I’m in a sea of people trying my hardest to hold the tears back as the opening riff of Hope by Alex G begins to play. The crowd erupts as I’m immediately transported to my desk in the freight department at the Lakewood Fastenal warehouse. That’s where I listened to Hope for the first time. Overcome by the way music can take you back to a time and place I finally let a few tears breath to honor how much my life’s changed. I’m on tour!!!As we like to say, “all off the music baby!”. Somehow a song about feeling annoying that I named after the shitty warehouse job I had for 3 years, has landed me in Minneapolis on a surprisingly warm November night. My band Enumclaw and I as well as 2 of my closest friends have managed to get on the guest list for the Alex G show at Minneapolis’s historic First Avenue. We all look like kids in a candy store when we realize we’ve all been given a drink ticket along with our list spot.

Dancing GoatsDancing Goats is one of the newer cafes to open in Tacoma. Post COVID coffee is hitting downtown Tacoma in waves and it’s got a few more surprises but Dancing Goats finally making its way to Tacoma is huge. First opened in our state capital Olympia, WA in 1988 it’s very much a heritage brand to WA although in an effort to scale the business it was moved to Atlanta to grow the roasting side of the company early on in the 90’s. It’s actually pretty cool they are just entering the Tacoma area. There’s something to be said about waiting for the right time and focusing on what makes sense until an attractive opportunity presents itself. And the Brewery Blocks is that opportunity. Their location at the entrance and next to the neighborhood signage is definitely an advantage. But their own branding is eye-catching and brightly colored as well. 

In 2016, the Comatose Brothers covered “Valerie,” a song that was famously covered by Brits Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse, and originated by the Liverpudlian indie rock group the Zutons. Where the Comatose Brothers diverged from the established path is that they veered away from indie rock and R&B, lending their distinctly beautiful bluegrass take to a song that had more or less taken on a life of its own in the ‘00s. In a nutshell, this sort of sums up the experience of hearing the Brothers Comatose – they provide a distinctly modern feel to bluegrass, but not in the way that so many bands tried to do around a decade ago.The Comatose Brothers are revivalists in the same way as the Old Crow Medicine Show, honoring Americana’s past while also blazing a trail into the future. That bit of modern feel is hard to put one’s finger on, but what’s easy to catch is the sheer amount of energy they put into their performances. This is a five-piece that couldn’t be more in the pocket, more motivated to thrill, or more determined to make sure that they have fun delivering this pristine string music to you. Laying down those impeccable harmonies almost feels unfair to other bands.

SATURDAY JULY 8th at THE VALLEYThe 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 8thThe 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 HoodDoors at 4pm, $151206 Puyallup Aveinstagram.com/ruckusintheboonies