Stirring up a recent shitstorm is the recent enforcement of a 1993 tax on admission with an "opportunity to dance." Anonymous bars, clubs and venues told The Stranger that the State Department of Revenue has started hitting them up for back taxes they've never had to pay before -- up to $210,000. The businesses, and the City Department of Film and Music, say they have never seen the tax enforced on music venues before. The Department of Revenue says this has always been a thing, and they have always said that that this is a thing. This leaves bars, clubs and nightlife patrons wondering: what is this tax, what does it apply to, and why has it only recently been enforced? more ›

Mayor McGinn comes through on some pretty cool night-life improvements. Get ready to park it, drunks. more ›

Thankfully on Monday we had an opportunity to purge our system at Latona Pub. They were the tapping the Fremont Brewing Company’s Universale Pale. It felt great to support a local brewery and the event got us excited about our hop harvest. We’re hoping we have enough homegrown hops and coriander to brew a witbier. Growing hops has been a relatively easy process. If you’re interested in having your own hops next year ask your local homebrew supply store about rhizome availability for planting in spring. more ›

Thanks, everyone who came out to the Seattlest Happy Hour at Zig Zag last night--and thanks to Ben and Autumn for pouring drinks down our thirsty gullets. We had a chance to order an Aviation, which we wanted ever since we read about creme de violette in The Atlantic. It may be impossible to convey in words how cool you feel drinking a slightly purple drink called Aviation. more ›

Mayor Nickels's mysterious two-pronged plan to "grow" the city's live music scene was unveiled at a press conference at Neumos this morning: first, the 2009-2010 city budget includes an admissions tax exemption clause for live music venues such as Nectar Lounge, Neumos and--if it ever opens up again--the Crocodile. And second, according to their press release, the Mayor's Office has compiled a "comprehensive nightlife establishment guidebook" (available online here) as a resource for business owners who are looking to open and run a successful music venue. more ›

Breaking news! Mayor Nickels has changed his mind about noisy nightlife. Now, he loves it and wants to not only nurture but encourage it. HA-HA! We are not holding our breath. But the Mayor has announced a gathering at Neumos tomorrow at the ungodly hour of 10 a.m. to discuss his "new steps to grow Seattle's live music scene," which sounds--if not hopeful--at least potentially of interest to those who really do care about live music in this town. If you go, please, please, please do send your notes/thoughts/photos on the announcement to our tips inbox. more ›

Forbes has updated their mathematical romantic hipness analysis for 2008, and science has spoken: Seattle is the sixth best place to be a single (and thereby, ostensibly, a dater) in the United States! Their variables: "number of singles, nightlife, culture, cost of living alone, job growth, online dating activity and coolness." Coolness was measured, naturally, via poll. The #1 figuratively hottest place to be a single in our great nation is Atlanta, GA. more ›

After an unexpected but brief delay, the new BPP—one door down from its previous location—was open for business Thursday night. And Georgetown Brewing was in the house, along with a cask of Chopper's Red. more ›

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The British show Conversation With A Serial Killer was in town this weekend, taping a segment at Dante's, the four-decade-old college bar north of the UW campus on Roosevelt. Producers interviewed owner Zach Peterson and hired an actor to "portray" Bundy, that is, sit on bar stools and look menacing. more ›

Saturday, Tera will give herself a VIP tour at the opening of Aritzia. She will follow this potentially hectic event by introducing a friend to her newest wine obsession - Twisted Cork. Sunday she will trek to Qwest and root for Chicago, uh, eh, oops...Seattle. Yes, root for the Seahawks. Jack's heading to the Showbox proper tonight to see Canadian indie pop band Stars. Sunday, he's hoping to see Rex Grossman slip into old... more ›

Francophiles attending the Beaujolais Nouveau gala in Bellevue Friday will have the chance to bid on more than a dozen travel packages (tickets to Paris? ho-hum...) as well as some rare and valuable works of art. An original lithograph by the French painter Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec is likely to draw the most interest. more ›

