A few months ago, I sat down with Don Hales (aka Donny Paycheck of Zeke) to "interview" him (and I use that term very loosely) for my bi-weekly pro Tacoma rant. I went out and bought a nifty little digital recorder and everything. What I didn't do was learn how to use said nifty little recorder, and when I got home, our hour-long conversation was gone had been reduced to one, half-audible, three-second clip of both of us chuckling at something.

I first met Donny in ‘88 or ‘89. He was playing in a band called the Rhino Humpers - kind of a Chili Peppers sort of thing. They were opening for the king of Seattle's Chili Peppers like bands, the Hungry Crocodiles, at a place called the Farside near Northgate Mall. Turns out Donny's bandmates were living in Tacoma, making them the first band I met from the 253.

I was mistaken when I claimed that most people in Tacoma were from Tacoma. Turns out the first few people I had in mind to shed light on the kind of folks that make Tacoma the budding, up-and-coming artist community it is, were, indeed, transplants. Donny was at the top of that list.

It was in the not too distant past. Donny and his lovely wife, Jana, had a condo they bought in Lynnwood. When it came time to up grade, the Hales were looking to buy a house where they could start a business. They chose Tacoma. And they bought one of the many fine old craftsman types that are so prevalent in the 253. Soon after, Donny and Jana opened Supernova Hair and Tattoo.

Located right on Division Street across from Wright Park, Supernova - as its full name implies - is a hair salon/tattoo parlor. Jana cuts hair (along with a number of other young ladies) and they have a couple of tattoo artists that do really amazing work.

A few years past, and then Donny and Jana went into to business with another local musician named Pat Brown and, above Supernova (literally, on the roof) the first Satellite Coffee was opened. The second Satellite location popped up further west on Sixth Ave, and now there's a third inside Smooth and Juicey. Satellite spots are the only coffee shops in Tacoma serving Stumptown coffee. The beans are amazing and business is doing great.

In addition to being the drummer for the seminal punk band Zeke, Donny is also a grandfather. He is a no bullshit guy. You know exactly where you stand with him, and it's one of the traits I appreciate most in someone.  Jana and I share the fortunate coincidence of being cancer survivors. My first few introductory conversations with her were comparing notes about our experiences. When folks were putting together a cancer benefit concert to relieve some of my family's bills, Donny was right there leading the charge. He helped organize the 10 or so bands that played and he selflessly had Zeke headline. Donny was also one of the spearheads in bringing music into Wright Park last summer for the first time in something like 15 years.

The world in general - and Tacoma in particular - could use a lot more folks like Donny Paycheck.