Blue Moon Tavern

"The whole place is pockmarked with band stickers from performances past, the barstools sink with ancient leather, and wooden booths look like they may have been carved from some local lumberjack’s backyard. Basically, the Blue Moon Tavern is paradise for those who like live music and cheap beer. Pinball, tipsy head-bobbing when bands play" - kayla sager riley, aimee rizzo, gabe guarente

"The whole place is pockmarked with band stickers from performances past, the barstools sink with ancient leather, and wooden booths look like they may have been carved from some local lumberjack’s backyard. Basically, the Blue Moon Tavern is paradise for those who like live music and cheap beer." - Gabe Guarente

"Stepping into this 87-year-old University District bar and live music venue means you’re stepping into history. The Blue Moon was a hangout spot for both 1940s beatniks and Nirvana. It still hosts a lot of shows and an art night where patrons take out their sketchbooks." - Meg van Huygen

"Blue Moon Tavern, a family-owned bar in the U District, Seattle, has been kept afloat through a GoFundMe effort, government loans, and a temporary coffee window. Its story was featured in a PBS special aired on January 19." - Gabe Guarente

"On Tuesday night, January 19, PBS will air an episode of its docuseries “American Portrait” that highlights the fight to save U District’s historic Blue Moon Tavern. The show features co-owner Emma Hellthaler, whose family has owned the 87-year-old bar and music venue since the 1980s. In an intimate glimpse into Hellthaler’s family life, she details the struggles to raise young children during the pandemic and caring for her husband, who is recovering from two brain hemorrhages. To keep the classic dive afloat, she set up a GoFundMe, stretched some government loans, and has attempted efforts such as a walkup coffee window, which may open back up in the spring (the bar is temporarily closed right now). Hellthaler has also fielded offers to sell, but she’s still determined to hold onto the business, celebrated by writers, musicians, academics, and artists for decades. The episode airs at 9 p.m. PT and should be available to stream online after." - Gabe Guarente