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 >>>

Remember when there used to be go-go dancers instead of come-come dancers? No, we're not talking about Circus Circus. We're spitting out all these doubles because there's something seriously wrong wrong with our head after Encore Boutique Nightclub's go-go dancer competition Friday. Our concentration hasn't been the same. "The Beautiful People" swarmed the dance floor, VIP lounges and, well, every nook and cranny.

LINK: More photos of the night

ONE WAY TO GET YOUR DRINK ON >>>

Remember five years ago when the media were predicting the rise of white trash culture? Well, that was before the real estate crash, which forced some of us to live in trailer parks, not joke about them. So perhaps the whole white trash chic just hits too close to home these days.

The Backstage Bar & Grill has given this market a home. Every Monday night, while DJ Lo spins Top 40, the Sixth Avenue rock club offers $5 40-ounce PBRs, $2 wells, $3 domestic pitchers, $1 Hamm's drafts, $2 mac and cheese and $5.95 steak dinners under the banner White Trash Mondays.

Backstage Bar & Grill

6409 Sixth Ave., Tacoma

LINK: Maybe you'll see these people there tonight

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

TUESDAY NIGHT TEAM TRIVIA >>>

At a typical trivia night one sits around drinking beer, occasionally feeling really smart, and mostly feeling pretty stupid. It's like your average night of drinking, but you can blame the game instead of your social skills. Every Tuesday night, Farrelli's Wood Fire Pizza on Tacoma's Sixth Avenue draws a mixed crowd to its trivia night, although the crowd generally has the same interests as Farrelli's posts the night's trivia topic on its Facebook. Last Tuesday's movie trivia session was hot with the younger set.

The cool thing about Farrelli's trivia night is they design it to be interactive and social with a team concept rather than a bury your head into a ballot sort of thing.

Trivia Night

9 p.m. Tuesdays, gift certificate awards
Farrelli's Wood Fire Pizza
3518 Sixth Ave., Tacoma
253.759.1999

LINK: More photos in the Photo Hot Spot

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