Live Music in Lakewood - June 2, 2005

I’ve recently moved to the South end of Tacoma and find getting downtown not quite the quick little trip it once was. Being a "get to know your neighbors" kind of girl, I headed out in search of interesting places to catch live bands in Lakewood.
I started by calling every bar, tavern and club in the phonebook and jotting down a list of places to go. "What fun!" I thought, "I’ll have months of excitement". I came up with five. That’s right only five places in all of Lakewood and Steilacoom to see live music. Anyone want to front me the capital to open up "Deena’s Tiki Lounge"? Lakewood needs us!
We started out at O’Gallaghers on a Friday night. There is a cover charge of $5 which seemed fair. The band on the roster for the evening was Colliding Days. These guys played straight up kickass rock; AC/DC, Queens of the Stoneage, Jet. They gave 100% although the audience was pretty sparse. Not bad for $5! The stage is set in front of a huge dance floor, and plenty of tables, this place is enormous. The sound guy was top notch, loud but not too loud, and if you want a break from the band there are pool tables, big screens, and a decent menu as well. There’s a full menu until 10pm, after that you can get bar food til’ they close. The folks at O’Gallaghers are a great bunch. The staff couldn’t be friendlier and the drinks are cheap and strong. Bonus - there’s a 10% discount for military.
Next stop was the Great American Casino (formerly the Grand Central) for a completely different genre. Can you say shark pit? This is definitely a place for single folks. The band on deck was Notorious 253 and they had the dance floor packed. They were energetic and fun, playing old school Michael Jackson, pop, and R&B. The sound system pumps, the lighting is dim and the ambiance is actually very nice. It reminded me of the Paris casino in Vegas with the fake trees, brick, and cabaret style tables. The single men here are on the prowl and the ladies are on the dance floor. If you’re over 30 and looking to hook up, you might want to check it out. The staff is on the ball, and there’s live music every weekend with no cover charge.
Saturday night we headed back out on the road. It was a gorgeous night so we opted for the Steilacoom Pub & Deli’s open mic (hey, that’s live music right)? The pub has an open mic every Saturday night after 9pm. Steilacoom was looking very Norman Rockwell as we approached the darling little Pub. I’ve never encountered anyone with attitude here; it’s always a nice crowd and a fair mix of young and old. As with any open mic, you have to sit through a few stinkers but some of the acoustic acts were surprisingly good! Once again, there is no cover.
I loved the pub, but being that they don’t serve the hard stuff, we hit the road again, determined to find out all that Lakewood has to offer. Next stop: Chips Casino. I’d read in this swell paper that a band called Exotica was playing. Exotica huh? Sounds interesting. First of all, the place was packed, as in parking lot is full, no free barstools packed. Exotica, it turns out, is a two man act, one on the drums, one on the keyboard, performing a mix of 70’s and 80’s music. As I heard them start in on Dreamweaver I knew I had to stay. This place is a trip. The band does take requests (I love that!) and while there is no dance floor, not a soul in the bar wasn’t bobbing their head. The juxtaposition of gangsters, elderly women, and this funky little band made for quite an experience. I felt like I’d traveled to a new planet.
The bartender at Chips was without a doubt the friendliest bartender in the South end. His name is Tennille, and no matter how busy he gets, he never forgets a drink or shows the least bit of impatience. Ah, how refreshing.
As my next weekend approached I had one place left on my list. We undertook the long lingering drive to out to Oakbrook to see Chicken Joe at Pounders Pub & Grub. For you inner city Tacomans, beware…. this is a long drive on non arterial roads. Definitely choose a designated driver. We finally arrived to a packed house, harried bartenders and couples galore. No cover charge (ever) and every table was spoken for. We ended up sitting at the bar and watching the band from afar. The house was full of baseball caps and white tennis shoes, and at 32 I was one of the youngest people there. While the Great American Casino is a meat market this place is the polar opposite. If you’re looking for a night out with the spouse and don’t want to change out of your sweats, check it out. Otherwise, I’d have to say try something different and check out your local Casinos!