By Morf Morford
Tacoma Daily Index
Tacoma’s rock and roll roots are deep and long. Mojo Magazine, Britain’s premeire music history magazine, describes Tacoma’s band The Sonics as the first punk band. Check out their album covers – and of course their music; you can find it on Youtube or at your local vinyl record store.
There are many other foundational rock bands from Tacoma – some famous and some nearly forgotten.
I seriously doubt if very many cities have a vinyl music scene as thriving as Tacoma’s. For a variety of reasons, our vinyl record shops have clustered around 6th Avenue. If you have a turntable and are looking for that unique vinyl vibe, take a look at any of these places. It will be worth it.
Each store has its own niche and area of expertise. Whether you are an experienced or novice music nerd, these record stores are your source for audio surprises.
These are brick and mortar stores, but they all have an online presence.
– Rocket Records, 3843 6th Ave, (253) 756-5186
– Turntable Treasures/House of Records
608 N Prospect St; (253) 272-9229
http://turntabletreasures.com/
Tucked around the corner, they have everything any audiophile could need, new and used. More than 120,000 LP records in the store. 5,000 sealed records. They sell turntables and offer turntable repair services.
– Drastic Plastic, 3005 6th Avenue, (253) 272-2886
– Golden Oldies, 3521 6th Avenue, (253) 581-7947 Golden Oldies specializes in records – and legends – of Tacoma’s rock roots.
– High Voltage, 2612 6th Avenue; (253) 627-4278 www.hivoltagerecords.com
If your music tastes run in a more acoustic direction, or if you just need a quieter evening, or you want to venture onto a stage and practice on a live audience, don’t miss Victory Music at The Antique Sandwich shop.
Whether you’re just stepping onto a stage for the first time or are a seasoned performer trying out a new song, Victory Music acoustic open mics are the ideal environment to bring out your best game.
You get to play to an attentive audience through a quality sound system operated by a trained sound technician. With this kind of support, you can truly enjoy ‘playing’ your music and having fun!
This tribe includes young and old musicians of varying skill levels, from multiple cultures and nationalities, possibly speaking different languages. All genres of music are welcome so long as it’s acoustic – no amps on stage, no sticks on trap kits.
A splendid time is guaranteed for all.
