This seems to be a back-to-the-future moment of confluence, when the forces of history, music and government converge into a meatloaf sandwich time machine. It is a triumph of the old gang, the long-haired grungers over the well-coiffed anchors and well-pressed suits. Concert promoter Dave Meinert (Cap Hill Block Party, One Reel, Blue Scholars, The Presidents) and his girlfriend Mandy Park (longtime waitress at the 5 Point Café) have taken over Belltown's longest-running dive bar. The announcement came from music-PR gal Kerri Harrop, who's also tied in with Neumos (and the whole Mike McConnell music-pizza-coffee organization; Caffe Vita will now supply 5 Point customers with bottomless cups of java). Meinert, whose bands perform regularly at Neumos and who also ran the old Mirabeau Room on Lower Queen Anne, was an early and enthusiastic supporter of both Dow Constantine and Mike McGinn. more ›

Seattle Weekly's Mike Seely has a book on dive bars out. The Weekly's Erika Hobart went to see "Walking with the Dinosaurs" stewed. And now the Stranger has a new Happy Hour iPhone app: Cocktail Compass. Interesting features: searches for "patio" if you want, offers one-touch cab dialing. Competition for GoTime's Happy Hour app. This recession could turn out to be toughest on the liver. more ›

No, Seattle, you didn't read that headline or poster wrong. There are plans in the works to turn Seattle's venerable dive bar, the Blue Moon, into a warm and welcoming womb tomorrow night. The Blue Moon has been described as many many things--but warm, welcoming, and womb-like have probably never been used in its 70+ years of business. However, considering the guys behind this great band picture are designing the womb, we have the utmost faith that we'll have to be physically removed from the clutches of the Blue Moon tomorrow night by cold surgical hands. (Or at the very least, by Tom, the door guy.) more ›