Local concerts and shows to attend over the summer
With summer around the corner, find out which musicians will be playing in Tacoma and the Greater Seattle area.
As the skies clear and temperatures rise, many people take the opportunity to go out and watch their favorite musicians play as they come to the area. Here, I have compiled a list of both local and nationally popular bands and musicians to support that will be coming to the Tacoma and Seattle area over the summer.
On June 15, local bands Cocker Spaniel, Some F***ing Vegan, Bazaar and Alex Vile will be playing at Cush Hill in Central Tacoma. All bands are from the Greater Seattle area and are a mixture of genres including alternative, punk and shoegaze, which is a genre containing distortion, obscured vocals and high volume. For those that are interested in the local music scene, June 15 is an excellent opportunity to discover and support rapidly growing local artists at one venue.
Local venues in Tacoma such as McMenamins, Real Art Tacoma and Bob’s Java Jive (for adults over 21) also frequently host a variety of local and non-local artists throughout the year, with upcoming shows posted on their websites.
Many of today’s most popular artists are playing at shows, with Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle hosting pop artist Olivia Rodrigo with PinkPantheress August 6 and 7 and hip-hop duo $uicideboy$ on August 24. T-Mobile Park will be hosting country artist Chris Stapleton on July 27. R&B singer PARTYNEXTDOOR will be at Paramount Theatre in Seattle on July 3. Rapper Yung Gravy will be performing at WAMU Theater in Seattle on August 25.
Bumbershoot will also be returning on August 31 and September 1 during Labor Day weekend at the Seattle Center. Artists include alternative band Pavement, hip-hop group Cypress Hill, rapper Freddie Gibbs, and alternative musician Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth. This will be the 50th Bumbershoot festival and will include visual arts, music and culinary arts. Bumbershoot offers a mixture of both local and national artists, making it a great source to hear a diverse group of musicians.
There will also be many award-winning rock, alternative and metal musicians coming to western Washington in August. Foo Fighters, creators of hits like “My Hero” and “Everlong” will be performing at T-Mobile Park in Seattle on August 18. Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Metallica and Pantera, creators of “Walk” and “Cowboys from Hell” will both be playing at Lumen Field in Seattle on August 30. Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, creators of “I Love Rock ‘N Roll” and “Bad Reputation” will be playing at White River Amphitheatre in Auburn on Aug 3. As part of their 30-year anniversary tour of the influential emo album Diary, Sunny Day Real Estate will be playing at The Showbox in Seattle on August 20, 23, and 24.
Although many artists do not make it to the West Coast until later in their summer tours, the chance to see a diverse set of musicians over the summer is still present. Not only do concerts provide you with an opportunity to spend a night out listening to music, but they also help support musicians and venues and encourage more shows to be put on. All concerts are likely to have merchandise stands, food and drinks, and the stadium shows frequently include VIP tickets that include exclusive access and merchandise.
Featured image caption: Alex Vile performing at the 1st Ave Bridge in Seattle. Photo by Jesse Beecher (@jesse_beecher on Instagram).
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