History has shown us what an incredible force music can be, and I’m here to assert that this powerful form of art is alive and transforming our own humble Tacoma in ways that you might not be putting together.



That’s why Tacoma’s music scene is this week’s Scene of the Crime.



This Dirty South is home to extremely talented musicians of every sort. When our dearly beloveds like Neko Case and Vicci Martinez rise to the realm of stardom (we’re all so proud), they perform in front of thousands of people and talk to national news and entertainment publications. Where do they tell all of them that they’re from? TACOMA. Damn straight. That’s viral marketing at its finest.



How could you not love on our local music stores including Buzzards, Hi-Voltage, Golden Oldies, House of Records and Rocket Records? They don’t just provide me with a hangout where I can meet my friends while buying CDs that I’ve lost or need, they’re also adding commerce to streets that were once forgotten.



More than anything, I’m just downright passionate about supporting Tacoma’s local music scene and the bands within it for the beautiful and/or loud noise that they make, their sounds that make my heart pump with the beat, how they give me something to do every night of the week and that their dedication to their art is making Tacoma a rockin’ place to be.



I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the SWEET music festivals that happen in Tacoma, like Wintergrass, Louiefest, Tacoma Jazz and Blues Fest, Old Town Blues Festival, Old Town Wine and Jazz Fest, the new Gray Skies Blues Festival, and the events that have stellar music lineups like Urban Art Festival, Hotrod-A-rama, Art on the Ave, Freedom Fair, Ethnic Fest, and the Glass Roots Festival.



I’m going to conclude this week’s column with a listing (certainly not meant to be all-inclusive) of some of my personal favorites that you should pay attention to. If any of the words below are foreign to you, I encourage you to simply check these bands out via their MySpace page (they’ve all got them with their songs loaded up) and attend any one of their upcoming shows.



The Elephants. Dichroi. Matt Coughlin. Top Heavy Crush. Fear Train Caravan. The Early Sunsets. Foray. The Joshua Cain Band. The Dirty Knockers. The Fucking Eagles. Trip the Light Fantastic. Blonco Bronco. Exit to Main. Spiro. resDues. TMKA Obtuse. Evan Purcell. Clemm Rishad. Phil O’Sulllivan. Battersea. Sons of Ivan. Voxxy Vallejo. Kareem Kandi. Mono in VCF. The Drug Purse. Paris Spleen. Girl Trouble.

Supporting the local music scene is one of the easiest ways for you to help change the face of Tacoma, and the lives of these musicians who are so very worthy.