BLUES NIGHT >>>

Wikipedia says, "Sunday night blues is an acute condition, mostly affecting nine-to-five workers and students."

Wikipedia is full of crap.

Sunday night blues is an awesome condition, mostly affecting a graying crowd of music lovers. For as long as we can remember, The Spar in Old Town Tacoma, with the help of promoter Ted Brown and his crew, has hosted blues bands every Sunday from 7-10 p.m. This past Sunday, the Dana Lupinacci Band commanded the far left corner, inspiring the crowd to tap their feet as they downed bowl after bowl of chowder.

Dave Macord and Jewel McCart shared a dance Sunday night.

This coming Sunday The Spar hosts the "3 Ms" - Jerry Miller, Jay Mabin and Tom Murphy. That's a helluva blues show right there.

LINK: Live music in the South Sound

WE SCENE IT >>>

You told yourself you were going to participate in 2011, and yet you've already gone into hiding.  Oh sure, you bought that home-version bingo game two years ago and had a fascinating conversation with that guy who is sort of already doing the thing you would love to participate in, but that was last year, and you were a bit drunk and so was he.  So here you are just looking at your shoes going, "Hmm, another year and I still don't know squat about Monday Bar Stool Bingo at the gay-friendly Mix in downtown Tacoma." Now 2011 is looking you right square in the Old Navy T-shirt and saying, "All right then, so what have we here? Are you ready to make the best of me and take me out and ply me with wine and shout outs of B-9, G-24 and the glorious BINGO!, or shall the Weekly Volcano just shrug and sigh and watch you wither and whimper and say hey maybe next year for sure?" 

Dude, really?

We sent photographer Steve Dunkelberger to The Mix last night to check out their Monday Bar Stool Bingo night. He discovered the standard bingo game matched with witty banter between host Charles Jaffries and the crowd felt like Thanksgiving dinner at his house. The sea of mostly gay chaps joked around like they were in their own living rooms, the sort of fun a great bar offers.

Bar Stool Bingo

Mondays, 9 p.m., no cover
The Mix, 635 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma
253.383.4327

LINK: More photos in our Photo Hot Spot

A NIGHT OF A THOUSAND SHOTS >>>

Colin Sannes turned the big 40 Friday with an epic time at Puget Sound Pizza, where he normally hosts weekend karaoke and holds court as king of the mic. The kilted wonder received his share of free shots and well wishes. He also got more tackle hugs than a Seahawks wide receiver, one of which left a knot on his head when he took a digger in the parking lot. But that is a story for another time. Imagine, a birthday party for Colin and only one ambulance was called. That is moderation in Tacoma terms.

Colin also hosts the Tacoma Cult Movie Club 7 p.m. every second Sunday and third Monday at the Acme Grub Cage in downtown Tacoma.

LINK: More photos of Colin's party

WE SCENE IT >>>

The Tacoma-based band Voxxy Vallejo played its last gig last night at Cheers West in University Place before taking a few months off to compose and record a new, as yet untitled CD. Expect the new songs to drop in late spring or summer. This will be the band's second album.

"You really don't know how long it is going to take when it comes down to producing," explained lead vocalist Sherrie Voxx Minter between sets at Cheers.

Minter, who many call the "Janis Joplin of Tacoma," performed a high-energy and spirited performance last night, owning every power ballad or classic rock tune she covered. Minter's musical partner, guitarist Gene Vallejo, rocked his six strings like they owed him money. Commanding the skins was the always-cool Markal Harris. Newcomers John Sommer on bass and Paul Coleman on drums rounded out the band. Their addition also prompted the band's hiatus to tap into their creative musical talents.

"We only thought it was fair to bring them in on our previous material," Vallejo said, noting that some of their songs they performed last night will be on the album, while others are still works in progress. "We have enough for two CDs."

LINK: More Voxxy photos in our Photo Hot Spot