NOSTALGIA ALERT >>>

Does it smell like sex and candy, or is that just me?

I'd heard rumblings for a couple weeks, but today I actually decided to dig around a little - and turns out it's true. Marcy Playground, yes this Marcy Playground, will be playing The Royal Lounge in Olympia on June 11, which just happens to be the night before the band is scheduled to play the Napavine Amphitheater.

While Oly's tight music community has likely known of this show for a while - as I heard about it myself a couple weeks ago from a source down south - I had yet to hear the show mentioned in Tacoma, so I thought I'd pass it along.

A Marcy Playground at The Royal show makes sense for a number of reasons, not the least of which being frontman John Wozniak's Evergreen State College connection. In fact, Marcy Playground's 1997 self-titled effort is full of references to that neck of the woods, most obviously "One More Suicide" - perhaps one of the few times in major music history Chehalis has been name dropped.

I'll admit it. I was a Marcy Playground fan. This news, while dating, is pretty exciting to me.

While I don't have ticket info yet, you can bet I'll pass it along as soon as I do - or you can check The Royal's MySpace or Facebook page. There's no mention of the show either place yet, but from what I heard promotion just started this week.

CONCERT ALERT >>>

If you don't wanna lose sight of country music as it gets gobbled up in NASCAR nouveau riche redneck culture, then you'd better check out country legacy Hank Williams III when Mike Thrasher Presents brings him to Hell's Kitchen Sunday, June 20. Williams plays country music so sweet and pure you'll wanna cry. He also plays a second set of punk (borderline metal) that'll really give you something to cry about.

If you're keeping a scorecard (and you should be if you're bringing the parental units), his current tour has Son of Son of Hank splitting the night between straight-up country and western (first set) and flat-out punk-metal (second).

Send ma and pa home early. Williams and his band Assjack mean it, man.

Tickets will go on sale Saturday, May 22 through TicketsWest.

Hank Williams III

With Izzy Cox
Sunday, June 20, 9 p.m., 21+, $20 advance, $23 doors
Hell's Kitchen, 928 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.759.6003

CONCERT ALERT >>>

After an 11 year hiatus, Sarah McLachlan has revived the Lilith Tour (originally the Lilith Fair) that she helped found in 1996.

In keeping with the original female-centric tours from 1997-99, McLachlan is bringing a number of top female artists including A Fine Frenzy, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Sheryl Crow, Sugarland, Marina and the Diamonds, Ann Atomic, The Submarines, Erykah Badu, and Colbie Caillat to The Gorge Amphitheatre Saturday, July 3.

McLachlan, who will also perform at Lilith, is slated to release The Laws of Illusion, her first studio effort in seven years, on Tuesday, June 15, a few weeks before the tour starts.

Ticket prices and an on sale date haven't been released, although something is brewing here.

CONCERT ALERT >>>

Live Nation is brining Limp Bizket and Ice Cube to White River Amphitheatre on Sunday, Aug. 15, 2010 at 7 p.m. 

Tickets are $20 and $49.50 and go on sale Saturday, May 15 at 10 a.m. at LiveNation.com, all Ticketmaster outlets, or charge by phone at 800.745.3000.

FUTURE THINGS ARE COMING >>>

There has been a lot of great news about rocker Bret Michaels lately. First, his brain hemorrhage brought him closer to his girlfriend. And now we discover he's coming to the Puyallup Fair Sept. 10.

This just in from the Puyallup Fair World Headquarters:

Puyallup, WA - May 7, 2010 - The 2010 Puyallup Fair will be rocking on opening night, Friday, Sept. 10, thanks to the Puyallup Rodeo Justin Boots Playoffs, followed by a performance by Bret Michaels, front man for the legendary rock band, Poison. Michaels is a multi-platinum superstar with the #1 timeless smash hit, "Every Rose Has its Thorn.

The Friday, Sept. 10 Bret Michaels "Roses and Thorns World Tour 2010" concert follows the Puyallup Rodeo, which kicks off at 6:30 p.m. The concert is part of Columbia Bank's Puyallup Fair Concert Series at the Puyallup Fair & Events Center. Tickets go on sale Saturday, May 15 at 9 a.m. here and Ticketmaster outlets. Prices are $50 for Golden Saddle / $35 / $30, and include Fair gate admission, and seats are reserved.

FUTURE THINGS ARE COMING >>>

Doesn't it seem as if there are a hundred music festivals coming our way this summer?

Here's another one:

The South Sound Blues Association will embed its Back to Beale Street Blues 2011 competition into Gig Harbor's annual Maritime Gig Festival, which will be held June 5 in downtown Gig Harbor. We posted the press release after the break:

Read more...

THE DOT HAS SPOKEN >>>

Grit City Fest music director Quincy "Q Dot" Henry has just release the schedule for the festival, which will happen June 17-19 in downtown Tacoma.

The schedule is after the break:

Read more...

FRIDAYS ARE THE NEW SOMETHING >>>

Participatory poetry gatherings will take place every Friday night in Tacoma. With the city's variety of venues and devotees, poetry readings are one of the last great entertainment values.

