Weekend Roundup: End Of An Era. Hell's Kitchen Starts Its Wake
The night of pre-Turkey debauchery started with a wake of sorts.
Hell’s Kitchen hosted its final all-ages show last night. And the series went out with a bang. The usual suspects were there: Girl Trouble, of course. It only seems right that the rocking group would give the club its finest regards since Girl Trouble has played at Hell’s Kitchen, and its previous incarnations since Moses came down from the mountain.
The remaining playbill included the usual teen-garage band set from the Gypsies, Johnny Chzbrgr, Apache Chief and Rex Hex.
While the club is set to move downtown, the end of all-age shows is not directly related to the change of address. Tacoma officials have passed an ordinance that will not allow all-age shows where alcohol is served, even if the booze is sold and consumed in a controlled area.
The head-banger heaven will hold its last show Saturday, with Hell’s Belles, an AC/DC tribute band made out of all chicks. They rock. Riot in Rhythm opens. The bar will shut down the operation along Sixth Avenue after the show and reopen at its downtown location in mid December.
For a more mellow mode to close out the night, I shuttled to Jazzbones to see Portland-based Intervision and Vicci Martinez, who is out and about with her latest album “From the Outside In.”
Intervision has an old-school, fusion jazz sound that is big on rhythm and high on energy, but not very deep with the lyrics. Martinez, as usual, thundered the stage like a sumo wrestle ordering lunch from the McDonalds dollar menu. Her next local gig is set for New Year’s Eve at Jazzbones.
On the calendar this weekend, outside of turkey sandwiches, turkey and eggs, turkey salad and turkey casserole, is Guys & Dolls at Tacoma Musical Playhouse. The singing gangster story has all the makings of a great story, bar dancers, gangsters and a virginal woman who wins the heart of the top mobster. The show opens Friday and runs through Dec. 20, with shows at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and at 2 p.m. on Sundays. TMP is located at 7108 Sixth Ave.
Filed under: General
5 comments
T Tacomamama November 27, 2009
I don’t really know the whole history of it, but why did we need this ordinance? Was there a big problem with minors being served at all ages shows? Seems like minors are generally better at procuring alcohol at private parties…
It’s a shame. The 17-20 year old crowd accounts for a lot of cultural energy, especially with the three universities in town. Tacoma’s not being a very good college town by making it even harder for young people to find something to do after 6:00 at night. Pretty hard for a club to make any money if they can’t sell drinks so I don’t see very many sticking with all ages shows.
Wish I’d been paying attention to this while the ordinance was being debated.
A arterialturns November 27, 2009
I thought ordinances this stupid only happened in Seattle! Just like Tacoma, aping it’s glitzier fellow city up north long after Seattle shot down b.s. like this. Oh well, r.i.p. old Hell’s Kitchen (& former incarnations), welcome new HK.
J Jake November 27, 2009
I didn’t see anything in the proposed new ordinance that said you couldn’t have underage shows. What I saw was you had to submit to the city, as part of your security plan, how you would keep people under 21 from purchasing alcohol and/or keep them out of restricted areas.
A Altered Chords November 28, 2009
Altered Chords is giving Vicci Marinez AND Intervision a rarely granted 2 thumbs up for BOTH bands. This is a first and will probably never happen again.
I did not even know there were going to be 2 bands Wed night and Intervision blew me away w/ their interesting rythms, vocal harmonies and song harmonizations.
And if you’re a Tacoman and havn’t seen Vicci yet…Get out there and do it dammit. She ROCKS.
S Sam December 3, 2009
RED Hex! not rex hex…