THE WAR ROOM: In Memoriam

Kind of strange to see such a high profile bar go down right when we elect a brand spankin new nightlife friendly mayor AND city attorney, but I'm not close to the situation so I'll let co-owner Marcus Lalario tell it like it is.

"With so many issues still facing nightlife, we're ready to move on. The liquor tax increase, mounting pressures from the City and State helped us make the decision...We feel like we've had a good run at it."

A good run at it? Man I went "N" at the War Room. 2080's back when Scene was still in town. Yo Son! and the sweat box that was the Red Bull Big Tune Battles. Spinnin the rooftop on summer weekends. Jake One's record release party. Cancer Rising's debut album release party...where I first met Macklemore and Larry. And so many more nights. It was a fun spot and the place to be more often than not.


It will be missed and I hope this doesn't become a trend. Washington has some of the WORST liquor laws and restrictions in the US and they keep raising 'sin' taxes and making it harder and harder for the places I frequent and spin at to stay afloat. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that calmer waters are ahead with the recent election results, but damn this one is gonna sting for a while.

R.I.P.

REST IN POWER

James "TalkSick" Sullivan

RIP to a local hip hop historian, truth speaker and lover of this music. We miss you and will always remember your passion, opinions and beliefs. Thoughts and prayers are with his family.

I got to know TalkSick over the past few years in the Seattle hip hop scene. No one was more educated in the art of hip hop than this man. He knew every word to every golden era joint I would drop, and we would go on and on about hip hop music, where it has been and where it is going. We didn't always see eye to eye, because he was a self proclaimed hip hop dinosaur, but he always spoke his mind and that is something this world needs more of. You were a valuable addition to the scene and culture, and a great friend.

R.I.P.

Flash Mob - Beat It

R.I.P. to the best that EVER did it

Here is a great tribute video set to my favorite MJ song of all time...Off the Wall is the best pop record ever made.

RIP Digable

This is a huge WTF moment for me. 3 days before the start of an East Coast reunion tour, Digable Planets broke up...again. I guess Ladybug left the group. For some reason she couldn't go through with the tour. I obviously can't really speak on the circumstances 'cause I don't have any clue, but this is definitely a shock.

Also a big shock for Common Market, who was set to open for them on this stretch of dates. A lot of the shows were already sold out, and they would have benifited greatly from the exposure. They put on a solid set and would have gained a lot of new fans, not to mention the paper lost in the cancellation.

I was lucky enough to see Digable at Neumos back in the fall and they were absolutely amazing. They ran through all the tracks I wanted to hear and I fell in love with Ladybug all over again. I have been bumping 'Blowout Comb' damn near daily ever since and can say with confidence that they are one of the most slept on hip hop groups of all time. That album is flawless. It contains more bass per captia than any album since. The samples are all classic and flipped with skill. The raps put you at ease, and deliver a feel good vibe that lasts throughout the lp. Each MC brings something fresh to the table and boy do I eat it up. Love me some soulful, jazzy hip hop music.

So RIP Digable Planets. You will be missed (until you pull it together and realize you are better together than solo). And Ladybug...I can't stay mad at you. You win.