WE SCENE IT >>>

It grew larger and larger in my vision. I was being pushed closer to the "Crash 20" logo on Mos Generator drummer Shawn Johnson's Paiste cymbal. I took it as a personal warning - I was going to crash into the whole fucking drum set if I got moshed another 20 inches. My hair was drenched with beer. I'm pretty sure my elbow played a couple bass lines. And I was about to play the drums with my ass.

No stage. Bare light bulbs. And what seemed like 600 people crammed into the Track House's 12 by 12 room.

So. Fucking. Good.  

This was the scene at a house show Friday night in Olympia with Ancient Warlocks, Black Pussy and Mos Generator. It was a true house show. The kind of house show that changes an under-ager's life and validates a grown-up's one.The kind of house show that make you wonder, "Who the hell lives in this beer-trodden rock palace?"  I vaguely remember smelling something burning - pizza, I think someone said - and had a brief paranoid driven fantasy of a house fire, how everyone would be trapped in burning wasteland of rock 'n' roll. It was a beautiful vision, in an emo way.

But I digress. What was most beautiful was the heat of the moment, the truth of the music, the two new songs played Mos Generator played, and the way guitarist and vocalist Tony Reed kept nursing a bottle of Jager, calling the roomful of rockers "Freaks," and the crowd responding with deafening cheers.

Want to see an dhear Mos Generator? Below is the first video from the band's album NOMADS that dropped Oct. 23, 2012 on Ripple Music.

WE SCENE IT >>>

I pulled on my thick black tights, knee high boots, gold leopard print mini skirt and Iron Maiden T-shirt. I was ready to hit downtown Olympia in all its New Year's Eve glory.

The original plan was to launch the night at Frankie's Sports Bar, where smoking weed is allowed in its upper room. When the cab driver told me he accepts reservations after 9 p.m., I bagged Frankie's. The cabbie informed me last New Year's Eve there were 3,000 people in downtown Olympia and only 18 cabs on the road. No need to hitchhike at 2 a.m.

When I asked the cabbie where he's dropped the most people off, he promptly replied "The Brotherhood." Sounds like a plan. Off to The Brotherhood, indeed, where there were many fine looking people in suits and sequins - and 500 balloons piled in a net, ready to drop at the stroke of midnight.

A couple drinks in, and a few good, danceable spins from DJ Dead Air, I got the wandering bug and headed down to the 4th Ave Tav for some pool. While the place was packed - 15 minutes in line for a shot of tequila packed - I was able to squeeze in a few games of pool, listened to a bagpiper, and ran into man-about-town Jerry Zeigler, who was in a festive mood. After a few wet kisses on the cheek, I realized it was almost midnight, and headed back to the Broho to watch the balloon drop. 5-4-3-2-1! And a rainbow fell on all the tipsy heads in the bar, with much hollering and high-fiving (and ass-pinching, as Pappi Swarner observed in his latest visit to Olympia).

Somewhere in my Hornitos soaked mind, I remembered that Rockfish was serving a midnight buffet. I swaggered up Fourth Avenue - passing by loud groups, sexy ladies and the occasional soldier - until I found the spot, which was nice and dark with a good dance scene. The buffet was a pretty rich spread of fresh fruit, chicken wings, penne Alfredo and more. A friend handed me a glass of champagne to wash it all down with, and at that point, I forgot how to take pictures, and most of my penne desired to come back up.

So, I made my way to McCoy's where everybody was as shit-housed as me. I called a cab. Of course, it was more than an hour wait. Luckily I ran into a friend who was playing designated driver and I got home safe. 

I hope Olympia had as much fun as I did ringing in the New Year. I also hope next year brings many more good parties and safe rides home.

LINK: Live music tonight in the South Sound

RED SCENE IT >>>

When the country outlawed alcohol in 1920, millions of Americans turned to a clandestine network of speakeasies and bootleggers in search of a stiff drink. The 18th Amendment, which banned the sale, manufacture and transportation of alcohol, ushered in an era of prohibition and gave rise to organized crime, whose bootlegging operations flourished over the 13 dry years.

Dec. 5, 1933, passage of the 21st Amendment, brought an end to Prohibition. Last night at the Capitol Theater, Olympia celebrated Repeal Prohibition Day with a night of drinks, burlesque and music.

Photographer Red Williamson of Newspin Photo captured last night's gratuitous debauchery, lavish carousing and general tomfoolery. Below are a few of his photographs. To see his whole album of shots, which include many NSFW shots of the TUSH! Burlesque troupe, click here.

Olympia, you look awesome.

