Watch out, Chopstix! You've got competition.

Or you will have competition starting July 11, that is, when the Varsity Grill unveils its new dueling pianos theme nights during the venue's three-year anniversary celebration. The format is coming to Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, according to an e-mail from owner Jon Tartaglia. The dueling piano show will be free with music kicking off at 8 p.m.

After the Alice in Chains tour announcement I surfed on over to AliceinChains.com and noticed the band is giving away a "Looking in View," the first single from their forthcoming album "Black Gives Way to Blue." Sure, it's bound to be controversial since it's the first cut the band has released in the post-Layne Staley era. But it that menacing riff hooked me right away; vintage chains with William DuVall holding his own.

Listen to a sample here

The good news: Alice in Chains today. The bad: There's no Seattle date. Yet. But you know it's coming. Here's what just arrived in my inbox:

Alice in Chains tour dates

July 18: Detroit, MI (Comerica Park, with Kid Rock)
Aug. 1: Dublin, Ireland (Marlay Park)
Aug. 2: Stevenage, England (Knebworth House - Sonisphere)
Aug. 4: London, England (Scala)
Aug. 6: Cologne, Germany (Essigfabrik)
Aug. 8: Berlin, Germany (Columbia Club)
Aug. 10: Hamburg, Germany (Grunspan)
Aug. 12: Amsterdam, Netherlands (Melkweg)
Aug. 22: Pomona, Calif. (Epicenter)
Sept. 4: Washington (9:30 Club)
Sept. 5: Philadelphia (Theatre of Living Arts)
Sept. 7: Boston (Paradise Rock Club)
Sept. 8: New York (The Fillmore)
Sept. 15: Toronto (The Opera House)
Sept. 16: Cleveland (House of Blues)
Sept. 19: Chicago (House of Blues)
Sept. 20: Milwaukee (The Rave)
Sept. 21: Minneapolis (First Ave)
Sept. 26: Portland (Roseland Ballroom)
Sept. 28: San Francisco (The Fillmore)

So I chatted up Tim Wilson, whose dad is none other than the Ventures’ Don Wilson, before Saturday night’s Dick Dale show. We get to talkin’ and he tells me about a sweet interview his sis, Staci Lyne Wilson, scored recently – none other than Jimmy Page and Jack White. (Yeah, I could make that happen.)

In this clip, those three and film director Davis Guggenheim talk about the forthcoming flick, “It Might Get Loud,” which also features some named the Edge or something. Check it out.

Steve Gaydich over at Rocket Records just called to alert me to a pretty killer bill he's got coming up on July 19. He's got Stone Axe, a new band featuring Mos Generator's Tony Reed, with Zook and the Plastards.

Listen to some cuts from the forthcoming Zook album that I leaked here, and check out Rocket Records' MySpace page here.

For those who missed Dick Dale's amazing guitar clinic Saturday night at Hell's Kitchen, here's the finale. (Two guesses on what song he finished with before you click on the video. Just think "Pulp Fiction." You know, the song Black Eyed Peas ruined.)

And just for kicks and giggles, I shot some footage of Tacoma's favorite garage-punk outfit, Girl Trouble, too; if for no other reason, so you could check out singer K.P. Kendall's sexy dance moves. Woot! This clip features the solid one-two punch of "Bring on the Dancing Girls" and Grit City anthem "My Hometown," which they played as their set wound down.

Before I write anything else about the Jonas Brothers’ headlining set at the Tacoma Dome Sunday night, I have to give a big shout out to “South Park” creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker. They made my experience at the T-Dome far more bearable than expected, and at times pretty humorous.

I don't mean to hate on the Jo Bros. They seem like nice enough lads. But I’m the wrong gender and about two decades too old to get it. Their confectionary, Disney-sanctioned pop makes my eyes glaze over faster than melatonin, and many of the parental guardian types on site at the T-Dome Sunday feel the same way by the looks of things.

But tweeners fiend for the Jo Bros in a way that can't be cured without a trip to the ol' Schick Shadel (or, like, turning 16 and discovering emo.) And being reminded just how crazed those hormone-addled fans get at the mere mention of Nick, Kevin or Joe, and just how little the “South Park” guys had to exaggerate for their Jonas Brothers episode, was heeee-larious!

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