Musical Melting Pot - Tacoma Weekly (September 4, 2008)

http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/2295/

MUSICAL MELTING POT. There’s a slew of acts lined up for Pt. Defiance Music Festival, something to suit practically every taste: from the vintage organic rock of The Hard Way and critically acclaimed solo pop artist Jon Auer, to acoustic singer/songwriter Joshua Adams and the country soul of Ruby Dee and the Snakehandlers (pictured).

Pt. Defiance Music Festival offers something for everyone

By Matt Nagle

Tacoma Weekly

mattnagle@tacomaweekly.com

Published on: September 04, 2008

With Labor Day now past, summertime is “officially” over for a lot of people, but not for the organizers of the Pt. Defiance Music Festival, who are busy putting the final touches on this year’s fourth annual fest Sept. 6. Showcasing four stages of live music including country, rock, blues and acoustic, the festival site at North 51st and Pearl streets in Ruston will be bustling with activity from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. The event is free and all ages are invited.

Local music supporter Angela Jossy is festival coordinator. With help from volunteers, including those from Ruston Business District of which she is executive director, Jossy has lined up a slew of many of the best bands Tacoma has to offer, and some from outside the city as well. Being a local writer, musician, and part of an online community for musicians, Happy Friday Club, Jossy is well positioned to have her finger on the pulse of the Tacoma music scene. “It made it easy for me to picture who would fit together,” she said in reference to booking the acts for the festival and deciding which stage would best fit them.

The line-up is as follows:

• Weekly Volcano Rock Stage – StarStruck (11 a.m.), GE5 (noon), Jonny Smokes (1 p.m.), 2112 (2 p.m.), The Hard Way (3 p.m.), Sons of Ivan (4 p.m.), Drug Purse (5 p.m.), The Elephants (7 p.m.), Jon Auer (8 p.m.);

• Cole’s Oasis Reunion Blues Stage – Voxxy Vallejo (1:15 p.m.), Kincaid Ave (2:15 p.m.), Malcolm Clark (3:15 p.m.), Loose Gravel & the Quarry (4:15 p.m.), All Star Blues Jam (5:15 p.m., in memory of one of Tacoma’s favorite blues venues, Cole’s Oasis);

• Pierce County Country Stage – Becca Rae (11:45 a.m.), Kari Ehli Band (12:45 p.m.), Voodoo Ranch (1:45 p.m.), Renegade (2:45 p.m.), Michael O’Neill Band (3:45 p.m.), Joshua Cain Band (4:45 p.m.), Ruby Dee and the Snakehandlers (5:45 p.m.);

• Antique Sandwich Company Acoustic Stage – Neal Woodall (noon), Angel Band (1 p.m.), Martin Nyberg (2 p.m.), Josh Adams (3 p.m.), Stephanie Johnson (4 p.m.), Gavin Guss (5 p.m.), The Blonds (6 p.m.).

Jossy said she is particularly excited to be bringing country music to Tacoma, which can be a little difficult to find around here. “These people really need a chance to shine,” she said.

With Ruby Dee and the Snakehandlers attending to play the country stage, Jossy worked with the band to offer interested musicians a “Hit the Road” professional touring workshop during the event, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. After years of learning the ropes as a touring band, Ruby Dee and bandmate Jorge Harada have a lot of knowledge about the right way to go on tour, and they will share what they know including mapping and booking a tour, budgeting, tips on saving money on hotels, gas and food, safety and sanity tips, and more. Cost is $25, payable at the door or online at www.BrownPaperTickets.com/event/41890.

In addition to music, the festival features art as well from regional artists selling their wares and making art on the spot. Three artists will be painting live that day: Desiree Flerchinger (www.desireeflerchinger.com), Linda Lapping-DeSantis (www.desantisdesigner.com) and Mary Kay Johnson (www.marykdesigns.com). More art will be made by ceramicists showing the American raku method and those who wish can make their own for pick-up later that day after the pieces are fired. In American raku, the bisque-fired pieces are decorated with particular types of glazes and quickly fired to 2,000 degrees or so. Once the glaze is properly melted, the pieces are removed from the kiln immediately while they are still hot and placed in cans with straw, leaves or newspaper. Once this flammable material ignites, lids are clamped down. There is flame and smoke and then the hardest part – waiting. The end result is vibrant and smoky metallic-flashed blues, greens, copper or crackled glazes. These pieces are not for food use or to hold flowers, but each one is a work of art.

The little ones will have lots to do at the fest in the large “Kids Zone” complete with bouncy houses, carnival games and food. Pt. Defiance Zoo and Aquarium will have live animal displays.

Jossy said vendors are still welcome to sign up to work the festival; cost is $35. Those interested should contact Beth Torbet at bethtorbet@hotmail.com or (253) 381-1858.

For complete information on all that is on tap, visit www.PointDefianceMusicFest.org.

McGuckin Entertainment PR
Austin, Texas
512.478.0578
Heidi@mcguckinpr.com
www.mcguckinpr.com

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