- by Harry Gers Tacoma sits in a unique and strange place culturally. Colonized relatively late (at least in comparison to the entrenched settlements of New England), the Pacific Northwest has carved out its own distinct corner of the modern musical landscape. Tacoma hit the scene with a boom after the railroad was first built,... Continue Reading →
- by Mark Linstad It is hard to find individuals who have not heard of the famous singer Kurt Cobain and harder still to find someone who has not heard of punk rock. Nirvana truly reached far, and it is a shame that one of their key inspirations had not reached as far. This inspiration... Continue Reading →
by Athena Taylor Introduction In the early 1990s, a revolutionary wave of feminist punk rock, known as the Riot Grrrl movement began in Olympia Washington and eventually made its strides throughout the United States. Rooted in a fierce desire for equality, self-expression, and activism, Riot Grrrl was a powerful cultural and musical phenomenon that challenged... Continue Reading →
by Parker Cacatian In the vibrant city of Tacoma, one band has carved out its own unique path and left an incredible mark on the local music scene. The band Seaweed, known for its distinct sound and energy, has become intertwined with the spirit of Tacoma's music community. With its style of punk, grunge, and... Continue Reading →
by Julie Barker On an especially wet and moody, quintessential Tacoma evening in November 2022, I fell in love in more ways than one. I was enrolled in a class at the University of Washington Tacoma titled Tacoma Music History. Ever the extra-credit enthusiast, I found myself climbing the Spanish Steps of the historic, recently... Continue Reading →
by Gerry Weir The Elks Lodge located at 565 Broadway was constructed in Tacoma in 1916. The building was opened up to the Elks Temple members and their families for the first time on February 19th 1916. This 44,361 square foot building was constructed with seven different floors, many kinds of rooms, several banquet halls,... Continue Reading →
by Chelsie Morgan Allow me to take you back in time to arguably the best era of music: the year is 1983 and we are about 45 minutes south of Seattle (WITHOUT traffic) in a smelly yet endearing port city called Tacoma. Practicing in their parents’ garage off 56th St., a new band has been... Continue Reading →
-by Maria Ruiz One of the most influential bands to come out of Tacoma has definitely got to be The Sonics. They are responsible for paving the way for garage rock and punk rock music that began in the seventies and prevailed in the nineties. The Sonics were a rock band formed in 1960. The... Continue Reading →
-by Tobias Daugherty Welcome to the Pacific Northwest: home of stunning landscapes, a constant drizzle of rain (if we believe the portrayals in movies and media), five active volcanoes, and the birthplace of the grunge music movement. It’s no surprise that the state of Washington birthed this gritty, self-aware, and often experimental genre, considering the... Continue Reading →
UW Tacoma student Rachel Wilkinson pursued research into Bill Engelhart and the Bluenotes, one of Tacoma's earliest rock-n-roll bands. Her research resulted in two fantastic artifacts which we're happy to share here: Research paper: Little Bill and the Bluenotes: Tacoma's First Rock Band Multimedia presentation: Little Bill and the Bluenotes: The Life and Times of Bill... Continue Reading →
Tacoma Music History 