The North Atlantic
Thurs Apr 24 at Kim's Nightclub.
To answer your first question, dear reader, Kim's Nightclub is a fairly new joint making its home on Rainier Avenue South, smack across the street from that beloved Seattle landmark, the Oh Boy! Oberto Factory Outlet. From the outside, the place looks kinda like a barn, but here's the thing: Inside, it's a Vietnamese restaurant/bar/dance club/hiphop club/rock club. Which is to say, it's pretty fucking great--a dive (in the best sense of the word).
The answer to your second question ("Who's this band the North Atlantic?"): They're a California act added to Thursday night's bill two hours before showtime, and as such, they fall somewhat outside of the rules and regulations of this here debacle of a column. Still, here's a description: A little bit Modest Mouse, a little bit Slint (but not a little bit country). Made up of guitar, bass, and drums, the group appears to specialize in moments of inspired noise (along with moments of just plain old noise), with near-indecipherable vocal duties being shared by all three members. Using lame terminology, they rock--and are super-duper loud--and come with the added visual benefit of a cool James Brown-inspired foot-slide by the gangly, bearded bass player. They also appear to be seasoned road veterans, which means they will undoubtedly be back soon, so keep them in mind the next time they play Seattle.
In closing: As mentioned before, the North Atlantic were added to the show a mere two hours before the start, which brings me back to a place like Kim's Nightclub, and gives me a chance to further expand on this here 350-word blowjob by stating this: Places like Kim's, with their confused decor and even more confused lineups (when I walked in, an acoustic Christian two-piece was on stage), are the type of clubs (be they standard clubs, or Vietnamese restaurant/bar/dance/hiphop/rock concoctions) that all us city dwellers should choose to cherish. They are little places where surprising events--like a good band being added seemingly at random just before showtime--can occur.
