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

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

HOT TIME IN THE OLD SWISS LAST NIGHT >>>

On the 10th day of Christmas my true love gave to me ... a night of burlesque. And by "true love" I mean "my wife." She stayed home with the child so I could check out the official debut of the Tacoma burlesque troupe, Gritty City Sirens. Ava D'Jor, Tizzy Van Tassel, Rosie Cheexx, Funny Face Fanny and Polly Puckerup combated the cold weather with a hot show last night in front of a packed - and I do mean push, shove and wiggle your way through - mass of people.

The creative and beautiful women stripped through self-choreographed sets down to skivvies, stockings and pasties. The crowd loved it, and so did the performers.

I posted a few photos in our Photo Hot Spot.

WE SCENE IT >>>

Anyone who remembers Drake's from back in the day will enjoy the Firwood Rock Lounge, the new club that now commands the Drake's spot at 734 Pacific Avenue in downtown Tacoma. Drake's circa 2000 was the skanky dance club complete with thunderously loud music, strong drinks that were over served and fights every 15 minutes or so. It eventually went the way of the Dodo bird and shut its doors to sit vacant for a few years. In its place the Firwood is cleaner, less skanky and more enjoyable. The 50-or-so member crowd for the Shifter show last Friday was mixed but mostly graying hair retreads out for a night of rock covers and whiskey sours. But there were a good share of hot bodies out for girls' night out fun.

Su Hong mixed the drinks.

Britney Anderson and Renae Kimball give girlie hugs

LINK: More photos in our Photo Hot Spot

WE DROPPED IN ON LATIN NIGHT >>>

Vanity, the new club to take over the former warehouse turned night spot near the corner of South Tacoma Way and 56th Street, was hopping Saturday night. DJ Mauro has found a new home for his Saturday Latin Night, which spews salsa and Mexi-pop dance music to above-average dancers. The mixed age and ethnic crowd was a constant flow of dancing and chatting over wells and fries. The VIP ($10 bracelets buys access and $5 drinks all night) balcony was empty, largely because the dance floor was full.

LINK: More Vanity photos in our Photo Hot Spot

THIS IS HOW THEY ROCK IT AT ROCK THE DOCK >>>

Last Wednesday, I dropped in on Rock The Dock Pub & Grill's new Old School College Wednesdays with DJ Contagious. And while I wouldn't call it a meat market, and only a few people danced to the dance hits from years past, I still had a rockin' good time. Reps from Snake River Stampede Whiskey were on hand to showcase its new distilled goodness. And tight-jeaned 20somethings in tank tops had to stretch over the pool table to "make the shot."

An added bonus was trading shots and laughs with bar owner Gwendolyn Stence. She said that Tacoma's music scene makers gather there Thursday nights for the open mic.

Oh, and the best part, was carpenter Zachary Tippett's challenging his boss, Jeff Larsen, to dive into the 34 degree neighboring Foss Waterway. Here's a photomontage of how that went down"

The Challenge pregame show

The Challenge throwdown

The Challenge is accepted. Larsen shattered his hand in a fight a week ago.

The Challenge hug

The Challenge paceoff

The Challenge dive!

The Challenge dismount

The Challenge shrinkage

LINK: More photos of the night in our Photo Hot Spot

THE KINGS OF TACOMA NIGHTCLUBS ARE AT IT AGAIN >>>

Jon Tartaglia and Roger S. Rahil, the forces behind popular downtown Tacoma nightclubs The Loft, 21 Commerce, Big Whisky Saloon and countless others, opened their new venture last Friday in the site formerly occupied by The Vault at 1025 Pacific Ave. Designed by award-winning architect Marcelo Rocha, the swanky Encore Boutique Nightclub offers modern elements, mood lighting, leather seating, a state-of-the-art-sound system, European bottle service, private restrooms, and private champagne couches roped off by black velvet ropes and guards in ties for those clubbers willing to pay extra ($350) to ensure they always have fresh drinks and places to sit.

The Weekly Volcano dropped on Encore's grand opening party last Friday. Surrounded by cocktail dresses and men with collars and sport coats, we attached a clip-on and snapped a few shots.

