As if the Showbox weren’t already downtown’s most fabulously swank rock club–an honor that would go to the chinoiserie palace that is the Fifth Avenue Theatre if the venue hosted more than two rock shows per decade–last week the Showbox debuted its newest addition, the Green Room, a cool getaway from the showroom’s 60-foot cocktail bars and glittering décor straight out of the old movies. Located in the old Rudy’s space just outside the front doors, the Green Room features yet another of the Showbox’s now trademark luxuriously stocked bars, and tony banquette seating. Lighting is low and glamorous, and if it weren’t for DJ El Toro spinning A-Ha’s “Take on Me,” I could have sworn I was in Gilda for a moment. The private opening featured kind service and plenty of free booze and food, as well as an art show displaying the works of the Showbox’s new house photographer, Diona J. Mavis. We are our own worst critics, and Life Of The Party (former Juned/Love as Laughter and current Murder City Devil member) Leslie Hardy took one look at the photo of herself playing her famous keyboard and let out a whoop of distaste for the angle at which her breasts were saying how-do-you-do to her tummy. Krist Novoselic was also checking out the new space, as were the usual rock and roll socialites, which, on this occasion, included Arlie from Juno. A nice detail in the Green Room is speakers that broadcast the sound from the show upstairs in the main room. It took a few moments for many of the gabbing guzzlers to realize that it was no ABBA record being played, but the astonishingly note-and-costume-perfect ABBA tribute band Björn Again playing live upstairs. Ms. Hardy and Kim Warnick danced enthusiastically to “Knowing Me Knowing You” before Ms. Hardy busted the stitches on her week-old carpal-tunnel surgery incision and it was off to the emergency room for us gals. Thank you ever so much to the Showbox’s gallant Sean Haskins (whom club owner Jeff Steichen called DJ Can’t DJ), who not only called for medical advice, but hailed us a cab as well.
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And speaking of emergency-room drama, more than a few folks attending the Grandaddy/Coldplay show at Benaroya Hall nearly suffered cardiac arrest (followed by sick stomachs) when they realized that the bum who climbed onstage and staggered about during Grandaddy’s set was in fact Elliott Smith. Rumors have been circulating of late that the singer/songwriter was let go by his management, which had grown weary of its client’s extracurricular activities. Here’s hoping he gets the help he needs, pronto.
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Fans of the Lava Lounge will be happy to know that the club has been granted a stay of execution through at least August of 2002. After Björn Again finished, everybody ran down to the Belltown club, where DJ Cherry Canoe spun nothing but 7-inch vinyl, much to the delight of the assembled masses, which included John and Joe of Magic Magicians, Sean of Tight Bros, all of the Briefs, Jeremy and William of the recently defunct Sunny Day Real Estate, Jason Finn, and Graceland booker Jason Lajuenesse–whom I call Jason Lozenges, for obvious reasons. Cherry Canoe pulled out the rare grunge, playing a live version of Nirvana’s “Molly’s Lips,” Mudhoney’s “Halloween,” and Soundgarden’s “H.I.V. Baby.” Good show, Canoe!