Jesus on the Moon | Wednesday, March 29It’s been established, again and again, that the idea of a singular artistic mind and voice being entirely responsible for a band’s sound is bunk – making an album is a collaborative experience, no matter who you are. Still, that notion lingers, which lends a bit of extra juice to one-man bands, where a person locks themself away to create magic on their own. Jake Frye would undoubtedly bristle at this image, but as the operating brain behind Jesus on the Moon, his music project since 2005, Frye has been quietly writing and recording songs in tucked-away spots like basements and bedrooms. Like it or not, his authorial stamp is all over every guitar-spiked, synth-soothed note of his music.

When people outside of Washington state picture it in their minds they see forest for miles, pretty lakes, raging rivers, wilderness trails, farms and country. Those ideals are usually followed with images of fresh markets and farm to table meat by the pound from persons who are masters of agriculture and livestock. It’s one of the more romanticized versions of living in the Evergreen state and it’s not completely inaccurate. But it doesn’t encompass the entire picture and that lifestyle is few and far between in the Western half of the state. The glimpses you do get remind you how lucky we are to have such a blended mix of town and country for retailers and markets like the Tacoma Boys.

Naked Giants | Saturday, February 18It’s awfully hard to give a much better first impression than Naked Giants did with “Dead/Alien,” the opening track on their 2018 debut LP SLUFF. A flurry of dissonance eases you into what turns out to be a brashly infectious blend of surfy punk, strangely melodic noise, and the kind of unbridled enthusiasm that can’t be manufactured. When they burst on the scene, Naked Giants’ triumvirate of merrymakers – Grant Mullen, Gianni Aiello, Henry LaVallee – were yet another group of fresh-faced, high school grads, bringing their energy and ambition with them, in all its’ bottled-up glory. In 2023, Naked Giants have established themselves as one of the more surprising entrants in the Pacific Northwest’s crowded field of melodic indie punk. 

NW SINFONIETTAThe Northwest Sinfonietta is the premier chamber orchestra in the Puget Sound and has been blazed a trail that helps them lead the charge in a way most wouldn’t expect. It began in 1991 and has received international nods for not only high level performance but also unique community efforts to be inclusive. It’s a mission they continue to make their main focus, partnering with local arts community advocates and businesses to evolve their audience. It’s not a secret that the world of classical music is still very White and a lot of that has to do with enough exposure to the art form for it resonate not only with the ears but the feelings and cultures of other backgrounds, races and ethnicities. Traditionally the areas, venues, composers and even orchestra members are predominantly White, but that isn’t to say that people from other backgrounds haven’t contributed to the art form since it’s beginnings. But like many other arts their contributions have been hidden, forgotten or undocumented altogether. NW Sinfonietta is doing the work to rediscover, uncover and introduce works from composers and musicians of other races and places. The Artistic Partner model they adopted in 2015 is keeping a rotation of different ethnic backgrounds involved, at the selection of the NW Sinfonietta, and allowing more input for the musicians themselves. Karen Choo is a large part of why the connections are being made here in Tacoma for discovery and changing of the old guard. She helped to onboard Tacoma artist and arts advocate Neon Dion with the help of Spaceworks Tacoma. Their work together on the NW Sinfonietta’s premiere of Grammy nominated Black composer Carlos Simon’s Graffiti saw the Pantages theater lobby and seats filled by a very diverse and excited audience. That was a win in the right direction for the NW Sinfonietta and they plan to double down on their results. They recently began collaborative work with Tacoma Urban Performing Arts Center, T.U.P.A.C. is a Black lead ballet group. In addition, the NW Sinfonietta have been offering discount codes to their performances sometimes making tickets as low as $10, as well as, connecting with small businesses to do ticket giveaways. In Tacoma, the NW Sinfonietta wants to remove the invisible barrier to entry for spaces like the Rialto and Pantages Theater where many non-whites have felt as though the space is not for them and does not cater to their culture or community identity in any way. We recommend keeping your eye on their website for what’s next to come but if they keep making the right connections and pushing for change the chances are you won’t have to go looking for it anymore. Tickets for This Land f/ T.UP.A.C. May 20th & 21stnwsinfonietta.orginstagram253-383-5344