Music
Some artists are so inextricably associated with where they come from that it's nearly impossible to not mention them and their hometown in the same sentence. Once this connection gets formed in your mind, there's no getting rid of it. I could ask 100 random people the first thing they
Stage
I'm absolutely certain that there's a way to make a musical version of The Addams Family that lives up to the source material's macabre inscrutability and iconic style, but I've unfortunately yet to see one. The Addams Family musical - with a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elise, and
South Sound Cinema
At the best of times, being a lover of film provides an unending journey of discovery, sifting through the hundreds of films released each year in search of gems. This feedback loop of sorting and viewing and discarding and embracing new sights and voices has been reinforced in recent years
Music
Fame can have a drastic effect on anyone that approaches its proximity. Some people slam up against brick walls trying to capture fame, and some retreat into the shadows in an effort to avoid it. There are artists that languish in fame's thick sludge for decades, their limbs atrophying, growing
Stage
In Dusseldorf, Germany, the year 1910, a young married woman experiences a wardrobe malfunction while watching a royal procession pass by. So begins The Underpants, a Steve Martin-penned adaptation of a century-old Carl Sternheim play being put up by Tacoma Little Theatre. As the play opens, the inciting incident is
Music
Early on in my exploration of eccentric musicians, I encountered They Might Be Giants. Here was a band, my dad derisively noted, that would write a song about any old nonsense, whether it be a sentient night-light that just wants to do its best ("Birdhouse in Your Soul"), two lovers
Arts
Over the past couple decades, Tacoma has done a fine job of building itself up and turning more and more to local artists to engender what has become a fairly vibrant arts scene. And, October marks the 15th year of Tacoma Arts Month, designed to draw attention to the sort
Music
Before we get to this week's subject, a quick word about band names: Music, in general, is one of the most visceral arts out there; you can intellectualize it all you want, and maybe an artist can grow on you, but it's generally true that you know immediately whether or
Music
Certain artists emerge and make a big impression. In places like Tacoma and Olympia - smaller places where talent is a precious commodity, unlike bigger cities - these people have an opportunity to shine and really grind their feet into the dirt of the music scene. Of course, as an
Music
Some artists are utterly restless, not quite feeling fulfilled unless they are nearly constantly creating. For some of these artists, creating feels compulsive; their releases dressed up in fervor, monuments to an uncontrollable urge. Robert Pollard springs to mind as such a musician, littering now multiple decades with albums either
Music
Karaoke can be a divisive thing: it's implicitly designed to let the singer let off a little bit of steam, to picture themselves fronting a band, to get their moment in the spotlight without anyone judging them. Karaoke is a place for amateurs to imagine being professionals, and I believe
Music
Even in a town as small as Tacoma sometimes feels, it's still fairly easy to lose touch with those around you, to retreat underground for long periods at a time, only to emerge, squinting at the sun and seeing your friends once again. This is not even taking into consideration
South Sound Cinema
If there is a good and decent force in this universe, the hot months of 2016 should be on their way out. While my desire for fall to get here already is mostly a selfish one, there are perks for the lot of you, as well; chiefly, we are approaching
Music
What is it that drives an artist to start a one-person band? Frequently, the prevailing wisdom is that a one-person band is born out of a musician not wanting to compromise his vision by collaborating with others, but that might be a little simplistic. Some musicians like to impose limits
Stage
Established theater companies aren't always interested in taking risks when it comes to selecting plays to produce. Thankfully, playhouses in the South Sound have been taking steps over the past few years to change this, to step out of their comfort zones and put new and exciting works on their
Music
I admit to having some knee-jerk biases when it comes to finding bands to write about in this here rag. A lot of things that immediately turn me off are ways in which bands choose to describe themselves: whether it's a lack of enthusiasm in one's own music, or a
Music
A funny thing happens when people watch dogs sleep. Sometimes, when a dog is truly, deeply asleep, their paws will twitch uncontrollably, in a more frantic version of the little tremors that roll over our bodies when we're similarly sunken into a REM state. What's odd is the amount that
Music
Puget Sound Pizza and The Mix are intertwined in more ways than just the fact that they share a building: the popular pizza place and the celebrated queer bar have long been fighting each other for the Weekly Volcano's readers' favor when it comes to deciding who has the best
Music
Since the Weekly Volcano began our annual Best of Tacoma issue in 2009, one thing has always been a given: Kry will win Best Cover Band. It's always been a foregone conclusion that the longtime cover band staple would take the honors. Consider it the biggest upset of the Best
Music
My dad sat me down and showed me The Rocky Horror Picture Show on an old VHS tape when I was 12 years old. This is a fact that I love to throw in his face every time he questions any odd behavior. Still, as much as I lovingly tease