Coffee and Rhetoric is an interactive, live talk show where the community is invited to discuss issues that affect them in a no-holds-barred environment. The discussions take place on the 4th Thursday of the month at Cutters Point Coffee shop, next door to UrbanXchange on Pacific Avenue downtown Tacoma. The topic at Coffee and Rhetoric last Thursday was the state of the Tacoma music scene.
I shared a table with Julie Bennett (owner of UrbanXchange Clothing store and the founder of Coffee and Rhetoric), Josh Carter (former band member of Durango 95, SOTA graduate and host of Coffee and Rhetoric), Michael Stasiak (drummer for The Paramours), Mike Orgill (aka hip-hop emcee Can U), Quinn Lewington (bass player for The Paramours and Go Roku), Tarek Wegner (band member of The Drug Purse), Tim Kapler (local scenester and photographer) and Sara Rougeau (artist and SOTA graduate).
When asked why she chose this topic, Bennett said, “I was interested in the discussion because I love the local musicians and music community. It seems like they struggle to find a place to express themselves and don\'t get the respect they deserve. Earlier this year The Stranger ran a cover story on the great musicians coming out of Tacoma, yet they have little following or known presence here in their own city! I also am concerned that many of the (UrbanXchange) customers are under 21 and the most interested in the music scene but they are unable to attend shows because they are often held at bars for 21+. I was hoping to get ideas about turning around the scene. Why should we have to go to Seattle to see good shows?”
Orgill said, “I think people are missing good music and a way to find out about the good music. We need radio stations or an annual night that people religiously go to in Tacoma to find out about their local artists. Big shows with big name artists need to happen more often here rather then just Seattle.”
The general consensus was that there is a disconnect in the efforts to bring music to the people in Tacoma. They said that while Tacoma’s music scene has no shortage of talented performers, the venue system is unsatisfactory because there isn’t a place for national acts (like The Showbox in Seattle) and the few places for all-ages shows have terrible sound equipment. They also said that though the Internet is great, people rely on it too much for promotion, and it just doesn’t work.
Someone commented that there needed to be a publication of some kind promoting local music. I said, “OK, now you’re hurting my feelings.” To which they all replied in unison “Oh no! We loooooove the Volcano!”
They explained that what they would like to see is an underground Zine with even more coverage of local shows. Bennett said this is something they’d already been talking about doing with UrbanXchange as a sponsor.
“I think the positive things about the Tacoma music scene are the out-of-the-box thinking and passion that the community has. The fact that young bands don\'t list their influences as big national acts on their MySpace but rather list other local bands shows a synergy that I believe can create a music ‘movement’ that is new and innovative, like what happened in the grunge scene in Seattle,” Bennett said.
She also said in order to do something, people need to organize and work together.
“What I got out of the meeting was a few connections with people that I hadn\'t met before. I also came away with a good feeling that people actually care about doing something positive. I felt that everyone had good ideas and plans that could affect the future of the art culture in Tacoma. I liked the idea of the zine specifically,” Orgill said.
Ultimately the conversation needs to continue, and more people need to get involved. If you would like to speak up and/or volunteer in the “Promote Tacoma Music” movement, I invite you to join an online message board for local musicians called Happy Friday Club (http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/happyfriday/) or contact Coffee and Rhetoric at http://www.myspace.com/coffeeandrhetoric.