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There's no need to ever peruse the menu at Old Spaghetti Factory; I know exactly what I want. Never to vary, I stick with the KISS method: Keep it simple, stupid. For me, it's a quick order of Mizithra spaghetti with a side of broccoli. That's all I need. That's
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ANNOUNCER: As the city of Tacoma continues to expand out into neighborhoods with character, the Stadium District quickly rises as a dining destination. The Harvester is no longer the only game in town. Entrepreneurs who wield wooden spoons rather than slide rulers have decided to make this district along the
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Do you like things that appear to be epic? Are you into feeling swept away? Were you ever in drama club in junior high? Did it make you cry when you beat Final Fantasy? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then Grand Hallway is for you. With
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Seattle's diminutive Jesy Fortino (Tiny Vipers) will surprise you. When people see a solitary girl with an acoustic guitar they think folk music. What is folk music but telling a story? With ghostly melodies over seemingly disparate guitar work, Fortino isn't trying to get you to understand her story. She
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Unfortunately I missed the days when one could smoke in a bar or club. Shortly before the law was passed to ban smoking indoors, an underage me snuck in a smoking session inside a local lounge. It was grey and candlelit, and it felt right to feel so bad. It
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Two super nice guys play super cute music with super dark lyrics. I lived with one of them for a while in an insane house full of frogs and turtles. We ate frosting and rode a tandem bicycle. It sounds cute, but it was actually a depressing and lonely time
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James Jenkins played a big part in initiating me into the world of Tacoma music and Team Unicorn. His now-defunct band, Mama Loves Daddy, was and still is one of my favorite bands to come out of this city, and long nights spent at the "Gloom House" served to throw
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I think it's safe to say Myths want to fuck your minds and leave them feeling dirty. Myths make confrontational music that leans toward art rock but never displaces its ambition of alienating its audience. The band is made up of two women who perform to a backing track and
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LAKE is five K Records cuties from the mystical Isle of Whidbey and the natural springs of Olympia. The primary songwriters are Eli Moore and Ashley Eriksson - a golden-haired couple who look like Muppets and sing like sunshine. Their music is so special and impossible to force into any
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There are some bands that cut straight to the quick. The Pica Beats are smart enough to put lead singer R. Barrett's voice front and center. Listening to the Pica Beats, it's almost as if Barrett is sitting on the opposite end of a campfire with you, singing right at
Music
Around Christmas last year I received a group message on Facebook from my high school band director's daughter. She was putting together a present for her dad in the form of memories from former students. One of my closest friends during my time at Woodway High School was Steve
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In terms of ferocity alone, Seattle duo Last Slice of Butter is some kind of champion. Despite consisting of only bass and drums (the Death From Above 1979 formula, if you will), they're capable of stirring up more racket than just about anyone in the 206 area code. Their music
Music
STRIK AND KRUSAL >>> Thursday, June 17 One of Tacoma's most notorious duos and most slept on acts, Strik and Krusal (pronounced Strick and Crucial) will represent the after-party portion of Thursday's jump-off night for The Grit City Fest. They'll take the stage at The Den after a series of artist workshops.
Music
LAST SLICE OF BUTTER >>> Thursday, June 10 In terms of ferocity alone, Seattle duo Last Slice of Butter is some kind of champion. Despite consisting of only bass and drums (the Death From Above 1979 formula, if you will), they're capable of stirring up more racket than just about anyone in
Music
Sean Alexander is no stranger to the Weekly Volcano. Just a few weeks ago, for example, Heather Thomas Loepp profiled Alexander the artist, known for - among other things - his maniacally intricate sketches, the sadly defunct but modestly legendary Helm Gallery, and a fondness for conversational f-bombs. This week Alexander
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Performing Friday at the Squaek and Squawk Music Festival will be Pwrfl Power, an odd presence in indie pop. "When I started out," says Kazutaka Nomura, AKA Pwrfl Power, "(I was playing) mostly silly songs, shorter songs just about daily topics. ... After about three years of playing,
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Contributing to the essential opening night of the Squeak and Squawk Music Festival will be Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside. The Portland band is fronted by Sallie Ford, a native of Asheville, N.C. Her music comes from a veneration of old-time blues, ragtime and roots music.
Music
Tacoma is a city that exists in an almost constant state of flux. It's a choose-your-own-adventure that unfortunately requires the participation of a bunch of people who can be, at times, too prideful. Because we are in that gray area of being not quite a big city, but much bigger
Music
Quincy Henry, Q-Dot professionally and on stage, knows a thing or two about the music industry. He's been around the hip-hop block, so to speak. An MC and producer, after crafting a surprisingly slick demo in his dorm room, Henry left college at Central Washington University in 2003 for the allure