Seattle Subsonic

C-Hill Loses Another Venue: War Room To Close

November 11th, 2009

What was word on the cyberstreet yesterday became official today: the War Room is closing its doors on November 30th. Following in the footsteps of King Cobra, which closed this past February, the eclectic concert and dance venue with the coolest rooftop bar around is calling it quits after five years. Bummer. I didn’t make it there nearly as often as other venues in the neighborhood, but the times I did were always memorable. The first show I saw there was Wolf Parade (no shit) and the last was a random dance night. In between, a party for John Spalding featuring the Cave Singers, Past Lives, and Triumph of Lethargy Skinned Alive To Death was especially significant. The neo-vintage communist wall decor always drew a lot of compliments, too.

.

Anyway, no word yet on the future of the space. Owners Marcus Lalario and Brian Rauschenbach continue with their bar Captain Blacks. I wonder if the Maharaja is PO’d about this?

.

The club was always willing to mix things up, and played a prominent role in local nightlife, often donating its space to causes or friends. If you thought the War Room was just another lame Capitol Hill hip-hop club, I suggest reading the press release after the jump/cut/fold/whatever.

.

HT: Reverb

.

Update, some additional comments from Lalario and Kerri Harrop, via Line Out: “Asked if he thinks the odds are good of the club being bought and maintained as is, Lalario says, “If I’m a betting man, I would say so, but the way things are in this world who knows what’ll happen.” …and… “Club spokesperson Kerri Harrop agrees that chances are “pretty strong” that a buyer will step up to take over the club as is.” We shall see…

.

Seattle, WA, November 10, 2009 — After nearly five years of holding down the block at Harvard and Pike, on Capitol Hill, the War Room’s current ownership will close its doors November 30. The future of the popular nightclub remains uncertain.

.

The club, which opened in March, 2005, is officially for sale. Although there are interested buyers in place, no change of ownership has yet been confirmed.

.

“We feel like we’ve had a good run of it,” said Marcus Lalario. “It’s time to move on to other projects, while we’re ahead of the game.” Lalario and his business partner, Brian Rauschenbach, will continue to run their other joint venture, bar/eatery Captain Blacks, and both remain invested in a variety of Seattle businesses.

.

The War Room made an immediate impact on Seattle nightlife, with popular DJ nights and a slew of live entertainment. With its open-air rooftop deck and tasteful modern décor, the venue quickly became a favorite amongst club goers.

.

Known primarily for hip hop and dance nights such as Yo, Son!, Ring The Alarm, Cherry, Hot Mess, and 2080’s, the mid-size venue also played host to a variety of live shows over the years.

.

Band of Horses, Cave Singers, Wolf Parade, Chromeo, and Brawley Banks are just a few of the bands to play the War Room. Most recently, the club hosted a pre-Halloween show with Mad Rad and Champagne Champagne, where Mayor-elect Mike McGinn took the stage to introduce the headliners.

.

“It was one of our favorite shows to date,” said Peter Robinson, aka P SMOOV, of Mad Rad. “And the fact that the Mayor welcomed us back to Party Mountain really made it extra awesome.”

.

With custom artwork from Shepard Fairey/OBEY gracing its walls, and a host of fundraisers, benefits, and politically minded events under its belt, the War Room has successfully melded nightlife culture with loftier pursuits over the years.

.

“One of our most memorable nights to date was definitely the Obama Election Party,” Rauschenbach said, recalling the capacity crowd and overwhelming goodwill. “We had everyone from Pearl Jam to almost every local DJ of note in the house, all hugging and celebrating.” The event raised thousands of dollars for local nonprofit, Treehouse For Kids.

.

The War Room also served as campaign headquarters for Mayor-elect Mike McGinn on Election Night.

.

“We honestly feel like we made a difference in the city with the War Room,” Lalario said. “But, 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,” he added.

.

Lalario confirmed that War Room staff members, as well as promoters that work with the venue, were notified of the impending closure last week.

.

“We’ve been blessed with a tremendous staff over the years,” Lalario said. “We’ve been lucky to work with so many great people over the years, and we’ve got nothing but love for our crew.”