Archives
Tacoma likes to believe that in the last 20 years it has grown more socially tolerant. The economic downturn has blended many communities in financial equality. The city's numerous festivals have started to resemble a certain 1971 Coco-Cola commercial. And much of the intermediate neighborhoods of the New Tacoma and
Archives
After six long years of closure due to safety issues, the Murray Morgan Bridge will see the dawn of a new era beginning at noon Friday, Feb. 1. The bridge will reopen not only to car traffic, but new pedestrian walkways will allow walkabouts over the Thea Foss Waterway. But to
Arts
"A lot of people ask ‘Who were the Blue Barons?' I tell them they were a motorcycle club and the first thing they always think of is the Hell's Angles or whatever. And they're not, they are totally the opposite," explained David Allen, son of Blue Baron's founder, Paul Allen. From
Music
Girl Trouble's drummer, Bon Von Wheelie, sets the music scene of 1980s Tacoma: "The punks got chased a lot. People would be violent just because they dressed different. You had to be tough to be into that scene. It made people stick together almost because they had to, it was safer.
Music
What were you doing when you were 13? For me, it was playing SimCity in-between rounds of Magic the Gathering. But then again, I'm a geek who writes for the local arts paper. For most, 13-years-old is not a productive age. For Adam Bredlau, a guitar player, his 13th year signifies
Features
What magic fermented yeast, grain and water can become when proportioned correctly. Pilsners, lagers, Hefeweizens, ales (of all sorts); wheats, barleys, stouts and all the other delicious brews. It's enough to make a grown man cry. The triumph of the ages: BEER. To celebrate the fabulous concoction the third annual Tacoma Craft
Features
Cuts of New York steak, filet mignon, brisket, chops, sirloin, ribs and all manner of beef and pork greet you at the counter. Adjacent, in another cold case, salmon candy, chickens, ready-to-cook burgers, bacon and other delectable meats chill. For a carnivore it is heaven. The art of butchery seems to
Archives
EDITOR'S NOTE: Yes, the old Heidelberg-Columbia Brewery caught fire mere minutes after we posted this story late Thursday night. Mere coincidence. We promise. The Columbia Heidelberg Brewery complex on the corner of 21st and South C Street in downtown Tacoma is currently being demolished. Some see the change as a progressive
Arts
On a sunny Thursday afternoon a group of inquisitive patrons enters an ornate park-side building. As they do so, they ask, "What is this place?" Thomas M. Jutilla, the museum's director, gladly tells them that they have stepped into the Karpeles Manuscript Library. The visitors' eyes light up as they
Music
Among the dense evergreens that surround the banks of Carr Inlet a rhythmic island beat thumps. From behind Peninsula High School, between the art department and the football field, emanates reggae, ska, dub, rock steady, mento and dance hall. Every Wednesday night, KGHP FM plays host to Mike Kelly and
Archives
John Clark, a long-time Tacoma resident, reminices ... "My parents took all five of us kids, and usually a kid neighbor or two, over to the B&I on Saturdays pretty frequently. It was always a big event for us because it involved corn dogs, cotton candy, a merry-go-round, the penny arcade,
Guides
Kristina Vanderlinde is many things: a mother of two, an amateur jeweler and a mixer of fine cocktails. Amongst spectacular glass sculptures of the lobby bar at the Hotel Murano, you can find Vanderlinde chatting with guests from around the world. WEEKLY VOLCANO: Being a hotel bar, do you have many
Guides
Homer Simpson once said, "The only guys who wear Hawaiian shirts are gay guys and big fat party animals." Mark Gill, bartender of the Beach Tavern, is the latter. Monday through Friday, Gill leaves his dogs at home on the Key Peninsula to trek to the well-known bar tucked next
Guides
Sean Jackson is reminiscent of that friend in college who was way too into beer but somehow made it work for him. Nicholas Brosier seems like he would fit in with the cast of the ‘90s Brit-com, The Young Ones. Together they make up a dynamic duo of drinking at
Features
"We are Tacoma's brewery and we are going to be in Alaska, Idaho, Washington and Oregon," proclaims Pat Nagle, co-owner of the Harmon Brewing Company (HBC). "That's how we want to brand the Harmon. Everybody knows Ninkasi is from Eugene, Deschutes is from Bend. And everyone is going to know
Music
Why would you pay $25 for a shave when you can do it yourself? It's a luxury. It's a manly way to be pampered. It's grooming nostalgia in the best way possible. Why buy clothes when you can stitch them yourself? Or why pay for food when you can farm
Archives
Young professionals and college students gather to down microbrews while listening to bluesy classic rock. In the backroom there are two eight-foot long sections of roof gutter filled with water. Spray bottles are positioned at one end of the track. A small tank of feeder fish waits on a bar
Check It Out
If you are between the ages of 25 and 50 with a punk rock or indie sensibility, somewhere you have a dozen one-inch buttons. They may be hanging from the leather jacket you had when you played bass in a band. They may be in an old
