Airport TavernFor decades South Tacoma Way has been silently and patiently waiting for things to come full circle. Prior to the I-5 and the Tacoma Mall scooping up all the attention the lengthy strip was home to the nightlife for Tacomans of the past, who saw those businesses and bars they love close down one after another due to diverted traffic. Historically this happens in Tacoma, one area rebuilds and the rest seems to be obsolete until they follow suit. A once very neon and bustling downtown suffered from something similar. But following suit isn’t so easy for most small businesses and without a cult following of regulars the ‘phase out’ happens faster than expected. But prior to the pandemic Tacoma was in a new stage of growth that shined a light on revitalization of our business districts as much as exploration into new territories or those that had been underused. And a man ahead of the curve as he has proven so many times before, Danno Rankin, saw that very early on. Like most of South Tacoma Way at that time, with the exception of a few key players, the Airport Tavern was on its way there before he had the foresight to remodel and bring it back to life. Danno did everything under the sun at Jazzbones for a long time including booking all the talent, so his resume and expertise speak for itself when it comes to understanding what Tacoma wants from a venue. His answer was providing the best of both worlds, Tacoma’s love for dives with his booking abilities creating a bar/venue. While it does tend to cater towards rock bands, Airport Tavern and Danno have a huge hand in putting on Reggae on The Way, a block party style reggae fest that in the past has shut down the main retail strip of South Tacoma Way. It has now outgrown that setting and is being held at LEMAY. His ability to revitalize has been impressive.

If you were to walk into a crowded bar and loudly announce that NOFX were celebrating their 40th anniversary, chances are that more than a few people would get struck with a kind of existential ennui, their eyes drifting off into the middle distance as they ponder the cruel passage of time. In fact, this may be the same reaction NOFX had when they realized this milestone was approaching, as they’ve taken the opportunity to call it a day and hit that sweet retirement. Not ones to go out on a whimper, though, NOFX decided to tackle their farewell tour by hitting 40 cities and playing 40 songs per show.

Someday, there will be proper studies done to explore the effect that a certain global pandemic had on creative processes. Anecdotally, through conversations and interviews over the past few years, I’ve heard artists report everything from a complete inability to create, to others claiming that they’ve never been more productive with their art. For those who were able to avoid writers’ block, though, one thing seems to be a constant: projects that might’ve otherwise never seen the light of day were given the chance to blossom in these times.This is certainly the case with Small Paul, a band that came together in a Seattle basement, formed with members of the Moondoggies, Chris King and the Gutterballs, and All Star Opera, towards the beginning of the pandemic. Rather than reflect any of the anxiety that has permeated the past few years, Small Paul carries with a warm, harmonic twang that recalls the ‘70s intersection of country and rock, a sound both laidback and soulful. Their debut EP, Strangeland, feels at times like a balm to protect against the stressors of the modern world. This is especially felt on album standout “Mexico,” with its vibes of golden hour, of a sun peacefully disappearing behind a horizon, and untold adventures waiting in the future.Small Paul’s debut LP, Come Alive & Live Again, is due to be released at the end of July – hopefully supplying the perfect soundtrack for another summer in the unknown.ALMA RooftopFriday, July 14thSmall Paul, w/ Salt Lick, RestrospecterAll Ages, Doors at 6pm, Show at 7pm, $15Tickets instagram

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.