With two successful self-released albums - the latest "The Long March EP" and the self-titled first album "Blue Scholars LP"- local duo Blue Scholars have arrived, joining the ranks of Seattle's many celebrated musical talents and representing the city's booming local hip-hop scene.
June 21, 2006
Life Behind Bars
Located on Stewart Street between Fourth and Fifth avenues, Suite 410 provides a sexy ambience for grown-ups who long for after-work conversations over cocktails, or a laid-back hangout to celebrate in the evening. With its classy minimalist décor, seductive dark wood walls faintly-illuminated by candles and fresh flowers pleasingly displayed, Suite 410's intimate atmosphere exudes sophistication.
May 26, 2006
"We were completing the business license and we still didn't know what to name the shop," says Cheka-Looka owner Jeff Abandonato, 36. "Then a friend of mine- a total Southern Californian surfer kid who used to butcher the English language any chance he could- said, 'How about Cheka-Looka Surf Shop?'"
May 18, 2006
Life Behind Bars
There are some basic things to keep in mind when dancing salsa: Rhythm is the key. Dance to the beat of the music. A constant push and pull needs to happen. Make eye contact throughout. Keep your steps small. Move your legs, not your upper body. And practice, practice, practice. Got all that?
May 3, 2006
Eight years ago, when Honolulu native Gail Stringer couldn’t find any leis in Seattle to console a friend who was having a bad day, she did what any determined gal would do: She set up her own shop.
It wasn’t that easy, however. “I realized that selling leis wasn’t lucrative enough; that’s why nobody was offering them,” says Stringer, who moved to Seattle from Hawaii in 1993. “I had to make sure there were other products at the store to support my lei habit.”
April 27, 2006
Life Behind Bars
Every Tuesday night, a crowd of 100 or so gathers at the Mirabeau Room to participate in the slam -- as a performance artist, an active audience member or simply to observe. Folks come to emote, commiserate, support, cheer wildly and even heckle. For the most part, however, the Seattle audience is quite polite.
April 16, 2006
Seattle Style File
Since 1934, Byrnie Utz has provided Northwest locals and visitors with well-designed, stylish hats to complete their looks or simply to keep their heads warm. This family-owned and family-operated hat shop, still in the same location where Byrnie Utz first set up shop 72 years ago -- Union Street and Third Avenue -- continues the old-fashioned traditions established by its founder.
April 11, 2006
Life Behind Bars
For those of us who grew up listening to the beats laid down by Grandmaster Flash, Sugarhill Gang, Eric B. & Rakim and other tracks that make you "throw your hands up in the air and wave 'em around like you just don't care, and if you wanna party let me hear you yell, oh yeah," the old-school hip-hop sound is synonymous with breakdancing — a highly energetic urban dance style that emerged out of the hip-hop movement in New York's South Bronx.
March 31, 2006
Goods, a fashionable youthful boutique on Capitol Hill is skillfully and cleanly designed, interweaving skateboarding culture with a hint of a hip-hop style. Gorgeously designed sneakers with price tags ranging from $35-$200 line the glass shelves in the middle of the store, while urban-chic garments, hip accessories and modern art are beautifully displayed around the shop.
March 20, 2006
When husband-and-wife joint proprietors Tom Perilstein and Heather Stockdale first started Milagros Mexican Folk Art 15 years ago, they used to drive from Seattle to Mexico and then go from village to village looking for the finest in Mexican craftsmanship.
March 15, 2006