Some say it takes a special kind of person to truly appreciate “the water of life,” while others might claim it takes little more than a problem begging to be drowned.  I’d have to admit to falling somewhere in the middle of the two; perhaps we should just refer to it as a healthy appreciation for this whisky born of barley and love, destined to get me into trouble.

On October 22nd, Barking Frog’s twist on Oktoberfest, “Scotch-tober,” will offer attendees the ultimate spirit experience with 1 of only 15 Master of Whisky experts residing in the United States, Ari Shapiro. The evening will feature a four-course menu developed by Executive Chef Bobby Moore and five whisky pairings.  As in real Scottish whisky, like Oban and Dalwhinnie; whiskys old enough to be in high school if they were people.  Throughout the dinner, guests will learn about whisky production and its history through interactive table-talk with Shapiro. Following dinner, guests will to the Fireside Cellar’s firepit on the patio for whisky and cigars. Cost is $95 per person; further details can be found via the Willows Lodge event calendar.

One of the Bus Stop’s bartenders, Zack, has been hospitalized for Pancreatitis. He doesn’t have insurance, so his friends at the Bus Stop are helping him out with his bills on Sunday–from 4 – 8, the staff will be donating their time and tips, and the bar will be donating the money they would be paying the staff to work and all of the profits. DJ Valpack and special guests will be DJing/performing, and there will be an envelope at the bar for cash or check donations. They would appreciate it if you stopped by and had a drink.

The Bus Stop is located at 1552 East Olive Way.

I have to admit to being somebody who rarely considers the Eastside of our Metro Area when it comes to planning social engagements and local excursions.  Like many, I tend to think of it more as a hub for commerce and fine dining than I do as someplace I’d want to spend my weekend.  As I recently discovered, the best part of such misconceptions is how easily they’re replaced once the reality of a situation becomes clear.

Last week I was given the opportunity to take part in the “Camp Woodmark” experience at The Woodmark Hotel, Yacht Club & Spa in  Kirkland, which just so happens to be the only hotel located on the shores of Lake Washington.  Camp Woodmark was designed with adults in mind, meaning they offer a grown-up kind of fun without any of the awkward moments or pre-teen angst from the summer camps of our youth.

Upon my arrival at The Woodmark I was cordially greeted by Brandon, one of the “camp counselors” entrusted with making each campers stay as relaxing and hassle-free as possible, who presented me with a welcome package that included several Woodmark t-shirts and reusable aluminum water bottles.  Not long after that I was on the balcony of my amazing fourth floor lakeside room, enjoying a cool breeze and feeling that there may just be some merit to escaping into your own city after all.

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So I was sitting in the Nitelite having a drink last night, started thinking about the lack of good “dive bars” in Seattle. I remember back in the day when Seattle had more than it’s share of these types of places.

The old Frontier Room was always a cool place but that’s long gone, it seems like alot of Seattle history is vanishing along with these establishments. Pioneer Square is a shell of it’s former self; I think The Central is about the only place down there that isn’t completely different or out of business. (Although the “new” Swannie’s in Occidental Park is pretty cool)….

Of course there’s the Five Point and The Mecca, doesn’t get much divier than that. Keep in mind that I mean “dive” in the best possible context. There’s just something fun and interesting about these places that you don’t find in your typical new “martini/cool lighting” bar….

I can only think of a handful more places around town, Baranof on Greenwood is definitely an old-school dive, The Rickshaw is classic too….

I know that change happens, sometimes for better and sometimes for worse, it just seems that alot of local flavor and character is disappearing….

Anyone know of any other “divey” spots around town or want to share some dive bar memories?

By now we’ve all heard of the Snuggie, the “blanket with sleeves” which I like to think of as continued proof that P.T. Barnum’s most famous business maxim was completely on the money.

Proof that the Snuggie has reached mass pop culture saturation level can be found in events like the Seattle Snuggie Pub Crawl. Inspired by similar events around the country, the Seattle Snuggie Pub Crawl invites you to put on your Snuggie and join in a tour of Ballard bars. For extra excitement, be extra creative with your Snuggie by making it the centerpiece of a more elabortate costume. Don’t have a Snuggie? A “slanket” of any sort is still welcome on the crawl, but people showing up without any sort of Snuggie/slanket apparel will meet with severe disappoval and won’t get any of the advantages that go to the Snuggie wearers, like drink specials (Ballard Loft is offering happy hour drink specials to crawlers between 7 -9 with a free drink for the first 50 crawlers to turn in a donation for Northwest Harvest).

