Music Groups, Musicians, and Venues in Tri-Cities Washington
About the Music Scene
The music scene in the Tri-Cities is categorized as follows:- What's Happening?
- Acoustic, Blues, Jazz, and Venues
- Alternative, Country, Hip Hop, Metal, Rhythm & Blues, Rock, and Venues
- Folklife
- Christian & Gospel
- The Archives
What's happening?
Tri-Cities Event Calendars
To find out what's happening around the various venues in the Tri-Cities, check the following event calendars:- Bookwalter Winery (acoustic, blues, jazz)
- The Emerald of Siam
- The Entertainer
- Tri-CityHerald.com
Walla Walla & Yakima Event Calendars
Are you planning to go to Walla Walla or Yakima for an evening? If so, check out who is performing by viewing the following event calendars:- Sapolil Cellars (located on E. Main St in Walla Walla)
- Walla Walla Union-Bulletin
- WallaWallaMusic.com (musicians, bands, venues, and the local music scene in Walla Walla)
- Yakima Herald On Magazine (look for the link titled Nightlife)
Acoustic, Blues, and Jazz Music Performers
Mary Lou Gnoza and Stevie Haberman
Mary Lou Gnoza and Stevie Haberman (GrooveTC.com) perform your favorite music from many genres including Broadway, Jazz, Blues, and especially the Great American Songbook. You’ll find Mary Lou and Stevie at many regional venues, special concerts, and charity functions. Stevie also performs with BlueZette.
Saturday Morning Live with Jeff and Stevie
Pianoman Steve Haberman and disc jockey Jeff Phillips have a morning radio show on KONA 610AM that airs from 10 to 11 a.m. every Saturday. The show features commentaries by Steve and Jeff, as well as interviews with various guest performers.
Swing Unlimited
Swing Unlimited is non-profit group that was formed in 1979 and performs Big Band era music at dances, dinners, weddings, parties, and charitable events throughout the Mid-Columbia region.For more information, contact Larry Bunch at (509) 943-0668.
Tri-Cities Big Band
The Tri-Cities Big Band, a non-profit organization, was formed in the Summer of 2005. Their mission is to raise money to assist student music teachers in the Tri-Cities area, along with making music the community can enjoy. Many of the band members are full time music educators.
Tri-Cities Jazz Society
Tri-Cities Jazz Society was formed in 1980 to support traditional jazz music. Ever since the Society was formed they have been able to feature world-class musicians including pianist/songwriter Mose Allison, guitarist Howard Alden, Gypsy Jazz Group Pearl Django, John Stowell's Scenes, and guitarist and Richland alumni Larry Coryell.
Band and Solo Artist Biographies
A biography list of some of the individuals and groups who typically perform at wineries, wine bars, and coffee shops in the Tri-Cities is provided below:
Barry Bergstrom (jazz, R&B, nu-jazz)
Ben Macy Trio (jazz)
Blue Mountain Spanish Sound (high energy acoustic)
Bluestone Jazz Trio (jazz, groove, blues & standards)
BlueZette (retro classics from the 60's & 70's)
Carolee Carrarra (jazz singer)
Chalkline (acoustic, rock, alternative)
Chase Thompson and the Reach (pop, alternative, rock)
Cindy McKay (acoustic)
Dan Myers (improvised acoustic and synthetic arrangements)
Dara Quinn Project (jazz, funk, rock fusion)
Note: Dara used to perform with the Rockin' Teenage Combo.
Don Millard (acoustic blues)
Doug Rice Guitarist (acoustic fingerstyle, jazz, rock, funk, and blues)
Eddie Manzanares and Café Blanco (Latin flair for smooth mood or high energy)
Frazer Wambeke Trio (jazz, blues, funk)
Gary Danielson (jazz sax)
Note: Gary occasionally performs with the Columbia River Dance Band on Wednesday evenings at the Pasco Senior Center.
John Crigler (jazz pianist)
Kevin Selby (soothing sounds for your soul) - also, check out
The Kevin Selby Experiment
Matt Larsen Trio (jazz, funk, rock)
Norm Karin (jazz/pop guitarist)
Note: Norm performs with Troy Lydeen and Brian Thrall as the Dry Side Jazz trio (bossa novas, blues and swing)
Rachel Bade-McMurphy Quartet (traditional and contemporary jazz)
Robert Burroughs (electro-acoustic violin)
Note: Rob is either performing with Chuck Williams as
Strings Attached or with other friends.
The Real Smooth as Jazz (smooth jazz)
Romagossa Blu (folk-rock, Latin, reggae, blues)
Straight Up Jazz (jazz - cool, bebop, Latin, ballad, and swing)
Wayman Chapman (blues, R&B, jazz)
Acoustic, Blues, and Jazz Music Venues
The musicians listed above typically perform at coffee shops and other establishments such as The Barrel House Cafe & Wine Bar (Kennewick), The Emerald of Siam (Richland), and The India Palace Restaurant (Kennewick). The Bookwalter Winery (Richland) hosts at least one music performance each week throughout the year.
Alternative, Country, Hip Hop, Metal, Rhythm & Blues, and Rock Performers
Band Biographies
A short biography list of some of the groups who typically perform at "all ages" venues, night clubs, and taverns in the Tri-Cities is provided below.
