THERE’S JUST ONE RULE: DON’T COMPLAIN ABOUT SOMETHING SPOKANE DOESN’T HAVE. MAKE IT YOURSELF. A music festival, a monthly party at the area’s biggest museum, a massive one-night juried art and music showcase. Talk to the locals who are making some of the newest and most popular nightlife ventures happen, and they’ll say their projects grew from a void they saw, from something they wanted Spokane to have. “There was a blank canvas,” says local music booker Patrick Kendrick, and that’s not a potential every city has, especially those with more entrenched music or art scenes. “I felt like I could create something.” Kendrick books shows at venues around town and helped organize the Inlander’s 72-act, eight-venue Volume music festival this year, which featured everything from honky-tonkers The Lonesome Billies to Missoula punk rockers King Elephant. He’s run a variety show with comedians and musicians and the Museum of Arts and Culture’s monthly BeGin, with live music, food and free entrance to the museum. He’s also one of the directors of Terrain, that massive art show we mentioned earlier. Somehow, he also sells real estate. Kendrick grew up skateboarding in Spokane, a culture he says taught him you can “make something out of nothing.” and says he had the “usual” reaction to graduating here: “I’ve got to get the f--- out of here.” But over the years, as he lived in Colorado, New York and Portland, he’d come home for holidays and meet friends for beers. Soon, he started to realize Spokane’s potential. The Knitting Factory was bringing good acts — he remembers Mastadon opening for Slayer — and the arts scene was growing. When he moved back a decade after leaving, he told people it was because his parents were aging. But really, he was looking to take advantage of all potential he saw. “That’s a main objective in a sense” of what he does, he says, “so people don’t have to feel like that at all.” Getting creative people to stay can drive everything from the music scene to economic development, he says, which inspires more and more people to stay and contribute to Spokane. Despite some of his efforts dwindling — the variety show fell to interpersonal drama; BeGin became so popular, the fire marshal said it was unsafe — others have
thrived. He says more communication between band bookers (they communicate more and meet informally once a month to talk shop) has helped shows run better, attracting more and better acts to the area. And better shows make people more willing to pay cover charges, further growing the scene. People like Kendrick are reluctant to group locals into some certain genre of music, and for good reason. While Northern Quest and the Arena are bringing acts like Bon Jovi, Peter Frampton and Poison, smaller venues and bars are attracting young audiences with regional bands like The Cave Singers or The Grizzled Mighty, and the Knitting Factory fills the gap with modern and mid-level acts like MGMT and Tyler, the Creator.
I
n the same way various music genres thrive here, local barkeeps say Inlanders vary in what they drink. One theme is
“There was a blank canvas. I felt like I could create something.” constant, though: beer. Five years ago, craft breweries were a sliver of Spokane’s beer market. Today, there are 10 within 15 minutes of downtown, nearly as many in North Idaho and more in outlying areas like Colville and Kettle Falls. An industry that boomed during the mining and logging heyday of the 1800s, brewing in the Inland Northwest suffered through Prohibition, the Great Depression and brewery closures before exploding in recent years. From local granddaddy No-Li (formerly Northern Lights) to startups like Iron Goat and River City, drinkers are seeing local names alongside the Pabsts and Budweisers at the bar — and they’re buying them, says Avont Grant, a veteran Spokane bartender who’s worked at the Elk in Browne’s Addition and the Blue Spark in downtown Spokane, before it closed. ...continued on next page
Pop Quiz 1.
What now famous band played an outdoor show on Glover Field in Peaceful Valley back in the early ‘90s? a. Coldplay b. U2 c. Green Day d. Cake
2.
There’s a gorgeous old building near the Riverpoint Campus that’s now home to Spokane Teachers Credit Union and a few other local businesses. Which brewery used to occupy it? a. No-Li b. Schade c. Goetz d. Rainier
3.
Back in 2007, the Post Falls sister of Coeur d’Alene’s favorite beer bar, Capone’s, burned down. What caused the destruction? a. arson b. electrical trouble c. a wildfire d. kids with matches
4.
The Garland Theater opened to a line around the block in 1945. What was the first movie shown there? a. Mildred Pierce b. Children of Paradise c. The Picture of Dorian Gray d. It’s a Pleasure
5.
What was originally housed in the building that’s now home to the legendary Jack and Dan’s Tavern near Gonzaga? a. pharmacy b. butcher c. grocery store d. bank
6.
You’re serious about finding good beer in Spokane, so Manito Tap House is an obvious pick for your night out. That row of tap handles stretches as far as the eye can see (from the far end of the bar, at least). How many are there? a. 25 b. 50 c. 75 Answers on page 242 ANNUAL MANUAL 2013-2014 THE INLANDER |
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