One of Seattle's biggest--and dingiest--rock clubs is getting a face-lift. Graceland is undergoing an aesthetic operation and will reopen February 4 with a new look and a new name--El Corazòn. Lori LeFavor, a 17-year booking vet who currently runs Infinite Productions, recently became co-owner of the club, along with Dana Sims, Graceland's booker. (Their business venture, El Pobre Diablo Inc., will be a separate entity from Infinite.)
LeFavor explained that she stepped in because the space has needed some "TLC for a long time." She added that the new vision includes improved bathrooms, floors, and paint jobs--and a new Mexican food menu. "The layout is fine," she said. "We want to clean it up once and for all." But she's also aware of larger issues, such as numerous complaints about the security staff over the years. "The main complaints we've gotten have been about cleanliness and security, and we're trying to address all of them," she explained. To that end, you can e-mail LeFavor your concerns at lori@infiniteshows.com.
LeFavor mainly decided to purchase the space to keep it all ages, though. "It's the premier venue dedicated to all-ages shows," she said, "and it's a huge concern of mine that someone would buy it and not focus on [that]. Places like the Showbox and Neumo's will do all-ages shows… but they prefer not to. We'll always do all-ages [events]."
Musically, El Corazòn will stick with the genre its owners know best--rock, be it stoner, metal, punk, or hardcore. There may be the occasional foray into indie land, but don't expect to hear hiphop or electronica artists. As LeFavor put it, "We'd like it to be the premier room for rock."
Speaking of Graceland, that club used to host one of the best breeding grounds for cutting-edge music, Monday Funday. That weekly event hosted bands as diverse as Himsa and Neon Hunk in the bar area, providing a cheap, reputable place to take a chance on new talent. The slack may be picked up by a new Tuesday night series at Neumo's. Titled "So Hot Right Now!" and run by Eric Grandy (DJ Fucking in the Streets), the night shows promise. I recently caught an impressive performance by new punk-funk band Raz Rez and the Interpol-esque Exit Stories--two local acts who sent jolts of excitement through the sizable crowd packed in the upstairs bar area--as well as an incredible performance from Cobra High. Grandy, who's booked shows at the Punkin House and SS Marie Antoinette, says he just wanted to do something that "had the feeling of a basement show where there's no barrier between the [bands] and the audience. I always have the most fun [when] people are dancing and participating in things. Also, I wanted to book smaller bands that wouldn't usually be able to play at a big club." The next "Hot" night features the Formless and Chromatics on Tuesday, January 18; Raz Rez perform at the Comet on Thursday, January 13, at a benefit for tsunami victims.
