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.

Coffee culture is continuing to grow in Tacoma and it continues to be exciting to have options. Tacoma hasn’t always been a place with variety as a priority; it’s more of an oldie but goodie place. The more of the market place independents take up the less need for chains like Starbucks and far less market potential for them to poach. I’m not saying we don’t need them but more us and less them should always be the goal. Although keeping in mind there may be some Tacomans who own franchises and those should be the ones most frequented. There is a lot of charm and tradition built into our businesses. But as of late (the last 5 years) we are starting to see the rumblings of progress. Slowly more independent coffee experiences are developing throughout Tacoma and that’s bringing Tacomans into neighborhoods they haven’t traditionally frequented. It’s great businesses that often create cross pollination within cities. An area may feel out of the way until you have a reason to go. And Old Town Tacoma hasn’t been injected with something new in a while. Space is a major part of the issue, there’s only room for about 4 businesses on the little strip of N 30th anyway, but it’s prime real estate and holds significant historical value. The space they occupy was once completely owned by the Spar, one side was the Spar cafe while the other catered to the Spar bar. During my early years of college living elsewhere and coming home to the Spar felt like the most authentic part of Tacoma, the Old Town history and proximity to downtown via Schuster Way offered a level of convenience to the Waterfront prior to its developments and my version of nightlife simultaneously.

THEM | Thursday, Dec. 15There’s a sense of timelessness to THEM that belies the young age of the band members, all women in their late teens and early ‘20s. The Seattle four-piece has an innate ability to recall ‘70s Laurel Canyon, ‘80s synth-pop, ‘90s slacker rock, mid-00s twee, and all manner of decades of teenage pop heartache.

The Lucky Silver Tavern has new owners!! It’s beautiful to see a classic reinvigorated instead of resurrected after being closed for months or even years before someone has the guts, business acumen or blind passion to save a piece of history. For many millennials the Lucky Silver has been roadside scenery, just another bar from the old guard of Tacoma and the South Tacoma Way heyday. If you didn’t have a family member that once frequented or still frequents then you may not have a reason to pop in other than having a heavy case of curiosity. But the Lucky Silver has been a hub and port in a storm to a crowd of Tacomans for 50+ years. It was even featured on a King 5 segment: 5 Star Dive Bars in 2019 surely in an effort to bolster local businesses as the pandemic and COVID regulations were active. The bar itself was built in the 1940s and the original signage, that still exists today, was already there when former owner Kathy Carr’s parents purchased the bar way back when.