Tacoma’s hippest live-music hub is getting bigger and more legit.
Humble Cub at the Peabody Waldorf; photograph by Jeremy Gregory.
The Peabody Waldorf has become one of Tacoma’s new go-to venues for live music, featuring acts booked by the Warehouse, all-ages shows run by SOTA students and even visual art openings. The trouble is, the popular venue, embedded inside Sanford and Sons, was not actually supposed to be a live-music venue. “We were just sort of doing it,” laughs owner P. Eric Waldmann. So, in the interests of keeping the peace – and keeping the scene growing – the management (Waldmann, Nick Heath and Claire Yuckert) are headed across the street to the former Speakeasy spot, where they’ll have 1,200 more square feet and, eventually, a café and a fully licensed bar. Stay tuned for a soft opening this month and for more exciting collaborations with local groups, including the Warehouse, of course, Tacoma Symphony, Tacoma Opera and perhaps even the new McMenamins opening just down the road. If this keeps up, Tacoma may have its own musical corridor, akin to the Pike/Pine scene on Capitol Hill. •
