Tacoma Guitar Festival Returns For Fifth Year

– Bass Musician Magazine is a Proud Media Sponsor –

Calling all music lovers! The Tacoma Guitar Festival, the largest guitar event ever held in the northwest, returns to the Tacoma Dome for its fifth year featuring iconic musicians and guitar experts.

The two-day festival showcases more than 120 vendors, guitar workshops, collectors and exhibitors in addition to live performances. The line-up includes Mark Holcomb, Dave Amato, Striking Matches, Angus Clark, Larry Mitchell, Terry Robb, Griff Hamlin, Carl Tosten, and Patrick Kennison.

Tacoma Guitar Festival Dates:

Saturday, April 27 – 9:30 am to 5 pm 

Sunday, April 28 – 10 am to 4 pm 

Dave Amato, lead guitarist of the iconic rock band REO Speedwagon, will perform Saturday. The classic rocker has worked with some of rock’s most instantly recognizable names such as Cher, Mötley Crüe, and Jimmy Barnes. A collector of vintage guitars and with a discography spanning decades, Amato can be heard on classic tracks like “Little Miss Dangerous” and “Girls Girls Girls”.

Mark Holcomb, guitarist of the progressive metal band Periphery, will perform on Saturday. A force to be reckoned with, he achieves his complex rhythm and melody style with the full, lethal sound of his PRS guitars and signature Seymour Duncan Alpha and Omega pickups. PRS and Holcomb have worked closely together to develop a truly unique guitar for the SE Series lineup.

American guitarists and songwriting duo Striking Matches take the stage Saturday. Sarah Zimmermann and Justin Davis make up the group, whose musical style is described as being found at “that sweet spot at the intersection of country, rock, and blues.” After working with world-renowned producer T Bone Burnett, the duo had nine of their songs featured on the hit TV show “Nashville”. Striking Matches employ tight vocal harmonies in their guitar-driven music, and have teamed up with Kennedy Karate (BØRNS, Silver Sun Pickups) for their second LP due out this summer.

Seasoned electric-rocker Angus Clark has spent 18 years as a touring and recording guitarist for Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and will perform at the Tacoma Guitar Festival on Sunday. The rock opera veteran has also performed and/or recorded with Kitaro (GRAMMY-winning New Age artist), Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow, Deep Purple), Metal Church, DD Verni (Overkill), Geoff Tate (Queensrÿche), Paul Rodgers, Joe Walsh, Jon Anderson, members of Jethro Tull, and numerous others including having appeared regularly in the Broadway musical “Rock of Ages” during its six year run.

For a complete schedule, visit TacomaGuitarFestival.com.