Igneous Rocks performed on the Weekly Volcano's Electric Salchow Stage at the Franciscan Polar Plaza Saturday, Dec. 1.
The Weekly Volcano dropped in on the opening night of the 2012 253Heart Music Festival Wednesday, Nov. 21. at the Harmon Tap Room and Dorky's Arcade. Photography by Steve Dunkelberger and Pappi Swarner
Tacoma knows singer and songwriter Kim Archer well. She's put in her time in this town, and has the fanbase to prove it. Her band knocked the mustaches off the folks celebrating Movember Wednesday night at The Hub. It was a stone groove. Photography by Steve Dunkleberger
Doyle's Public House in Tacoma held its annual Ugly Holiday Sweater party Wednesday, Nov. 21. It was completely packed with gawd awful sweaters. Photography by Steve Dunkelberger
Drunk chicks with press-on mustaches and $2 wells makes for a standard Rockaraoke night at Jazzbones, but toss in a Pray for Snow Party and $2 Jagers when anyone belts a suicide song, and you have a party. Such was the case Monday, and photographer Steve Dunkelberger was on the scene.
Saturday, Nov. 17 Tacoma's Encore VIP Club marked two years of gathering the beautiful people of 253 for nights of mixed drinks and Grey Goose bottle service, while pulsing lights batter the dance floor harder than the high heels. Photographer Steve Dunkelberger was on the scene.
Friday, Nov. 16, Amocat Cafe's Morgan Alexander tapped several of his brews in a tasting party environment that included live music in his St. Helens neighborhood cafe.
Photographer Steve Dunkelberger snapped and tasted his way through the small gathering.
Political figures and their supporters hung out at The Brotherhood Lounge in Olympia to celebrate, and in some cases commiserate, with one other as election results roled in on Tuesday night. Photography by Nikki McCoy
Founded in 2004, the Movember Foundation (Movember.com) has been launching health awareness campaigns across New Zealand and Australia, and by 2007, across the globe, most notably by encouraging "Mo Bros" to grow mustaches. The Weekly Volcano has captured South Sounders who cherish the movement. Send us a photo of your mustache to feedback@weeklyvolcano.com
The Weekly Volcano dropped in on KC Brakes at C.I.Shenanigans, Seattle International Comedy Competition at Tacoma's Underground Comedy and the Time and Space Halloween Party in a warehouse Saturday, Nov. 3 in downtown Tacoma.
For the past 12 years, in honor of Halloween, the Olympia Film Society has hosted an event simply known as Night of the Living Tribute Bands. weekly Volcano scribe Nikki McCoy was on the scene.
The Tacoma-based rock opera short film "Rock A Bye Dead Man" - about a detective and a police officer who are summoned to an old dark house to investigate the murder of their boss - opened to two sold out shows Monday, Oct. 30 at the Washington State History Museum's Mount Tacoma auditorium. Black-tie hipsters and movie lovers in T-shirts and jeans joined the cast and crew of the film noir flick in celebration of the screening. The after party was held at Magoo's Monday Madness courtesy of DJ Melodica's Halloween Showcase featuring band Death by Stars and DJ Sliide. Photographer Steve Dunkelberger was on the scene. Read up on the film: http://bit.ly/WNveuh
The Tacoma cabal found itself at the official grand opening of Tacoma Cabana, a tiki lounge and restaurant of all things rum and pineapple brought to the 253 by Robyn Murphy and Jason Alexander. The Cabana, at 728 Pacific Ave., makes some mean rum drinks and crafted eats, particularly the uber yummy bacon and pineapple skewers with tacky decor straight from the South Pacific that is the "way of the Tiki." But yet, not a single ukulele, barstards... Oh look, more bacon, never mind.
A Wednesday night is not the idea rock night, but there I was, snapping pics at Jazzbones that staged Cottonwood Cutups and the Voodoo Organist. So it is not like I couldn't go. Those Cottonwood boys deliver the goods every freaking time, no matter the venue or the crowd. And of course, who could resist songs about Satan on an electric organ by the Voodoo organist himself.
Toss in a game of what crap does Dawn carry in her purse, and the night was well worth the effort of going out on a worknight.
Tacoma artist Matthew Scott - formerly a staff sergeant in the Air Force - unveiled his latest acrylic paintings Wednesday, Oct. 24 at The Hub Wednesday, Oct. 24 in a party atmosphere. Photographer Steve Dunkelberger was on the scene.
One thing that is fun about Tacoma is that music can be found in pretty much any bar or coffee shop. Every band works its way up from open mics and weekday gigs to headlining on larger stages. But the size of the stage certainly doesn't mean the acts are better. Or visa versa. Such was the case with a recent performance at the Harmon Tap Room, where Josi and the Push and Variety Show took to the back stage.
While the crowd was small, the music was solid and the beer was cold. Oh yeah, and then there was pizza, deliciously gooey and meaty pizza.
Oh Puget Sound Pizza karaoke night, you are my BFF. What makes the nights of off-key, drunken yelling so entertaining is not only the way Rev. Colin holds court over his flock of wayward pilgrims but the randomness of the night.
Sometimes there will be celebrities, like members of the now-defunct Paris Spleen stopping by or the soulful Kim Archer getting real on the mic. And of course, being Tacoma, there is a guy in the corner who passed out who is now getting drawn on by all of his friends. Boom, because that's how we roll.
Oh Tacoma, how do I love thee. It was all things ghetto and leather pants with feathered hats at the annual Maltoberfest at Bob's Java Jive on Saturday with all the Brass Monkeys (Colt 45 and orange juice) five tickets from the doors the crowd could handle. Most could handle less than that, but that fact didn't stop them from getthing their money's worth.
Also on tab was: Q Dot, Speeding Kills Bears, I Like Science, 508 Disturbance, The Shrines and DJ Melodica, spinning from his personal collection of German hits.
Toss in some pretzels and hotdogs along with hot frauleins carrying steins and all was right with the words, in true 253 style.
Zombies and the hunters who love them came together in harmony and bliss at the 2012 Zombie Preparedness Expo at the Tacoma Dome Best Western this weekend to learn all about how to live alongside each other and sing campfire songs.. What am I saying, zombies came to eat brains and hunters were there to learn tips and tactics on how to turn their undead friends into sausage. The expo had everything from zombie survival gear and combat tactics to life insurance policy agent to guard against the unforeseen expenses of a zombie infestation and, of course, bacon socks from Poison Apple. Good time was had by all.
It was a long day for the Weekly Volcano's man about town. Starting off with a trip down Opera Alley for some shopping of things he didn't need then a mic check for his performances with the Monday Ukulele Ohana group, followed by 12 hours of photographing as many dance performances, poetry readings, dramatic showcases and musical acts his feet could wander into. Enjoy the photographic flashback.
