The Encore Boutique Nightclub is ostensibly about dancing, but everyone knows it's really about the VIP vodka, champagne and eyeballing the outfits. In honor of Friday the 13th, the downtown Tacoma nightclub discounted its VIP lounges, which also happened to be its weekly ladies night. Weekly Volcano photographer Steve Dunkelberger was in the house.
Once a month Amocat Cafe owner Morgan Alexander hosts a live music night anchored by the house band, the Collaborators, with performers Jessica Reid, Leslie Young, Kirk Parker John Dolge, Brian Neufeld, Donna Dolge, Karen Miller, Gen Obata and others rotating in and out of the makeshift stage in front of the northern-most window. Weekly Volcano photographer Steve Dunkelberger dropped in on Amocat’s January live music night. What he heard and photographed were many of the folks listed above singing and strumming acoustic folk-rock, bluegrass and country with the occasional venture into pop music and covers. Alexander’s birthday was also celebrated Friday night.
It's late Friday evening and a crowd is lined up outside the Last Call Bar stretching down to the karate dojo in the Lakewood strip mall. It’s also "Freakin' Dress Fridays," which means ladies donning dresses get in free to dance to DJ C-Luv's mostly old-school soul and R&B that bursts into a heavier rap toward the end of the night. Photography by Steve Dunkelberger
The Tim Hall Band hosts the Sunday Night blues Jam at Dawson's Bar and Grill on South Tacoma Way. The night is filled with blues originals and covers, and tipsy middle-aged folks swaying to the music. Photography by Steve Dunkelberger
Ten Miles of Bad Road and Speed Kills Bears drummer Justin Hosea celebrated his 30th birthday at The New frontier Wednesday, Dec. with his bands and Tacoma burlesque dancers Moonshine Molly Minski, Pistolita and Heather Hostility. Photo credit: Steve Dunkelberger
If you seek a mellower atmosphere to share your knowledge of actor Abe Vigoda or the difference of a traverse stage from a three-quarter thrust, may we suggest Monday nights at the Mandolin Cafe.
From 6-8 p.m. host Jeff Ross tosses out random trivia questions about movies, sports, news and geography to teams of players. The winning team of each round - six total - receives a bowl of candy. The overall winning team scores a free drink, which means beer and wine. Photography by Steve Dunkelberger
For the last few months patrons have been rocking out to The Love Below, Wolves in the Throne Room and Bloodhunger on stage - or sharing Celtic Cross, Killing Joke, Tool, Rammstein and Lamb of God on their iPods - while tossing back $1.50 PBRs and $5 boliermakers.
Just to make the night weird, cult films such as "Funny Man" screen on the giant pull-down screen ... which is way better than watching a video of "Krokus Live at the Barnes & Noble in Grand Rapids."
Photography by Steve Dunkelberger
"Temporal Terminus: Marking the Line" - a temporary public art exhibit that celebrates the important transformation of the Prairie Line Trail from rail to linear park - opened Saturday, Nov. 12 in downtown Tacoma. On the opening afternoon, the Tacoma Arts Commission, staff from the University of Washington-Tacoma and the artists behind the eight installations accentuating the historic stretch led around 60 people through the outdoor exhibition traversing downtown from South 25th Street to the waterfront. Temporal Terminus will close Nov. 30, 2011. Photography by Pappi Swarner
Project: U's Get Involved Gig at the Tacoma Art Museum, without a doubt, was the youngest gala crowd we've seen in Tacoma - and certainly the most grinding we've seen in TAM's Marie A. Helmer Lobby. Photography by Steve Dunkelberger
The 10th annual Art at Work month kicked off with a celebration at the Museum of Glass Thursday, Nov. 3,. which included fire dancing by Flair Entertainment, molten iron and ice pour by Tacoma Community College, TWO OLD, TWO NEW barbershop quartet, juggling by Jeremy Gregory and four new AMOCAT Art Award winners.
It was a night for freaks and ghosts and slutty, slutty angels - gloriously sluttty, slutty angels ??" at Jazzbones's Rockaraoke night. Photo credit: Steve Dunkelberger
Weekly Volcano popped in on the Dia de los Muertos community festival at the Tacoma Art Museum and the Le Noir Bizarre goth and steampunk show at Sanford and Son Antiques.
Weekly Volcano's foodie group Nosh League dipped into a cheese and chocolate tasting at The Melting Pot fondue restaurant Thursday, Oct. 13. It was awesome.
The Who's Who of Tacoma's rock past and present mixed with the city's upper crust of business and politics at the Tacoma Yacht Club Sunday, Oct. 9 for an evening of story telling and elbow rubbing in celebration of the city's rock history. The event was sponsored by the Tacoma Historical Society. Photography by Steve Dunkelberger
For more information on the event, go to: www.weeklyvolcano.com/music/features/2011/10/Tacoma-Historical-Society-celebrates-the-rock-and-roll-that-Tacoma-built/
Saturday night's Maltoberfest was all things ghetto Bavarian at Bob's Java Jive with Tacoma's craziest people pounding Mickey's Ice and Old E Brass Monkeys (malt liquor and orange juice for those not in the know) to the musical stylings of DJ Melodica, Saucy Yoda and Crooked Smile. Weekly Volcano photographer Steve Dunkelberger was on the scene.
Thursday, Oct. 6 the Tacoma Film Festival officially entered its sixth year of existence with an opening Gala at Annie Wright. Photographer Steve Dunkelberger was on the scene.
Yesterday, just as the weather turned for the better, Oktoberfest Tacoma consumed Opera Alley. The scene was more "harvest" than anything remotely Bavarian with corn stalks and pumpkins scattered. The breweries brought their pumpkin beers, as well as stouts, IPAs and seasonals. There wasnâ??t any sign of cleavage, suits of armor or crowns. What did fill the downtown Tacoma alley was smiles, conversation, pretzels and lots of beer.
The 1230 Room in downtown Olympia is billed as the swank joint of the Capital City. And it delivers. The patrons largely dress to impress as they order their frou-frou drinks and sway their hips like they are swatting flies. You can also eat off the bathroom floors. Photography by Steve Dunkelberger
In downtown Olympia Goth means the Cryptatropa Bar, or as Olympians call it, the "vampire Bar." It's dark with red lights and black booths, and Pan graces the jukebox. Photography by Steve Dunkelberger
Olympia's Big Whisky Saloon, like its downtown Tacoma sibling, is home to all walks of life as they tap into their inner cowboy. No one seems out of place except for the ones not sporting smiles on their faces as the rock-country blasts from the sound system. Photography by Steve Dunkelberger
