Grand opening of the Conquering Lion

Throughout the Tacoma-Seattle area music venues are struggling to stay afloat and survive during these harsh economic times. Local bands depend on venues to help get their music out there. It is for this reason that the music scene starts to get stale and stagnate. Over the past couple of years many venues such as Club Impact, the Viaduct and D4 have shut down.

Despite all odds, one new venue rises from the shadows. Please welcome the newest edition to the local music scene, the Conquering Lion. The Conquering Lion had its grand opening on October 1st. Owners Pat Lucas and Lonnie Reed opened the Conquering Lion with hopes of bringing a venue that is friendly to multiple genres of music, and to help keep the music alive and thriving for all kinds of artists in the Tacoma area.

To celebrate the occasion co-owner and local booking agent Lonnie Reed put together an impressive mix of bands to kick things off right, including local artists from all over Washington and touring artists from all over the states. The show consisted of Washington's own, They Chare Like Warriors, Navigator, Until This Sunrise, Envisionist, I Delilah and A Typical Throwdown.

From out-of-state they had touring bands; from Portland, Oregon, I am The Monster, from San Jose, California, The Wrath of Vesuvius and from Austin, Texas, One Eyed Doll. About a year ago a place called the Viaduct used to be where the Conquering Lion is located off of South Tacoma Way. The Viaduct suffered problems with their business and had to shut down. The audience and the artists were ecstatic with the grand opening of the Conquering Lion and were glad to see an old friend resurrected.

They Charge Like Warriors vocalist Justin Hockaday states, "The Conquering Lion, the old Viaduct is basically coal made into a diamond." Justin's brother Eric Hockaday states, "This place is phenomenal, its open, the stage is nice, the people working here are awesome, it's just phenomenal."

The co-owners and building owner Jeremy Miller of the Conquering Lion state that, "We definitely do not want to create the same mistakes that the previous venues have made before us. We want to play by the rules, have reputable promoters, and good security. We want to make it all about the music. We are going to take care of the building unlike the previous owners and build a good name for the longevity of the community."

If you are ever driving down South Tacoma Way at night and looking for something to do, make sure you stop by the Conquering Lion and check it out for yourself.