Posts tagged “Bob’s Java Jive”

Coffee Pot Rock

Last Saturday night I ventured down into the Nalley Valley to attend the music show Teapot Pop Extravaganza (though there is some controversy about calling it a “teapot” vs a “coffee pot” vs a “kettle”) featuring Julia Massey & The Five Finger Discount!

I’m a Great Big Teapot… or Coffee Pot… Or Kettle…
Bob’s Java Jive, Tacoma. Photo by NoJuan

Have you never been to Bob’s? You haven’t!? But it’s “World Famous” (self-proclaimed). It’s a bit of a dive bar, actually, though it has been ever-so-slightly fixed up in the last few years. There is no longer gross carpet on every single surface of the interior. The actual coffee pot is pretty small, and just contains the bar; most of the seating and the stage is in the building attached to the back of the pot.

Bob’s Wold Famous Java Jive

The show was opened by Vigilante Santos from Seattle, who had an excellent pianist. Then JM+FFD took the stage to much acclaim. It was very gratifying to see how many people got in that building and really responded positively to their musics.

And because I’m me, I of course made (with Google’s help) an animated .GIF of the band rockin’ out inside that Coffee Pot! This is one of my favorites, showcasing some nice fretwork by Geoff B. Gibbs (on bass), and I was actually at a good angle to get Dom “The Nizzle” Cortese (on drums) in the image, instead of having him be hid behind the other band members:

Julia Massey & The Five Finger Discount: Jiving in a Java Pot!

Tacoma natives Trees & Timber took the stage next, but we had a wee beb at our house with a babysitter, so we only stayed for a couple of their songs. It’s too bad Red Jacket Mine didn’t play earlier in the night so we could hear them. We saw them many moons ago at a kids’ show at Freemont Abbey (where they also shared the stage with JM+FFD).

This was the only show on JM+FFD’s events calendar in January, so I hope you caught it. Their next one isn’t scheduled until the end of February! But likely some show(s) will pop up between now and then so you don’t go into too much withdrawal.

Julia Massey in: Teapot Pop Extravaganza

Julia Massey & The Five-Finger Discount return to Tacoma this weekend! Saturday the 11th they’re going to be playing at Bob’s Java Jive down in the Nalley Valley. It’s the building shaped teapot (or coffee pot or kettle, depending on your perspective) that rests in the middle of the industrial district. It’s also a bar:

Bob’s Java Jive, Tacoma. Photo by NoJuan

It is pretty famous, I guess, though I can’t speak to its worldwide fame. For one, there aren’t all that many teapot-shaped or coffee-pot-shaped or kettle-shaped buildings left in the states. Roadside America has an excellent curation of them. Bob’s Java Jive was also featured in the films I Love You To Death (where two characters hire a hitman in it) and Say Anything (I don’t remember how it’s featured in that movie).

But it’s probably most famous for being only about 2 miles from my house! So you best believe we’ve found a babysitter and are gonna head down there this Saturday night to hear some sweet, sweet, JM+FFD musics. SO CAN YOU!

Details:
Teapot Pop Extravaganza with Julia Massey & The Five Finger Discount; Red Jacket Mine; Trees and Timber; Vigilante Santos (Facebook event)
Saturday, January 11th @ 8:00 PM
Bob’s Java Jive
2102 S Tacoma Way, Tacoma, WA
21+ $5 Suggested Cover