Nov 08 Saturday
For over 55 years, Tower of Power has delivered the best in funk and soul music.“We were a Soul band called The Motowns.” recalls Emilio Castillo. “Rocco was the bass player, I was there, and my brother was the drummer. I met “Doc” Kupka back in 1968, and gave him an audition. He came in the band, and we eventually changed our name to the Tower of Power.” The reason for the band name change was that they had a specific goal in mind.
East Bay Grease defined their sound and landed them with Warner Brothers. Bump City, their 1972 debut for the label, was a hit on both the Billboard 200 and the R&B Albums chart, and netted them the hits “You’re Still A Young Man” and “Down to The Nightclub.” The 70s were a boom period with radio classics like “So Very Hard to Go” and “What Is Hip?,” and the band continued to tour and record over the years. Castillo says their love of the stage is the same today as it was back in 1968.
50 years later, in 2018, they returned to Oakland to celebrate their landmark 50th anniversary. Tower’s window-rattling grooves and raucous party spirit has been a balm for the soul throughout their half-century existence, but the release of 50 Years of Funk & Soul: Live at the Fox Theater couldn’t have arrived at a better time.
The band has long since surpassed Castillo’s modest aspirations, traveling the world, enjoying hit singles on their own and backing legendary artists including Otis Redding, Elton John, Santana, the Grateful Dead, John Lee Hooker, Aerosmith, Bonnie Raitt, and countless others. In the process they’ve defined an “Oakland soul” sound as instantly recognizable as those from Castillo’s hometown, Detroit, as well as inspirations like Memphis and Philadelphia.
Blues icon. Soul man. Rock and roller. Robert Cray is all these things – and more. The Georgia-born, Washington-raised musician first picked up a guitar after seeing The Beatles on TV, and then, having witnessed Jimi Hendrix perform in Seattle, determined that his destiny would also follow a similar path. And so he has: across the past half century Robert Cray's developed into one of American music’s most singular artists.
Think about it: Robert Cray has shared stage and/or studio with the likes of John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Chuck Berry, Albert Collins, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Tina Turner, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and the Memphis Horns. Cray’s stinging guitar playing and soulful voice, his skills as a band leader and performer, mark him as keeper of the flame for American roots music, an artist who never fails to deliver. "We were so lucky just be able to see them," says Cray of trading guitar licks on stage with legends of blues, rock, and soul, "let alone share the stage with them -- what an experience!"
As an artist, Robert Cray's aged like fine wine -- his voice has developed a greater range and expressiveness; this he's put to use on masterful interpretations of such Southern soul standards as "I Forgot To Be Your Lover," "Your Good Thing Is About To End," and "Nobody's Fault But Mine." At the same time, Cray's guitar playing now possesses an additional depth, a growl that can hint at a caress then signal emotional upheaval.
His recent run of albums -- 2014's In My Soul, 2017's Robert Cray & Hi Rhythm and 2020's masterful That's What I Heard -- are amongst the very finest he's made. Every song here is deeply felt, whether an agonised song of loss, an angry protest number, or a dance tune that gets audiences pumping.
Symphony Tacoma (Sarah Ioannides, conductor)Jimmie Herrod, vocalistSymphony Tacoma VoicesHaniye Kian, vocalist
Join us for an unforgettable night of unstoppable energy as Symphony Tacoma and Symphony Tacoma Voices unite with "America’s Got Talent" finalist Jimmie Herrod, a Tacoma native whose powerhouse vocals have taken the nation by storm! From Motown magic and the British Invasion to disco grooves, rock anthems, and dance-floor favorites, this electrifying concert will have you singing and maybe even dancing in the aisles.
This is Tacoma’s chance to welcome home one of its brightest stars; you don’t want to miss it!
Nov 09 Sunday
A group of visual artists have come together to express their concern over the current state of the nation/world due to today’s political situation. The show title “Degenerate” Art harkens back to the label used by the Nazis in the 1930s to attack modern art and the artists who did not adhere to the permitted view of racial purity, militarism, and obedience.
Pieces by six established Vashon Island artists will be presented: Gregory Burnham, Bill Cleaver, Bill Jarcho, Alice Larson, Marc Pease, and Lenard Yen.
