DB: Rock Gallery
Good music is like a plush lined hood, put it on and you can be anyone in the world under there. I find myself standing on the dance floor at Bob’s “World Famous” Java Jive, feeling that warm blanket of rock envelop my imagination as I gaze somewhat lovingly at the eight hands on stage rattling out the memories of my roots in this city. The band I’m watching is “momma loves daddy”, and, though they claim not to have practiced for a month and a half, they are playing tighter than Steve Brooks jeans.
Generally speaking, the sound system at the Jive is enough to make your ears bleed, but get up out of your slime covered booth and wander around the dance floor until you find that sweet spot where the musicians have pointed their amplifiers.
There you can almost imagine you are looking through the walls of the band’s practice space, or watching them play in the poorly lit living room of a single wide trailer. This may be the last remaining unadulterated Tacoma magic and the effect is pretty much pure rock and roll fantasy. It’s dirty, hard, and as sexually tense as a coed high school locker room.
Unfortunately, at any given time the sweet spot of sound can only be occupied by about 7 people, and while the Jive is much bigger inside than it seems from its teapot facade, there really will never be more than ‘intimate’ shows here. Tacoma needs a real venue, a venue where the artwork of these musicians can really shine. Tacoma needs a Rock Gallery.
I’m talking about a place that is designed specifically for the showcasing of the musical arts. A place with something for every kind of show-goer. Booze for the boozers, a dance floor for the kiddies, and seats for those of us more inclined to enjoy a show in a relaxed physical position. Seattle has the Showbox, and bleacher like bars on either side of the standing room require ID to access, allowing different crowds to mingle (and purchase tickets for the same shows).
Now whenever the subject of an open music venue is brought up, I hear one or more of three questions. 1) What about Club Impact/Brick City? 2) What about Hells Kitchen? 3) What happened to that new place, The Garage?
As to responses one and two, you can’t pick more ridiculous extremes of the venue spectrum. Brick City is an all ages venue. YOU HEAR ME? All ages. That means no booze, and that means most everyone who wants booze is NOT there. So it’s not all ages and unless you want to feel like a total pedo-geezer, or you are with your daughter, the sign reads: leave the kids alone. It may be true that you don’t need alcohol to enjoy rock and roll, but that’s not the truth that most people I know over the age of 21 live by. It’s not pretty, but it’s true. Rock patrons want to drink.
On the opposite end of the scene (religion included), is Hells Kitchen. Now, before I share my foppish views, let it be known that there are things that Hells Kitchen does very well. If you are looking for melt your face off metal and a cheap drunk, look no further. My friends in the world of Tacoma metal really know how to party, and the Kitchen seems to be an appropriate place for that party (we tried it at the warehouse and while I had the time of my life, I’m still patching holes in the wall).
The few times that I have come to an “all-ages-bar-with-ID” type show at Hell’s Kitchen, the instant realization that one cannot see the stage from the bar area leads to a strange sort of migratory musical experience wherein I find myself pushing my way from the stage to the bar for a quick slurp and then back to through the narrow gauntlet into the darkness of the Kitchen’s standing room. Repeat this process for as many drinks as you need to feel comfortable.
This leads us to The Garage. Which as far as I know was open for about 2 months (?) this summer. Why did this bar fail? Let it be known that despite the fact their name sounded like a Clear Channel radio station, we went to the management and offered to book shows for them. They quickly refused, stating that they were only booking national acts and radio bands. Leaving their empty booths and lonely stage with raised eyebrows. We were not surprised when they quickly folded.
My question is this: In a city that claims to desire to A) support the arts, B) attract young people to the job pool, and C) build and sustain the creative class; Why are we still driving to Seattle, Olympia or Portland to play and see good music?
Our hardworking performers deserve better. Can I get an amen?
Filed under: DB
12 comments
R rock rabbit January 22, 2008
Amen!!
S sparkrobot January 22, 2008
Nonsense. You’ll eat metal and like it.
M Mofo from the Hood January 22, 2008
“I’d love to change the world, but I don’t what to do…”
—-Alvin Lee & Ten Years After
S sassy mcbutterpants January 23, 2008
I see your point. Personally, my music needs are being met by the current venues, but I’m not very hip.
Weight of The World kicked butt at Hells Kitchen last week and didn’t even come close to melting my face off btw…
D Daniel Blue January 23, 2008
Your needs are being met, but what about the musicians? I saw Paris Spleen dividing up their share of the door on Saturday and they each took $11 a piece.
