Seattle Spin (5-10-2009) - Your Weekly Update on Seattle Events, Culture and Media

May 10 to May 16, 2009

Irreverent, non-commercial and unrestrained fun for local urban professionals. You won't find a more connected, entertaining or succinct lowdown on What's Happening in Seattle! Subscribe here to receive Seattle Spin by email and to stay informed on Seattle events, culture and media. Free and delivered weekly.

Publisher: Gerard Wirz | Editor: Nathaniel Hollywood

Stress Seminar: Keep Your Rear in Gear during Tough Times, Stress Reduction Strategies that Work, May 13th - Good thing this seminar is free, paying to get in would cause stress. Everyone needs some de-stress strategies right now, and this seminar promises to teach skills such as identifying stressors and learning how to reduce and even prevent them and thrive.

Dining: Urban Eats, May 3-31st, $30 - Might as well forget about the sun coming out this month, but who needs it with the annual Urban Eats luring us into all the best restaurants in town. Stay warm and dry at any of 49 participating restaurants serving three-course dinners for thirty dollars Sunday through Thursday. Take the opportunity to try new and interesting restaurants and expand your taste buds a little bit.

Green Seminar: Exploring Energy & Design, May 13th, $15 - Town Hall Seattle is hosting the final seminar in the 'Seeking Sustainable Solutions' series. This seminar focuses on current environmental projects underway in the Northwest and what needs to be done in the future to achieve sustainability in our region.

Art Show: Juli Adams Renegade Art Show, May 16th, Free - If you find yourself unavoidably in Tukwila this week, this art show will make the trip worthwhile. Juli Andrews is a unique local artist specializing in oil paintings, miniatures and drawings all in her unusual and compelling style. Coupled with other local artists the Renegade Art Show should prove to be interesting and entertaining.

Neighborhood: Ballard Seattle Summer Streets, May 15th, Free - Join in on the Bike to Work Day after-party being thrown by Cascade Bicycle Club in Ballard. Bergen Park and 22nd Avenue are being opened up to create one large park for walking, biking shopping, and playing.

Auction: Pratt Art Gallery 27 th Annual Fine Art Auction, May 16, $200 - This is the event for serious art collectors and enthusiasts. With a ticket price of $200, this auction is guaranteed to draw those with a serious interest in bidding on unique sculpture, glass work, jewelry, and 2D art by both established artists and rising new artists from around the world.

Children's Events: Giant Magnet, May 12-18th, $9 - Giant Magnet, formerly known as the Seattle International Children's Festival, is holding their 23rd annual arts extravaganza. There are shows and activities for all ages from young children to their parents. * The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, May 17th, $12 - This children's classic tale and recent big-budget movie has now been produced into a musical that has received praise for both the music and the lyrics. Village Theater presents this enduring story of four siblings that slip through a closet and enter a new world and face adult challenges.

Fundraiser: Embellish-Necessary Extravagances for You and Your Home, May 14th, $10 - This is the third annual interior designer's fundraiser featuring beautiful items for your home handcrafted by local artisans. Bid on something fabulous in the Silent Auction or just enjoy the complimentary appetizers.

Organization: Seattle Parks and Recreation, we all love what they offer, but seldom give the organization itself much thought (until its budget is whacked and the parks we visit then become run down). Besides enjoying the outdoors, Seattle Parks and Rec offer a zillion fun and educational classes at low cost.

Seattle Gay Bars.
If you swing the other way, here's where to hang.

Dudes

Neighbors. This place is the old-school diva hangout. Actually, it's getting watered down with tourists. This place demonstrates the idiom, "First the gays, then the girls, and then the guys." The dance music here is pretty good, and the dance floor pretty big. Your parents may have partied here.

Seattle Eagle Tavern: This place is a dive, which means you either gonna really dig its dingy charm, or you'll be half-scared coming here by yourself. Everybody wears leather (including those who shouldn't); you will be trolled, and you really don't want to wonder too much about the origin of every sticky spot on the floor. The pool table is crappy, but the music really does kick it. The bartenders are as they should be: muscular, tattooed, and shirtless.

The Elite: This place is what a gay Cheers would be. The color scheme draws all of the rants, but the clean bathrooms make up for it. The bar games are pretty good; the drinks reasonably priced, and there's enough room to mingle without being elevator pressed against other bodies. On weekends with the full crowd, all of the wall mounted TVs on, and all of the gay guys saying "nice dress", it can get a tad overwhelming.

Cool Video: The folks at Mythbusters doing the Night Rider car exit.

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