas, blumbloopas and the other wack musical instruments her fellow Whos bang during the holiday season. Every two years she gets the hell out of Whoville and spends the holiday season in the South Sound. She returned to Tacoma during December 2012 and leaped at businesses and venues that opened within the past year. The Weekly Volcano secretly tracked her. Read the adventures here: http://bit.ly/Ur6Zgw
The World's Shortest Parade, hula hoopers, giant puppets, fire, freaky clowns, musicians and impromptu performers invaded downtown Tacoma Monday night to ring in 2013 during First Night. Photography by Steve Dunkelberger
The Brotherhood Lounge in downtown Olympia celebrated its 10th anniversary with a huge bash Sunday, Dec. 23. Packed from the door to the back patio, the Broho was one giant hug. Owner Pit Kwiecinski provided free pizza. And Scorpions and The Cure tribute bands rocked it.
Champagne Sunday performed live Saturday, Dec. 15 on the Weekly Volcano's Electric Salchow Stage inside the Franciscan Polar Plaza ice rink in Downtown Tacoma.
"Oh Happy Day." This was the song pianist Steve Smith performed to begin the wedding of John McCluskey and Rudy Henry the afternoon of Saturday, Dec. 15 at First United Methodist Church in Tacoma. And Oh what a happy day it was. Complete with friends, dignitaries and the press. After being a couple for nearly 53 years, McCluskey, 76, and Henry, 78, were first in line to receive a marriage license in Pierce County Thursday, Dec. 6. Marriage licenses became available that day after state Referendum 74 was certified. Rev. David Alger and Mayor Marilyn Strickland officiated the ceremony. Photography by Ron Swarner
Tacomans came out to support one of their own Sunday night at The New Frontier Lounge. Bands played, henna ink got squeezed, fortunes were told and swag was auctioned off to benefit Euphoria Marie Sorensen, who was struck by a truck while crossing the street in October. She sustained several injuries including many broken ribs and a broken arm and had to have her right lung removed. She remains at the hospitalized and is still in serious condition. The benefit helped raise dollars to help pay for her medical care and living expenses during the long road ahead.
There is a website for anyone wishing to make financial donations. The site is gofundme.com. Once you do you can type in Euphoria Marie Sorensen in their search engine and it will show up. There are also links to it on her Facebook page. Photography by Steve Dunkelberger
Kim Archer performed live Saturday, Dec. 8 on the Weekly Volcano's Electric Salchow Stage inside the Franciscan Polar Plaza ice rink in Downtown Tacoma.