S sassy mcbutterpants January 23, 2008
You’re right. Sometimes I forget they aren’t up there rocking out for their health. They’ve got to eat.
A Andrew January 23, 2008
Daniel @5:
So what are you getting at there? That not enough people are going out to live shows?
D dni January 23, 2008
Amen and more!
D Daniel Blue January 23, 2008
Andrew @ 7:
My point is that there has yet to be a venue that takes advantage of a special quality we Tacomites were blessed with: the ability (under the right circumstances) to intermingle among affinity groups.
if there were a venue that catered to several ages/wants/needs simultaneously, there would be more money coming in at the door per show, that also means more merch is sold and more meat goes on dem skinny rocker bones.
sassy @ 6: thats the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.
thanks.
W wes January 25, 2008
is tacoma ready for a venue?
the attendance at the air show awhile back wasn’t too strong.
and there are restrictions on live acts playing in tacoma if they’re scheduled to play seattle that make running a venue a bit tricky.
for a venue to be successful, at least one with a similar capacity to the showbox, there’d have to be a lot more big name bands willing to play tacoma rather than seattle. with the turnout/sales history here i think most bands would choose the alternative.
the creative culture is sprouting here though, so maybe soon there’ll be good reason for bands to choose destiny over seattle…
a venue would be a dream but this city is still in its growth stage. give it some time…
there is a venue in construction that will be pulling in some talented touring acts and provide a positive alternative to other venues. i hope this will pave the way to growth in the local music scene and tacoma being able to support bigger national acts.
i look forward to the day I don’t have to drive to seattle to see my favorite bands playing with my favorite local musicians…
in the mean time, if you want more music in tacoma, get out and support the bands that are already playing to keep the dream alive. we’re blessed with some incredibly talented musicians in this town… show them some love.
E Erik S January 25, 2008
I think that it would be unwise to attempt something on the scale of the Showbox. Those acts will probably continue to play at… the Showbox. Something on the scale of the Crocodile (RIP) or even the Sunset, but with more variety and, ideally, a little more pull than Hell’s Kitchen.
A modest (not tiny) size would help keep the overhead down and would help target regional bands while still allowing mid-level acts to stop in if they have a west coast tour or something. I know that at least some bands have been able to play both Seattle and Tacoma in consecutive nights. Peelander Z comes to mind as an example. I think that clubs like the Funhouse, Jules Maes, and the Sunset are less likely to insist on exclusivity than a joint like the Showbox.
Something in the general downtown area would be nice, if the city would allow it. That would at least provide the option of going to a show by bus. Actually, most of the buses stop running to early for the return trip (@#%$!) but bus to/cab from would be a nice option for the responsible boozers.
A friend of mine worked the doors at a small Seattle club in the dark ages of the mid/late-80s. They had a policy of free admission for the members of bands that played the club (on the nights they weren’t playing) with the idea of getting people in and establishing a little bit of a gathering place for musicians. That might be worth looking into, but I don’t have any experience running a bar so that might be worth looking into.
I know that there are bands filling the chasm between low-key singer-songwriter and metal acts like Doomlords of Gwangzor and Enslayne Corpse, but confess that it’s kind of hard for me to tell what’s happening at Hell’s Kitchen most nights. I will admit my fault in this. I should be paying more attention to the Volcano (do they ever have a “music issue”?) or something to try to get a feel for some of these acts. I’ve heard good things about the F*cking Eagles and Lund Bros. There must be other acts in town that I would enjoy. I’ll try to do better.
I don’t expect the Shins to play Tacoma but it seems ridiculous to me that bands like the Tripwires, the Trashies or the Young Sportsmen don’t play here more often. What about groups from Portland?
A Andrew January 26, 2008
Wes:
The Air show was a little tricky, and I think illustrated two key obstacles that Tacoma faces:
1) While we in Tacoma accept that we have to go to Seattle to see many shows, those in Seattle probably hate the idea of going to see a show in Tacoma.
2) The Air show was PRICEY. 40 dollar tickets don’t fly here in Tacoma (unless you’re a rich middle-age white person that just HAS to have some smooth jazz on the weekends. In that case, come on down to Jazzbones). I mean, I like Air, but there’s no way I would’ve gone to that show if my friend hadn’t given me one of his free tickets.