Black Sabbath

The latest in Fatguy’s series of tribute concerts goes down 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17, at Koot’s. In the past, the KZND DJ has organized tributes with local bands paying homage to the likes of The Cure, David Bowie and Alice in Chains, and this time the honors go to heavy metal forefathers Black Sabbath.

The bill includes Decepticide, Unseen Empire and Triskellium, plus what appears to be a band forged just for such an occasion, Fairies Wear Boots (if you caught Turbo Perfecto opening for the Builders and the Butchers at Bear Tooth, you saw them cover the Sabbath tune of the same name). The show is 21 and older, $5 cover.

Sabbath isn’t really much of a stretch for any of these bands, so don’t expect anything as left-field as Glass Halo’s heavy metal reinterpretation of the Cure, and certainly nothing as strange as the Cardigans covering “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath.”

Update: The Facebook page is back up with a new status update from band stating that Static Cycle's future is still uncertain. Below is the full statement.

On Monday, some of our internal band conflict was made public. One of the four members of the band chose to delete the other 9 administrators of the Static Cycle facebook page to prevent the management team and the rest of the band from communicating with the fans. The comments made were not discussed or agreed upon by the group. As of yesterday, we regained access to the page. We want to sincerely apologize to all of you; our fans, friends and families. The last few days have taken a great toll on us. We have shared some of the greatest moments in our lives together and there are better ways to deal with conflict... you deserve better from us. At this moment, we do not know if we will continue playing music together and the future of Static Cycle is uncertain. We hope we can retain the valuable friendships we have built. This is bigger than the music, but we pray shortly we can return to making music the focus again. We ask for your patience as we move forward toward a resolution behind closed doors as a family. To those of you who have reached out in support and shared your kind words, thank you so much, you have kept us going the last 48 hours. Static Cycle

Update: Static Cycle's Facebook page appears to have been deleted -- facebook.com/staticcycle now redirects to the Facebook homepage.

Original post:
Local modern-rock group Static Cycle announced on Facebook that the band is no more.

That was Monday.

Today, the band’s future is less clear. A few hours after the Facebook announcement, Static Cycle frontman Jared Navarre called local radio station KWHL from Houston to state that the band was not done and that the previous announcement was made prematurely.

Then drummer Dennis Smith called KWHL to say that Navarre’s announcement was news to him.

Whatever the group’s future, the outlook isn’t as rosy as it was a month ago. Fresh off the release of “Part 2: Rehydrate,” the band played a big New Year’s Eve show at the Egan Center, sharing the bill with Vertical Horizon, Alien Ant Farm and Hawthorne Heights. The band also got some extra attention thrown its way in late 2010 when Bristol Palin appeared in the video for “Inside This World of Mine.”

Below is the original announcement on Facebook.

When it comes to sushi spots in Anchorage, option paralysis comes easily. Choosing where to go just got a little tougher.

Today was the grand opening of Asian fusion restaurant Silk (there was a soft opening a week ago to iron out some of the kinks ahead of time).

Located on Benson Boulevard in the old Peking Palace location, this is a new venture by the Kim family, long-time movers and shakers in the local dining scene. Song Kim had a sandwich shop called Sub Station on Minnesota Avenue in 1985 before the family eventually opened Sushi Garden and the Korean restaurant VIP, both of which have since been sold. They also own Dish, which son Clyde Kim manages, a role he also fills at Silk.

He was quick to stress each of his relatives’ roles when I talked to him, crediting his mom Song with the ideas and his father for the foundation. His sister Cha Kim, a graduate from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, designed Silk’s sleek and modern interior.

Clyde said the sushi menu has been the most popular so far among diners, but the rest of the options cover a wide range of Asian culinary destinations, traveling from Thailand to China to Japan to Korea before landing back in America. Clyde also told me that there’s a different head chef for each type of cuisine.

I got there a little after 11 a.m. and ordered the salmon teriyaki bento box ($18), which included tempura, four California rolls, gyoza and rice – it was almost too much food for just me. By the time I left about an hour later, a steady stream of patrons started pouring into the restaurant.

