Jazzbones, the oldest privately owned music venue in Tacoma, didn’t get that name until 2000. And even before its christening, the building itself wore a multitude of hats.
The building, now black instead of cyan blue, once housed a pharmacy, grocery store, and a Pizza Haven, among other things. Its following metamorphosis came with a variety of names: Victory Music Hall, Victory Pub, Jazzbones at The Victory, Jazzbones Jazz & Blues Club, and finally just Jazzbones.
Despite the somewhat morbid name, owners Taryn and Keanu Songcuan are filling Jazzbones with all kinds of music. The couple own multiple businesses, but this is their first music venue.
“He came home one day and was like ‘I think we should buy a bar,’” Taryn recalled.
A look at Jazzbones’ upcoming events roster will show 1980s dance parties, country musicians, Fleetwood Mac cover bands, rap, and nu-metal. The eclectic mix of talent comes from the philosophy that Jazzbones shouldn’t be a venue limited by its name.
“People maybe don’t know exactly what’s going on, but they know that Jazzbones’ got something going on,” Keanu said. “Whether that’s karaoke, DJ, rock, jazz, or country. We want to be known as a venue for all, not just a venue that’s limited to one specific genre.”
Talent buyer Greg Garcia has a strategy in curating these acts. Themed DJ nights have been a recent hit — including a popular Heated Rivalry night, based on the Netflix series — and Jazzbones has recently included LGBTQ+ themed events, as well.
“Those were great, because we felt that was kind of an underserved market in the Tacoma area,” Garcia said. “We’re happy to be able to support those nights.”
In addition to their regular rotation of tribute bands, Garcia has been trying to incorporate events that include local Tacoma bands.
“It’s a real balance of what works, what’s new that we could bring in, and what is also consistent that allows us to keep the doors open,” Garcia said. “We’ve been branching out to local bands especially, trying to really develop that community. Jazzbones has not booked a lot of local bands in the past.”
There are challenges that come with owning a small music venue, especially in Tacoma. Its proximity to Seattle means that spaces there are often overlooked by agencies booking for bands, and its size means it doesn’t rake in the amounts of cash that larger venues like WaMu or Climate Pledge do.
As for why Jazzbones often has no jazz, according to Garcia, it can just come down to the suitability of the venue and whether or not the show will be profitable enough.
“Honestly, it’s really tough to make money on jazz shows,” Garcia said. “Generally, with jazz shows, people want to come early. They want to sit and have dinner, things like that, so it’s really tough to survive off those types of shows. Sometimes [other venues] are a better fit for an artist.”
Still, Jazzbones may have jazz in its future. The Songcuans want to stay true to that “venue for all” philosophy — and that includes jazz, along with its other selection of music.
“We’re in the process of figuring out different acts we’re going to have potentially,” Taryn said. “Try to work it back into Jazzbones, so that way the name makes sense. Because, like we said, we want to have it be all genres.”
