Bobble Tiki has just one simple message for Girl Trouble (whose 25 year anniversary show you can read about on page 13 in this fine rag):

Halfway there.

Yes, Bobble Tiki isn’t the type to be standoffish or pick a fight — especially with four old school Tacoma punks that are cooler than he’ll ever be — but it’s worth noting that as Bon, Kurt, Kahuna and Dale celebrate 25 years of Girl Trouble, a couple of the bands that laid the gritty groundwork for all the rock and roll ever to emerge from this town will be having a little celebration of their own.

The Ventures and The Fabulous Wailers, easily two of the most influential acts ever to find their way out of Tacoma’s ugly stepsister anonymity, have been beating the drum for 50 years now. And what a beat it’s been. The creators of garage rock, purveyors of surf sounds, and two of the cornerstones of the Pacific Northwest’s well earned musical identity, The Ventures and The Wailers were both formed in the late fifties, and have been linked in the nostalgic minds of fans and admirers ever since — in Tacoma and beyond.

Bobble Tiki could have written the preceding words at any point over the last three or four decades and it would have been true (aside from the 50 years part), but now it’s more appropriate than ever. Thanks to a little luck and a lot of destiny, The Wailers and The Ventures will be co-releasing an album, Two Car Garage, on April 10 through Tacoma label Blue Horizon Records. Not only that, but the two seminal rock and roll acts will celebrate the impressive achievement later that night by co-headlining a show at the Moore Theatre in Seattle. 

“I always wanted to do it,” says The Ventures’ Don Wilson. “When we first started playing we bought two guitars from a pawn shop in 1958. I bought (The Wailers) album when I was learning how to play. I played that thing over and over and over. About 18 months later, (The Ventures) had a number two song.”

That number two song Wilson speaks of is, of course, “Walk Don’t Run” — which started The Ventures on their path to icon status and is one of the band’s most popular tracks.

However, “Walk Don’t Run” is deliberately absent from Two Car Garage, which consists of seven Wailers tunes, seven Ventures tunes, and four tunes featuring both bands. Bobble Tiki was lucky enough to get his paws on a copy of Two Car Garage a few weeks ago, and the ultimate collaboration disc has not disappointed. From the added saxophone on Ventures tracks like “Surf Rider,” to the unmistakable Wailers’ garage rock signature on “Louie Louie,” Two Car Garage has, basically, everything a true Wailers and Ventures fan could hope for.

The best of Two Car Garage — predictably — comes when The Wailers and The Ventures team up.

“I wanted to do as many songs together as we could,” says Wilson. “It turned out great.”

Wilson says not only will The Ventures and The Wailers celebrate 50 years, and the release of Two Car Garage April 10 at the Moore in Seattle, but there’s already talk of future Wailers/Ventures collaborations, including more recordings featuring both bands.

This can come as nothing but music to the ears of Tacoma fans — which raises the question: Will Tacoma ever get to experience a Wailers and Ventures show in the 253?

“We did consider that,” says Wilson. “We’re Tacoma guys. We thought about maybe doing something at Cheney Stadium, but the weather could have been bad. Eventually, I want to play (Tacoma).”

Bobble Tiki hopes he means it — and he suspects he does. For all his earned accolades and musical accomplishments, Wilson is about as grounded, real and honest as they come.

“We’ve done pretty well for construction workers,” he laughs.

Yes they have. Celebrate the careers of two of Tacoma’s finest, The Wailers and The Ventures, with the release of Two Car Garage and the celebratory show on April 10 at the Moore.

Legends like this don’t get on stage together everyday.  

[Moore Theatre, Friday,April 10, 8 p.m., $29.50-$100 at tickets.com, 911 Pine St., Seattle, twocargaragemusic.com]