Jamika and guest host Hannah Devine interview community-builder and all-ages music advocate Tom Long!
Tom Long represents Real Art Tacoma, the Amocat Award Winner for Community Outreach by an Organization. Tom is the president of Real Art Tacoma, and owns the Beyond Thunderdome Cafe. As a (now aging) hardcore/punk kid, he has always been passionate about all-ages community spaces.
From the City of Tacoma website: “Real Art Tacoma is a 501(c)(3) all-ages creative arts and music event space. They provide space for young people to exist, express themselves, build community, and to be empowered through art, music, and the free exchange of ideas. For Real Art Tacoma, music, art, and culture should be enjoyed by everyone and not be inhibited by age restrictions.”
Check out the Real Art show calendar here, and consider volunteering! Follow them on the various socials to learn about upcoming shows and ways to support their work.
From the Real Art website:
“When Red Room closed — house venues were often the only options for young fans to play and enjoy music. There wasn’t much else that was accessible to all ages events. From 2007-2010, the venue was called The Viaduct which hosted many all ages DIY hardcore & punk shows and was helmed by organizers of Rainfest: a hardcore festival that was nationally recognized. When the original space for Viaduct was available to rent, the leaseholders considered it a no-brainer to return to 5412 S. Tacoma Way. The current business license still uses the Viaduct name.
“Real Art’s namesake is a movie theatre (built in 1919, open in 1920) until 1961 when it was converted into a dance hall across the street. [RealArt Theatre, now Edison Square] Our logo is based on the marquee. Every step of the way each of the five leaseholders had a specific intention in mind: ‘Give young people space to exist.”‘ Each brought their own expertise from booking and promoting shows on the festival scale and within house venues, clothing retail, screen printing, business and tax law. Each person on the project either performed or was involved with local music and art in Tacoma within some capacity. To build community and maintain a steady exchange of experience and expertise passed down from each generation of artists, bills were booked intentionally to include new artists — often from marginalized groups including but not limited to womxn, young artists of color, artists from the LGBTQ+ community. All ages events did have a void within city limits. Real Art opened its doors to serve that need of providing access and experience for the next generation of artists.”
Shout outs and topics include: karaoke, Alex Vile, hate5six, Rainfest, Tacoma Girls Rock, Ted Brown Music’s Live It OutLoud, Tacoma History, South Tacoma Way, Hammerhead House, Nate Walters, Porchfest, and PNW Hardcore.
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