Clyde told me that the next move for the Kim family is an Asian fusion buffet in East Anchorage. The new place will be called Kogi, which he said will open in April and will host occasional live poetry events.

Silk
Where: 500 E. Benson Blvd., Suite 114
Lunch: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday
Dinner: 3-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 3-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Phone: 274-5236

BOB HALLINEN / Daily News archive 2010: Haydn Pazanti, second assistant camera, and Andy Shuttleworth, B camera operator, prepare for the first day of filming of the then-titled movie "Everybody Loves Whales" in West Anchorage on Sept.16, 2010.

“Big Miracle,” the first major film shot entirely in Alaska, opens today, and most critics have said that it’s better than they thought it would be. New York Times said “ ‘Big Miracle’ gets off to a shaky start, but once revved up, it becomes an involving work-against-the-clock-and-the-odds action movie.” Time Magazine: “(T)his energetic family movie is less insipid than it looks.”

The cover story in this week’s issue of Play is pretty much in agreement, calling it “a hugely likable movie.” If you see it this weekend, let us know what you think.

Another big event in the coming week is Dan Savage’s return to the Wendy Williamson. The sex columnist’s “Savage Love Live” sold out the auditorium when he visited two years ago, so you might want to buy your tickets soon.

Valentine's Day is just a couple weeks away, so this week's dining story is a guide to what some restaurants around town have planned.

Below are the rest of this week’s Hot Picks.

Jeff Corwin

Once a year the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward sponsors the Alaska Marine Gala, and this year’s event takes place Saturday, Feb. 18, at the Dena’ina Center. The program includes an appearance by Jeff Corwin, conservationist and host of “The Jeff Corwin Experience” and “Corwin’s Quest” on Animal Planet.

The third annual banquet also includes a charity auction, an awards ceremony recognizing individuals and organizations who champion Alaska’s oceans and a performance by local reggae band H3. Gala guests can also attend a luncheon with Corwin and a reception before the event featuring what a press release from the center called “a special Puffin Experience.”

Tickets are $100 for SeaLife Center members, $150 for everyone else. The press release also said that 60 percent of tickets had been sold as of Jan. 26.

Jim Lauderdale

We’ve got lots of reasons not to stay at home this week. David Harper’s feature on the cover of Play is about Americana singer/songwriter Jim Lauderdale. While you might recognize some of his songs as performed by the likes of George Strait or the Dixie Chicks, he’ll likely pull from his own solo catalog that spans more than two decades. He plays 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Snow Goose and 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 3, at Vagabond Blues in Palmer. Tickets are $25 and available at Centertix.

The February First Tap is also coming up. Local indie-pop group Lavoy will headline the concert, which will also double as the band’s CD release party. Catch them live and pick up a copy of “Beary Merry” at Bear Tooth, 9 p.m. Thursday. Tickets are $15, available at beartooththeatre.net. You can also catch the band at the Sitzmark Bar and Grill in Girdwood the following Friday and Saturday.

Below are this week’s Hot Picks.

Bob Fila/Chicago Tribune

A day before the New England Patriots take on the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI, local chefs will compete in the fourth annual Soup’r Bowl.

Representing a number of Anchorage restaurants, chefs will vie for the title of best soup in four categories – meat, seafood, vegetarian and cream – with a trophy awarded to the best overall soup. Attendees will vote for their favorites, with each vote moving that restaurant’s football down a field. The restaurant with the most touchdowns wins.

Some of the dining establishments represented will be The Bradley House, Kincaid Grill, Hott Stixx, Tap Root, Bear’s Tooth, Ginger, Humpy’s, Lucky Wishbone, ORSO, Sal’s NY Grill, Gallo’s Mexican Restaurant, Club Paris, Rum Runners, 36 Bistro, Marx Brothers, Snow Goose and Pizza Man.

Hosted by the Anchorage Cabaret, Hotel, Restaurant and Retailers Association, the event takes place noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, at the Howard Johnson Hotel. Entry is $15 for adults, $10 for children 10 and younger. Proceeds benefit the Anchorage Hospitality Foundation.

