Rocky Sandoval | Friday, March 24There are certain qualities that just can’t be teached. In hip-hop, things like flow, rhythmic complexity, and lyrical finesse can be learned and honed over time. But, then, there are those intangibles that come fully formed in artists – smoothness, for instance. A sense of poise and ease with words is one of things that just comes baked-in with some emcees. For a nearby example, we can look at the Tacoma-based Rocky Sandoval. Blending hip-hop and R&B, Sandoval has his finger on the pulse of what will get listeners up and moving, seamlessly blending storytelling with the kind of club-ready production that creates a concoction so intoxicating that you may be incapable of resisting that sexy vibe.

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. 

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.

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.