“Every day this becomes a more important show as we see the arts attacked and erosion of our freedom of speech,” said Alice Larson. “What is happening parallels fascism in Germany under Hitler. Anything not toeing the line of the administration in power is deleted, banned, and those related to it punished.”Bill Cleaver summarized why the exhibit is particularly relevant to the group. “We are artists, so this is how we express our concerns. We hope this show will inspire others to find their own way to declare their distress.”
The “Degenerate” Art Show will be on display at Snapdragon Café, 17817 Vashon Hwy SW, Vashon Island, WA during November 2025, with an opening celebration on First Friday November 7, 6 – 9 p.m.
Echoes of the Floating World features a striking collection of 18th, 19th and early 20th-century Japanese woodblock prints from the Tacoma Art Museum and others, displayed alongside works by contemporary Northwest artists. This exhibition honors the rich legacy of ukiyo-e while exploring its cultural impact on today’s artistic expressions.
Hours-
Monday CLOSEDTuesday CLOSEDWednesday 10 am – 5 pmThursday 10 am – 8 pmFriday 10 am – 5 pmSaturday 10 am – 5 pmSunday 10 am – 5 pm
We are protesting project 2025. TacomaRama marching band will join us for the next 4 years. We will meet each month on the Saturday closest to the 18th each month. Always 10am, always Reconciliation park. Feel loved and supported.
The period from the 1870s to the 1900s, known as the Gilded Age, saw the rise of the railroad, textile industry, and production. It also saw a rise in migration to US cities, providing workers to fill low paying jobs producing many of the fashions of the era. This era marked a turning point in fashion as new technologies and changing cultural norms transformed the ways in which people dressed.
Explore this history and enjoy the rare chance to see clothing, notions, and artifacts of the period from the Washington State Historical Society collections.
Never Turn Back: Echoes of African American Music unveils the profound legacy of Gospel, Blues, Jazz, and Soul artists who shaped the soundscape of American culture and used their music as instruments of resistance, identity, and representation.
Gospel, Blues, Jazz, and Soul embody the profound influence of African American music on culture and history. From the spiritual foundations and transformative movements of Gospel hymns to the revolutionary improvisations of Jazz, the Blues’ Southern roots rising from the Mississippi Delta, and Soul’s powerful amplification of the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements, these genres have defined the unique sound and undying spirit of a nation that continues to echo through contemporary Black music today.
The 37th annual Best of the Northwest Fall Show is Seattle's Premier Art & Fine Craft show.
Location: Hangar 30 in Warren G. Magnuson Park, Seattle
Dates: November 7-9, 2025
Special VIP Preview: Friday, 11am - 2pm, 21 and over
General Admission: All-Ages - Friday, 2pm - 7pm, Saturday, 10am-6pm & Sunday, 10am-5pm
We are excited to announce our premier 3-day event, starting November 7. Help us celebrate 37 years of the Best! This year's event starts Friday morning with a special VIP Preview. Be the first to see the art and buy from the artists. Your VIP Preview ticket includes complementary assorted pastries and treats. Enjoy live music while you shop and enter for a chance to win prize drawings of gift certificates for artwork. Your VIP Preview ticket is also valid all weekend. $15 in advance/$20 day of the event.
The following days/times: Fri, 2pm-7pm, Sat, 10am-6pm and Sun, 10m-5pm are open to the public and all-ages. The general admission prices are $3 advance and $5 day of the event, with ages 12 and under entering for free during these hours. A variety of Seattle food trucks are onsite throughout the weekend. Enjoy seeing 115+ talented NW artists in all mediums. Find exciting treasures for yourself or a gift for someone special. Look for artists in action and see how the artwork is made. Vote for your favorite art booth and enter to win a gift card.
During the event, two cash awards of $250 each will be given to the two booths that receive the most People's Choice and Juror's choice votes. These artists will also be given a coupon for free application and a guaranteed spot in the next Best of the Northwest show. Two Honorable mentions will also be picked by voted and will receive a coupon for free application and a guaranteed spot in the next Best of the Northwest show.
Stories are shaped by the ways we tell them. In Shaping the Story: Designs for the Theatre by Carey Wong, go behind the scenes to see how theatre sets bring stories to life. During a career spanning over 50 years, Carey Wong has designed sets and costumes for more than 300 productions, including operas, plays, musicals, and ballets.
This exhibition features scale models of his designs in addition to costumes, set pieces, and stories of Washington’s rich entertainment history. From sketches of an idea to fully realized sets, explore how a designer’s decisions craft the world of a story.
