KNKX is proud to be a media sponsor of the following community events:
Folklife Sessions @ Métier Brewing Company – First Thursdays from 6-8 p.m.
Métier Brewing Company and NW Folklife have partnered to host a monthly concert series, allowing NW Folklife to showcase our network of artists in a local business that celebrates the age-old craft of beermaking. MBC is all about strengthening community and creating a welcoming gathering space for families, friends, and those who appreciate exceptional beer. Located in the Central District, Seattle's Historic Black neighborhood, Métier is one of the few Black-owned breweries in the country. In July, the series is taking a hiatus.
KNKX presents First Thursday Music at the Broadway Farmers Market in Tacoma - May through October
The Broadway Farmers Market celebrates over 30 years of bringing together local growers, food producers, and vendors. There is no Broadway Farmers Market on Thursday, July 4. Singer-songwriter Julie Olsen is featured on July 11 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Stop by KNKX's booth in front of our Tacoma studios from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and pick up some fun free swag.
Jam in the Atrium at Vashon Center for the Arts – First Saturdays from 1-3 p.m.
Jazz bassist Bruce Phares invites accomplished musician friends and colleagues to help him fill the Atrium at Vashon Center for the Arts with high-quality live jazz, for FREE. Take in some great jazz surrounded by the latest art exhibit.
KNKX presents An Evening with Gregory Porter - 2024 Holiday Tourat the Paramount Theatre - December 30, 7:30 p.m. Grammy Award winner Gregory Porter released his first-ever Christmas album titled Christmas Wish last year as a tribute to his favorite time of year and to music legends including Stevie Wonder, Ella Fitzgerald, Marvin Gaye, Dinah Washington and Nat King Cole. Backed by his long-time band and produced by repeat collaborator Troy Miller, the album features inspired interpretations of carols, standards, and soulful sixties deep-cuts.
The 40th Annual TD Victoria International JazzFest is June 21-30. It's the longest-running party on Vancouver Island with jazz, blues, funk, world, and more, featuring free-to-attend outdoor performances, ticketed and cover charge shows, and free-to-attend workshops across Victoria and Esquimalt, BC! This year's ticketed concerts include Booker T's Stax Revue, Ziggy Alberts, Take 6, Morgan James, Veronica Swift, Blue Moon Marquee, Kjetil Mulelid Trio, Lakecia Benjamin, Cory Henry, Ulysses Owens, Jr. & Generation Y, and more. Also Funk & Soul in the Township in Esquimalt, music at Hermann's Jazz Club, free-to-attend TD JazzFest 40th Birthday Bash on June 27, free performances at Beacon Hill Park and Bullen Park.
Tacoma Ocean Fest 2024 presented by Foss Waterway Seaport is June 27-29. Activities include State of the Salmon Screening June 27, 6-7 p.m. at Foss Waterway Seaport; Lantern Paddle for Species, June 28, 7-10 p.m. at Foss Waterway Seaport; Waterfront Clean-up, June 29, 10 a.m.-noon at Melanie's Park; and the Festival, June 29, noon-5 p.m. at Foss Waterway Seaport.
Seattle's 50th annual Pride Month celebration will close out with the annual Seattle Pride Parade on Sunday, June 30 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. in Westlake Park along 4th Avenue. Come see Washington's largest parade and celebrate the 250+ local and national community groups, nonprofits, and companies. Seattle sports legends Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe will serve as grand marshals for the annual Seattle Pride Parade as part of the 50th anniversary of LGBTQIA+ Pride celebrations in the Emerald City.
KNKX is proud to sponsor the third season of the Summer Series at the Amphitheater presented by Volunteer Park Trust, consecutive Thursdays, July 11-August 15 from 6-8:30 p.m. The July 11 event featuring Clinton Fearon and the Phinney Ridge Steel Drum Band will also be Volunteer Park Trust’s annual Picnic in the Park with free ice cream, lawn games, and craft activities for kids. Come celebrate with us all summer long! Bring a picnic, your blanket, and your friends and family to enjoy the show each Thursday. Food trucks will also be available at every event. Stop by the KNKX booth in the park every week, pick up some cool swag, and enter to win tickets! Get the full lineup here. KNKX thanks BECU for their support.
