Its Old West saloon style facade and jutting awning are nothing that will ever land it onto some glossy magazine pages extolling the best in Tacoma design. If it weren't for the yellow lettering, you wouldn't notice it at all as your car sails on by.

Well, that place is Buffino's Golden West Restaurant and Lounge. There's nothing surprising or unexpected about the Golden West. It looks on the inside exactly as you would picture it upon viewing the outside. Interesting carpeting, funky smells, low lights, beer signage, pull-tabs and dart machines. It's the sort of neighborhood joint where people just walk in, saddle up to the bar and see what movie is playing on the DVR.

Gailene Donovan shows off the wall of names at Buffino's Golden West Restaurant and Lounge in Tacoma.

A rite of passage - from a casual patron to a "regular" - is the ritual of writing your name on the back of the bar. Yes, you have to ask for the Sharpie by the cash register, but you have to be bold enough to ask for it. Regulars have been writing then names there for decades.

Other draws to the South Tacoma Way watering hole are the $1.75 Rolling Rocks and tasty 100-year-old spaghetti recipe.

Barry Hall tossed down another whiskey at Buffino's Golden West Restaurant and Lounge in Tacoma.

Friday and Saturday nights bring the owner out with his band, the Back Porch Band, to play blues and jazz.

[Buffino's Golden West Restaurant and Lounge, 5228 S. Tacoma Way. Tacoma, 253.471.9892]

LINK: More photos from Buffino's Golden West Restaurant and Lounge

We've come to the point in rock history that there are actually "punk classics," and you know you want to slam a few brewskies, climb on a stage and belt out something - hell, anything - by the Ramones.

This scenario can play out every Thursday and Saturday night at the historic Engine House No. 9 in Tacoma. You pick a tune out of the songbook, host Rev. Colin loads it, you're Joey for three minutes.

Bonus: Rev. Colin possesses a wealth of oddball musical knowledge and a disarming ease for calling everyone "baby."

[Engine House No 9, 10 p.m. Thursday and Saturday, no cover, 611 N. Pine St., Tacoma, 253.272.3435]

SOMETHING TO SING ABOUT >>>

Sorry we didn't hear about this yesterday, but check the repeat button on your smartphone calendar ... for discounted buckets of Full Sail Session Lagers every Wednesday. Hellz yes.

The Loose Wheel Bar and Grill offers a bucket of five Session lagers for $12. That's a good deal.

The sports bar also discounts its wings and prime rib dinner Wednesdays.

Get there early to Loose-en up for the 9 p.m. karaoke.

[The Loose Wheel Bar and Grill, 6108 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.301.1647]

WATCH OUT FOR SHARP OBJECTS >>>

Laid-back is the essence of Sunday. That means a lazy mid-afternoon brunch, no work, phone off the hook, sweats ... you know the routine. The mere thought of lifting a finger to wash the mountain of dishes in the sink should make you shudder. Only as the sun starts to slip down should you attempt any activities. Then, you should hightail it to Dawson's where Tim Hall opens up it.

The Tim Hall Band hosts the Sunday Night blues Jam at Dawson's Bar and Grill on South Tacoma Way. Frontman "Too Tall" Tim Hall is a towering, workingman  blues guitarist who originally rocked it psychedelic with Jerry Miller in the Bay Area during the '60s. Hall switched to the blues after opening for legendary guitarist Albert Collins at an all-ages venue in South Tacoma called The Break Thru. Gigging with Robert Cray and Jho Blenis, and fine-tuning his chops in several blues groups, he eventually found his home under his own name and has been recording albums and playing every clubs in the Pacific Northwest as the Tim Hall Band for the last 25 years.

Warning: Besides awesome rockin' blues, you'll find hot dart league action Sunday nights at Dawson's. Weekly Volcano photographer Steve Dunkelberger thought his flash would be the death of him. Apparently, dart throwers don't enjoy distractions.

Other than that bar faux pas, Sunday nights at Dawson's are filled with blues originals and covers – and tipsy middle-aged folks swaying to the music.