Why walk around Ballard wearing a Snuggie? “Why not?” asks Seattle Snuggie, who are upping the ante by asking participants to bring non-perishable food items to donate to Northwest Harvest. From the starting point at Ballard Loft the crawl continues on to Moshi Moshi Sushi, Wingmasters and Conor Byrne. To RSVP or just get more details, visit the Seattle Snuggie site.

The Blue Moon Tavern has been a Seattke landmark for a very long time now – 75 years, in fact.
The Blue Moon first opened its doors in the U District on April 15, 1934, and has since served legions of thirsty students, writers, poets, politicians, beatniks, hippies, hipsters, and everyone else who has wandered in which is just about everyone, really.

HistoryLink has a great essay that talks about the history and cultural significance of the Blue Moon here, but why not celebrate their birthday the best way by heading down and having a few?

You can also stop by Saturday for a birthday celebration featuring We Wrote the Book on Connectors, A Gun that Shoots Knives, and Junkface.

12:00 PM – Robert Dugoni: Wrongful Death
Seattle Mystery Bookshop
What the heck is the Feres Doctrine?
[LINK]

7:00 PM – Leslie Forsbery and Michelle Duffy: Wanderlust and Lipstick
Wide World Books and Maps
Get tips for traveling with kids from authors who travel with kids.
[LINK]

7:30 PM – Gordon Hempton: One Square Inch of Silence
Town Hall Seattle, Downstairs, $5
I had no idea that there was such a thing as an “acoustic ecologist” which only proves the depth, breadth, and height of my own ignorance.
[LINK]

Los Campesinos!, the completely awesome Welsh (via England, Russia) septet will be playing Neumo’s tomorrow. Tomorrow being Friday, April 10, 2009, for those whose grasp of the time-space continuum is a little blurry. Doors open at 8PM.

I had hoped to go and get my semi-annual dance on, but lo, the demands of life and work have interfered, so I will be home, feeding the cat, taunting the dog, and nursing the human. My loss is your gain, though. Email seattle [dot] metblogs [at] gmail [dot.] com and our fearless leader will put two (2! count ‘em, 2!!!) tickets on the Will-Call list, so you and your hunny bunny can bop ’til you drop. Just type (or cut’n'paste) WE ARE BEAUTIFUL, WE ARE DOOMED in the subject line and click send. The first entry received wins, so… ready… set… GO!

It’s difficult to understate the degree of the transformation at the Crocodile. But at last night’s soundcheck and preview, there were at least two familiar sights from the Crocodile Cafe (RIP) among the otherwise extreme makeover that is the Crocodile:

new sound board

::

old pole

The (new) Crocodile is, as everyone else has already said in more and better words, a beautiful new showroom. Gone is almost every piece of dingy kitsch, hanging paper-mâché sculpture, worn-out furniture, neon sheep, and eerie black light. In exorcising them, the club’s new owners found miles of high ceilings (so much so that they could fit in a mezzanine poster paradise with a skylight) with exposed beams and wood everywhere, space for two green rooms (that have bands raving), spacious bathrooms with marble sinks, a makeout nook [!], a giant stage situated opposite a large bar. Except for the second level, the layout reminds me a lot of the club on the new web series Rockville, CA (which is really just the Echoplex). It feels warm and roomy and the higher stage means better sightlines from all over.
Oh, and the three bands — among booking agent Eli Anderson’s local favorites — sounded great in the new room. The only minor hitch was that due to late-breaking liquor permits, the bar started low on alcohol (beer only) and ran out fast. The crowd, a mix of die hards, music insiders, and curious onlookers, thinned appreciably after the wells ran dry. Luckily, 2nd Avenue has no shortage of bars. For instance, between sets Shorty’s seemed a whole lot like the Crocodile Cafe’s back bar that I loved so much, with bands, fans, and other less glossy Belltowners filtering in for drinks.

More pictures — including the Quiet Ones, Hypatia Lake, and the Kindness Kind — in the opening night photoset. [flickr]

OMG, you guys. The Crocodile is reopening THIS WEEK. Their first night will be Thursday. They’ll be warming up the freshly-renovated and much-beloved club with a series of two free shows powered by local bands:

Thursday, March 19: SOUNDCHECK with Hypatia Lake, the Kindness Kind, the Quiet Ones, 8:30 pm, 21+

Friday, March 20: SOUNDCHECK with Akimbo, Brothers of the Sonic Cloth, Patrol. 8:00 pm, 21+

There are no advance tickets for either show; so it’s first-come, first-served. Get there early, since the new hand built pizza oven at Via Tribulani will be fired up and ready to feed you. See you there after our meetup at Oddfellows, OK?

(press release after the jump)