Think of this as your handy guide to getting started in the Tacoma podcast scene. Rather than direct you to pages all willy nilly, we’ve asked podcast network Channel 253 to curate not only a list of great podcasts, but the very best episodes they’ve heard from each.
Should you like one of the episodes you hear, subscribe to that channel, then poke into that podcaster’s archives for more.
1. Move to Tacoma (episode 15)
Tacoma’s History with Michael Sullivan
Learn about Tacoma’s history (including that time part of Stadium Bowl washed away) straight from expert Michael Sullivan. On this episode he shares fascinating stories and nuggets from Tacoma’s early history through the early 1900s.
Get answers to burning questions such as, What is the “harbor of phantoms?” and how has Mount Rainier (Tahoma, if you will) affected our history?
Bonus perk: This episode is just part one with Michael. There are currently five more editions!
2. Nerd Farmer (episode 14)
Rep. Laurie Jinkins — On Charlottesville, Fighting Extremism, and the McCleary Compromise
Offering a national conversation through a local lens, the Nerd Farmer podcast tackles topics surrounding “education, civics, economics, life, and shade in the South Sound.”
Hosted by Nate Bowling, the 2016 Washington State Teacher of the Year who works at our very own Lincoln High School, this particular episode features a chat with Rep. Laurie Jinkins. Bowling and the LGBTQ Activist / “Doer of Awesome Things” discuss the McCleary School Funding Compromise and steps in dealing with Nazis and neo-confederate-nazi sympathizers.
3. Taco-Man (episode 5)
Boasting the catchy slogan “Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No! It’s … TACO-MAN,” and some sweet intro music, join Tacoma’s Taco-Man on his mission to review the tacos of Tacoma. It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it.
In this episode Taco-Man and a friend visit La Perla del Mar (215 S 40th St, Tacoma), where they tackle smoky and spicy hot sauces, marlin, and the possibility of selling yellow Taco-Man tights to listeners. Be prepared for audible taco shell crunches and yummy ‘mmmmm’ noises.
4. Citizen Tacoma (episode 7)
Interview with our future mayor, Victoria Woodards
Back before Victoria Woodards beat Jim Merritt in the race for Tacoma mayor, she was sharing her vision for our city’s future.
Discussion includes: Why she’s running for office, what she thinks of the previous mayor and what she’d do differently, what she’s focused on for the next four years, housing, homelessness, the port of Tacoma, Sound Transit, being a sanctuary city, Black Lives Matter, and more.
Find out what had the Citizen Tacoma podcasters fighting back tears in this episode from summer 2017.
5. Interchangeable White Ladies (episode 4)
Shame Bell Your Gender Norms & Pumpkin Spice Yogurt
What is gender and why does it matter? That’s the question podcast hosts Hope Teague-Bowling and Annie Jansen tackle in this episode.
These teachers hit on double standards for girls in school dress codes, how LGBT folks disrupt gender norms by sharing household chores, and the disproportionate amount of emotional labor female-identified folks tend to do in the workplace.
Beyond this episode, they’re looking at how white women can use their privilege to deconstruct white culture, confront their own biases, be better allies, and be less basic. Big issues “brought to you by cardigans, the uniform staple of interchangeable white ladies everywhere.”
Have a favorite podcast or particular episode about Tacoma that wasn’t listed here? Tell us about it by leaving a comment below!
