Hey look. It’s an article about Bob’s Java Jive. I bet it’s going to start with a beefy retrospective paragraph about when Nirvana did or The Monkeys didn’t play there, and mentions of Granny Go Go, and Bing Crosby, and There’s always something about The Monkeys. That’s the way all articles about Bob’s Java Jive start, right?



Yes and no. Of course, even though it’s in cutesy italics, I did begin this effort by referencing the Jive’s past. It’s hard not to. The Jive is legendary — or as legendary as an 80-something-year-old coffee pot-shaped bar in Tacoma can be — and when writing about Bob’s it’s always tempting to delve into the history. There’s just so much history to be had.

But it’s been done, like, a zillion times. While this week’s Rock Rhetoric will focus on the Jive, I’d like to try something new.



Let’s talk about the Jive’s future.



Over the course of my career covering music in Tacoma, Bob’s Java Jive has been somewhat mysterious. Sometimes the bar has had shows, sometimes they haven’t. Sometimes these shows have been promoted, sometimes they haven’t. At times Bob’s has faced hurdles and people have feared the coffee pot would close, only to have Tacoma rally and step up to save the landmark.



The state of the Jive, especially musically, has been in constant fluctuation.



While I’ve seen things change at Bob’s Java Jive enough times to know nothing’s guaranteed and nothing’s etched in stone, since March the Jive has had a consistency I’m unaccustomed to — a consistency that for that last couple of months has made Bob’s one of the best places in town to see a show. Two months ago Darrren and Rachel Sampson took over booking duties at the Jive, and since then the musical trajectory at Bob’s has only pointed up.



Currently, the Sampsons have the coffee pot booked into July, with a crapload of local and touring bands scheduled to make nearly every weekend at the Jive interesting. One can only hope this change will be long term. Garage and indie rock just sound so right coming from Bob’s. Having regular shows at Bob’s Java Jive is the way things should be.



“We’re pretty much up for anything,” says Darrren Sampson, who with his wife, Rachel, have made music at Bob’s their “project of love,” even though neither receive any money for booking the club. Darrren has a full time job at the post office, and the couple have their hands full with two children.



“Music is our passion. People at Bob’s have the same passion. This is the venue for us.”

Currently, the Sampsons are putting on shows at Bob’s four days a week, Thursday through Sunday. “I want to get more people in here,” explains Darren. “I think a lot of people aren’t really aware of what’s going on. I think a lot of people still think it’s closed.”



Cover at the Jive is typically three bucks, and Darrren often spins tracks from an insane and diverse collection of heavily Tacoma rock between bands. I’d call him a DJ, but that gives the wrong impression. Darren doesn’t mess with any scratching or wicky-wicky s***, he just plays the songs he thinks the party wants to hear. Girl Trouble and the Drug Purse can often be heard behind the clanking of beer glasses and laughter of drunks. All the money taken at the door goes to pay the band, and there are no real genre rules — though both Darrren and Rachel appreciate the garage rock, blue collar roots of the Jive and keep it in mind while booking the bar.



“I think the bands we book kind of have a core vibe, regardless of genre,” says Darrren.

“Team Unicorn (a local label that includes the Elephants, the Drug Purse, Paris Spleen, Friskey, and plenty of others) is our ground zero, and there will always be garage rock at the Jive, but we want to keep the doors open to everybody. We want to be inclusive, not exclusive.”



I agree with aiming for inclusiveness, but to be honest, as long as the Jive keeps booking music I’ll be happy. This weekend is a fine example of the work the Sampsons are putting in, and more importantly the payoff for Tacoma. Tonight, a super intriguing garage band from Paris called Crash Normal will play the Jive; Friday some fresh faced kids called the Bombadil Project, who write songs about subjects like “how Jesus can change your life” and “getting a job at McDonalds,” according to MySpace, will take the stage; and Saturday Seattle’s much loved dub and experimental act Library Science will shake things up with help from Portland’s amazing Bumtech.



How’s that for a weekend?



And, unless things change, it looks like a sign of things to come at Bob’s Java Jive. Let’s hope. It’d make for a nice chapter in the history books.



“We don’t want to stop,” says Rachel.



Please don’t. 



[Bob’s Java Jive, 2102 S Tacoma Way, Tacoma, 253.475.9843, for show schedule, check out www.myspace.com/bobsjavajive]