[Dawson's Bar and Grill, Tim Hall Band Open Jam Session, 8 p.m., 5443 South Tacoma Way, Tacoma, 253.476.1421]

LINK: More photos of the open blues jam

WE SCENE IT >>>

Ten Miles of Bad Road and Speed Kills Bears drummer Justin Hosea turned 30, which may be too old for Madonna and Demi Moore, but old enough to have burlesque dancers at his birthday party last night at The New Frontier Lounge. As part of the festivities Hosea was treated to performances by Tacoma burlesque dancers Moonshine Molly Minski, Pistolita and Heather Hostility. When the tassels weren't twirling, Hosea's bands rocked the joint.

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

WE SCENE IT >>>

Every week in the print version of the Weekly Volcano, right below our awesome crime column Ragnet, we predict the outcome of local events for the week ahead. Titled "Punching Up The Future," our predictions are compared with predictions by Zoltar, the mechanical fortuneteller. Zoltar always nails the outcomes of the events. We, on the other hand, suck at it – correctly predicting only 8 to 16 percent of what happens at the events.

In this week's issue, we tackled Weekly Volcano photographer Steve Dunkelberger's birthday bash at Jazzbones. We wrote,

It's the hottest party of the year, bitches!The one and only Steve Dunkelberger - photographer, journalist, Tacoma icon, geocaching nut - only has one birthday a year, and this Friday at Jazzbones he'll be celebrating 2011's rendition. Expect music from Deborah Page, the Dignitaries, Voxxy Vallejo and China Davis - with proceeds generated from the $7 cover benefiting AAUW, Emergency Food Lifeline, Tacoma Art Place and YWCA. Why? Because that's the kind of solid dude Steve Dunkelberger is.

PREDICTION: What happens at a Steve Dunkelberger birthday party, stays at a Steve Dunkelberger birthday party ... unless Steve Dunkelberger takes pictures and we post them on our website.

Again, our prediction sucked. Dunkelberger didn't take pictures, which also means he didn't post them to our website.

However, his friend, Abby Hooyer, did take photos.

What the hell, we'll post them below. We'll also stay true to keeping what happened at the bash a secret ... BUT we'll tell you the after party at Puget Sound Pizza was a karaoke-licious booze fest. Karaoke host Rev. Colin, sporting a Christmas sweater, kept the mic occupied throughout the night, which was impressive considering the amount of booze being downed. Singing highlights include Voxxy belting out Led Zeppelin, Doug Mackey nailing the Beatles and Cody Jones singing Neil Diamond's "Cracklin' Rosie" as if he toured as an Diamond impersonator. Steve, although taking on the roll as designated driver, danced wildly before the singers.

We're happy to report, after the last drink was downed and the numbers were tallied, Dunkelberger raise $1,200 toward his designated charities.

Nice work Steve.

Emcees Doug Mackey and Pretty Boy Sean Culver

The Dignitaries

China Davis

Voxxy Vallejo

Fire dancers!

Deborah Page

LINK: Steve's photographic handiwork can be seen in our Photo Hot Spot

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'RE HEAR TO HELP >>>

Since we know how much you love free stuff - and getting your drink on - we thought you may want to know about the Surreal Ultra Lounge's B.O.G.O. night. No, it's not about bagging girls. It's buy one, get one night. Specially, drinks.

Tuesdays, the downtown Tacoma dance club serves two drinks for the price of one from 9:02 p.m. till 11:02 p.m. They also discount their pool tables.

Yes, the bagging the girl thing would have been exciting. Take it up with the club Sporto.

[Surreal Ultra Lounge, 728 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.722.5489]

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 >>>

Encore Boutique Nightclub in downtown Tacoma hosted Playboy's Ring Card Contest featuring Tacoma's Playmate and former St. Pauli Girl Stacy Fusion as a judge Friday night. The top ladies moved on to last night's EQC Battle at the Boat: 82 where one lucky girl was chosen be a ring card girl at a fight this summer at the world famous Playboy Mansion in California and a chance to be featured in Playboy Magazine.

LINK: See more in our Photo Hot Spot