Brass Door / Connection

The Brass Door was the first gay Tavern in the Pike Pine corridor, when it opened people thought owner Greg Thim was crazy opening a gay nightclub on Cap. Hill when most of the clubs were still in the Pioneer Square area. In 1981 they went "finally hard" when the WSLCB relented and issued them a Class H Liquor License - which they had to jump through enormous hoops to obtain. Reportedly they were the 1st Tavern the State ever allowed to change their license to Class H.

Worked here from 1982 to mid 1990's when it finally closed. Owner Greg Thim lives in East King County, former frontman Ken Decker died in 1990's. As did longtime bartenders Doug Danner and Patrick Sherman, the other long time bartender Lance Wrzenski was last known to be living back in Montana. Lost touch with former G/M Rocky Beckner, and Sky McIver (formerly a doorman). Longtime Floor Manager Ron Delmastro still lives in the Renton area. DJ Bobby Hennis is an Apt. bldg. manager somewhere on Cap. Hill (he was last seen working as a food waiter at CC'attles Cadillac Grill). Many other former employees and customers are still seen around town.

Monday they had two entree's for the price of one in the restaurant to meet the state requirements at the time of maintaining a minimum 60% Food to 40% Liquor food sales ratio. Tuesday nights were especially popular and was dubbed "Animal Night" with $1.00 Hamm's beer pitchers or $1.00 bottled beer. Sunday's they had 75 cent well drinks - which was also very popular.

There is much history around this place, and way too much to include in this one post.

I'm really straight... kinda. A hair cutter that worked for me took me to the Door. First thing I remember was the smell of poppers. In my first 15 minutes I heard for the first time, Soft Cell Tainted Love, Human League, Don't You Want Me, Laura Branigan, Gloria. I watch the three guys in that booth that looked down on us, working like mad

I had been a member of Electric Canary from 1979 to 1981.

I never met Dana, but I felt we had lost an artist when I heard the news.

Mark Stevens

Sad to report that another Brass Connection DJ, Buster Meston, just passed away. If anyone wants more info, contact me at Northwest Dance Music Association.

I remember seeing Sylvester and Two Tons of Fun at the Brass Door in the late 70s. I was managing a bath house Called The Pines, located on Pine St. We had our bath house tapes made by djs from the Door.

Hello to the fun people who used to visit the Connection, I worked on the sound system at the connection during the rein of DJ Lee or DJ Nomad as he called himself later, we are still friends, we completely reworked the system from top to bottom, I remember the first time I worked on the system they had blown out all four of the midrange speakers, we had them rebuilt in one day the glue was still wet when we reinstalled them, when we got done the system created so much sound pressure it would force air out of an empty beer bottle, we also moved the complete DJ booth across the dance floor WHEW I was sweating bullets that saturday, I started at 6AM and after everyone else showed up after many frantic phone calls we finished at 6PM I was to pooped to party that night. I miss those days drinking komakazis in the booth next to Lee, the best days where when Neighbors was closed for a remodel the Connection ruled, the line would go out on the street.

Actually, I was one of the last djs to work there. I'm John England and worked for Bru. Sadly, it was on its last legs and was not very pretty...this was in the mid 90s as I recall.

Hey Boys,

I wasn't there in the 70's, I was still in grade school! But when I moved to Seattle I lived with Bobby Hennis, who was the last great DJ at The Brass Connection (also known as The a** Infection, or The Crass Infection; take your pick), right after Lee Hartell, who went on to work at Celebrities Bar & Grill. And Randy "Della" McCreary, don't forget him!(I believe he's still spinning in Spokane at J.S. Pumps. It was a fun club, I got to spin there a few times. Did you know the turntables were not attached to the building, but mounted on a pole that went down into the ground? There was always a hunky guy working the door, I do remember that! Crystal Lane ruled supreme there as resident drag queen.

Don't forget one of the biggest DJs at that club in the late 70s, Paul Curtis! If I remember correctly I think he was also a Billboard Reporter.