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Tuesday, August 2, 2011
The Galway Arms
unstable for dollar beers ($4 pitchers). Their recent remodel has improved their PA and the flow of traffic through the bar on busy show nights, but the vibe in the place remains friendly and low-key.The Galway lives at the top of University Way, up by Ravenna-- if you're familiar with the University District (or avoid the U-Dist because of sports bars, frat boys, and kids who've just turned 21), the Galway is far enough north of the distasteful facets of U life for those things not to be a problem. The Galway is an even keel punk bar that doesn't suffer fools lightly... them looking for fights are quickly ejected (and quietly, too. I've never seen a punch thrown in there.) I don't want to make it sound like an exclusive club, either-- going in on a non show night, you're as likely to hear bluegrass or Ween as punk on the sound system.
Personally, I usually go on show nights, and the Galway tends to be pretty punk and/or metal with their live shows, though that's also not an exclusive thing-- you'll still find variety here if you check their listings. The stage is fairly small and the PA is run off a mixing board behind the band, so you'll be setting your levels yourself, but the intimacy of the club (and overall enthusiasm of a Galway crowd) make it one of the most fun places in Seattle to play.
The Galway Arms is also one of the few clubs I've seen bring in walk-in traffic during shows. I always thought that kind of behavior would be more prevalent, but lots of people walk in off the street, put down their $5, and wander into a Galway show even though they have no idea who's playing... and it's not the same people from show to show. That's pretty damn cool.
The Galway Arms is now The Kraken
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