-- by Kailey Lawless Tacoma’s music history is often associated with rock, jazz, and grunge, yet another vital part of the city’s cultural sound emerges from hip-hop and the voices of immigrant and refugee communities. One artist who represents this history is Silong Chhun, a Cambodian American artist, music producer, community storyteller, and advocate whose... Continue Reading →
-- by Jenn Anthony If you walk near Jefferson Avenue and 15th street today, there’s no sign that one of Tacoma’s most eclectic 1970s music spots once stood there. The Last Chance Tavern has disappeared from the city’s physical landscape and almost its collective memory. No neon sign survived. No building remains. Even the address... Continue Reading →
-- by Magdalene Seelhoff Angsty, gritty, edgy, dirty, ugly—these are just a few words one might use to describe the grunge genre, yet all of them together couldn’t fully capture the quality of the grunge sound, which rebelliously eludes the limits of definition. Known for its punk rock, garage rock, and heavy metal influences, a... Continue Reading →
-- by Kaylah Wright Tacoma, Washington has historically existed in the shadow of Seattle when it comes to discussions surrounding music in the Pacific Northwest. However, the city has played a vital role in shaping the sound of the region, producing influential artists, and nurturing an underground music culture that continues to flourish today. From... Continue Reading →
-- by Valeria Bedolla-Mendoza In today's world almost everyone around the globe has definitely heard the term K-pop whether it's the impact of one of the biggest bands BTS or major success of girl group Blackpink or even cultural phenomenon like the film KPop Demon Hunters. The “Hallyu” or Korean Wave of K-pop culture has... Continue Reading →
--by Jaymin Yu On July 28, 1946, the Point Defiance Park natural amphitheater in Tacoma, Washington, resounded with patriotic songs, jazz, and orchestra. The event was the second USO Music Festival; it attracted more than 7,000 people for a community-oriented celebration of unity and hope for the postwar era. Though the event is a largely... Continue Reading →
-- by Emily Gormley A former professor of what is now Pacific Lutheran University, a musical director for Tacoma Theatre productions, and a Lutheran pastor; Carlo Alberto Sperati (1860-1945) made his mark upon Tacoma through community in equal part to music. Sperati was born in Christiania, Norway (now known as Oslo, Norway) on December 29,... Continue Reading →
-- by Dawn Ross Vicci Martinez may live on the other side of the country now, but she likes to share that her Tacoma roots run deep, being the first baby to be born in her mother’s delivery room at the new (in 1984) Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital. Martinez discovered a love of playing and... Continue Reading →
-- by Trinity Kovalick In the early 1920s live music was the bees knees. A budding city like Tacoma had been gaining in popularity as they didn’t adhere to strict rules like Blue Laws that required venues in Seattle to stop playing music at a certain hour. Linked directly to prohibition and founded out of... Continue Reading →
-- by Meadow Erhardt Growing up, Nasty Nes would visit his sister every year in New York City, where he was exposed to the world of hip-hop music. He brought hip-hop music with him when he returned home to Seattle. Nes started his music career by being a DJ for high school dances and functions,... Continue Reading →
Tacoma Music History 