Everybody who cares has been wondering what's going down at ARO.space since the folks at Tasty Shows sold it in December. For reasons It's My Party has discussed in earlier columns, the formerly "primarily gay" dance club has veered dramatically from the vision Tasty had for it in the beginning, becoming more mainstream, less exclusive, and falling on hard financial times. Following the buyout, information was scarce regarding how the club would change, and The Stranger has even had difficulty getting calendars of upcoming events. In fact, we haven't heard a promotional peep from the new owners.
But we have heard from at least one disgruntled former employee, who claims that the new owner has fired several ARO.space employees, including the booking agent and most of the security staff. Other staffers were allegedly demoted. Disgruntled also describes the new owner, Bob Davis, as a former comedy club maven in his 50s, who didn't know what drag queens were before coming into contact with them at ARO.space. Hoping to find out once and for all what in the hell's going on at the corner of 10th and Pike, It's My Party spoke to Davis, and he swore up and down that he hadn't fired anyone, and that any loss of employee hours were due to loss of revenue. I guess that would be the "laying off" and "demoted" part. Davis says he took over the business on February 15 after the guy who bought ARO.space in December-after outbidding him-decided he didn't want it anymore. Davis says he'd like to keep the club's format the same as it was under the former ownership. However, he seems more than a bit worried about the number of shows Tasty is now booking at the Belltown club I-Spy. As for the drag queen thing, he admits he wasn't overly familiar with them, but says that Giggles, the comedy club he owned until two years ago, often hosted "female impersonator" nights.
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In other news, one very angry former fan of Folk Implosion sent an e-mail lamenting his experience at the Lou Barlow show in Portland. "LOU BARLOW KICKED ME!" he claimed in wailing capital letters. Some might say he had it coming, though. The kickee called Barlow a "California rock star," and Mr. Indie Rock Official lost his shit and tore into the guy-pulling his hair, ripping off his glasses, and kicking him in the chest as he sang the Folk Implosion one-hit-wonder, "Natural One."
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In related-by-label news, Sub Pop is in the process of moving out of their legendary offices on the 11th floor of the Terminal Sales Building. The building on First and Virginia housed the label from its start, and there has to be a lot of history to pack up or take to the dump (suppose there'll be any copies of the Legend's single or Hardship Post's CDs languishing in the landfill?). The new location for the label is not in Magnolia, as had been rumored, but in a storefront on Fourth Avenue. Not two floors in a huge historical building, but not a grass shack, either.
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Lastly, just so you know: Former Presidents of the United States of America drummer Jason Finn has not fallen on hard times. Though he is often mistaken for a messenger as he tools around town on his bike, the electronic device strapped to the shoulder of his carryall is not a walkie-talkie, but a garage door opener.
