By Sean Alexander
Tucker Miller, the Festival Director for Boomjam Music Festival grew up in Spokane. A consistent music lover since his days in elementary school, he has seen Spokane’s music “ecosystem” fall, grow, fall again, and grow again. Being in this environment combined with traveling to work different music festivals and shows prompted Miller to ask himself the question:
“…how do we establish a music ecosystem that sustains itself and continues into the future?”
According to Miller, this means a place that supports its new artists and continues to support artists at all stages.. Part of this support means as artists grow and begin to pack out arenas, stadiums and amphitheaters, Spokane stays a place where they can rely on an audience to show up for them consistently so the city remains worth visiting while touring
This idea is part of why Miller began creating Boomjam, an all-ages music festival in Spokane, WA. The first iteration is this Saturday.
"Spokane has a lot of 21-plus stages and venues, which makes it difficult for younger people to find outlets for their emotional experiences," Miller said. "I believe that community and a sense of belonging should be accessible to everyone, regardless of age. It’s not right to gate-keep those experiences.”
Spokane is rapidly growing. This means more people, including younger people, are out looking for things to do with their time. Currently, most musical offerings in the city, including other festivals, are kept secluded by the words “21+ Event”. Miller has seen many young people in Spokane wanting to leave because they don’t feel included in events happening in the city. He emphasized the importance of young people seeing Spokane as a place where "cool things are happening" and where they can contribute to a vibrant community.
"I want them to see it as a livable city worth investing in, whether they’re starting businesses, playing in bands, or pursuing art in any medium," Miller said.
Supporting young people as they develop their artistic identities is a key reason Miller advocates for all-ages environments.
"I believe it’s important so they can continue to grow in the same community where they first found inspiration," they said. "That's why I’m so passionate about creating all-ages environments."
Getting Boomjam off the ground has been no simple feat - Miller primarily undertook the task on his own. To prepare Miller worked festivals all across the West Coast, balancing time between working 40 hours and then festival prepping for 40 hours in a single week. This included tasks like coordinating on-site water, food and drinks, booking artists, pricing things, curating the visuals and other miscellaneous tasks. All of this while being on an incredibly tight budget.
When selecting artists for this show, Miller’s passion for concerts and music, particularly in Spokane, helped foster an understanding of what he believes people are interested in. An effort was made to keep tabs on what locals are listening to by asking people in coffee shops, restaurants, and other establishments what songs have been on repeat for them. Personal taste also plays a big role, as there was a focus on artists whose careers Miller believes will take off. Practical factors like cost, logistics, and whether an artist is touring or willing to come to Spokane further influenced booking decisions.
An excerpt from our conversation:
Paint a picture for me. Day of the event, what does it look like?
“I want it to feel like it pops and I want it to feel like we didn't just throw stages in a parking lot. I want it to feel like you've walked into an environment that you wanna hang out in all day, that you want to be a part of and to share in the emotional experiences. The special thing about the music festival environment and the thing that I love about it the most is its ability to allow people to experience the whole spectrum of human emotion and not just party. And so what I like to curate is a space where people feel comfortable to feel all of those emotions and to experience that with their friends and with this new community of music lovers and with the artists that are gonna be hanging around and watching everybody else's sets. Mostly we want people to come in here and feel extremely comfortable to meet new friends, to feel like they're a part of something bigger than themselves, and to feel like they're a part of something really special that's gonna be growing in Spokane."
Boomjam Music Fest will be taking place September 21st, 2024 at 904 N Columbus Street Spokane WA.
For more information and ticket sales, check out their website
“Come come kick it if you want to,” Miller said.” If it sounds interesting, cool. If it doesn't, that's cool too, man. Do your thing. You know, we're just here to support a young and growing Spokane art scene.”
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