Pictures & video from Balls Out! Series 1

So we had Levi Clark's 'Dunk the Hipster' tank outside, Shameless warriors returning to the Rebar, Naha Army joining the campaign and a bad ass DJ/Producer (aka AC Slater!) flying in from Brooklyn to bass the place out. Yet it was August and in Seattle August usually means it's time for BBQs, camping, trips to the ocean or preparation for a week in Nevada's desert. For most club promoters August is a death trap. It's the one month out of the year that even big name headliners sometimes have a hard time pulling the heads out. Yet on 08-08-08 Seattle represented BIG by catching onto the unpretentious spirit of Balls Out! and helped make our first in a series of monthly events one to remember.

As always there are a ton of people to thank. Rev. Killjoy who represents both Shameless and a new start up silk screen printing company called Beach Balls of Death (BBoD) brought it on many levels with his original drawings that combined mad ball imagery on post apopcalyptic hipster bodies. Be sure to look out for BBoD in the near future! Kinoko (Fourthcity), Eli and Marianne introduced a new level of live art to the party scene by deftly creating portraits on the fly while the beat pounded on the dance floor. Menami, Anton Bomb and friends always help make everyone feel welcome and once again proved themselves as some of the best party hosts in town. Seanny, Cara, Luying, and Eric all looked fabulous while holding down door duties. Thanks to Luvshack for getting the extra Shameless sound there and back. It sounded sooooo good in there! Swank surprised us by showing up and immediately pitched in to help out in any way that he could. We also have to give a shout to the Rebar staff for being so supportive. Not only did they let us keep the party going past 2am, but when we showed up early in the night one of the bartenders had made Mad Ball t-shirts for all of the staff. Also, much love goes out to Will and Devin for revealing their inner hipster and taking one (or two or three...) for the team!

Mostly thanks to everyone that came out to dance and have a good time. The support from our community has been amazing. We love you Seattle!

Click Levi Clark's pictures below to view more...

















Also, check out this video by Dave from Ok Party!

08.08.08 - Balls Out w/ AC Slater from OK Party on Vimeo.

Let's do it again next month!

Check out the article in Seattle's The Stranger magazine

Bug in the Bassbin
Time to Go Balls Out

by Donte Parks

With all of the hassle from The Man, it's getting increasingly harder to have fun on the Hill. But until we can elect a more nightlife-supportive administration, we're forced to work around the limitations it presents. Shameless has found a solution that requires neither trekking across the city nor partying in some shady space. Instead, Shameless's newest monthly venture (with the Naha Army) aspires to be a balls-out party, appropriately titled Balls Out, and it's found the right venue for that to occur without any hassles.

"It feels like we're in the movie Footloose," says Shameless's DJ Recess about the current nightlife environment, which has recently seen both Neumo's and Chop Suey under constant scrutiny from law enforcement and liquor control. Shameless's Menami adds, "No one wants to come to a party with cops outside. We're not the only promoters that have had to deal with the draconian noise situation."

To combat that concern, Shameless is throwing Balls Out at Re-bar. Host to Shameless's My Bloody Valentine parties, Re-bar has remained off law enforcement's radar, due in large part to its relatively isolated location. "Re-bar's always been a red-headed stepchild [of a club], but now we can use that to our advantage," says Menami.

Shameless is bringing in more than just a truckload of extra sound for the night. Fourthcity's Kinoko will be curating live art performances for the event, and there's going to be a "hipster dunk tank." Don't worry, it's all in good fun. "It's not about making fun of hipsters; it's about making fun of ourselves. What does 'hipster' even mean these days?" says Recess. For the inauguration of the night, ex-hardcore DJ AC Slater is flying in; he's a rave favorite who's successfully transitioned to more contemporary bassline and electro, a favorite of the Palms Out Sounds blog.

Shameless promoters are optimistic that they'll be able to keep having events on the Hill, like Broken Disco, the collaborative monthly they helped throw at the troubled Chop Suey. "We really want to come back strong with Broken Disco, but in the meantime, we're going to see what we can get away with at Balls Out."
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/...d=636599&ms