WE SCENE IT >>>

Bobble Tiki dropped in on the Graceland Five show Saturday night at Hell's Kitchen. For those who haven't caught their show, think Elvis backed by a punk band. Graceland Five doesn't give concerts, they perform pageants that make the Macy Thanksgiving Parade seem like little more than a high school band marching through Ruston. It's the Way, the truth and the lighthearted answer to a big, fat, dead, White Trash icon. 

Weekly Volcano photographer Steve Dunkelberger was also in the house. Check it.

LINK: Live music tonight in the South Sound

WE SCENE IT >>>

What started out as an all-age show at The Red Room in downtown Tacoma last night became one of the best examples of why I love the 253. The concert began at 8 p.m. with a scheduled tear down at midnight, but a noise complaint cut the show off at 10 p.m. Instead of slicing set times for the Dead Peasants and The Taxpayers to squeeze in a headlining set for The Fun Police, the show moved into The Fun Police's neighboring practice space. Mighty cool of The Fun Police, who will drop their new album July 9 at D.O.A. on Sixth Avenue.

Dead Peasants

The Taxpayers

The Fun Police's practice space

The Fun Police

LINK: More photos from the show

WE SCENE IT >>>

We dropped by pre-screening party for "A Perfect Life," (which premiers at the STIFF Film Festival Tuesday, June 7) at Doyle's Public House and the Harmon Tap room. Fire dancers, China Davis and Ten Miles of Bad Road entertained.

LINK: See more in the Photo Hot Spot

WE SCENE IT >>>

Weekly Volcano photographer Steve Dunkelberger dropped by the Northwest Convergence Zone's 2nd Anniversary Party at The Firwood Rock Lounge Friday night snapping bands High Noon Horizon, the Hardcount and Perry Acker, as well as some crowd shots.

LINK: See more in our Photo Hot Spot

WE SCENE IT >>>

Weekly Volcano photographer Steve Dunkelberger grabbed some great pictures at Friday's wacky Artifakt show at Hell's Kitchen. Some of the pics are posted on this page. The rest are in our Photo Hot Spot here.

While there was a good mix of dudes and dudettes, we couldn't help but notice most of the guys stayed in the music room ... where the live body painting was going down. Sip, sip, sip off the Pabst can, quick glace toward the nudity, sip, sip, nod the head toward the band, sip, sip, glance at the nudity - it was almost an aerobic activity.

Ignoring the long gaps between acts, and the long line at the booze counter due to the body painting blocking the upper level bar, it was a fun, wacky night.

Body painting in the upper level

Stoned Evergreen Traveler

Friends

Elbow Coulee

Gritty City Sirens

Pioneers West

Cheers!

LINK: Photo Hot Spot for more pics

WE SCENE IT >>>

By 1 a.m. last night, the rowdies and chit-chatters in Tacoma had begun to thin. My night began at before Martyr Machine inside Hell's Kitchen, then progressed to the Gruv Lounge for DJ1, AC/DC tribute band Soul Stripper at the Backstage Bar & Grill and ending with Kry at The Swiss. I came up short on the phone numbers, although I met a charming lass at the Backstage - until her roommate yanked her away for last call down the street. Oh well, enjoy the photos I snapped during my journey.

Martyr Machine at Hell's Kitchen
Gruv Lounge

Soul Stripper at Backstage Bar & Grill

Backstage Bar & Grill

Kry at The Swiss

LINK: More photos from last night

TACOMA, APRIL 9, 2011 >>>

Can you hear it?

Chicka now chicka gna gnow.

Wait, that sounds like porn star opening scene.

Boom bap boom bap ...

Seeing live bands like the ones this post – in all their abstract beauty or brutal frankness – helped reintroduce me to why I dug music so much to begin with. For so many musicians (and some fans) music can be exhausting, all-consuming. But I've discovered music as a vital part of the larger equation, the equation of life, art, love, sex, death, and fancy footwear. Even if a lot of it is just rock 'n' roll, it's all part of something bigger. It depends, I suppose, on how you live your life. It depends on how you listen.

Big Wheel Stunt Show at The New Frontier Lounge

Dudley Taft at Jazzbones

Jeff Ferrel at O'Malley's Irish Pub

The Shivering Denizens at O'Malley's Irish Pub

The Plastards at The Acme Grub Cage

Twink The Wonder Kid at The Acme Grub Cage

LINK: Jump in the game

AND THE AWARD GOES TO >>>

As we previously wrote here, last night was the inaugural Tacoma Metal Awards show, which consumed Hell's Kitchen in downtown Tacoma. Congratulations to Unhailoed who took home the title of Tacoma's hard rocking band. The metal band won by a 170 ballot spread over second place.

Here are a few shots of winning band Unhailoed.

LINK: More shots of the night

LINK: Unhailoed on Facebook

OPENING NIGHT >>>

O'Malley's Irish Pub's inaugural Open Stage Mondays night saw a stack of solid talent and a light crowd. Hosted by the female duo Sevens Revenge, the all-acoustic open mic night witnessed rappers, folk songsters, cover acts - and original artists trying out new stuff. Kyle Dufault just happen to stop by and heard the music. He came in and found himself on stage with a borrowed guitar, smacking it like it owned him money. Toss in the working-class crowd of PBR regulars and casual date-night couples and the scene was set.

Open Stage Mondays runs 8:30-11:30 p.m. every Monday with no cover charge. As an added bonus O'Malley's throws in $3 craft beers and $5 hot wings.

Kyle Dufault was strolling by and found himself on stage.

Robo Repp, Emily Strom and Robbie Wirth

Lisa Brown takes a shot on her birthday as Jesseka Bethke watches.

LINK: More photos of the night

O'Malley's Irish Pub

2403 Sixth Ave., Tacoma
253.383.3144

YES, THIS OPEN MIC IS FOR YOU >>>

Beyond the Bridge Café on Tacoma's Sixth Avenue is the extended living room for musicians and musicians-in-the-making every Friday night during its all-ages open mic. People - ranging from members of the silver haired set to tweenies - read, surf the Net, chat or kick back with a beer or a mug of joe and listen to music strum and holler from the stage.

Open Mic

Fridays, 7-10 p.m., no cover
Beyond the Bridge Café, 2717 Sixth Ave., Tacoma
253.572.9199

Haley Robbins, Ryan Marth, Jared Kalinski, Heidi Hohn, Amie Larson, Peter Larson play Scrabble.

Aaron Sweet and Matt Jahns make up "Crush the Empire."

Mitch Vandenburg

More photos of the Friday open mic are in our Photo Hot Spot.