The date for Diabetes Bachelor Auction, a ladies-only event that benefits the American Diabetes Association, is set for 6:30-11 p.m. Friday, Feb. 3, in the Discovery Ballroom of the Hotel Captain Cook.

Meet the bachelors at 6:30 p.m. before the auction begins at 7:30 p.m. Twenty bachelors with date packages will be auctioned to the highest bidders. Seven “dateless” packages, including a fur coat and a trip to Napa wine country in California, will also be on the auction block.

Photo by Alex Wong: Kyle Orme and Jen Michels sample wine at Whale's Tail in the Hotel Captain Cook.

The Crow’s Nest, that elegant eatery at the top of the Hotel Captain Cook, will soon have a new head chef, according to Raquel Edelen, the hotel’s vice president of operations.

Reuben Gerber, chef at the highly regarded Jack Sprat Restaurant in Girdwood, will transfer his talents to the Cook in late February.

During the interview process, Gerber created a meal for the hotel’s managers.

“Everything he made was fantastic,” raved Edelen.

Changes to the menu won’t come immediately. Gerber wants to get to know his staff and the tastes of the restaurant’s clientele.

The Crow’s Nest is open for dining, 5-9:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays.

In other Cook news, food and wine options have gone through some happy changes at the newly remodeled Whale’s Tail.

Edelen reports that the hotel has added Alaska’s first self-serve wine-dispensing systems plus a menu of small plate offerings.

The wine systems work like this: First, you purchase either a $10 or a $25 card that works like a gift card and never expires. Insert the card into one of the two wine systems. Then select your wine and your portion — 2, 3 or 4 ounces. The dispensing systems contain 32 bottles of wine — 24 reds and eight whites. There’s an iPad, too, that displays extra information about each of the wines.

“These machines also offer the ability to try a slew of different wines,” wrote Tom Laret, the hotel’s sommelier, in an email. “Or say you just wanted to have some Kobe sliders and one glass of a really nice cab. (You can have) Silver Oak for $15 for a 4-ounce glass. Pours of Meomi pinot noir are $2 per ounce, and Achaval Ferrer Malbec and Mollydooker’s The Boxer shiraz are both $1.75 per ounce.”

And then there’s Opus One. If you’re not inclined to spend $250 for the bottle, you can find out what all the fuss is about with a 2-ounce taste for $16.75.

Good luck making up your mind about which appetizers to try with your wine. Among the 14 total “shareables,” as the online menu calls them, are Asian salmon sliders, marinated and wrapped in butterleaf lettuce or served on Hawaiian sweet rolls with cucumber slaw and wasabi aioli ($12); curry chicken nachos with hearts of palm, pepper jack cheese, rice noodles, wonton chips and coconut curry sauce ($10); peppered bacon-wrapped figs with raspberry and stone fruit salsa ($6). Truffle popcorn, anyone? It’s house-made and costs $4.

Whale’s Tail hours are 5-11 p.m. Tuesdays-Wednesdays and 5 p.m.-2 a.m. Thursdays-Saturdays. Get more details and full menus at captaincook.com. The hotel is located at 939 W. Fifth Ave.

Alaskans have been clamoring for it for years, and the day has finally arrived. Olive Garden opens Monday, Jan. 23.

The Italian food chain includes more than 750 restaurants, and the one at 1186 N. Muldoon Road in the Tikahtnu Commons shopping center will be the first doing business in the state. A press release announcing the grand opening said that the restaurant will also bring 165 new jobs. A second location in South Anchorage is scheduled to later in the year.

The eatery will have dinner-only hours for the first week (4-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 4-11 p.m. Friday), and given the buzz leading up to the opening, you can probably expect a packed house.

Lunch hours begin Saturday, Jan. 28, opening every day at 11 a.m.

Visit the OliveGarden.com/Careers to apply for one of those 165 jobs.

Let us know in the comments: Have you been to an Olive Garden in the Lower 48? What about it has people so excited? Is it better than the Italian restaurants already in town?

