Ever been upstairs at the Admiral Theater? It’s been roped off as long as we can remember. But this Saturday night, when a triple-bill concert enables the Admiral’s new management to launch a new era in its alter-ego as a live-music venue, patrons will be able to enjoy the newly christened Crow’s Nest Lounge. Read on to find out more about the lounge, Saturday’s big show, and what else the Admiral has up its sleeve:
That cozy couch is part of the Crow’s Nest Lounge setup, along with tables and chairs against the railing on the Admiral’s upper level. Not far away, there’s a two-keg cooler in place, rented from neighboring Mission, that the Admiral will use to serve two beer selections during Saturday night’s concert – Manny’s (from Georgetown) and Rainier. The Admiral just got its liquor license for serving beer and wine; entertainment director Dinah Brein McClellan says they’re not intending to become a “walk in any time” lounge or bar, but they feel this will enable them to attract better crowds for live shows, like the one happening this Saturday. “We’d like people to view it a little like the Paramount, or Moore Theater,” she says. And they’re bringing in a popular local bartender to work the event: Leslie from Redline Music and Sports. (Dinah’s posted a job listing for PT bartender in the West Seattle Jobs Offered section of the WSB Forums, by the way.)
She’s hoping for a big turnout, not just because that’s what any venue operator would want, but because this is the start of a new era for the Admiral. Before the management change four months ago (WSB coverage here), there were some live shows, but now there’s a sound system that Dinah says will be run by an award-winning engineer. Here’s the scoop on the show: Headliner is West Seattle’s own Brent Amaker and the Rodeo, just signed to a label (you can hear their music on the Admiral’s new MySpace site), with The Hands and Panda & Angel (snippets of their music are on the Admiral MySpace too); host is DJ Troy from KEXP, and Graig Markel from Animals at Night will also be featured. Tickets are $10 in advance (available online here).
Also coming up at the Admiral, in addition to ongoing improvements in the regular movie offerings: The Seattle premiere of an aspiring cult movie called “Repo: The Genetic Opera” on November 11th, shortly after a weekend of special events celebrating West Seattle movie star Frances Farmer – November 7th and 8th, those events will include screenings of Farmer movies “Come and Get It” and “Rhythm on the Range,” the Jessica Lange biopic “Frances,” as well as a cocktail reception – with hors d’oeuvres catered by Shadow Land (whose name is Farmer-inspired) – benefiting Navos, the new name of the umbrella organization operating the former West Seattle Psychiatric Hospital (Farmer struggled with mental illness), and an afterparty at Shadow Land.
The Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival (which just joined WSB as a sponsor – more on that later this week) also plans screenings at the Admiral Oct. 24-25 (see the full schedule here, including a late-night “Rocky Horror Picture Show” event – that usually just happens at the Admiral the first Saturday night of each month).
With those offerings and more, Brein McClellan says they’re trying to keep this West Seattle icon going strong, and hoping you will show your support by attending shows like the one this Saturday. By the way – the Admiral’s tiny balcony, long closed, isn’t entirely off-limits any more:
Nothing fancy, the Admiral folks stress, but history isn’t always fancy. They’re working hard to bring this landmark into the future; if you want to help it not just survive but thrive, you can do your part by supporting its offerings and suggesting what more you’d like to see (contact info’s on the Admiral’s website).
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