Months and months of rain. Bad traffic. A high suicide rate. The not-so-subtle odor of pulp hanging in the air. With all of this, is it much of a surprise that Tacoma spawns some damn fine blues? "Some of the best blues artists in the country come from the Pacific Northwest," says Gary Grape, president of the South Sound Blues Association. "We hope to show some of them to the people of Tacoma." Show they shall. On Saturday, the fourth annual Gray Sky Blues Music Festival graces downtown Tacoma. The festival features over a dozen different acts playing at multiple venues. Attendees can grab a beer at one club and eat a sandwich another, all while listening to some of the best blues around. "The festival is great music in good local clubs," says Grape. "It's a win-win."

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[Downtown Tacoma: The Swiss, Harmon Brewery, Cutters Pointe Coffee, afterparty at Stonegate Pizza, noon to 7:30 p.m. downtown, 8 p.m. to midnight at Stonegate, prices vary, full schedule at southsoundblues.com]