Guides
>>> BEST TOURING BAND Wolves In The Throne Room This little three-, sometimes four-, piece metal band has drummed and droned and hummed and honed their way into the black hearts of not only their originating Northwest, but the entire world. Only drug smugglers and budding terrorists jump countries like these guys
Guides
I don't think there's anyone more deserving of this award than Xperience. During 2010 he was by far the most active hip-hop artist in the 360. From people begging him to play with them in Portland and Seattle to being flown out to the Midwest, Xperience has really helped establish
Guides
The Brown Edition doesn't play the dirty, crunchy style of garage rock or the bedroom indie jams that helped launch Olympia onto the musical map. In fact, their unique brand of jazz/funk can be difficult to find in any town. Self-described as "all the soul, funk and jazz your ass
Guides
Thank you to all who took the time to vote in our Best of Olympia 2011 Readers' Poll. You are the best. Best Band: The Brown Edition Best New Band: Morgan and the Organ Donors Best Indie Band: Western Hymn Best Metal Band: Wolves in the Throne Room Best Punk Band: Hipster Piss Party Best Jazz
Guides
>>> BEST-SMELLING BUSINESS The Tea Lady There will ever be cynics who claim it's unmanly to frequent The Tea Lady, with its staggering profusion of teas from around the world, ginger royals (they're cookies), kettles, infusers and, yes, little girls' tea sets and aprons. Well, duh. I confess to a certain bull-in-a-china-shop
Guides
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a tie! Two Oly originals swept this category, and rightfully so. Congratulations Archibald Sisters and Dumpster Values for being named Best Local Business(es) in Olympia. First, let's give props to Archibald Sisters. With its home in downtown Olympia since 1975, this local favorite continues to charm
Guides
Thank you to all who took the time to vote in our Best of Olympia 2011 Readers' Poll. You are the best. Best Local Business: Dumpster Values and Archibald Sisters (tie) Best Shoe Store: Yolli Shoes Best Record Store: Rainy Day Records Best Thrift Store: Dumpster Values Best Grocery Store: Oly Food Co-op Best Outdoor Gear:
Archives
When a movie promises me “Hungarian Revolutionaries, Christian Nudists, Pop Stars, Land Sharks, Hard Drinkers, Empty Cities, Failed Resort Towns, Tons of Dead Fish, A Dying Café, and A Man Who built a Mountain,” I take note. This same movie, “Plagues & Pleasures on the Salton Sea,” will be screened at
Archives
It’s been more than 10 years since Pat Nagle came across the Harmon Building. Since then, he has helped transform the spot into a legacy that includes Tacoma’s iconic Harmon Brewery and Restaurant, a set of brilliant spaces for businesses, and a regal lineup of award-winning brews (tip of the
Guides
>>> BEST THEATER UPGRADE The Midnight Sun I have an obscure spinal condition that both shortens and limits the mobility of my neck. It also renders me vulnerable to screaming back and shoulder aches. I reveal this personal weakness, not merely to explain why I look like a Chicago Bears Superfan, but
Guides
Perhaps it's no wonder papercut artist Nikki McClure was voted Olympia's Best Visual Artist. Her work seems to be everywhere, from people's chests to kitchen walls to the covers of Olympia's storm drains. "Maybe it's the most popular or the most identifiable, not necessarily the best," McClure says. "There are some
Guides
When I asked about his creative influences, Josh Anderson mused, "I read Marc Chagall's biography, My Life in Art, and he talks about how, in order to truly create, we have to treat each day-to-day experience as if it were art." He and Mariella Luz are living art, their working
Cup Check
STRIKE ONE First and foremost, it's good to be back. As you may have noticed (surely only while thumbing through this silly rag for the kick ass crossword), Cup Check has taken the last two weeks off. Sadly, I wasn't vacationing in Hawaii or sipping Mai Tais poolside in Cancun -
Guides
Thank you to all who took the time to vote in our Best of Olympia 2011 Readers' Poll. You are the best. Best Local Filmmaker: Kanako Wynkoop Best Movie Theater: Capitol Theater, Olympia Film Society Most Creative Person: Jordan Taylor Best Theater Company: Harlequin Productions Best Local Actor: Josh Anderson and Jason Haws (tie) Best Local
Stage
Selinda Sheridan's exhibition at Mineral, Contour Intervals, is a nice little show with a nice big purpose. From 2004 to 2008, Sheridan was the art coordinator at Nativity House, a daytime shelter for the homeless in Tacoma that operates an art room where guests may come to make art with
Music
In the Spring of 2010, when I was general manager of the University of Washington's student-run radio station, I collaborated with the campus' Committee Organizing Rape Education to host a "Riot Grrrl" concert featuring three local bands, with proceeds going to the Eastside Domestic Violence Program's women's shelter. I recall
Food Matters
Ready for a big night out in France? Yeah, me too. However, a leap over the Big Pond isn't in the cards. In Tacoma, The Melting Pot offers a rotating themed "Big Night Out" four-course dinner - and its dipping its forks in France right now. This gastro-excursion of
News Front
The Association of the United States Army (AUSA) is well known in the military community for their unwavering support and appreciation for servicemembers of every branch of the Armed Forces. While many of the events hosted by local chapters of the AUSA are well known and publicized, some of what
Music
When I first heard Red Hex - a single, lonely song called "Run Like Hell" on their MySpace page - I decided to write a show preview simply based on that. I described the song as sounding similar to how I imagined the Sonics must have sounded to the bewildered
Music
Ah, Daniel Blue. Where have you gone? How is a Tacoma-based alt-press paper's website supposed to achieve previously unfathomable hits and venom without your self-created name to drop? The answer to one of these questions is simple and straightforward. Blue is living in Seattle, Capitol Hill to be exact, and his
