The Hot Club of Spokane

seriously. we need a nonprofit.

Following the pandemic, and the closure of another local music venue we loved - The Lucky You Lounge - we found new life at Hamilton Studio, owned and operated by Don Hamilton and Lorna St. John. Hamilton Studio opened as a part time music venue at the very beginning of 2024, and Hot Club of Spokane, Zonky Jazz Band, and the newly formed Red Hot Kitten Stompers performed three shows on consecutive Sundays in January and February of that year. All of them sold out, even though it was the first show ever for the Red Hot Kitten Stompers.

A quick note: The Red Hot Kitten Stompers are kittens who stomp. Get on the floor! That is, we're the third of three bands in the Hot Club of Spokane nonprofit, built to be a New Orleans street band, something you might find at the corner of Royal and St. Peter in the French Quarter playing for tips.

And what's this about a nonprofit? About a year into playing a monthly residency at Hamilton Studio shared by all three bands, we finally got the paperwork together for a nonprofit corporation called The Hot Club of Spokane, named for the original club, the Hot Club of France. So as far as Washington State is concerned, we're a nonprofit corporation - IRS 501c3 status still pending.

Since January 2024, we've hosted at least a monthly show at Hamilton Studio with some amazing guest artists, including Ken Peplowski, Casey MacGill, Pearl Django, Dayan Kai, Jonathan Doyle, and Colescott Rubin. And the sold out shows keep coming, knock on wood.

Video highlights of our shows at Hamilton Studio are available below. It's been an amazing ride so far! Thank you everyone who has supported the Hot Club of Spokane nonprofit and all the bands these last couple of decades. We're not done yet!