Into the Sunset

By Unknown Writer #4

It's a curious cross between an Edward Hopper painting, a turn-of-the-century brothel, a Chinese restaurant and 1960s kitsch; all except for the lights above the bar. Those are year 2000 all the way. And the bar, oh, the bar is a gleaming polished wood that invites the elbow just as a beau offers a waltz. The Sunset on Ballard Avenue. It's not the red ball that dips into the Olympics over Shilshole, and it's definitely not a quaint little cemetery up off 32nd Avenue Northwest. It's a tavern, sure, but not just any tavern. This is The Sunset according to Max Genereaux.

Max Genereaux? Well, he's this guy with long red hair and a beard, looks like he might work down at the docks. At one time, and not so very long ago, he had a high-powered job at a big ad agency. One day, he got tired of it and took off to Europe. When he returned, he couldn't go back to the buzz and the hype and the stress, so he sat down and considered his options. It was in the spring of '97, while he was still considering, that he stepped into Hattie's Hat . Now anyone who's been in Hattie's knows that it's real comfy, so comfy that Max asked about a job. That day's opening? Dishwasher. He grabbed an apron and began to scrape and spray. Soon he was a bartender, a favorite one, in fact. People started coming in just to see him.

Though it was a great time, Max wanted more. He bought Al's Tavern in Wallingford, cleaned it up, brought in some new beers and created a mini-mecca for musicians. That was rewarding, too, but when The Sunset came up for sale, he jumped at it. This, though he hadn't realized it before, was what he'd had in the back of his mind all along. A place he could recreate from nearly nothing. It was a scrungy, scary hole in the wall that had been running itself into the old carpet like a spent cigarette for years. Genereaux got the keys on April 1, 2000, and immediately started the cleanup. In the process of tearing stained beer posters off the walls, he discovered the red velvet wallpaper.

God bless the red wallpaper. It anchors the whole place, from the dragon room to the mural on the stage backdrop, from the hip bathroom paint to the photos on the wall. The walls, by the way, are reserved for an ever-changing photography show. This month features the world travel images of Brian Macciozzi.

The Sunset offers music almost every night of the week. David Brewer hosts a Blue Monday with a special invitee every, uh, Monday. Tuesdays are acoustic nights; a variety of local songwriters and players. Other nights feature DJs, rock bands and a few national acts thrown in for spice. Genereaux culls the mix with a curator's ear. And that's the story of Max and The Sunset. Three years in the making? Not bad at all. Here's hoping for more.

The Sunset Tavern is located at 5433 Ballard Ave. NW.

Payne's picks:

Sunday, November 5 - Tish Hinojosa and Eliza Gilkyson - Tractor Tavern, 5213 Ballard Ave. NW, (206) 789-3599.

Monday, November 6 - Blue Monday: David Brewer & The Intimidators with guest Stan Eike - Sunset Tavern, 5433 Ballard Ave. NW, (206) 784-4880.

Tuesday, November 7 - Acoustic Night - Election Night Rants with Greg Collinsworth from the Band That Made Milwaukee Famous - Sunset Tavern, 5433 Ballard Ave. NW, (206) 784-4880.

Thursdays - Annieville Blues - Bad Albert's, 5100 Ballard Ave. NW, (206) 782-9623.

Friday, November 10 - Dave Alvin - Tractor Tavern, 5213 Ballard Ave. NW, (206) 789-3599.

Saturday, November 11 - Wylie and The Wild West Show - Tractor Tavern, 5213 Ballard Ave. NW, (206) 789-3599.

Call venues for times and prices.

Clubs: Please e-mail schedules to cpollyc@aol.com or fax to: (206) 324-5336.

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