Kenny G

It’s been a little over a year since Kenny G last played at the Dena'ina Center. He’s coming back to Alaska in 2013, but Mr. G is going to take his time getting here. Celebrity Cruises is offering a special vacation package featuring performances by the smooth jazz saxophonist. The press release said that the artist will also “mix and mingle with guests onboard throughout the cruise.”

So if there’s a Kenny G fan in the Lower 48 who’s been meaning to pay you a visit, let them know that May 13-24 next year is the time to do it. Book before Jan. 31 with a $600 dollar deposit to hold your reservation. Accommodations range from $1,999 for a stateroom to $7,299 for a royal suite with a veranda. The penthouse suites are sold out.

Photo courtesy of Howard Grayboff: Sick Puppies perform an acoustic set at Mammoth Music on Feb. 15, 2008.

Mammoth Music announced today that it will consolidate its two stores under one roof, with the inventory from the South Anchorage location moving to the downtown spot at 500 E. 5th Ave.

There’s a post on the music shop’s website that explains the decision. The original plan for the Southside location was to purchase the building at 9200 Old Seward Highway, but when that didn’t pan out, management decided to cut the added expense once the five-year lease expired.

The post also said that the store plans to reinvest the money saved into more sales space, a café and a venue.

Turquoise Boy

You might remember seeing local indie-pop group Turquoise Boy in our Hot Picks last week. If you missed those two shows this past weekend, you’ve got another chance Wednesday. The band just announced a show at the Crossroads in Fairview and will be joined by Historian, the Sweeteners and Kevin Worrell.

Show starts at 9 p.m. in the basement, $5 cover. The money raised will sponsor Crossroads bartender Shannon Haskin, who is participating in Seward’s Polar Plunge to raise money for the American Cancer Society.

Seth Boyer

The newly formed Anchorage Music Co-op is a collective of local musicians, and the group is teaming with Out North Contemporary Art House for the Artist Showcase Series. Taking place the fourth Thursday each month, the showcase is designed to give audiences a chance to hear musicians outside of the regular bar scene.

"I think Anchorage is exploding with local talent at the moment,” said co-op co-founder Laura Oden in a press release. “There's not enough places for musicians to play. Bars in town don't offer music until often 9 or 10 pm. This is too late for anyone with an 8-5pm job and kids that are tucked in by 8:30.”

It’s also designed to offer another all-ages venue in town.

Melissa Mitchell

The first showcase takes place 7 p.m. Jan. 26, featuring Melissa Mitchell, Emma Hill and Seth Boyer. Tickets are $15, $10 in advance through Centertix. A pre-launch show a few weeks ago with Marian Call sold out, and organizers expect this one to do the same given the theater’s capacity of 110.

Emma Hill

Below are future performances scheduled in the Artist Showcase Series. The performers chosen for the showcase are members of the co-op. To join, visit outnorth.org and donate $15 with "music co-op" in the description field. Membership also offers discounts for shows, while the fund covers the sound engineering at the shows.

Tickets for each of are $5 in advance, $10 at the door.

Feb. 23 – Kass Smiley (comedian)
March 22 – Evan Phillips
May 24 – Emma Hill

The Anchorage Economic Development Corporation has adopted the grassroots campaign Live. Work. Play., a initiative that exists in several other cities as a way to improve living standards in each community.

AEDC is measuring how current standards compare with those cities and looking for areas that need improvement. In the meantime, AEDC is sponsoring a film competition highlighting how people live, work and play in Anchorage.

The deadline for submissions is 5 p.m. Jan. 18. Entries must be no longer than 5 minutes, feature the words “Live. Work. Play.” (spoken or written) and must be filmed in the Anchorage area (Eagle River and Girdwood included). Participants can drop off a DVD copy of the film at the AEDC office in Peterson Tower, 510 L St., Suite 603.

Screening and judging will take place 7 p.m. Jan. 20 at Anchorage Museum, and each entry will be posted on aedcweb.com. A $50 gift certificate to Orso/Glacier Brewhouse will go to a People’s Choice winner. The grand prize includes two tickets on the Alaska Railroad from Anchorage to Seward, two tickets to the Sealife Center, two tickets to the Anchorage Opera performance of “Macbeth” and two tickets to the sold-out economic forecast luncheon with speaker Steve Forbes where the film will also be screened.

