Don't look now, but this marks two columns in two weeks for Bobble Tiki. For Bobble Tiki's "Faithful Seven" (that's what the five people who read this column like to call themselves, for some reason), they know - as of late - this has been something of a rarity. Between Super Bowl benders, March Madness blackouts, and all the boxed wine one could possibly imagine in between, Bobble Tiki has been hit or miss lately.

Luckily, Bobble Tiki's new column format - "Three Questions" - was just the breath of life Bobble Tiki needed forced into his Cabernet colored lungs. Bobble Tiki is suddenly fresh, rejuvenated, and ready to go.

So, let's get to it. This week Bobble Tiki caught up with SweetKiss Momma, a band that's been gaining steady local ground over the last year or more (thanks in small part to Volcano editor Matt Driscoll's total man crush on the group). Rooted in the ethos of "Southern Rock," and passionate enough about it to not come off like total tools from Puyallup just trying to get laid by chicks who love Skynyrd (goes a long way in P-Town, Bobble Tiki imagines), SweetKiss is a band seemingly defying the odds at the moment - gaining a following and going places on the back of the tunes, not the Internet hype, neon or hashtags.

There's plenty going on with the SweetKiss boys, including new members and new shows, so Bobble Tiki might as well let lead singer Jeff Hamel tell you all about it ...

BOBBLE TIKI: You guys have a gig coming up Saturday at Stonegate Pizza. Coincidentally, the Volcano's Tournament of Pizza is currently going on (shameless plug). Have you guys voted? Being Puyallup types, any thoughts on P-Town's best pie?

JEFF HAMEL: I haven't been voting, but my wife, Kim, has been doing so religiously (and is not-so-secretly pulling for Oldschool in Oly). I love all pizzas equally, so for me it would be like trying to judge the Miss America Pageant: Which perfect 10 is most perfectly 10?

As for P-town, I see Trackside on the list. They do make a good pie, but they put the toppings on top of the cheese so everything falls off ... this might take them down a notch in my book. We have a Casa Mia downtown as well. They rate pretty high for me just on strength of sauce.

Honestly, though, the best pizza every to grace Puyallup proper came from Pietro's Pizza. They have been gone for quite a while, but longtime South-Hillians will remember it. The closest one now is in Salem ,Oregon, a location that somehow magically appears on the itinerary of any road trip my wife plans.

TIKI: The show at Stonegate is with a band called "Astrovan." Now, Bobble Tiki may have lived in a Chevy Astro Van down by the river for a couple months after his second divorce, but he's never seen the band "Astrovan." Apparently you guys are friendly. What can fans of SweetKiss Momma expect from this "Astrovan"?

HAMEL: Tattooed-sweaty-bearded-throwback-riffrock. They have an incredible singer who goes by the name "Deezer," their lead guitarist, "Sam Damage," plays in Lauryn Hill's touring band (yes, that Lauryn Hill), and they sound like Appetite for Destruction-era Guns N' Roses, but with better vocals and a heavier blues influence.

For our friends further south: SKM and Astrovan will be at The 4th Ave. Tavern in Olympia on April 16th.

TIKI: If Bobble Tiki knows SweetKiss Momma, he knows you guys are busy as hell (as always). The last time the Volcano checked in you were gearing up for the Hard Rock Battle of the Bands in Seattle. As Bobble Tiki sees you've got another show coming up at Seattle's Hard Rock in late May, Bobble Tiki also assumes you've done well for yourself at that venue. What's new since the last time you chatted with this deplorable rag?

HAMEL: The "Battle of the Bands" was a great experience. We made some new friends, and apparently made a good enough impression on the folks at the Hard Rock for them to invite us back. May 21st we'll be playing with our buddies Perry Acker, who -- for those that aren't familiar -- just won the Ford Motor Co. sponsored national "Gimme The Gig" contest. They are currently recording with Don Was (yes, that Don Was) as part of their prize package for winning.

As for what's new in SweetKiss Momma-land, we recently lost our longtime drummer, Tyson, and had been borrowing Jake from Big Wheel Stunt Show to play bass for us since December - so we hit the reset button and brought on a new rhythm section, made up of a couple of guys that have been longtime friends of the band and fixtures around the scene; Dave Ashworth on bass, and Pax Allen on drums. There is definitely a heavier overall groove now in the SKM sound. We've got some pretty cool stuff coming up, including spreading the SweetKiss Momma gospel with some Eastern Washington, Oregon, and Bellingham shows, and a piece in Classic Rock magazine (I know, right...Classic Rock???) in, I think, the May issue.

[Stonegate Pizza, SweetKiss Momma, with Astrovan, Saturday, March 26, 9 p.m., $5, 5419 South Tacoma Way, Tacoma]