All the ones listed below are free.

Each usually includes a featured performer, as well as an open reading.

First Friday (begins June 4) 8 p.m.: Speak Your Soul, The Den @ urbanXchange, 1932 Pacific Ave., 253.376.4539. Zach Street is typically the featured reader.

Second Friday, 7 p.m.: Distinguished Writer Series, King's Books, 218 St. Helens, 253.272.8801. Tony Barstone will be the featured performer May 14.

Third Friday, 7 p.m.: Mouths & Open Mic at Café Messina, 744 Market St., Tacoma, 253.383.7559.

Fourth Friday, 7 p.m.: Free Ya Mind, Tully's, Ninth and Broadway, Tacoma, 253.627.5646.

TAMALES IN A SPEAKEASY >>>

As far as I'm concerned, any excuse to eat Mexican food is a good one. But the celebration of Cinco de Mayo - usually observed over a period of days, not just on the 5^th - provides folks with even more ammunition for gorging on tacos, chile peppers, mole, pozole, menudo and burritos, while of course washing it all down with frosty margaritas and Mexican cervezas.

Contrary to common assumptions, the 5th of May - Cinco de Mayo - is not Mexico's day of independence. That's Sept. 15, the day in 1810 when Mexico declared its independence from Spain. What Cinco de Mayo actually commemorates is the defeat of the French army of Napoleon III in the battle of Puebla, when 4,000 poorly equipped Mexicans defeated an army nearly twice the size. That battle ended on May 5, 1862, and Cinco de Mayo is now celebrated on May 5 all throughout Mexico but with added gusto in the state of Puebla, not to mention in U.S. cities with large Hispanic populations.

Wednesday most folks will migrate to a Mexican restaurant to celebrate the French ass kicking. I'd like to suggest an alternative. Chef Matt Colony, bartender David Benefiel and staff at Maxwell's Speakeasy has created a special menu for Cinco de Mayo. Colony grew up in San Diego and surfed in Mexico. Maxwell's Sous Chef Jesus is also from Mexico. Here's their special menu for Wednesday:

Bebidas (drinks)

Loco Show de Burro

Cazadores silver, ginger beer, muddled lemon on the rocks with grilled pineapple $6

Chupacabra

Sauza Gold muddled with red jalapenos, cilantro and lime served up with black sea salt rim and float of goslings dark rum $9

Cinco de Maxwell's Margarita

Cadillac margarita on the rocks with a little coronita tucked right inside of it $12

Comida (food)

Local Rockfish Ceviche Tostadas 

Marinated in citrus, finished with pico de gallo, avocado and lettuce $6

Homemade Tamales        

Your choice pork or chicken on cabbage slaw with cilantro lime dressing and spicy pickled carrots $5

Staff Meal Tacos

With cilantro, onion and lime and choice of meats: beer marinated carne asada or housemade spicy chorizo or adobada charred chicken or chile butter braised lobster $3each or $7for two with rice and beans

Tender Pork Pozole

Pork shoulder slow braised in a mild dried pepper red sauce with hominy and finished with cilantro, onions, avocado, jalapenos, sour cream and grilled corn tortillas $9

Mexican Flan

Creamy caramelized custard  $4

Pastel de Tres Leches

Decadent dulce de leche cake $5

[Maxwell's Speakeasy, 454 Saint Helens Ave., TAcoma, 253.683.4115]

NEW-ISH SEATTLE BAND HITS THE NEW FRONTIER FRIDAY >>>

Tomorrow night, Seattle's Smile For Diamonds will plug in at The New Frontier Lounge with the venerable Deborah Page. Sure, Tacoma knows Deborah Page - but what's up with Smile For Diamonds, self described as "loud and erratic" - an fledgling indie rock force coming from the north but born in the thin air of Denver (kinda - you'll see ...)?

Well, you should find out. Not only will Smile For Diamonds be bringing their well-honed road show to Tacoma Friday, they'll be back this summer, set to play the Weekly Volcano sponsored Grit City Fest.

It should be awesome.

This week I caught up with Ryan Looman, the band's ringleader, to get the lowdown on Smile For Diamonds. Enjoy.

WEEKLY VOLCANO: Seeing as you've only been together since the summer of '09, and it sounds like you all come from different backgrounds - why don't you start by telling folks who you are and how you got here (as a band, of course).

RYAN LOOMAN: Technically SFD started in February of last year. I was in a band called Fallen Stars Forgotten from Denver and after we broke up I planned a road trip to Seattle with my long-time friend and drummer Ian Murray. Four months later I moved out here and friends Pat Scanlan (Guitar) and Zack Morwicki (Bass) moved out the following year. We started playing shows using a laptop as our drummer until Ian made it out here in July. Zack left the band in September to go back to school and we we're lucky enough to have Mike Walker take his place.

VOLCANO: You may be somewhat new, but it's not like you don't have a record. You guys digitally released a self-titled EP earlier this year (boom!). Is that record physically available yet?

Read more...