For more info, visit aedcweb.com.

Marc Lester/Anchorage Daily News: 61º North Justin Boot plays his guitar in Chief Alex Park in Eagle River shortly after performing on stage at the Bear Paw Festival nearby, July 13, 2007.

This week, contributor Rosey Robards compiled a list of some of the open-mike night events around town, including at Tap Root and Jam Night at Humpy’s, that offer a platform for comedians, singer/songwriters and bands to find an audience or test out material.

Today is also First Friday, so you can drop by the receptions at galleries around town and check out the new exhibits.

Below are this week’s Hot Picks.

Science pub

Anchorage Science Pub makes its debut Sunday at the Tap Root. The recently formed group will organize regular public meetings with informal talks on a variety of scientific topics. Sunday’s lecture is “Why They Do Those Stupid Things: Young Male Risk Taking Behavior,” by UAA psychology professor John Petraitis, with a Q&A session to follow. Doors open at 4 p.m., and a science trivia contest begins 4:15 p.m. Admission is free.

Below are other topics and presenters ASP has planned, each taking place at Tap Root.

Sunday, Feb. 12
“Trends in Intensive Management of Alaska’s Grizzly Bears, 1980-2010” by John Shoen, Alaska wildlife scientist and bear biologist with 35 years of experience working for wildlife agencies and conservation organizations throughout Alaska.

Sunday, March 4
“Shwing and Bling: Sex, Evolution, and Choosing a Mate” by Claudia Lampman, professor at the UAA psychology department, researcher and author in human sexuality/gender studies.

ERIK HILL / Anchorage Daily News: Fireworks light up the sky in the finale to the Fire & Ice New Year's Eve Celebration Thursday evening December 31, 2009 in Town Square.

Many of you will be ringing in the new year at one of the many events happening around town this weekend. Reggae-rockers from Hawaii, Pepper is on the cover of Play this week, and contributor Toben Shelby wrote this preview of the band’s New Year’s Eve show at Bear Tooth.

Another high-profile year-end event at the Egan Center is in the Hot Picks, but you can check the rest of our New Year’s Eve calendar at events.adn.com. On the dining page, Josh Niva has a roundup of what restaurant kitchens around town are offering for one night only.

Below are this week’s Hot Picks

Bill Roth / Anchorage Daily News: Maxine's Bistro's old location off Crow Creek Road in Girdwood.

There was a moment of panic among my group of friends when we called Maxine’s Bistro and heard the message: “Thanks for a wonderful run! Maxine’s is closing…” We were saddened (and hungry) until a messenger of goodwill mentioned that Maxine’s had reappeared at the Grape Leaf on Fireweed Lane.

I invited nine friends to join me – they thought they were there to help me celebrate my birthday when my primary goal was to have a greater quantity of food on the table. The new space is much smaller, but warmer, with beer and wine still available.

Maxine’s has always been notable for its variety and spectrum of flavors, and its latest menu adheres to this same globe-trotting philosophy. Old and new dishes make up the revamped selection. Duck cassoulet, surf and turf “sushi” and a meze platter are unified in an overarching standard of conscientious and exacting preparation.

Chef Robert Lewis added a pizza section in order to make use of the pizza oven that was already housed in the restaurant. Like everything else, these pizzas feature simple ingredients in imaginative combinations: beef brisket with caramelized onion jam, pesto, artichoke hearts and pepperoncinis, goat cheese and arugula.

Top-notch ingredients are used and dishes have the stamp of epicurean finesse, but almost everything on the menu is under $25. Maxine’s move to Anchorage is the best birthday present this food lover could have received.

Maxine’s Bistro
Location: 302 W. Fireweed Lane
Phone: 770-7600
Hours: 5-10 p.m. Monday-Saturday, closed Sunday

In the Q&A posted last week with Portugal. The Man singer and guitarist John Gourley, he talked about performing on French television and how nervous he was during the interview.

The show is called "Taratata," and you can watch Gourley's interview below. You can also see the band perform "In the Mountain in the Cloud" opener "So American" and a cover of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy."