Another one bites the dust. After three years of bringing all-ages shows to Tacoma, the Viaduct is shutting its doors this weekend. But before they say good-bye, they're throwing one hell of a farewell show with Shook Ones, Hostage Calm, Make Do and Mend, Open Fire!, and several others (see calendar below).

Even though the club's promoter, Brian Skiffington, says show attendance has been pretty steady, the numbers just weren't adding up for the venue. The club's five co-owners were often paying the bills out of their own pockets.

"To put it bluntly, Tacoma just wasn't ready for Viaduct," says Skiffington. "Somewhere between the location and being all-ages with no booze, it just became a bottomless pit."

This isn't the end of Tacoma's all-ages music scene, though. Skiffington says there are plans to open a new all-ages venue, with a better location in downtown Tacoma, which he'll be doing promotions for. It'll be run by Josh Brumley (one of the co-owners of the Viaduct) and Jeremy Bushnell (who has done sound at the club). But they're changing their approach a bit and hoping to have more success this time around.

"The new space will be about half the size," says Skiffington. "Viaduct's posted capacity was 427, a number we only filled to a few times a year. The new space will be closer to 200 and will really be focusing on other types of music besides punk and hardcore."

The new venue will also carry on the nonprofit license that the Viaduct got last year. Until it opens, though—sometime "before the end of the year," Skiffington says—Tacoma's all-ages scene will be lacking.

"There are spaces still doing shows," he says, "but none of them are legal on paper and it's just a waiting game 'til somebody else gets shut down."

You can follow the progress of the new space at www.tacomaallages.webs.com and www.viaductvenue.com. recommended

Recommended All-Ages Shows

Sat July 31: Shook Ones, Hostage Calm, Make Do and Mend, Power, Open Fire!, Sixes, Cool Runnings, Cowardice, Oblivion, Swinglow, Wreck at the Viaduct (Tacoma), 7 pm, $5.

Sat July 31: Girls Rock! Summer Camp Showcase at Neumos, 1 pm, $10.

Wed Aug 4: Joanna Newsom, Robin Pecknold at the Moore, 7:30 pm, $27.50.

This article has been updated since its original publication.