Aug 13 Thursday
Welcomed by KNKX. Frank Vignola is one of the most extraordinary guitarists performing before the public today. His stunning virtuosity has made him the guitarist of choice for many of the world’s top musicians, including Ringo Starr, Madonna, Donald Fagen, John Lewis, Tommy Emmanuel, Lionel Hampton, the Boston Pops, the New York Pops, and guitar legend Les Paul, who named Vignola to his “Five Most Admired Guitarists List:” for the Wall Street Journal.
His dynamic genre-spanning music has brought him to 21 countries on three continents – and still growing – performing in some of the world’s most illustrious venues, including the Sydney Opera House, Carnegie Hall, The Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, New York’s Lincoln Center, The Blue Note, and the world’s oldest indoor concert hall, Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza, Italy.
Pasquale Grasso - It was the kind of endorsement most rising guitarists can only dream of, and then some. In his interview for Vintage Guitar magazine’s February 2016 cover story, Pat Metheny was asked to name some younger musicians who’d impressed him. “The best guitar player I’ve heard in maybe my entire life is floating around now, Pasquale Grasso,” said the jazz-guitar icon and NEA Jazz Master. “This guy is doing something so amazingly musical and so difficult. “Mostly what I hear now are guitar players who sound a little bit like me mixed with a little bit of [John Scofield] and a little bit of [Bill Frisell],” he continued. “What’s interesting about Pasquale is that he doesn’t sound anything like that at all. In a way, it is a little bit of a throwback, because his model—which is an incredible model to have—is Bud Powell. He has somehow captured the essence of that language from piano onto guitar in a way that almost nobody has ever addressed. He’s the most significant new guy I’ve heard in many, many years.”
Aug 14 Friday
Supported by KNKX. Grammy-winning producer, guitarist and vocalist John Pizzarelli celebrates the centennial of iconic singer Tony Bennett with a pair of heartfelt tributes.
Dear Mr. Bennett, to be released March 3, 2026 via Green Hill Music, features Pizzarelli's trio with bassist Mike Karn and pianist Isaiah J. Thompson performing timeless songs made famous by Bennett.
For world-renowned guitarist and vocalist John Pizzarelli, Tony Bennett was more than simply an influence. Pizzarelli's late father, the revered guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, was a frequent sideman for the legendary singer, appearing on albums including 1960's To My Wonderful One and 1969's I've Gotta Be Me. John got his own opportunity to accompany Bennett for a radio broadcast that also featured pianist Ralph Sharon and bassist Jay Leonhart.
The admiration was mutual - Bennett could be found in the audience for a number of Pizzarelli's performances, and sketched his likeness on two occasions. The charming artwork that graces the cover of Pizzarelli's heartfelt new tribute album, Dear Mr. Bennett, was rendered during an engagement at Feinstein's nightclub at New York’s Loews Regency hotel.
Dear Mr. Bennett, released in March, 2026 via Green Hill Music, is on the one hand a loving farewell to a profoundly influential musician who meant so much to so many. At the same time, it's a spirited celebration, arriving just in time for Bennett's landmark August 3rd centennial. A five-song EP will follow on August 7th to coincide with the occasion. Both releases feature songs made famous by Bennett over the course of his remarkable seven-decade career, rendered with lively warmth, soulful balladry and embracing swing by Pizzarelli and his trio featuring bassist Mike Karn and pianist Isaiah J. Thompson.
The Downtown Tacoma Blues Festival is coming to Broadway!! Don't miss this three-day extravaganza of world-class blues!!
**Friday, August 14th - 5pm to 9pm inside of the TACOMA CENTRE with hosts Ebony & Ivory Coffee - PRE-FUNK FRIDAY - FREE TO THE PUBLIC - Beer & Wine available for purchase. Suggested donation $20.
Scheduled to Perform: Mark DuFresne & David Kosins; Terry Hanck & Kid Andersen; The Joel Astley Band; Alvon Johnson with Ben Rice & Derrick D’Mar Martin~Join us for the afterparty at The Hotel Murano with the T-Town Aces!
