Activating downtown Pullman -- with jazz
Jun. 3—A crowd gathered at Pine Street Plaza as jazz music flooded downtown Pullman on Thursday. Marking the event's fifth anniversary, Music on Main has returned for another year. Tucked in a space next to Riverwalk, a bike and pedestrian trail, people could be seen enjoying local food, dancing and kicking back to local artists.
Peter Smith, a jazz guitarist, kicked off the first week of the event series. This is his second year playing at Music on Main, taking the stage last year after the event's one-year hiatus.
Smith was born and raised in Pullman, and has been a part of the community for some time now. He currently studies history at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Ore., after graduating from Pullman High School.
Having learned guitar when he was 9, it wasn't until he was 12 years old that he started getting into music. Growing up, his parents immersed him in all types of music, and jazz was the one that stuck. As a teenager, Smith listened to Robert Johnson, Aretha Franklin and James Brown — all prominent blues, soul and jazz artists.
In high school, he joined the jazz band and now that he's in college, he takes private jazz guitar lessons. Smith also knows how to play the piano, first learning when he was 5 years old. Music is an important part of his family.
In the region, Smith has performed at The Green Frog and Palouse Caboose Bar and Grill in Palouse. Smith said he got his start playing at open mics to "get himself out there."
"I've been a part of this community for a long time," Smith said. "So it's kind of cool to be able to share with the community."
In Portland, Smith plays local concerts with his jazz band, and plans on starting a band with some friends.
Music on Main is a weekly summer event, happening every Thursday evening from June through September. Musicians from Pullman, Moscow and elsewhere on the Palouse take the stage and share their tunes. Dan Maher, the Jon and Rand Band, and others will be heard at the event in the coming weeks.
Marie Dymkoski, organizer and executive director of the Pullman Chamber of Commerce, said it is an opportunity for the community to come out and enjoy the local music, while also supporting local businesses.
"This is a way for us to activate our downtown," Dymkoski said. "And because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it's really important to remind our community in our region that there are these businesses in downtown Pullman that have really suffered the last couple of years."
Most restaurants and coffee shops in the area are open during the event, and soon, a new business will be launching in the old Taco Bar space to offer adult beverages.
Starting in 2017, Music on Main began in High Street Plaza to employ an underutilized area of downtown. Looking at other areas to host the event, it moved to Pine Street in 2019 because of the beautiful scenery.
Music on Main took a hiatus in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and returned in 2021, where people could be seen wearing masks and observing social distancing guidelines. Dymkoski said it's exciting to see more events happening in the area as the pandemic restrictions continue to lift.
Pearce can be reached at epearce@dnews.com or on Twitter @Emily_A_Pearce.
