Look, not everywhere can be Hell’s Kitchen. Not every music venue in town can draw the biggest names, and not everywhere can have the perfect sound system. In a music scene that’s growing and getting better by the day, there’s room for more than places like Hell’s Kitchen on the live music venue spectrum – places where bands can play on off nights, or where new groups can hone their licks, or – most importantly – where punk rockers can get noisy, drunk and debaucherous amongst themselves, in relative anonymity.



Enter Seafarer’s, a well known, beer and pull-tabs dive on Center Street in Tacoma. A haven for cheap booze, and all walks of life that appreciate it, Seafarer’s now has one more notable selling point – live, dirty, cranked up rock ‘n’ roll.



Well, I suppose we should backtrack a little. Live music at Seafarer’s isn’t NEW, new – it’s just somewhat new, having started in January.



But it recently got a new attitude, which is the basis for this column. After experimenting with a couple booking agents, including XIL Records most recently (amazing a partnership between XIL and a club didn’t work out, right?), there’s new booking leadership at Seafarer’s, and by the sights and sounds of it, things are moving in the right direction.



Besides new Seafarer’s owner Matt Steele, who took the joint over last December, the man behind the musical rebirth of this Tacoma dive bar is Potter – a single-named, long time Tacoman with a keen sense of the potential Seafarer’s holds. Those that don’t recognize him by simple name or sight will no doubt be familiar with the bands he’s played in, including the Plastards back in the day and Poppa Wheelie.



“Basically, I just stumbled into it,” says Potter. “Matt (Steele) was looking for someone to work the door, and then the opportunity to book shows came up and I took it. For what we’re doing right now, it’s been fun.”



No stranger to the music scene, or dealing with bands, Potter has brought a calming and respectful leadership to the Seafarer’s musical calendar that seems to have been lacking in the past. Bands appreciate that, and music fans have been responding. This weekend’s lineup includes a Friday show with High, Kill the King and Sleeper Cell, and a Saturday night date with Big Wheel Stunt Squad and the Dirty Change Up. Shows later this month include an all ages Broken Oars show on Aug. 22, and a Deborah Page performance on Friday, Aug. 7.  Perhaps most exciting of all, a large percentage Seafarer’s shows are free.



“It’s kind of a dive bar, so it’s going to appeal to that element,” says Potter, noting that while his bookings will no doubt “lean towards rock” that his goal is to create bills with bands that compliment each other, and that folks can expect him to branch out more in the future – as evident by the Deborah Page booking.



“Our turn outs have been hit or miss, but the response has been tremendous,” says Potter.



“Right now in this town there are a lot of places to play – and the Seafarer is part of that. It’s the start of a pretty decent scene.



“I’m all about that.”



[Seafarer’s Sports Bar & Grill, 3878 S. Center St., Tacoma, 253.572 8481]