BY BRITTANY DANIELLE for WEEKLY VOLCANO | 6/19/2026
Three longtime Northwest bands bring a night of emo, pop-punk, and rock to Jazzbones on June 25, when Avenue East, The Requisite, and Less Than Three share the stage in Tacoma.
For Avenue East, the show marks a return to a city that helped shape the band’s early years.
“It’s been too damn long since we’ve been in Tacoma,” said Tyler of Avenue East. “I spent many years in Tacoma going to shows and playing shows at The Viaduct and The Red Room. Seeing bands like Open Fire!, THE, The Home Team, Vanguard, and more.”
Avenue East was formed in 2019 by Tyler and Alan following the end of their previous project, Life As Cinema. During the pandemic, the pair continued writing and producing music before expanding into the band’s current lineup. The group describes itself as a “sci-fi power emo” band.
The June 25 lineup was intentional.
“The Requisite have been friends of ours for a long time,” Avenue East said. “Less Than Three have been playing shows with us the last couple of years. We knew when putting this bill together we wanted to bring in bands that would consistently bring the energy all through the night.”
The Tacoma date also comes as Avenue East reintroduces an EP released last year after life forced the band to slow down.
“We released an EP last year, but because of a series of unfortunate events, we had to take a step back and breathe for a bit and reset,” Avenue East said. “Since 2021, we had been go, go, go, and life just had other plans.”
The band is already looking ahead to recording its second full-length album in 2027.
For The Requisite, the show is another opportunity to expand its presence in Tacoma.
Originally founded in 2009 by vocalist Max as an outlet for solo acoustic material, The Requisite gradually evolved into the emo rock and pop-punk band it is today. The band’s current lineup came together through years of playing shows throughout the Northwest, and in 2024 released its first full-length album, produced by Fred Mascherino of Taking Back Sunday, Say Anything, and The Color Fred.
“We want to play Tacoma more, and Jazzbones has an amazing reputation,” The Requisite said. “We want to be a part of this scene, and to do that, you’ve gotta go where the scene hangs out. And that’s Jazzbones.”
The Requisite is also intrigued by what Avenue East brings to the stage.
“Avenue East has lore in their lyrical content, and we’re suckers for that,” The Requisite said. “Sci-fi emo space opera? Sign us up.”
The band has another major date on the horizon later this summer when it performs at Capitol Hill Block Party on the Neumos stage. When asked if there was anything else I should know before going ahead with the statements from the band, they said, “Max is allergic to elephants.” Which I think is a very important thing to know about someone, especially a lead singer.
Meanwhile, Less Than Three arrives with nearly two decades of history behind it.
The band began in 2007 as a pop-punk acoustic duo before evolving through multiple lineup changes into its current form featuring founder Brad, bassist Brian, and drummer Karl. What started as a side project inspired by the “<3” heart emoticon eventually became a long-running independent Northwest band.
Less Than Three recently released a new album but is already focused on what comes next.
“We’re already focused on recording the next record,” Less Than Three said. “We’re not getting any younger, and over the years plenty of people have told us we need more music available online.”
The opportunity to play Jazzbones is part of a larger goal for the band.
“One of Less Than Three’s goals is to experience as many stages and venues as possible throughout the Pacific Northwest,” Less Than Three said. “Jazzbones has been a respectable venue in the Tacoma area, so it’s an honor to be on that stage.”
While the music is important, Less Than Three says the relationships built around a show matter just as much.
“There are a lot of different things to focus on when playing a show,” Less Than Three said. “For us, building relationships is just as important as the performance itself. We want to connect with the audience, get to know the other bands on the bill, and develop positive relationships with venue staff and promoters.”
The mutual respect between the bands runs throughout the lineup.
Both The Requisite and Less Than Three spoke about looking forward to sharing the stage with artists they admire, while Avenue East praised its fellow performers as bands that write “songs that soak into your brain and get stuck for days.”
Avenue East assembled the bill because they wanted bands that would “consistently bring the energy all through the night.”
The Requisite summed it up more simply.
“This lineup slaps, the venue slaps, and if you miss it you’ll wanna slap yourself.”
For Tacoma fans of emo, pop-punk, and independent Northwest rock, June 25 brings all three to one stage at Jazzbones.
This show is 21 and older, and doors open at 7 p.m. Find tickets at jazzbones.com.
