Photo by Nick Bischoff
As reported here on Reverb a few months ago, Hattie’s Hat has had a change in ownership and last night, that changeover became official.Current owners Dan Cowan (who also owns the Tractor Tavern), Kyla Fairchild (owner of No Depression), and her husband Ron Wilkowski will maintain an interest in the new partnership, but majority ownership and management responsibilities are now in the capable hands of current Hattie’s Manager Erin West, local musician Jeff Taylor (currently playing with the Huge Spacebird and YokoKnievel) and Max Genereaux, owner of Al’s Tavern and the Sunset. Last night Generaux was tending bar with help from longtime employee (and incidentally, our REVERB festival booking agent) Kwab Copeland, while an enthusiastic crowd of local musicians and industry fellows knocked back more than a few beverages. Thee Sergeant Major III leader/producer extraordinaire Kurt Bloch, dance party instigator Taj Franke, wizened pianist Rusty Urie, and Zero Down frontman Lenny Burnett held down the turn tables, fitting plenty of Van Halen and ZZ Top in between the obligatory Beatles cuts. Much dancing and arm wrestling ensued (see above match, featuring Presidents of the U.S.A. guitarist Andrew McKeag) and it truly felt like Hattie’s was experiencing a long-overdue revival of the original spirit that made it such an anchor for the North end music community in the early ’00s. Genereaux wisely plans on bringing back the Hattie’s Hoot tradition of hosting secret shows with touring musicians in the bar’s back room. Between that and his renewed focus on making the place a true, old-school Ballard haunt (Genereaux was an employee of Hattie’s 10 years ago), I see more reasons to hang out at Hattie’s than I have in ages.
