Urban Art Festival is underway

By Ron Swarner on April 1, 2010

BENEFIT SHOW NUMBER ONE IS IN THE CAN >>>

Tacoma's Urban Art Festival - the free, all-ages event that showcases Tacoma musicians and artists - will be reaching new heights this year when it commences June 27.

This year the traditional downtown Tacoma festival will climb up South Ninth Street to Hilltop Tacoma and go nuts in Peoples Park.

Organizers Johanna Gardner, Lisa Fruishanti and MandiWebster-Martin are already busy lining up arts and bands. However, they presently have fundraising on their minds.

Their first benefit show for UAF was held last night at Hell's Kitchen. Voxxy Vallejo, Sugar Beats and Shotgun Kitchen rocked a small, but enthusiastic crowd. Highlights included: Voxxy Vallejo's cover of "Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress)" and their new slow song, "Alone"; watching the Sugar Beats' friend eat nachos and text against the stage while his friends blasted Hell's Kitchen with their spacey rock; $2 Pabst drafts.

I only heard one Shotgun Kitchen song before I had to leave, but I enjoyed their blues-laced rock.

The UAF crew plan several more rocking benefits before the June festival. Stay tuned.

To volunteer or perform at the Urban Art Festival, click here.

To see more photos from last night's show, click here.