WE SCENE IT >>>

The Saturday before Halloween is when the parties go down. Seems every place is town boasts some kind of scary dance party or costume contest.

Well, how about an event where you can really let loose, stay the night if you want, and possibly win $1,000?

Enter the Red Lion Hotel in Olympia. Saturday the hotel hosted the Haunted Westwater on the Hill Halloween Bash. Westwater on the Hill was the name of the hotel back in the 80s, and the hotel found it fitting to resurrect the past on a night to celebrate the dead.

The whole hotel was decorated, and the entire downstairs was transformed into a Halloween haven. The ballroom, where most of the festivities went down, featured 8,000 square feet of ghoulish delight.

The staff really got into it. Red Lion Sales Manager Kyla Cavanagh dressed as a sexy nurse.

The Joker grabbed the $1,000 top prize.

My vote went to the Derby Girl/Boy.

Below are a few more pics I snapped during the party.

WE SCENE IT >>>

Down at Olympia's Eastside Club, the party was in full swing. Zombies, pharaohs, kitty cats and more packed the dance floor as The Brown Edition played their hearts out at their Soulpocalypse CD release Halloween party.

The band members were also dressed up. My favorite was Animal on the drums. Voted Best of Olympia two years in a row, it's easy to see why when you catch The Brown Edition in action.

How do they pack all those instruments on one stage?

Hoots and hollers and serious booty shaking was how the crowd showed their appreciation for the all the soul, funk and good vibes the band dished out.

Did you make it to the show?

HAVE A DRINK WITH THE CULLENS >>>

In the late ‘70s, Goth's association with gargoyle-laden architecture of the Medieval Period and monster novels of 18th century daisy-pushers such as Anne Radcliffe was coffined for the bleak post-punk prophecies such as of Joy Division, dark clothing, androgyny and waif-thin appendages that consumed the definition.

Bela Lugosi's dead - long live Bela Lugosi!

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.

The joint has a funk of sweat and spilled beer, but frankly so does the street outside. What makes this a killer spot - in addition to the New Wave cranking from the dance floor - are the intimate, dimly-lit booths hiding dweller and their conversations/make-out sessions.

[Cryptatropa Bar, 421 Fourth Ave. E., Olympia, 360.754.3867]

LINK: More photos from Friday night at Cryptatropa Bar

NEW DANCE NIGHT AT THE CLIPPER >>>

Slip on your Cleopatra Jones afro or your dad's toupee and slide on over to The China Clipper for the "Funky Empire Strikes Back" funk-soul-electro-eclectic mix with DJ El Goonie tomorrow night. His new Saturday night dance party series will be full of rubbery grooves, slick licks and hi-tech keys caked in stardust.

Goonie and his band of rotating DJs - tomorrow night features DJ The Jessica - created the dance night to fill a gap in the Olympia scene. Their goal is to created a spot to chill, have a few drinks, and if you feel the funk, then boogie.

Goonie wants to stress that it will be an eclectic mix with funk as the underlying bass - from today's music reaching back to the mid-60s.

"It's gonna be more fun than selling fake insurance on closeout cell phones at a mid-mall kiosk in Tacoma," state Goonie.

Yea, I have no idea what that means.

[The China Clipper, every Saturday, 10 p.m., no cover, 402 4th Ave. E., Olympia, 360.943.6300]

NEW FILM NIGHT IN OLYMPIA >>>

Action film junkies, today is your day. And so will be next Tuesday. And the Tuesday after that. Your Mecca has become Tough Guys Tuesdays at The Urban Onion in downtown Olympia. Owen Taylor, a Weekly Volcano scribe, will launch the action movie double feature weekly event tonight with Deathsport and a special surprise flick.

"The films will be a blend of the best and worst, some campy, some underground, some amazing, all fitting to a few basic criteria: highly trained weapons experts, double-crossings, revenge, bullets everywhere, blood, guts, one-liners, lots of shit blowing up, car chases, horse chases, great sword fights, perfect hair, and always getting the girl/love interest," explains Taylor. "Oh, and gratuitous nudity when possible."

The films will be screened via a digital projector on The Urban Onion's wall facing Sylvester Park.

Food and drink options include $1 Millers, $2 cheap ass whiskey and yet to be determined food specials.

Also expect prize giveaways, trivia and rock ‘n' roll.

Will there be an arm-wrestling contest?

"Only if I can find a copy of Over The Top," adds Taylor.

[The Urban Onion Restaurant and Lounge, every Tuesday, 7 p.m., no cover, 116 Legion Way SE, Olympia, 360.943.9242]