BY MAUREEN PARKER for WEEKLY VOLCANO | 7/31/2026
What’s your definition of family?
We’re about to dive into a family dynamic built through friendship, blood ties, community and the kind of chosen family that reminds us love isn’t always determined by DNA. Sometimes the people who stand beside you, create with you and believe in you become just as much family as the people who share your last name. It’s a beautiful thing to witness when that connection spills over into music because you can hear it, feel it and watch it unfold right in front of you.
That’s exactly what I experienced when I caught Vealinium, Yungstf and SimplyyN8 during Porchfest 2026.
If you missed Porchfest this year … well … you missed out. Artists came from near and far, but what always makes me smile the most is seeing the incredible amount of homegrown talent we have right here in Tacoma. As I wandered from stage to stage that afternoon, I found myself surrounded by one amazing performance after another before these gentlemen completely pulled me in.
They were engaging, innovative and refreshingly original, and they genuinely looked like they were having fun. Their chemistry was undeniable, and the audience fed right into that energy despite the summer heat.
As I got to know them better, it became obvious why. Vealinium and SimplyyN8 aren’t just collaborators: They’re brothers. Add Yungstf to the mix, along with the friendships and chosen family they’ve built around themselves, and what you witness isn’t simply a group sharing a stage. It’s a family creating together, encouraging one another and inviting everyone else into the experience.
What impressed me just as much as their performance was what happened after the music stopped. They greeted people with kindness, took time to talk with listeners and carried themselves with a humility that’s refreshing to see. Talent may draw people in, but character keeps them there.
These artists already have an impressive catalog of music across multiple streaming platforms, and I highly encourage you to check it out. Their sound is vibrant, eclectic, fresh and difficult to place inside one musical box, and I think that’s part of the magic.
One thing that made me smile during our conversation was hearing them echo something another artist once shared with me. In a previous interview, Eric Mercer Jr. confidently told me he wasn’t worried about artificial intelligence replacing what he creates. These young men felt exactly the same way.
“They ain’t never scared.”
“And they ain’t never lied.”
They believe AI can imitate a lot of things, but it can’t replace lived experience, genuine chemistry, personality or the spark that comes from artists creating together in real time. After watching them perform, it’s hard to argue with that.
One of my favorite questions to ask artists is how they came up with their stage names because there’s almost always a story behind them.
For SimplyyN8, it started with a Twitter account. Joining later than everyone else in high school, he first chose “Simply Nate,” decided it looked too plain, added another “Y” and eventually shortened Nate to “N8.” What began as a social media username became the artist name he still proudly carries today.
Vealinium’s story came from childhood. Until 10th grade, he simply went by B. Veal. His friend Brandon’s younger brother, Trenton, greeted him so often with “Vealinium Falcon! What up?” (a playful nod to the Millennium Falcon from Star Wars) that the nickname simply stuck. As he joked, it eventually “grew wings.”
Yungstf’s name reflects both individuality and family. He intentionally spells “Yung” without the “o” because he wanted something that looked different from everyone else’s. STF comes directly from his full name: Sebastian Takaji Flores. Early on, he made music with his brother-in-law JJ3 as STFxJJ3, and that experience influenced his appreciation for clean branding and presentation. When he branched out on his own, he kept STF and added Yung, creating the name fans know today.
I love stories like these because they remind us that identities aren’t manufactured. Sometimes they’re inspired by siblings, friends, family members and moments from childhood that unexpectedly last a lifetime.
Music has always been part of their lives, and they credit the adults around them with encouraging creativity and exposing them to every genre imaginable. You can hear that influence in the artists they admire.
Their inspirations stretch across generations: Marvin Gaye, Prince, Michael Jackson, Kendrick Lamar, Jadakiss, Dipset, The LOX, Slipknot and many more. It’s an eclectic list, but that’s exactly why their sound feels so unique.
When it’s in you, there’s no stopping it.
The good news is you won’t have to wait long to catch them live again. They’ll perform together at Edison Square on South Tacoma Way on August 7, with appearances at the Proctor Farmers Market on August 30 and the Top of Tacoma on August 31 as well.
See?
No excuses.
They’re also connected with the 52 Collective, whose philosophy centers on showing up consistently, building deliberately and allowing success to compound over time. After meeting these artists, I’d say they’re living that philosophy every single day.
Maybe that’s the answer to the question I asked at the beginning.
Family isn’t always defined by a last name. Sometimes it’s your brothers. Sometimes it’s your closest friends. Sometimes it’s the people who challenge you, create with you, celebrate your victories and keep you grounded. Watching these young men perform, it felt like all of those definitions existed on the same stage.
Tacoma has always been known for producing incredible musicians, and this next generation is making sure that tradition continues. Support Vealinium, Yungstf, SimplyyN8 and the countless local artists pouring their hearts into this community.
Because make no mistake. …
There is an unbelievable amount of talent bursting out of the Pacific Northwest.
Especially right here in Tacoma.
We’re overflowing with creativity out here in these streets.
Coming out of our wazoos.
(Yeah. … It’s corny.)
But so am I.
Deal. 😎
Now go stream the music, catch a live show and support local artists. Trust me. You’ll be glad you did.
