Just a little down the road from Station 56 exists a budding rock venue. It's called The Cake Room, and its first official show was Dec. 5, but the professionalism already on display in the still-building space is astonishing. The setup in its current state is somewhat barebones, but the skeleton is indeed in place. And in all the right places, the venue excels: A nice stage with a raised tier for the drum set; fancy, multicolored lights; and a band lounge area that's still in development, but currently sporting an adorable chandelier. The only thing missing is a sign.

Most important of all, it's an all-ages venue.

Nothing against The Den and The Viaduct, but with Hell's Kitchen recently closing its doors to all-ages shows, there's a lurking danger that the all-ages scene could possibly slip into dormancy. Being a little ahead on the all-ages tip is never an unwelcome proposition - and this seems to be where The Cake Room finds itself. Speaking with Nate Boyt, owner and director of The Cake Room, my fears the club may be a flash in the pan are mostly allayed. He seems to really know his shit.

An advantage The Cake Room has is, like The Viaduct, it functions only as a venue - not a bar or a store or anything else.

"If you go to The Den, you're kind of going there for the atmosphere," says Boyt. "You know, you're getting a cup of tea, and you're sitting down on vintage furniture, and you're listening to a band play through a vintage PA, and it's kind of all about that vibe. (At The Cake Room) We've really put a lot of effort into the production of a room."

If it all falls together, The Cake Room could fill out the all-ages scene in Tacoma and get the ball rolling for more clubs to come. But you know what I'm most excited about?
They have a concession stand that serves nachos and hot dogs.

It's like they've been reading my diary.

[The Cake Room, 4020 S. 56th St., Tacoma, myspace.com/thecakeroom]