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May 23rd , 2008 It's spring, right? Despite going from swim trunks and copious amounts of SPF 30 this week back to the scarf and parka we thought we were done with, spring is actually giving way to the coming summer. We know this because women's clothing is more revealing, beer is crisper, and the Space Needle is having its first deep-cleaning since 1962. Even if our weather does change more sporadically than McCain's stance on the environment, Hamas, and hugging Bush in public; we can all rest assured that Seattle will push ahead with its summer-time events—rain, sleet, or shine. |
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Seattle Picks for Men: |
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| 1 | Wear Your Americana Step inside Insurrection and—pow! Like a well-composed painting, an arresting line of boots immediately draws you in. Then you take in the rest of their limited, carefully considered array of items. In addition to the impressive, artful cowboy boots, you’ll find the kind of vintage cowboy shirts that get you laid, vintage Levi’s jeans and jackets, and a few select T's. At the center of the composition are café leathers of the highest caliber; British and American, both vintage and new. Why the art analogy? To the owner, these items are art. Moreover; they have a history and lineage that is as important as the products themselves. Thanks to his expertise, we learned an enormous amount about them in just a few minutes. Collectors and enthusiasts travel from as far as New York to see what Insurrection has on hand, and online sales ship as far off as Japan. Step over to Greenwood and get your Americana on—get fitted in a leather that will make your heart pound. Insurrection |
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Belgium: More than Just Waffles The blue-collar days of Fremont are long gone, but for those looking to reminisce, Brower's may be the best place to do so. More like a medieval castle than a bar, this Belgian-beer connoisseur's home away from home is located in the basement of what may have once been an industrial warehouse in the Fremont neighborhood. Brower's boasts more than 62 different beers on tap (24 of which are Belgian), and somewhere between 250-300 different bottled beers. With all these choices, we could have easily sat at the bar (which stretches the length of the place) and stared blankly at the beer menu for hours. Luckily, the barkeep approached swiftly, and after answering a few of his questions, he suggested a Belgian wheat ale he thought we'd enjoy—and we did! Each beer has its own mug (a Belgian tradition, apparently), which is a nice touch. And while enjoying the ale, we reminisced about Fremont's good old days, while happily embracing the new ones. Brower's Cafe |
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| 3 | Bag on This We’ve come a long way since the “man-purse” on Seinfeld was an object of ridicule. Now guys can carry bags without fear of being mocked by office-mates or quirky pals. We are big fans of handmade stuff, so it's no coincidence we came to love the small, locally owned R.E.Load Baggage on Capitol Hill. This is the place to go if you are looking for a tough, handmade messenger bag. All the bags are stitched by hand and use cordura and vinyl-coated nylon for the body of the bag, with strips of heavy duty velcro to hold the top down. Bag sizes range from small man-purse to huge messenger backpacks, and everything in between. The process is custom—simply choose fabric, stitching and velcro colors, and a design for the flip top. Bags typically take up to a week to be made, and they’re only open three days a week for sales (the rest of the time they’re in production). But the price is right and it's worth the wait for something of this quality. R.E.Load Baggage: |
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| 1 | Axis of Irony We feel that the hipster phenomenon of irony on T-shirts is, well, a little passé. But we can't resist some of the great designs from NYC outfit Dangerous Breed. The juxtaposition of the traditional calm beach scene of a Hawaiian shirt with the name of an "axis of evil" nation is just too good. We love the "Surf Saudi" one the best. Plus, word is they might be moving their operation to the Northwest, so it's almost as good as shopping local. |
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| 2 | The Satellite Approach When it comes to filling our home's finite wall space we like to save the big money for the bigger pieces. Supplementing these with smaller works, however, we take a fun (and often more thrifty) approach. The Block Inspired wall art by Infinityis marked by funky archetypal designs, which are rendered in pleasing, often bright, color combinations. These perfectly eclectic little satellites will easily complement their larger counterparts in color, if not motif. www.infinityartsgallery.com |
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| 3 | In the Bag On occasion, too refined a wardrobe becomes a liability, and keeping it loose and hip are advantageous. Carrying your gear to a meeting in a slick leather case can belie this intent. In our search for something FUNctional that could perhaps even be an ice-breaking conversation piece, we found these edgy bags by Klaus-Dieter Waltner. We knew there was a reason Adidas and Nike have put this guy in key design positions. www.kdwaltner.com |
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Hip Happenings: |
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| 1 | Your Great-Great Grandfather's Show Have you ever wanted to know what Paris was like before the turn of the century, or just have a weird experience involving lots of leg? Check out The Can Can—an old-school variety show with burlesque, cabaret, continental food, and traditional drinks. Reservations recommended. Cover after 10 pm. What: Variety Show |
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| 2 | From Clubs to Snuff Chuck Palahniuk (Fight Club, Survivor, Rant) will be at Town Hall for a lecture and discussion of his new book, "Snuff," this Thursday. The first 150 people to purchase books from the University Book Store can get a ticket for a free signing. The lecture and discussion are free, so bring your luddite-revolutionary friends with you. What: Chuck Palahniuk book signing & discussion |
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| 3 | It's Polish Beer Day! Do you know what we celebrate on May 21st? Nope, not National Strawberries 'n Cream Day … it’s Polish Beer Day at Full Throttle Bottles! Stop in and check out what makes Polish beer unique by having a few tastes, then continue on the quest to taste a beer from every country. What: Polish Beer Tasting |
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| 4 | Take Me Out to the Ballgame Batter up to the bar and get ready to watch the Mariners game up close. Order the featured pouring partner of the day during McCormick & Schmick’s famous happy hour and receive raffle tickets that could win you two tickets to see the game live that night, and $50 in McCormick & Schmick’s gift certificates! What: Ticket raffles for every Mariners home game |
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