The Tacoma Armory
715 South 11th St
Tacoma, Washington


Tacoma Armory    Circa 1920
Photographer Unknown

Photo: Sam Carlson, April 1999

Photo: Sam Carlson, April 1999
The Tacoma Armory was a National Guard Armory that was used for a variety of public events, including the infamous Tacoma Armory dances and Battles of the Bands.  The building was completed in 1909. A portion of the building is still used to this day by the National Guard, but the remainder has become a county jail facility.  The building's very first use was for a dance... a military ball on New Years Eve, 1909
 
 

Some of the bands that rocked the Tacoma Armory or fought it out in the battles of the bands in the 1960's were:

The Aryians
Marilyn Lodge & the Bluesettes
Blue Illusion
The Bootmen
The Castlemen
The Desolutes
Jerry Dillon
The Dimensions
 The Dynamics
The El-Caminos
The Elegants
The Furies
The Galaxies
Don & The Goodtimes
Buddy Knox
The Marshans
The Noblemen
The Olympics
Plymouth Rockers Ltd.
Pink Mahdlo & the Promotions
The Princetons
Quebec
Rhythm Orchids
Paul Revere & The Raiders
The Regents
The Statesmen
The Solitudes
The Sonics
Tiny Tony & The Statics
The Viceroys
The Wailers
Stick Willie
Woody Carr




Christmas Party in the Tacoma Armory - Circa WWII
Photographer Unknown



Between Songs at The Armory in 1961
Photo courtesy of Walt Rattenbury

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Last Update:  16 March 2008
Photo Credits:  S. Carlson, Unknown, Walt Rattenbury