Pat Bostwick was — and still is — a Tacoma legend. That will never change.

I didn’t even know the man, and I know that much.

In August, Pat Bostwick passed away at the all-too young age of 45. A fixture at Magoo’s, a friend to so many, a damn fine harmonica player, and an institution in this town, Pat Bostwick’s influence can’t be surmised with simple words. Pat Bostwick can’t be boiled down to an essence in a tightly packed column here in the Weekly Volcano, especially by someone only going off the stories of others. 

Bostwick was bigger than that.

To fully appreciate the impact Pat Bostwick had on Tacoma, a person needs look no further than Bostwick’s many friends. The outpouring of grief and love when Bostwick passed away was immense. Months later, while a bit of the grief has likely been dealt with and supplanted by fond memories, those immense feelings of love and loss persist. It’s as though — while his seat at Magoo’s might be empty — Bostwick’s presence will be forever felt here in the place he loved to call home.

Friday, Oct. 24, Bostwick’s many friends — who miss him so — have organized Pat Fest at Hell’s Kitchen. Designed to celebrate Bostwick’s life and raise money for a totem pole to be built honoring him and placed on his family’s property, Pat Fest will be a very special occasion for friends of Bostwick to do exactly what he would probably want — have a great time in his name. Music will be provided by Taist of Iron (which is NOT an Iron Maiden tribute band - my bad!), along with seminal acts the Fucking Eagles, Guns & Rossetti, and Nancy Frieko. As far as musical lineups go, it doesn’t get much better than that — but music is only a sidebar in the story of Pat Fest.

Pat Fest is about Bostwick, and more importantly his many friends coming together with a common cause to celebrate the life of a guy who meant so much to so much of Tacoma. 

“Pat was the kind of guy where everyone was his friend,” says Denise Kash who along with Heather Lum helped organize this Friday’s Pat Fest. “It wasn’t fake. It was genuine.”

“He had great spirit,” says Dick Rossetti, who used to play with Bostwick in the band Comb Over, and who will bring his current band, Guns & Rossetti, to Tacoma for Pat Fest at Hell’s Kitchen. “We were each others doppelgangers, but we all know he was much more handsome than I. I also have fond memories of him getting up there with Girl Trouble on many occasions!”

“As well as being a no-brainer, it was an honor to be asked to be part of the show,” says Rossetti of Pat Fest. “I know it’s one of those heavy things, but the gals putting it together have their hearts in the right place and hopefully the night will reflect that.”

It will. And the night will also reflect Bostwick’s storied sense of humor and love of good times. Going into this, one of the main goals of Lum and Kash was to create an event that embodies the friend they — and all of Tacoma — lost too soon.

“We just want to make sure it’s done right,” says Kash. “This is important. It’s an opportunity to have fun and celebrate Pat’s life.”

Pat Fest, with Taist of Iron, the Fucking Eagles, Guns & Rossetti and Nancy Frieko, will go down at Hell’s Kitchen this Friday night, Oct. 24. For those unable to attend, an account has been set up with Bank America if you’d like to donate to the Pat Bostwick memorial fund — which will help fund the aforementioned totem pole as well as a plaque at Magoo’s in Bostwick’s honor. Kash asks that people who’d like to contribute stop by any Bank of America location and make checks out to “Patfest”, Account # 17152901.

[Hell’s Kitchen, Taist of Iron, The Fucking Eagles, Guns & Rossetti, Nancy Frieko, Friday, Oct. 24, 9 p.m., $5, 3829 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.759.6003]