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SATURDAY JULY 8th at THE VALLEY
The Valley has quietly (and, frequently, not-so-quietly) become one of the most reliable music venues in Tacoma, thanks in large part to the eclectic stream of bands that come through its doors. At its heart, though, the Valley is most suited to bringing in the kind of barroom bands that fit the venue’s classic Tacoma aesthetic – which will surely be represented when PNW record label Ruckus In The Boonies presents the Summer Smoke Out. Along with barbecue and vendors, the Summer Smoke Out will feature a cavalcade of bands; at the time of this writing, there are 10 in total, perfect for partying throughout the humid day and into the night.
Valley regulars like Stoned Evergreen Travelers, Old Dirty Buzzards, Ghost Train Trio, and James Hunnicut are just some of the acts that will be performing, but the event is unofficially a celebration of the Pine Box Boys and their 20th anniversary. The San Francisco-based outfit has been practicing doom-laden, murder-obsessed alt-country for two decades, honing their craft to a razor-sharp edge. Few modern country acts have the same flair for storytelling that the Pine Box Boys have, spinning blood-drenched yarns packed with a kind of charismatic foreboding. With nine other bands performing – most of whom also make their homes at the intersection of country, rock, and punk – and the sweet smell of barbecue smoke perfuming the air, the Summer Smoke Out seems like the perfect way to kick the hot months off in style.
SATURDAY JULY 8th
The Valley:
Summer Smoke Out, w/ the Pine Box Boys, Old Dirty Buzzards, Stoned Evergreen Travelers, James Hunnicutt, Blood Fire & Rainwater, Ghost Train Trio, Emery Villains, The Selfish Bastard, Yotes, The Hoods Open Mic Challenge with Billy Hood
Doors at 4pm, $15
1206 Puyallup Ave
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Make It To The Show: Gungor
Gungor | Wednesday, April 12The field of progressive and indie rock has long had a complicated relationship with spirituality. Pink Floyd, for instance, had a shared disdain of organized religion thanks to their experiences in the school system. The Flaming Lips found inspiration in the cosmic chaos and beauty of everything, reveled in Jesus imagery, and narrowed their religious focus a bit more on In a Priest Driven Ambulance. In the modern age, the most openly Christian artist accepted into the folds of alt-folk-rock royalty is Sufjan Stevens, who managed to bring in fans of all stripes thanks to his playfully inventive and plaintively emotional music.Gungor – a music collective led by the husband-and-wife team of Michael and Lisa Gungor – has its roots in the early music of Michael Gungor’s, which tended toward the contemporary Christian rock genre. As time went on, the duo’s interest in exploring different avenues of music seemed to intensify, as did their desire to explore spirituality of types. Now, around 10 years into this transformation, they’ve become a band that happily blends not only genres – including bedroom pop, indie folk, trip hop, swelling balladry, electronica, psychedelia, and more – but dogmas as well, always searching for that ineffable connection with the world, wherever that may be.For those who still might be nervous about seeing what they think of as a “christian rock” performance, consider that their latest album, Love Song to Life, features songs that recall early ‘00s Radiohead, Carrie and Lowell-era Sufjan Stevens, the gauzy indie disco-pop of the 2010s, and Arcade Fire at their most bombastic. Regardless of where you sit on the spectrum of belief, there is something that will find you connected to Gungor, which what we hope to experience from both concerts and those little interactions we have everyday with one another.
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Make It To The Show: The Whole Bolivian Army
The Whole Bolivian Army | Saturday, January 28In Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, the film ends as our heroes find themselves surrounded by the Bolivian army, with little hope of making it out alive. Thankfully, the movie cuts to credits before we have to see them get riddled with bullets. Tacoma mainstays The Whole Bolivian Army, however, have unambiguously survived their own insurmountable odds: formed in 1993, smack dab in the middle of the alternative boom in the Pacific Northwest, facing down waves of groundbreaking bands and hangers-on, releasing album after album in the face of a fickle music industry. Married couple Mary Beth and Matt Kite, founders of The Whole Bolivian Army, are the only ones remaining from the initial lineup, but their staying power is exemplified by their son, Gibson, joining the band as drummer.
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Make It To The Show: Snõõper 7/6
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Make It To The Show: Rocky Sandoval
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