West Seattle gay bar now open

Say hello to Seattle's newest gay kid in town. And this kid is not on Capitol Hill.

OutWest Bar, located in the tranquil district of West Seattle, just opened its doors to the public on August 11. They've unpacked the boxes, but the move-in process continues - parcel paper lines the windows until replacement drapes are put up next week and rainbow banners are the closest thing to storefront signage, for now.

This hasn't bothered the flow of customers to OutWest Bar on either of its first nights of business. Co-owner Bob Lunke stated that Friday's crowd stayed right up through the 2am bell, and already passersby are peeking inside during a leisurely stroll and inquiring about the hours of operation.

Decor is simple. Black tables with chairs and bench seating, dark cranberry walls, and long copper-toned bar counter with stools comprise the interior, but soon TV sets will arrive for patrons to watch local events, such as Seattle Storm or FC Sounders games, or even a guilty pleasure - Project Runway, anyone?

The reaction from nearby straight business owners has been "awesome", says Lunke. Indeed, bouquets of flowers from a few of them, like the Feedback Lounge, are representative of the West Seattle neighborhood's warm and friendly vibe.

OutWest Bar is co-owned by Lunke and business partner Chad Gabelein, and is located at 5401 California Avenue, accessible by public transportation (Metro buses #54 and #22, California and Brandon SW stop). It's also within walking distance of California Avenue stores, cafes and cupcake shops. Current hours are 4pm to midnight (Sun-Thurs) and 4pm to 2am (Fri-Sat). The "grand opening" is planned for next weekend, August 19 and 20.

Beer, wine, mixed cocktails and small food menu are available. Read more about OutWest Bar in the August 19 issue of the Seattle Gay News. Website address: www.outwest.com

Stevie Nicks interviews with Seattle Gay News, June 24

Oh, my Stevie! Insert: repeated bows.

Seattle Gay News is pleased to feature an upcoming interview with a true rock goddess, the mother of all shawls, the one and only Stevie Nicks.

As frontwoman for pop-rock supergroup Fleetwood Mac and accomplished solo artist, Nicks' treasure chest of classic songs includes "Dreams", "Sara", "Gypsy", "Stand Back", "Edge of Seventeen", "If Anyone Falls", "Rooms on Fire", "Rhiannon", "The Chain", and "Silver Springs".

You might also remember "Landslide", covered by the Dixie Chicks and cast of Glee.

Nicks recently spoke with six hand-picked writers from GLBT publications across the United States, including Seattle Gay News, and answered questions pertaining to her Gay fan base, reaction to Glee episodes featuring her music, and her personal like or dislike of current pop divas Katy Perry, Lady GaGa, and Pink.

We're proud to include our interview with Stevie Nicks in tomorrow's special Pride Music issue, landing on bar counters and coffeeshop tables in the mid to late afternoon here in the Seattle area, and uploaded to our website (www.sgn.org) over the weekend for those readers outside King County.

Thailand, New Orleans in Seattle Gay News' Summer Travel issue

Summertime is the perfect time to hit the road, or the blue skies. Or, maybe just plan ahead for an upcoming vacation.

Seattle Gay News spotlights the fascinating destination of Thailand in its Summer Travel issue, printing in the June 17 edition. From an elephant camp deep in the jungle to "ladyboy" bars tucked away into crowded Bangkok streets, experience the true diversity of this kingdom by grabbing a copy of the SGN tomorrow.

Also in our special travel section, original features on New Orleans, Las Vegas, Niagara Falls, Portland (Oregon), Bellevue, and Seattle's own Hyatt at Olive 8 hotel.

We wish you great travels!

Augustana interviews with Seattle Gay News, June 10

If you've never heard of Augustana, allow us the introduction.

The four-person band garnered attention for their 2005 album All the Stars and Boulevards, which produced two hit singles "Boston" and the title track. Currently, the SoCal-based act is on the road promoting its latest release, this year's self-titled effort.

Lead singer and daddy-of-two Dan Layus spoke to Seattle Gay News from the road recently and offered his thoughts on living in mega gay West Hollywood and that new Katy Perry song, "E.T.".

Read the interview with Layus in the newest issue of Seattle Gay News, out today and online this weekend. Augustana performs live tomorrow night at The Showbox Market with The Maine (who interviewed with the SGN a year ago) - visit www.showboxonline.com for ticket information.

U2 in Seattle: Details for tomorrow's big, beautiful day

Seattle Gay News will be among the 70,000 people converging at Qwest Field tomorrow night for U2's mega concert.

But we were allowed into the stadium earlier today to get a glimpse of the stage and equipment before the show actually begins.

Here's what we can share with you:

- The band (Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen, Jr.) will probably arrive in Seattle tonight.

- The stage and all of the equipment can take about 4 days to set up, and most of it was already constructed by early this afternoon.

- 575 speakers are built into four claw-like legs that stretch out from the stage. The stage is 68 meters in length from side-to-side.

- U2 will likely play a 2 to 2.2 hour set tomorrow night. Lenny Kravitz opens the concert.

- All gates at Qwest Field open at 5pm tomorrow. The show is supposed to start at 7pm, but like most concerts a delay is always possible.

- According to Jake Berry, Production Designer for the tour, it takes more than 100 trucks and roughly 12 tour buses to transport the equipment and crew from city to city for this mammoth tour.

- According to Craig Evans, U2's tour director, about 7 million fans will have attended the 110 concerts on this tour, which began in 2009 and ends next month. The Seattle show is #93 of 110.

- The photo shown on this blog entry was taken by Seattle Gay News at Qwest Field this afternoon.

- As of 2pm today, some tickets were still available at the Qwest Field box office.

Paul van Dyk interviews with Seattle Gay News, June 3

Sprechen sie electronica?

Among the world's very best DJs is Paul van Dyk, ranked #6 in 2010 by DJ Magazine on a list that included fellow marquee turntablists Tiesto and Deadmau5.

The striking German, one of the first electronic artists to ever nab a Grammy nomination in his genre, has performed on some of the biggest stages - from Coachella to the Ultra Music Festival. His current "Evolution Tour" returns him to Seattle on June 10, where he'll play a headlining set at WaMu Theater.

But before he flips open his laptop, he's talking to Seattle Gay News. The Berlin-based star is featured in a one-on-one interview in the next edition, June 3, where he voices his thoughts on Lady GaGa, hip-hop, and gay marriage.

For tickets to van Dyk's concert in Seattle, visit www.showboxonline.com

The Cars first show in 24 years - Seattle Gay News was there

Last night was monumental. It was the national tour launch of The Cars, one of the most influential pop-rock bands in history, at The Showbox SoDo in Seattle.

The group, reunited after a 24-year breakup with 4 of its 5 original members - the fifth, Benjamin Orr, died of cancer in 2000 - played to a venue packed with enthusiastic, cheering fans.

The Cars opened the concert with "Good Times Roll" and closed with "Just What I Needed", and to find out what else they played and how good they were (or not) read our review of the show in Friday's issue of the Seattle Gay News.

A review of another sold out performance, The Kills, will also appear in our May 13 edition.