THIS WEEK'S VOLCANO MUSIC COVERAGE >>>

Sometimes life is hard. An unexpected toothache, or a beloved editor leaves you or the proverbial thorn in the side is just about enough to force you not only to throw in that towel, but to jump under it and cry.

That's why the Weekly Volcano strives to bring you the best South Sound music coverage possible. There's a reason why everyone calls you meat Maelstron. You need a happy diversion. You need to feel the music pump through your veins.

And you better believe we managed to pump out another stellar Weekly Volcano music section, just like we do every Thursday.

The Volcano music section is your weekly chance at the best in South Sound music coverage. This week's Volcano music section includes a preview of the Dave Graham Benefit Show, Black Tusk interview, hip-hop in local clubs, Bangs reunion, the zany Back Pockets and more ...

FEATURE: DAVE GRAHAM BENEFIT SHOW

Recently, and very suddenly, Dave Graham was diagnosed with Stage 4 Melanoma, and has since undergone painful and costly treatment to battle this vicious cancer. Sunday's benefit show will hopefully provide a little financial relief for Graham. But the biggest aspect of the event is to show Graham how much he is appreciated in this town in which he has become a fixture.

The band lineup is an eclectic collection of Tacoma mainstays, including the ghostly country of James Hilborne and the Painkillers, the grimy punk of Snak Pak, the retro AM pop of Bandolier, the space-alien-informed rock of Mr. Blackwatch and an acoustic set from China Davis. Interspersed amongst the days activities will be raffles of prizes from a huge assortment of Tacoma donors. - Rev. Adam Mckinney

INTERVIEW: BLACK TUSK

The music world has given us Black Uhuru, Black Mountain, Black Angels, Black Flag and Rush. Now comes rock's Black Tusk to Tacoma. The band plays hard and heavy and roams the realm of stoner/sludge rock. Its members are not into last names, but they are into abrasive quasi-harsh vocals rolling along with thundering fuzz-toned, bottom-end heavy riffs.

The Savannah band is touring behind Set the Dial, the brand new, Jack Endino (Soundgarden, High On Fire, Skeletonwitch) produced disk of hardcore meets technical trash tendencies.

Black Tusk rolls into Hell's Kitchen Thursday, March 29. Read our interview with the band here. – Weekly Volcano

HIPHOP: CLUB IN

The old Surreal Ultra Lounge, and whatever it was before that, is now Club In (Seventh and Pacific Avenue). It's newly remodeled and has now hosted a spattering of hip-hop shows. There's a big one coming up Friday, March 30called March Madness Reggae/Rap Fest. The show is being planned by D'Rocc and will feature performances by him, Big Myke from San Jose, and Second Family. 

With hip-hop now at Hell's Kitchen, The Harmon Taproom Underground and now Club In on a regular basis, it looks like our music will be fully represented in the downtown region of the Tac'. There's also an all-ages, hip-hop show coming up at Tahoma Tea & Co., for icing on the cake. Details will be in a future column. – Josh Rizeberg

WE RECOMMEND: BANGS

Bangs, one of the more popular rock bands to emerge from Olympia - having toured extensively and forged connections with all the other great bands of the '90s and 2000s - broke up in 2004 when frontwoman Sarah Utter moved to L.A. A brief stint of fundraising shows in 2010 brought the band back together, and now Bangs will again grace the stage at Olympia's Eagles Hall for a benefit show for Northern All Ages Project. 

"I'm super happy to be playing loud guitar with my friends Maggie Vail and Peter David," says Utter. "But, I'm MOST excited about the debut of Survival Knife, featuring one of my favorite drummers, Kris Cunningham, and favorite musicians, Justin Trosper from Unwound."

She's right. Bangs will be playing with other Olympia legends - Survival Knife and Old Wars (featuring members of Gossip.) It will be a star-studded night for sure, one full of favorite rock bands, old-school K kids and newbie underagers. - Nikki Talotta

WE RECOMMEND: THE BACK POCKETS

Last year, I was melting in Austin, Tex., during South By Southwest. In a sticky haze, I found myself outside a blue theater. There, in the parking lot, I saw the best performance of my time at SXSW: the Back Pockets, from Atlanta, Ga. Some 10 or a dozen members fill out the band, including some people seemingly specifically recruited to wear masks and make whooping sounds. The band's music can be poorly encapsulated as art-folk-punk, but the performance adds up to so much more than that. The Back Pockets create a deliriously interactive environment in their live performance, and it's one that you likely won't forget. I know, because (full disclosure part) the Back Pockets were the first band I thought of to book for the third installment of the Squeak and Squawk Music Festival. – Rev. AM

PLUS: BETTER LIVING THROUGH MUSIC - STONE AXE, MELLON COLLIE AND THE INFINITE SADNESS TRIBUTE AND MORE ...

PLUS: Comprehensive Live Local Music Listings

PLUS: Tickets on-sale alert

PLUS: This is bananas 

Filed under: Music Tacoma Weekly Volcano Olympia Club News