Food-And-Drink Combination Will Keep Satellite Lounge Flying

OK, so the Spokane music and nightlife scene suffered a couple of pretty serious body blows last year, as one nightclub after another went down for the count, closing and locking their doors.

And who knows how long it’ll take us nightlifers to recover. But let’s not dwell on the past. Let’s start this year off on a positive note. Find something good to say.

Fortunately we don’t have to look far. For those who dig the Satellite Diner’s late-late hours, good food and comfortable atmosphere, it’s time to check out the new Satellite Lounge located right next door.

Yes, the wait is over, the lounge is finally open. What was once a flower shop is now a classy, spacious joint destined to step up the downtown scene’s cool factor.

The Satellite Diner opened last February to immediate booming business. Owner Colleen Doctor made a good point: “Most restaurants don’t last a year much less expand in a year.” But the Satellite Diner filled the perfect niche. Open until 4 a.m., it serves food to all the bar-goers looking for somewhere to eat after the alcohol has dried up for the evening. And more importantly, it offered friendly service and a unique atmosphere.

The restaurant’s success encouraged Doctor and part-owner Kimberly Dunham to add the bar next door.

“We wanted to get back to the classic lounge,” said Bill Bolpone, a Satellite employee.

“We just wanted a really fun pub where people just looked forward to meeting there,” Doctor said.

With its dark blue and burgundy colors, old-style lamps, and ample seating at booths, tables and bars, the Satellite Lounge has an upscale feel that still retains that comfortable edge. A pool table, dart board, video games and juke box offer entertainment. And with numerous windows to the outside world the bar is almost like a fishbowl in its view of downtown. Come time for the St. Patrick’s Day and Lilac parades, this is the place you’ll want to be for a glimpse of the action.

Best of all, the Satellite Lounge offers a full bar with food served from the restaurant next-door throughout the night. A new dinner menu and new appetizers have been added.

The lounge is open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. weekdays, 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. weekends. It’s located at 425 W. Sprague.

Alive on arrival

They may be punk rock old-timers, but they certainly don’t have one foot in the grave.

Vancouver, British Columbia’s, D.O.A. have been alive and kicking for 20 years now, slamming down their irreverent anarchist ideals at full musical and muscular tilt.

This trio - featuring longtime frontman Joey Keithley - visits their musical insurgency upon Spokane Thursday. D.O.A. is joined by 50cc and Muzzle at Outback Jack’s. Cover charge is $5 and the show starts at 9:30 p.m.

Other options

Get yer rock and roll two nights in a row at Ichabod’s North with punk and heavy rockers The B-Sides, Jimmy Flame and the Sexy Boys and Trampoline Girl tonight. Sugar Pig, Soul Purpose and Wicked Stitch play Saturday. It’ll cost you $4 tonight, $5 Saturday. The noise starts at 9:30 p.m.

Tonight at the Fort Spokane Brewery catch rock group Fear Politik along with local drum trio Tres Huevos.

Then on Saturday, Spokane performer James Elvidge - also known as Pajamazon - puts his one-man musical show on stage at the Fort Spokane Brewery. Elvidge delivers his self-created mix of new age and techno music via computers and various recording technology while he drums and sings to it live. “It is extremely intense, yet very relaxing at the same time,” Elvidge says. Mulligan and Root Cellar Alchemy also perform.

The cover charge both nights is $4. Music starts at 9 p.m.

For some rock and roll with a country flair, catch Spokane’s Sweet Fancy Moses tonight at Outback Jack’s. The Bone Daddies open the show. Cover charge is $3.

Attention Bands

It’s 1999, do you know where your Web page is? Does anybody else? For all of you Internet-savvy music fans out there, I’m compiling a list of web addresses for our local bands’ Web pages. If your band, your record label or recording studio has a Web page, please fax or e-mail the address to me at the address below. I’m also looking for other interesting music-related Web pages. So please send me your nominations.