Knitting Factory To Exclusively Book Tacoma’s Fawcett Hall

Fawcett Hall is part of Alma Mater’s building and operations that include a full-service restaurant and cafe, recording studio, visual art gallery, outdoor green space, and more

The 500-standing, 300-seated venue has a combined stage and backstage comprising 900 square feet; state-of-the art Meyer PA system and QSC monitors; a Digico SG9 mixing board; Chauvet lighting arrays and other notablem amenities. 

Since opening in 2015, Alma Mater’s Fawcett Hall has artists included EarthGang, Black Belt Eagle Scout, and Built to Spill, and since the pandemic, the venue has hosted livestream events including local musicians, the Tacoma City Ballet, and most recently the panel discussion for the documentary “SINCE I BEEN DOWN.” 

Recent boxoffice reports at the venue include Wolf Parade and Pedro The Lion, both selling over 400 tickets in February 2019.

KFE CEO Morgan Margolis locked the multi-year deal with longtime Alma Mater staff member and newly appointed Executive Director Lisa Fruichantie, who will collaborate with KFE on booking and marketing duties. 

Margolis says in a statement that “Tacoma is an incredible, underserved town and Fawcett Hall is a tremendous asset yet to be fully tapped.” 

KFE’s network of venues includes Knitting Factory concert houses in Spokane and Boise and booking arrangements with venues across the Pacific Northwest and Intermountain West.

KFE’s Danny Glazer, Northwest talent buyer for KFE, who currently handles KFE’s Boise and Spokane concert houses and other areas, will lead the buying team, working alongside Nathan Chambers, formerly of the venerable Chop Suey music venue in Seattle, who is also joining KFE. 

Glazier said in a statement, “Despite such an uncertain year, I think KFE has found some cool opportunities in this crisis. The Fawcett Hall team has built an incredible space that aligns with a lot of the KFE vision going forward. We are excited to welcome them into the KFE family.” Chambers adds, “I’m excited to join the KFE family and learn from their collective experiences while continuing to grow Tacoma as a space for national touring.” 

Mandi Zillner, KFE’s Director of Marketing, will supervise marketing efforts alongside Fruichantie, who says, “We welcome the expertise and experience of Knitting Factory Entertainment. They know our market, our venue and our community, and we’re delighted to be working with a talent buying group that shares our unique goals and sensibilities.” Alma Mater describes itself as “something that doesn’t look like the typical arts organization…an ecosystem of artists, programming, hospitality, and the public that continues to evolve in order to serve the Tacoma community at large through philanthropic efforts and creative collaborations.”

The move continues KFE’s expansion, which has recently included an exclusive booking agreement Omaha’s Maha festival.