45th Parallel (rock, alternative, progressive)
Ashylus (metal)
Beefy (nerdcore, hip-hop)
Blue is Cold (alt. country, americana, roots rock)
Brick (classic rock)
ChoiceFatal (metal, alternative, rock)
Colorblind (rock and roll)
Diamond City Murder (metal)
Duncan Pryce (blues, rock, classic rock)
Folding In (rock, alternative, metal)
IV (rock, alternative, original)
Johnny Colton (country and southern rock)
MissyG (country classic, southern rock)
Mistica (metal)
Mortal Remains (death metal)
Nasty Jack (rock)
Nuketown (country)
Pirates of the Columbia (rock)
Plastic Soul (pop/soul)
Primitive Circus (variety, cover)
Retread (classic rock 'n roll)
Run From Cover (alternative, rock)
Stress Fed Addiction (metal, alternative, hardcore)
Sugar Bush (high energy rock)
The Burner Brothers Band (progressive rock & blues)
The Millionaires Club (alternative rock, blues)
Note: check this site to find out when Ton Gnoza is hosting open mic night...
The Shades (classic rock and pop)
The StrataCats (classic rock, country, funk)
The Vaughn Jensen Group (blues, southern rock, indie)
Trespasser (country, rock, acoustic)
Hip Hop
Tri-Cities Hip-Hop
Tri-Cities Hip-Hop is a local network of Hip-Hop performers residing or doing business in the Tri-Cities area. There are over a dozen performers that are members of this network.
Mighty Mixtape
Mighty Mixtape is a project that brought together a group of rising Tri-Cities hip-hop artists to release a complilation of their songs during October 2009. These songs are available for download from CDBaby.
Alternative, Country, Hip Hop, Metal, Rhythm & Blues, and Rock Music Venues
The venues that are listed below have frequent live music events:
Kennewick
Espo's Sports Bar & Grill - 107 Vista Way, 783-1904
Ice Harbor Brewing Company - 206 N Benton St, 582-5340
India Palace Restaurant - 830 N Columbia Center Blvd # E, 737-1414
Jack•son's Sports Bar & Restaurant - 3320 W Kennewick Ave, 783-4392
King of Clubs Showroom at Classic Island Casino - 8524 W Gage Blvd, 374-3289
Parkade Bar & Grill - 207 W Kennewick Ave, 586-6006
The Beach Eatery & Surf Bar - 109 W Kennewick Ave, 585-5665
The Branding Iron - 213 W Kennewick Ave, 586-9292
The Pub - 7001 West Clearwater Avenue, 735-7868
The Red Room - 711Vineyard Dr., 626-253-6007
Note: This is a coffee house - all ages (alcohol free) venue that typically features performers from outside the Tri-Cities region.
The Warehouse - 108815 E. Badger Rd.
Note: This venue features pop punk, indie, and metal performances. See Tri-Cities Promotions for a schedule of upcoming events.
Trash - 117 W Kennewick Ave, 586-7878
Richland
Dax's Bar & Grill - 1004 Lee Blvd, 946-4884
Jack•son's Sports Bar & Restaurant - 99 Lee Blvd., 946-8118
Kimo's Sports Bar - 2696 N Columbia Center Blvd., 783-5747
Ray's Golden Lion - 1353 George Washington Wy, 946-0606
Note: this is mostly an all ages venue that features punk and metal performances.
Uptown Bar & Grill - 1373 George Washington Wy, 946-5330
Folklife
The Three Rivers Folklife Society (3RFS) was organized in 1988 and is dedicated to promoting folk music in the Tri-Cities. They sponsor a coffee house the second Friday each month from September through May or June. In addition, they sponsor several concerts during the year and the annual Tumbleweed Music Festival that draws over 30 performers.
Christian & Gospel Music
Event Calendars
The following resources can be used to find Christian and Gospel related music performances in the Tri-Cities region:- CCAuthority.com
- ChristianConcerts.com
- iTickets.com
- K-Love Concerts & Events
- Positive Life Radio
- Wilson Promotions
Photos from Christian Concerts, Festivals, and Local Events in the Northwest
You can see Keith's photo album of various Christian concerts and events in the Northwest.
The Gathering
Gather4Him, a Pasco-based ministry, sponsors The Gathering, an annual youth outreach event that has been held each year since 2001. The Gathering 2009 CD is now available for purchase from Gathering Records along with a couple of other CDs that feature performances by Mantle, September Motion, Broken, and other performers.
Band and Solo Artist Biographies
A short biography list of some of the Christian and Gospel music performers in the Tri-Cities is provided below.
Brazen Layver (Christian / Powerpop / Rock)
Broken (Christian / Rock)
Bryson Foster (Christian / Hip Hop / Rap)
Josh Romaine (Christian Rap / Hip Hop / Christian)
Pamela Kinsey (gospel with shades of jazz and R&B)
The Archives
321 Art Space
321 Art Space (closed) - the former owner still runs www.funkytonkrecords.com
Ivory Jazz
Ivory Jazz (closed)
Reactor - Tri-Cities' Magazine
Reactor - Tri-Cities' Magazine was a great publication that followed the local music scene and more. Unfortunately, this publication ceased with the August 2007 issue. However, back issues are still available online in PDF format.
Tri-City Music Archive
The Tri-City Music Archive was an ambitious project that started in 2005 to serve as a visual history of underground and independent music from the Tri-Cities. The last flyer archive update was in August 2006. The archive currently has 468 flyers going back to the early '90s associated with 576 bands and 56 venues.
The flyers section still allows anyone to leave a comment on a flyer to share a good memory from the show or just to let others know they were there!