Ernest Jasmin
15 May 2013
From “Aliens” and “Beverly Hills Cop” to “Mad About You,” Paul Reiser has appeared in some of the biggest movies and TV series of the last three decades. “After 'Mad About You,' which ended in '99, I was really happy just to stay put and not do anything for a while,” the popular actor, comedian and writer…
Read More15 May 2013
Summer is a little bigger around these parts than in other regions of the country. It is when we venture from our caves, squint at that brilliant, frightening orb in the sky and again enjoy the mood-altering effects of Vitamin D.
Ahhhhhhhh. Deuces, Paxil!
Another thing that lifts our spirits around this time…
Read More14 May 2013
On May 25, the 11th annual Tacoma Jazz and Blues Festival will bring some of the best regional players to the Swiss Pub and Harmon Pub & Brewery in downtown Tacoma and Stonegate Pizza on South Tacoma Way.
“What (the festival) means to me, and I think the other guys, is just keeping this music visible, keeping…
Read More8 May 2013
A new cocktail lounge is on its way to Tacoma’s Hilltop neighborhood. Hilltop Kitchen is under construction at 913 Martin Luther King Way, the spot formerly occupied by Tempest Lounge. And owner Chris Keil plans to have his new establishment up and running by June 1.
“It's going to be another craft cocktail lounge,”…
Read More8 May 2013
Neutralboy is, technically, a Bremerton band. But with two decades of rocking Tacoma under their belts, and members that honed their musical chops here at the Community World Theater in the late '80s, few acts have become more synonymous with the local punk scene.
The band became so synonymous with defunct Tacoma…
Read More1 May 2013
Celebrity zoologists abound on today's airwaves. And they all owe a huge debt of gratitude to “Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom,” the syndicated nature show that Marlin Perkins and sidekick Jim Fowler pioneered back in the '60s.
Peter Gros has been part of the “Wild Kingdom” crew since 1985 and can be seen on…
Read More1 May 2013
When it comes to drummers, Spinal Tap has nothing on the Whole Bolivian Army.
No, TWBA hasn't had one spontaneously combust onstage, a la “This Is Spinal Tap.” But the Tacoma band has auditioned dozens during its first two decades of rhythm section turmoil. It's a constant headache that founding members Matt and…
Read More1 May 2013
“Iron Man 3” was expected to be summer's first box office blockbuster. And, so far, the Robert Downey Jr. vehicle hasn't disappointed, having raked in nearly $200 million in overseas markets, as of Monday.
It opens here on May 3. So to mark the occasion, we assembled a team of local super-hero gurus to deconstruct…
Read More24 April 2013
Tacoma rock band Midnight Salvage Co. was already on the verge of losing two-fifths of its membership, with bassist Dustin Lau moving to New York and singer-guitarist Brason Alexander headed south to California. Then came news that the band's University Place practice space was slated for demolition, adding major insult to…
Read More17 April 2013
Since 2007, Tacoma’s Ted Brown Music Outreach has provided camps, training and musical instruments for aspiring young musicians. And, on April 28, the non-profit group will hold a benefit concert at Louie G’s Pizza, 5219 Pacific Highway E., in Fife, to bolster their programs for area kids.
“This is our first…
Read More17 April 2013
Downtown Tacoma has experienced a full-blown renaissance over the last decade, with the additions of the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center, Museum of Glass and light rail, among other fixtures. And heralding the area's makeover 20 years ago was the opening of the Swiss Tavern, at 1904 Jefferson Ave.
One of…
Read More11 April 2013
The April 13 bill at Bob's Java Jive seemed promising at first. You have surf-punk trio Kramer, the boys behind raucous Tacoma anthem “Pac Ave.” (Google it). The Deceptives are headed up from Olympia, and the Rusty Cleavers will provide a rootsy contrast to all that loud, three-chord mayhem.
Then there is a name…
Read More10 April 2013
We love our bikes in the Pacific Northwest like nowhere else in the country.
Just ask the staff of Bicycling magazine, which last year declared Portland America's most bike friendly city. Seattle isn’t far behind with the second most pedal powered commuters. And, as National Bike Month approaches, local cycling…
Read More3 April 2013
Comedian Christopher Titus has a penchant for self-destruction. It's the main topic of his new standup comedy special, “Voice in My Head,” which, among other things, recalls how he screwed himself out of wheelbarrows full of cash and his hit FOX-TV series, “Titus.”
“I don’t care how bad your screw ups…
Read More3 April 2013
The Hawaiian invasion continues next week at Jazzbones. In February, Oahu's the Green filled the Tacoma hot spot with its infectious reggae grooves. And next up is rising pop sensation Rylee Anuheake’alaokalokelani Jenkins – Anuhea for short – who will take over on April 13.
She will have support from tour mate…
Read More3 April 2013
The University of Puget Sound will pay homage to African-American folk musical traditions with the Art of Spirituals, a concert that will include performances by the Adelphian Concert Choir, the Dorian Singers and more on April 12 at the university's Schneebeck Concert Hall.
“My research is on different African-American…
Read More27 March 2013
Southern California's Secret Society of the Sonic Six creates disco for the damned. Slinky industrial grooves weave through spooky synth haze as vocalist Astar Ivanka's coo beckons listeners deeper into the sonic abyss. Their videos are scenes from some sinister, Lynchian netherworld, where unsuspecting marks tend to meet…
Read More21 March 2013
Walking Papers – the Seattle buzz band that will headline Jazzbones on March 29 - has its roots in jam sessions orchestrated by Screaming Trees/Mad Season drummer Barrett Martin.
First, Martin initially teamed up with Tacoma native Jeff Angell and keyboard player Ben Anderson, both of Missionary Position fame. By…
Read More21 March 2013
Two-time Grammy Award winning violinist Mark O'Connor will headline Tacoma's Rialto Theatre on March 30, taking fans on a musical journey that will run the gamut of American string traditions, from old-time mountain music to jazz, Canadian fiddle and clog dancing to classical.
To mark the occasion, we caught up with…
Read More20 March 2013
Pop singer CeeLo Green and country superstar Carrie Underwood are headed to Puyallup. They're the latest additions to the Western Washington Fair 2013 concert series, announced on Monday.
Green – known for his stints with Goodie Mob and Gnarls Barkley, his smash solo hit “Forget You” and for mentoring Tacoma's…
Read More
