The Bull Pen

On my days off from the bar I work at, it’s hard to motivate me to go to karaoke. After all, it’s my job. The magic has worn thin. So my favorite pastime from the past
has found its way to the bottom of my activities list.

However, there is one thing about karaoke that I will always love. - the strange people it attracts. I could watch social outcasts waiting for their turn to sing all night. So, whenever I find myself outside of LA, I am drawn to any dive bar with those red letters on the marquee - KARAOKE.

This weekend, I found a shining example of such a bar during a trip to Seattle for a family reunion. My brother David, my boyfriend Dan and I were staying at a hotel in SeaTac when we saw that marquee atop a restaurant/ bar simply called The Bull Pen

We made a unanimous decision to skip the posh downtown Seattle scene, in favor of a joint that we could tell from outside would be full of redneck wonder.

It was a Thursday night and we were recovering from a delicious buffet style meal at my
Aunt Pat’s. I couldn’t wait to see the inside of the Bull Pen, so when I looked at the clock on my phone and it read 9:30, I gave David and Dan the signal and we were out. We also managed to convince a few family members to join us.

When we walked in, the décor was everything we suspected. A dingy, dark-wooded establishment ringed with red booths. I was actually surprised by their karaoke set-up.
There was a large stage complimented by an even larger dance floor. Full lighting, disco ball. It led me to believe that once upon a time this was a venue for some honky tonk red neck act until karaoke came along and killed live music.

As it happens, the now-karaoke bar was previously a Mexican restaurant, and the karaoke stage was once home to a mechanical bull.

The tables were moderately packed with what I suppose are Sea-Tac natives: a few groups and some solo acts. A black man named Charles set up camp at small table right next to us. A lighter skinned black man with a beaded rat-tail and sunglasses sat with his girl at a booth on the opposite wall.

The Karaoke Host was Mikee!! That’s right, no typos there. Mike with an extra “e” and a few exclamation points at the end. He was a middle-aged guy who I later found out had been at The Bull Pen for 15 years. On personality and presence alone, I suppose he was comparable to any karaoke host at a Divey bar. However, Mikee!! is special. Maybe even unique!

He’s a multi-instrumentalist who finds an opportunity during karaoke songs to back-up the back up - so to speak - by adding anything from killer guitar riffs for folks singing hard rock songs to (clumsier) sax licks on mellower tunes. The wall is full of different instruments. Numerous guitars, including one with two necks, mandolins, a saxophone, a trumpet, a trombone and more. And for absolutely zero dollars, Mikee!! will play them for you. With you. Totally weird… totally awesome.

Me? I warmed it up with a little “All I Wanna Do is Make Love to You” by Heart and about six drinks and 3 hours later, finished my night with the old stand-by “Midnight Train to Georgia.”

After my second song, the gentleman with the beaded rat-tail came to our table and introduced himself as Baby Mixx. He went on to tell us he’s a producer and sound engineer and that I should really be pursuing music as a career. I laughed my polite laugh, exchanged Myspace info with him (He claimed he was too young to have a Facebook page - he was 32) and finished the double Red Bull and Kettle my brother and I were sharing. By that time, I was ready to go, but I decided I would be back.

Two days later, we returned to the Bull Pen with the majority of our Family Reunion. When Mikee!! saw me he quickly exclaimed that he had “something for me” and went behind his booth and returned with 2 CD’s of songs and a DVD. The first CD was covers of his favorite songs that he had recorded at The Bull Pen and the other was full to the brim with his “originals”. The DVD was video recordings of him performing at the bar.
I thanked him for these treasures. Needless to say, I have hours of entertainment thanks to
Mikee!!

If you find yourself in Sea-Tac on a layover or for a Family Reunion I suggest you visit this little gem. You may even get some Mikee!! CD’s (in addition to a hangover, a hoarse voice and a full stomach – the kitchen serves the fried stuff until midnight). Priceless.

The Bull Pen Pub Bar and Grill

20011 International Blvd
Seatac, WA 98198

(206) 824-4070


Graphic of the Week:

Mrs. Jones doing Laundry.

My new friend (and producer-to-be?) Baby Mixx sang this song. The chorus croons “Me and Mrs. Jones.. we got a thing goin’ on,” clearly insinuating that the singer and a married woman (Mrs. Jones) are having an affair. The video suggests otherwise, featuring someone who the viewer can only assume to be Mrs. Jones performing various household chores, such as laundry. Exactly what kind of thing do you and Mrs. Jones have going on? A maid service? I want in!