It's not that development in itself sucks; it's that our county and city government doesn't believe in development for art's sake, despite all those studies about the half billion the arts return to the community. When we look around, we don't see a lot of public investment in the single most expensive thing that artists and smaller arts organizations have to face: a place to work, rehearse, show, perform. more ›

Outfit called Not For Tourists has just published a guide to Seattle. It's a handsome book, looks just like Moleskine journal, complete with oilcloth cover, fat elastic closure, gorgeous paper. The Seattle version is tenth in a series, cobbled together by a design staff in faraway Noo Yawk with input by a locally based "city editor" named Fred Beldin, who contributes occasional music reviews to The Stranger. more ›

This morning, reported on inaccuracies in its article from a week age today on elements of the sting operation, including the disputed claim that a gun made it into Tommy's on the Ave after a bouncer was offered a $100 bribe. Jush Feit over at the Slog tore them a new one for getting info wrong again, particularly on the point about violence. more ›

, "Seventeen bouncers, bartenders and other nightclub employees were arrested Saturday night for allegedly violating state liquor laws." more ›

brought it up. more ›

Yesterday Seattlest said the following: more ›

--Galloping towards the new Narrows date. more ›

--Putting random stuff in brackets and voting on it is all the rage. First the blog thing, and now gay clubs go head to head. Stay tuned next week when Seattlest pits our socks against each other in a bracket from hell. more ›

--Pro Bono Geek takes on the fascinating world of political campaigns and copyright law, particularly as it affects the Darcy Burner ads. more ›

Admittedly, last night we were not expecting much from The Presets. Seattlest had already spent a great deal of our evening surrounded by dudes in baseball caps and girls who were trying too hard (thanks a lot, Scion), so we really weren't in the mood for a late night set at Chop Suey. We had heard good things about the Australian electro-rock duo and felt obligated to attend. But now we're glad we did: the band was in fine form, the crowd was way into it, and the drinks were strong. Wethinks those three factors may somehow be related. more ›

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Yesterday we googled the phrase "best restaurant in Renton." (Don't ask.) It turned up this post on A Displaced Hipster's Guide to Renton, which gives the Melrose Grill top honors in Seattle's southern suburb. DH's mission statement: "Two years ago, my wife and I moved out of the city of Seattle to the lovely suburby city of Renton, Washington. We've learned to survive without great restaurants, nightlife, and entertainment--here's how we do it." more ›

-Last night you could have attended the city's Target: Nightlife meeting or the Target: Maritime History thing. Few likely attended both. more ›

Listen up bridge and ferry people! Have we got a club for you!! Hidden away in the touristy nightlife epicenter of Seattle is newly opened, poorly painted The Heavens. If you're looking for a club for your next bachelorette party, then this is the place for you! The staff--from doormen, to coat check, to bartenders--have never been coached on the ways of club courtesy and will make you feel out of place from the moment you arrive. The Heavens is an east coast club without the headliner, crowd, or decor to support its attitude. more ›

From the Slow News Day Dept: Today's Seattle Times cover story features the headline "Bellevue: Nightlife at last" with a large photo presumably depicting same. Is it just Seattlest or does this so-called nightlife fail to inspire much in the way of confidence? A rowdy scene, yes. Perhaps even dangerous to some. But would even a party as raucous as this one merit the commute across the lake? And why is it so bright outside? (Tip of the blogging hat to Pytor from Poland.) more ›

Seattlest debated on whether to write this post at all. We don't want to come across as negative (not that that slows us down at all in the real world). Never mind those reservations however. Despite the fact that the exhibit itself is winding down for us, we feel its our duty to let our thoughts be known. Our words may come too late for Seattle, but maybe it can help out our friends in Austin. more ›

Despite the warnings that the smoking ban would ensure anarchy and despair on the nightlife front, instead smoking has strengthened its role as a social lubricant. A new brand of comradery is being forged nightly as smokers go outside for their nicotine fix. This isn't all that surprising, since people are social creatures, not unlike the uber-cute momonga. Not to be too Fremont-hippie about this, but we crave company and need one another, knowing we can get more done together than we can alone. more ›