**Saturday, August 15th - BLUES ON BROADWAY - Featuring TWO stages with headliners VANESSA COLLIER, RICK ESTRIN & THE NIGHTCATS and TOMMY CASTRO & THE PAINKILLERS! Festival opens at 11am - Music from 12pm to 7pmAlso scheduled to perform: United By Music with Ben Rice & Curley Taylor; Alabama Mike & The Greaseland All-Stars; Eden Brent~Join us for the afterparty at Hotel Murano with Mark Hurwitz & Gin Creek feat. Tanya Hodel
**Sunday, August 16th - SOUL SUNDAY at Hotel MuranoScheduled to Perform: Darelle Holden; James Lee Murray Band; Marcel Smith & Lisa Andersen with Kid Andersen~All-Star Invitational Jam
Festival is FREE to the public & VIP packages are available.
Love hiking? Looking for a way to make a difference? 👀 Join Hike-a-Thon, Washington Trails Association’s community fundraiser!
Hike-a-Thon is for you if you want to …♥️ Give back to trails and public lands (and inspire others to do the same)🌲 Spend more time outdoors this summer, solo or with a team✨ Earn awesome prizes, including the official 2026 T-shirt once you raise your first $40
Everyone is welcome, no matter how or where you enjoy spending time outdoors. Register today to make the most of your Hike-a-Thon!
Drop into Easy Street Records for an afternoon of crate digging. While you're there drop off your damaged or unplayable vinyl records to help support vinyl recycling efforts! Collection bins will be out through the end of September.
Event website: https://www.wmg.com/news/independent-record-stores-and-warner-music-group-launch-nationwide-pilot-to-explore-recovery-pathways-for-vinyl-records
In summer 2026, MOHAI will be one of only eight venues nationwide to host the Freedom Plane National Tour: Documents That Forged a Nation—a landmark exhibit from the National Archives created in celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Inspired by the Freedom Train, which carried historic documents across the country during the Bicentennial, the Freedom Plane National Tour shares original founding-era records from the National Archives with a limited number of cultural institutions nationwide.
Selected as one of only eight venues nationwide, and the final stop on the national tour, MOHAI will host the Freedom Plane National Tour from July 30–August 16, 2026, offering a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the Pacific Northwest to experience these original records before they return to the National Archives vaults.
In alignment with MOHAI’s mission and the significance of America’s 250th anniversary, the Freedom Plane National Tour exhibit will be presented free and open to the public during its run at MOHAI. Additional visitor information will be shared closer to the exhibit opening.
MOHAI will showcase original founding-era documents on loan from the National Archives, central to the creation of the United States.
These fragile, irreplaceable documents are traveling together for the first time as part of the Freedom Plane National Tour. After appearing at a limited number of cultural institutions nationwide, the tour will conclude at MOHAI before the documents return to the National Archives.
In celebration of its 30th anniversary, the Washington State Historical Society invites you to explore the history of building the State History Museum. 30 Years and Counting: The Making of the Washington State History Museum is a special exhibition that uncovers the vision, effort, and community spirit that brought this iconic Tacoma landmark to life.
Discover the bold ideas and architectural ingenuity that shaped the museum’s distinctive look. From early sketches to final blueprints, see how the building’s design reflects both innovation and reverence for Washington’s past. Go behind the scenes of the museum’s construction. Through photographs and artifacts from the building process, witness how a dream took shape—brick by brick, beam by beam.
Staff Picks: 30 Objects for 30 Years
In a special feature area, museum staff share their favorite objects from the collection—each one a personal reflection on the power of history to inspire, surprise, and connect us.
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.
This is a permanent exhibition. Since time immemorial, Tribal nations have existed in this place we call Washington. This Is Native Land invites visitors to understand Washington State through the lived experiences and voices of its Native people.
Tribal nations are sovereign nations. Today, Native history, culture, and community thrive in our state. Through everyday acts of sovereignty – big and small – Indigenous peoples demonstrate they are still here, they have persevered, and they will always be here.
This Is Native Land is guided by three teachings:We are of the land and watersWith knowledge comes responsibilitySovereignty protects people, lands, and waters
These teachings are shared through multimedia, artwork, and interactive objects designed for guest engagement. They represent a contemporary continuation of Tribal stories and traditions.
Over 100 Native contributors from more than 60 Tribes shaped the exhibition’s stories and content. We thank the Native Advisory Committee and all community participants for their contributions.