Rainbow Center presents Tacoma Pride Festival 2024, July 13 from 12-6 p.m. in downtown Tacoma. As the largest Pride celebration in Tacoma, we understand the importance of creating opportunities to support our local community of entertainers, makers, artists, businesses and organizations to offer a more inclusive representation of who we are. Tacoma Pride Festival has grown from a single day celebration to a series of events throughout the entire month of July. The City of Tacoma has proudly made a proclamation declaring July as Tacoma Pride Month. Through curating cultural events, establishing community partnerships, and honoring the history of Pride, we invite you to celebrate with us - KNKX will have a booth on-site all day.
South Hudson Music Project and KNKX present Piano Starts Here: The Music of Leon Russell and James Booker at the Royal Room, July 17, 7:30 p.m., closing the season on a Rock and Roll note. Both celebrated as pianists and vocalists, Russell and Booker brought elements of Gospel, Boogie, Blues and Rock, as well as some of the strongest grooving a piano could produce. Curated by Wayne Horvitz and Alex Guilbert. Hosted by Alex Guilbert.
Centrum presents Jazz Pt. Townsend with Mainstage Concerts July 26 and 27, and Jazz in the Clubs July 25-27, all at Fort Worden State Park. Get the complete lineup here. KNKX will be on-site all day on Saturday, July 27. Stop by and say hi!
KNKX Presents: Kiki Valera y su Son Cubano “Vacilón Santiaguero” Album Release at the Royal Room - August 2, 7:30 p.m. Kiki Valera is one of Cuba’s foremost cuatro-guitar virtuosos and a fourth-generation member of La Familia Valera Miranda, the pioneers renowned for more than a century as creators of Eastern Cuba’s Son tradition. Over the last century, this style of traditional Cuban music has contributed to many other musical genres, including jazz, cha-cha-cha, mambo and salsa. Cuban Son is the music that made the Buena Vista Social Club worldwide stars in the late 1990s, but Kiki Valera comes from a family of musicians whose involvement with Son pre-dates the BVSC by decades. Now based in the United States, Valera’s dynamic ensemble features many of Latin America’s most outstanding musicians including lead vocalists Carlos Cascante (Spanish Harlem Orchestra) and Victor Castillo (Giraldo Piloto y Klimax) and bongocero Pedro Vargas (Barbarito Torres band). They’ll be joined by Joe de Jesus (lead vocals/congas), Javier Maru (guitar), Julian Weissman (bass.)
4th Annual Dock Street Blues & Jazz Fest at West of the Waterway in Tacoma - August 25, 12 to 7 p.m. Headliner is Tia Carroll and her awesome PNW band. Award winning California native Tia Carroll has quietly accumulated one of the most impressive entertainment resumes in the Bay Area and has become one of the most sought-after female singers on the West Coast. The lineup also includes Kyle Rowland from Sacramento, Andy Stokes feat. King Louie & Renato Caranto, Rafael Tranquilino, Jazz Overhaul, Blue Healers, and John Greyhound Maxwell.
An Evening with Fran Lebovitz in conversation with Bethany Jean Clementat Benaroya Hall - September 22, 7:30 p.m., presented by NWAA, KNKX, and The Stranger. In a cultural landscape filled with endless pundits and talking heads, Fran Lebowitz stands out as one of our most insightful social commentators. Her Netflix series Pretend It’s a City, directed by Martin Scorcese, offers an unforgettable glimpse into her world view, and has exposed her to a new generation of loyal fans. In this intimate evening in Seattle, Fran will offer her acerbic views on current events and the media – as well as pet peeves including tourists, baggage-claim areas, after-shave lotion, adults who roller skate, children who speak French, or anyone who is unduly tan. In addition, she will share her unique take on the current state of our Union.
Tony Award winner Kristin Chenoweth is live at the Pantages Theater in Tacoma - October 5, 7:30 p.m. Known for her iconic performances in Wicked, Glee, and You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Kristin has captivated audiences with her stunning vocals and charming stage presence. Don't miss an evening of breathtaking selections and beautiful orchestral arrangements backed by Symphony Tacoma.