Encore Boutique Nightclub

1025 Pacific Ave., Tacoma
206.335.9139

LINK: More Encore photos here

UNDER THE LIGHTS >>>

The Hype: Thanks to Calvin Murphy, the South Sound has danced its ass off for the last 11 years. Murphy's DJ conglomerate Ocean Grooves produced many popular DJ shows and weekly series over the years, including its initial series at Tacoma's 6th & Proctor Bar & Grill in 1999 featuring regulars Donald Glaude, Omar and dAb. Last night, Murphy launched a whole new venture as manager of Jason Rim's new Gruv Lounge and Nightclub - in the same spot once occupied by the 6th & Proctor B&G, as well as the more popular Hell's Kitchen. Besides booking and running the show, Rim allowed Murphy to design the club - the DJ booth, lighting, video screens and color schemes. To give Gruv's grand opening an extra boost, Murphy hosted his annual Ocean Grooves Halloween Bash in the joint featuring Los Angeles DJ Uberzone and local DJs dAb, Jason Diamond and Mr. Clean. Read more on the new club here.

The Show: Based on last night's grand opening don't expect lots of v-neck-t-shirt-wearing guys doing that up-and-down motion with their arms in appreciation of the music, and perfectly groomed and tanned girls dancing in circles around their purses as that drunk girl high-fives the DJ for playing "Fantasy" by Mariah Carey while she sucks on a rock-candy ring. Instead, a very unpretentious crowd danced, chatted and drank – when they weren't hugging Murphy saying, "It's about time you brought this to Tacoma." The DJs riled up the crowd with fearsome house music and boogie-man beats while Murphy's LED lights constantly changed the interior colors of the club. Oh, and local artist James Allan Tucker's mural in the dance room is very cool. The Weekly Volcano Meat Market correspondent Brett Cihon was in the house. Look for his review in next week's rag.

The Crowd: A large crowd including curious local DJs scoping out the place, plus Bert and Ernie, Spock, Ron Burgundy, Mr. Heatmiser, Iron Man, cats, and a bunch of scary guys.

Overheard: "Man, I should've gotten stoned for this!"

By The Way: Donald Glaude, DJ dAb and Omar will spin Saturday, Nov. 6 at the Gruv.

LINK: More Gruv photos in our Photo Hot Spot

SAX ON A SATURDAY NIGHT >>>

SAX Restaurant and Lounge slaps a big ol' FUZION logo on their Saturday nights, hosting three DJs spinning Top-40, some house and hip-hop. They toss in "The FUZION Girls" and their ridiculous furry boots, Jell-O shots and drink specials bringing in a crowd more concerned about dancing, hooking up and having a great time than frontin'. It's a diverse crowd, which included the gay community and one grandmother this past Saturday.

DJ Mike Yoda and guests will spin during The FUZION Oct. 30 Halloween Party, which includes a costume contest with $500 in prizes, and no doubt more ridiculous boots worn by the FUZION chicks.

FUZION

Saturdays, 9 p.m., $5 cover after 10 p.m.
SAX Restaurant and Lounge
2309 Sixth Ave., Tacoma
253.572.0588.

LINK: More photos of last Saturday's FUZION

ON THE SCENE >>>  

The Weekly Volcano dropped in on the Tacoma Comedy Club's soft opening this weekend. The club - embedded in Malarkey's Pool & Brew club at Sixth and Tacoma Avenue - nearly sold out three shows this past weekend, and already booked some 100 tickets for its grand opening this coming weekend. That fact doesn't surprise me. The joint looks like a dedicated comedy club space. Tables ring the stage and all seats are good. The waitresses are attractive, efficient and Johnny on the spot - all makings of a good club

Oh, and the comedians were funny.

Mike Agostini

Xung Lam emceed the opening weekend with my former history teacher, Mike Agostini warming up the crowd for Kane Holloway and Sean Anderson headlining. All comedians are known commodities around here, with Holloway and Anderson also pulling double duty for the upcoming film, Jesus4Less.

This weekend, The Tacoma Comedy Club will host Collin Moulton's fast paced mix of clever stand-up and physical comedy straight from his appearance on Comedy Central's "Best of" series.

LINK: Previously on our sister blog, Spew