We Recommend
Brooklyn downtempo project Soft Fangs carries the weight of the world on its shoulders. This is unabashedly melancholy music, evoking the intimate, breathy, mournful sound of Elliott Smith. Frontman John Lutkevich sounds lost, adrift amongst the quietly tense instrumentation that propels Soft Fangs from devolving into sad bastard music. Listened
Outdoors
Ten years ago, Justin Johnson's mentor at REI posted a trip on the company's breakroom wall. Not just any trip. A perfect trip, one that Johnson could name drop during his full-time gig outfitting campers with tents, stoves and dehydrated food. Paul Dornish's idea? Cross the greater Arctic National Wildlife
Arts
This weekend, Olympia gets artsy and wild at the 50th Arts Walk and 21st annual Procession of the Species. The streets of Olympia will be filled with music, street performers and people interested in seeing art and being seen - and, on Saturday afternoon, with a lion, a giraffe, polar bears
Features
When you envision what a "Spring Sweets Baking Class" looks like, you are likely to break out in a sweat and be reminded of working alongside flour-covered counters with your granny. You may fear what side effects such a class will have on your waistline. Fear not, friends, because Happy
Music
Why are the soundtracks to John Hughes movies so popular, so evergreen? Nostalgia can't answer every question, despite how much Buzzfeed and Jimmy Fallon insist that it can and should. It's also not just because the soundtracks to Hughes' movies contain, arguably, the best of the best of '80s pop
Arts
Sometimes, the process of writing pulls me down a deep rabbit hole. Such was the case with Gritty City Sirens and their upcoming pair of reprise performances of Adventures in OZ. I searched for the burlesque troupe on YouTube and found one of their self-promotional videos. The music for that
Archives
Still patio weather The Weekly Volcano loves to toast the YMCA workout classes that run up and down 15th Street, doing their little jumping jacks, from the Sea Grill’s deck with a happy hour $2 off gin and tonic. That’s right — wells are $2 off. Bar menu is loaded with
Archives
After Labor Day Weekend, I felt all itchy and unkempt and disjointed like nothing really fit and nothing made sense and everything had this bitter washed-out pallor and sticky oily residue. Then my car broke down in front of Applebee’s at the Lakewood Towne Center, and once again, booze was
We Recommend
I think bands that access the sound of the music featured in John Hughes movies end up resonating with people of a certain generation: they access that part of us that's still scared, that's still pining, that still wants to take a crow bar to the popular kids. LA band
We Recommend
We Will Be Lions are a shapeshifting wonder. Listen to "When Your Skirt Hits the Floor," and it sounds like the parallel universe where David Bowie ended up fronting Pulp; play "Burn Me Like a Disco," and they give the Flaming Lips a run for the title of most anthemic
We Recommend
After just three years of digging their shoes into the dirt and establishing themselves as an Olympia fan favorite, Full Moon Radio are calling it quits. Though the split seems as amicable as something so shitty can be, it'll still be a bummer to see them go. Rather than immediately
Archives
At a loss to decide among the performance choices lined up at the Tacoma’s Broadway Center and Olympia’s Washington Center? Here’s a selection of highlights from what’s in store to make it even harder to decide: Broadway Center for the Performing Arts Cirqueworks Birdhouse Factory I’m still not sure what it is, but
Food Matters
CHOCOLATE TOUR Participating businesses in Tacoma's Sixth Avenue neighborhood invite you to drop by for chocolates noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 25. Stroll around the district and collect chocolates from more than 25 locally owned and operated small businesses. Bring a friend and find your new favorite place to shop,
We Recommend
The latest show at the gallery at The Evergreen State College is a two-person show with longtime and recently retired TESC art faculty members Susan Aurand and Lucia Harrison. Each has taught both art and science classes, and each brings meticulous observation of nature to their
Stage
The latest show at the gallery at The Evergreen State College is a two-person show with longtime and recently retired TESC art faculty members Susan Aurand and Lucia Harrison. Each has taught both art and science classes, and each brings meticulous observation of nature to their work. Stylistically they are
We Recommend
The WU is coming through to a venue near you. Well, one of the Wu-Tang's West Coast affiliates is making a stop in Tacoma at El Potrero on the Eastside. San Diego representative Eternal will rock for the party people, thanks to Black Sam Entertainment. Eternal is making a stop in Tacoma
