Look, guys, change is always difficult. As I've mentioned before, metalheads are just about the most loyal bunch of music fans around, and no venue has catered to the tastes of Tacoma metalheads - in a very long time, at least - quite to the level of the storied Hell's Kitchen. Since just about the start of Hell's Kitchen's live music venture, one man has been behind the booking of bands: Ken "Flash" Connell. This recently changed, and in Connell's stead will be Donny Hales.

Before anyone goes freaking out about new hands stirring the Hell's Kitchen pot, it's worth noting that Donny Hales is the drummer for Zeke. So, let's say he knows his shit when it come to metal. Not only that, but Hales has had some experience booking punk and metal shows at the 2 Bit Saloon in Seattle.

"(The people at Hell's Kitchen) asked me to take over because Flash was stepping down," says Hales. "I took over, I guess it must have been, last Wednesday or Thursday. ... (Co-owner Jimmy Paulson) is a really good friend, so that definitely was a deciding factor, for me."

Of course, taking the reins of a venue like Hell's Kitchen is not a simple matter, and what little change there will be won't be noticeable for a while.

"Flash had some shows booked out into September," says Hales, "so we're just firming all of those up. And we're working on some other stuff, with some promoters around town."

Hales hints at ambitions to try and expand the vision of Hell's Kitchen, in little but noticeable ways. One thing he seems intent on is reaching out to bigger-name acts to bring to Tacoma.

"We'd like to get more national acts to come to Hell's Kitchen, but to continue on the same track that Flash was on," says Hales. "We want to keep true to what Hell's Kitchen has been and what it should continue to be. But, you know, we also want to add some stuff to other nights (that may not draw as much right now)."

Some ideas Hales has thrown around for nights when shows may not happen, like Tuesdays, include public video games and other social gatherings that don't necessarily center around music. This idea of expanding Hell's Kitchen into a space that doesn't always revolve around the metalhead aesthetic is one that has been circling the venue since it moved downtown and eliminated all-ages shows from the docket. One of the main stated benefits behind moving downtown to the larger space (besides the obvious sprinkler issue) was to open the space up to a wider audience. If Hell's Kitchen can make the space welcoming to a larger group of people on nights when bands aren't playing, the club has the potential to become a real competitor in a non-niche way in the downtown nightlife scene.

Regardless of what secondary changes are made in the coming months, the basic ethos of Hell's Kitchen will remain untouched. The venue will remain the best place to see heavy metal in Tacoma, despite the change of who's doing the booking. For the foreseeable future, patrons will remain at risk of whiplash after attending shows at Hell's Kitchen - and no one will dare to change that. If for no other reason than to avoid the wrath of a betrayed community of metalheads. That's enough reason for me to do just about anything, so imagine the incentive it'll give to someone who has to think about booking kickass shows.

Hell's Kitchen

928 Pacific Ave., Tacoma
253.759.6003