Painless Parker: The Dentist Who Made Pain a Performance

Painless Parker in his dental parlor, 1901 Tacoma — The Grey Revolution · Then & Now · Tacoma, WA

Updated Jun 2, 2026 2:44 PM / Published Jun 2, 2026 2:21 PM

Painless Parker: The Dentist Who Made Pain a Performance

In 1901, Edgar Randolph Parker changed his legal name to Painless and opened a dental parlor at 11th and Broadway in Tacoma. He hired a brass band. He wore 357 teeth. This is that story.

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Wade Mercer

Wade Mercer has been watching Tacoma change for six decades. He covers the streets, the coffee shops, and the decisions that shaped this city — including the ones nobody voted on. Third Place contributor. The Grey Revolution.
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