BY MAUREEN PARKER for WEEKLY VOLCANO | 9/11/2026
David Hudson ain’t your average musician, and one of the bands he plays in these days ain’t exactly average either.
Last Wednesday, I made my way over to The Spar to catch King Grand during Funky Jazz Wednesday, and folks, the room was booming. Music going, people moving, musicians doing what musicians do when they are locked in with each other, it was one of those nights that reminds you just how good live music feels.
And once I sat down with Hudson and found out exactly who is in this band, everything started making sense.
Because King Grand might only play together at The Spar, but don’t get it twisted: these musicians stay BUSY.
First, though, let’s talk about Hudson.
A transplant from Las Vegas, Hudson has been in the Pacific Northwest since the 1980s, but unlike a lot of musicians whose stories begin with them picking up an instrument as a little kid, Hudson didn’t start playing drums until he was in his 30s.
And apparently nobody told him that was supposed to be too late.
A longtime music lover and avid concertgoer, Hudson took that love of music and turned it into actually making some. Along the way, he learned not only how to play but how to lead bands, manage some of the groups he performed with, and book gigs.
He spent time living in the Seattle area before moving to Tacoma around 2017 after retiring. With retirement came more time to play, and Hudson began performing much more frequently. He has been part of numerous bands over the years, but landing with the musicians who would eventually become King Grand has turned into something special.
And even the band’s name came from Hudson’s love of music.
After the musicians got together, Hudson mentioned a possible band name, “King Grand,” from a song by Sea Level that he loved. Everybody dug it and voilà, King Grand had a name.
The band lineup has been together for about two years and plays a blend of originals and covers, putting its own interpretation on the music instead of simply reproducing what somebody else has already done.
But here’s where things get interesting.
King Grand is something of a musical side quest for its members. Most are professional musicians with other bands, projects, and commitments, which makes the group a genuine labor of love.
On keyboards is Jeff Conlin, who also plays with the Highway 99 All Stars, the James Lee Murray Band, and Chad Rupp out of Portland and is first call when a bandleader needs his sound. And apparently music isn’t his only rabbit hole. Hudson describes Conlin as something of a Renaissance man, so if you ever get the opportunity to corner him, ask that man about his watch collection. I have questions.
Angelo Guerrero handles saxophone and is a full-time musician who performs with a number of tribute bands, keeping him busy on that circuit.
On guitar is Rafael Tranquilino, who formerly played with Randy Oxford and is also a producer and recording professional based in Everett.
Holding down the bass is Brady Kish, another musician who plays with multiple bands throughout the area.
Kish and Conlin are also members of the Tacoma All Stars, a band associated with the LTD Presents live-music franchise. Tranquilino also helps with production in the LTD universe.
And we’re going to get into that in another article, because apparently I have found yet another musical rabbit hole to crawl down. Stay tuned.
Hudson, meanwhile, is behind Funky Jazz Wednesday, which helped create another place for this community of musicians to do what they do. King Grand’s home is The Spar, and after seeing them there, I understand why this particular arrangement works.
These musicians don’t need another full-time band.
They come together because they want to.
And maybe that’s what I enjoyed most about talking with Hudson. Our conversation wasn’t simply about one drummer or one band. It was another reminder of just how deep Tacoma’s pool of musicians really is.
There is a plethora of talented musicians throughout this area who are ready and willing to play. What we need are more places for them to do it.
We need more venues, by the way. That’s just my opinion, but I’m right.
Live music feels like it is thriving again in a way that hits differently after COVID temporarily choked so much of it out. For a while, stages went dark. Musicians couldn’t gather. Audiences couldn’t pack themselves into rooms, stand shoulder to shoulder, dance, laugh, and experience something happening right in front of them.
And now?
Walk into a place like The Spar on a Wednesday night.
Look around.
People are talking. People are dancing. Musicians are feeding off one another. Somebody’s head is bobbing. Somebody else is moving in their seat whether they intended to or not.
And in the middle of it all is a drummer who didn’t even pick up the sticks until his 30s, surrounded by musicians who could be playing a dozen other places but choose to make time for this band.
That’s King Grand.
That’s live music.
And ohhhh, what a time to be alive, Tacoma.
