It’s so important to have a frontman that can carry a band to greatness on the back of his charisma and presence. Led Zeppelin had that in Robert Plant, Black Sabbath had Ozzy Osbourne, and AC/DC were lucky enough to get it twice with Bon Scott and Brian Johnson. The Freeks, fronted by Ruben Romano (Fu Manchu, Nebula), share elements with all of the aforementioned bands, though they tend to incorporate more of the Los Angeles psychedelic fuss. Romano’s scratchy wail is instantly reminiscent of so many bands that dominated the ‘70s, and with the joyous musicianship of his bandmates, the Freeks become absolutely infectious.

Timing is so crucial to starting a business and any sustainable small business owner will vouch for that. But it’s not just timing of course, your entry into the market needs to be impressive as well. Shed Studios has both and it’s been working for them ever since. It also has the golden ticket, location, on the corner of Opera Alley in the 705 Court C building so there’s decent parking and depending on the time you’re surrounded by food and entertainment. 

Look, I’m only human; you show me a band that’s as dedicated to oddness and spirited performance art as Snõõper is, and I’m bound to take notice. What began as a pure recording project between Nashville punk rocker Connor Cummins and animator/artist Blair Tramel eventually hit the stage in 2021. Suddenly Snõõper (the Project) gave birth to Snõõper (the Band) – which, yes, is how the duo distinguishes themselves. Sn õ õ per’s sound may be familiar to those who dug into the alt-rock underground of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s: hyperactive, punk-inflected tunes that roughly average around the one-minute mark, recorded in a quick-and-dirty way to cassette, with programmed drums and effects making the two-piece sound both bigger and less human.Tramel’s experience in art, as well as her history in early education, makes Snõõper a magnet for puppetry. Sure enough, their videos and performances are packed with handcrafted props and papier mache characters. Now that the duo has expanded to have an actual live band accompanying them, they seem to have even more freedom to let their freak flags fly. More than ever, they are able to access their sonic forefathers in Devo to create the most energetic blast of art-rock imaginable.Alma Venue:Thursday July 6thSnõõper, w/ Forty Feet Tall, MuñecaAll Ages, Doors at 7pm, Show at 8pm, $15ticketsinstagram

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