Knapp’s Lounge

Right here in the Proctor District of Tacoma lies an old world community staple. It is a place where legends go to die, and rock stars are born. Or something like that. Just as a mission provideth shelter, a judge provideth order, and a teacher provideth knowledge, Knapp’s doth provide as well. Not unlike any other public trust, Knapp’s is there for any of us to use whenever we should need it. However, we try to use it as infrequently as possible, for the sake of appearances, logistics, etc. The comparisons could certainly go on.

How many of you out there have never been to Knapp’s Lounge after dark? If this is you, please get it in gear and get down there. Watch a little TV, dial up the jukebox, have a couple see-throughs (if you please) and just relax. It’s dark. It’s clean. The bathrooms are nice. What more do you want?

Tacoma residents, I summon thee to partake of the essence. Having been in there a couple times per year for several years, I always expect to see more people. The Proctor area is pretty good size and full of people, so I will be expecting to see more of you out after midnight in support of your best neighborhood lounge scene.

Just my opinion. Let’s hear yours..

KNAPP’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE
2707 North Proctor
Tacoma, WA 98407
(253) 759-9009

Do you take sex with your coffee?

So it’s been awhile since local coffee bars around Tacoma introduced scantily clad baristas into their workforce, and we still aren’t hearing much about regulation on this sort of thing. I guess this has a lot to do with the fact that the trend has slowed recently, rather than the opposite which I had expected. It seemed every non-Starbucks coffee drive-thru was going bikini there for a minute, but that trend looks to be on hold.

Especially given the current, poor economic situation, businesses are trying anything to get your nickel, and half-nakedness is just one of many strategies being deployed. Although I haven’t seen half-naked grocery clerks just yet, I still worry that it won’t be long. Tight Cuts has taken this concept and run with it, providing haircuts with a sexual theme for a premium price. At least they charge that premium.

The coffee stands that bundle sex with their product at no extra charge are really operating unfairly, IMO. What is going to stop every struggling small business in town from putting half-naked people at the cash register in hopes of scrounging up a few extra pennies and staying afloat? Think about half-naked plumbers.. smutty door-to-door salespeople.. decadent doctors?!

Is this really the path down which we are heading? If not, what is going to stop all this nonsense?

Metropolitan Market, put up your dukes

Dear Met Market,

Although unassuming in shape, cost-effective and green, the cucumber should be considered, at best, as one option among many for your recipes. Salads, sandwiches, wraps..heck, even sushi. It can provide the crunch and refreshing blast that, I don’t know..someone must really enjoy – perhaps often.

That being said, I would like to personally tell the guy in charge of the sushi over there at Met Market to stop putting cucumber in all the sushi rolls hand-prepared there each day. Groundbreaking idea: substitute avocado, or just leave it out! If you must keep putting cucumber in there, then don’t be so grumpy when we ask you to make custom rolls.

It looks neat having the production in plain sight, but we might expect something from you on occasion, being that you are so accessible.

Thank you.

Viaduct

The Viaduct is the latest all ages club to pop up in my radar and it happens to be one block from where I spend much of my working life. As I rarely go to random all ages shows that don’t involve Floater, I will probably not find myself at this venue anytime soon. Obviously, I will have to rely on others to curb my current curiosity.

Kane Hodder is playing the Viaduct tonight, I believe. They will draw a crowd that knows a thing or two about music venues. As Kane Hodder opened for Floater not long ago, I respect them and their fans. Please, somebody, chime in with an account of the May 16th, 2008 Kane Hodder show in Tacoma.

Specifically, how is the club’s sound system? And if you are a wee youngster, did you feel safe in there? Any riff-raff ooze in from the surrounding, industrial wasteland neighborhood? I would like to see more businesses succeed here, and it’s great for kids to have hangout options other than bowling alleys, movie theaters, and malls.

Diversity appears to be at the core of Viaduct; I see they have a hip-hop show and a dance party scheduled in the near future to complement the expected rock shows on the calendar. They’ve even booked bands as far out as September! Good for them.

The Viaduct
5412 South Tacoma Way

Tacoma: Scootertown, USA

I recently bought a scooter. Originally for neighborhood travel only, it quickly became about much more than just the post office, the bank, and the grocery store. Within a week I’d traveled the freeway and traversed the Narrows Bridge. In an instant, the scooter became my preferred means of transportation. If it’s not raining, I’m scootin. I can’t afford to drive my car any longer, seeing as how the gas gauge on my scooter doesn’t seem to move. So far I’ve filled up twice with supreme unleaded gasoline (currently over $4 per gallon in Tacoma) and it’s set me back a grand total of $17. How does 75 miles per gallon sound?

With events like 4th of July and the Tall Ships Festival on the waterfront, the Taste of Tacoma and Zoobilee at Point Defiance, or anything you can think of downtown, in the Stadium district or 6th Ave, a scooter just makes so much sense. Parking is never an issue. Traffic is never an issue. If you can stand to leave the dog at home and you aren’t happening by Home Depot for a home improvement haul, life is surprisingly doable on a scooter. Recent advances in technology even made it possible for me to safely transport a fresh iced latte 12 blocks in an earlier, controlled experiment.

Time to shake up your spring and summer! If you need something to perk you up in the morning, to send you to work with a smile and bring you home with an ear-to-ear grin, stop into Northwest Motor Scooters near 56th Street & South Tacoma Way and have Shana show you a scooter or two. They sell Vespa, Aprilia, Piaggio and Kymco scooters. I bet you find something in there that fits your style, your needs, your wants, your dreams…