Smith in the midst of the final rush of construction before Q’s 2012 opening (Image: CHS)
Investor and oftentimes the face of the business at Broadway’s Q nightclub, Scott Smith says he is leaving the partnership and has been bought out. Take it away Seattle Gay Scene:
The gruff but lovable gay face of Capital Hill’s (sic) popular EDM dance club Q, Scott Smith, announced today on his Facebook page that he has sold his stake in the business, effective noon today, Saturday, July 20, 2013. From Mr. Smith’s Facebook page:
THE DEED IS DONE
I closed on the sale my half of Q at noon today and I’m now back to being blissfully semi-retired again, as I was more than three years ago when I began the process of developing the club.
CHS first tracked down Smith and business partner Andy Rampl when the duo were considering 12th and Pike for their “ultra lounge” project. The ambitious project changed locations and took shape over the subsequent years prior to its summer 2012 debut at Broadway and Pike with Smith at the helm seemingly in grumpy delight at creating the 5,000 square-foot dance club.
“Don’t make me sound like an asshole,” Smith said to CHS during one of the club’s preview tours.
“But Seattle has never been a great destination for electronic music. We’re building a major EDM venue.”
In his goodbye note quoted by Seattle Gay Scene, Smith drops a vague hint or two about what lead to the break-up. “I’d be happy to share with you all that’s transpired that has compelled me to desire to sell my interest in the business and part ways with the club – but I’m contractually obligated not to,” Smith writes.
Rampl says it’s mostly business as usual at the nearly one-year-old club.
“Scott had expressed his wishes to move back east and work on a new project, so he is leaving Q Nightclub,” Rampl told CHS via email. “I wish him all the best for his new venture, and hope it will be as successful as his last.”
One change Rampl could tell us about in the wake of Smith’s departure will be a new Saturday format at the dance club headed by promoter Sean Majors.
“It’s going to be big,” Smith told CHS about his plans for Q back in 2010. “We have a lot of space. But I’ve done this before in New York. It’s not going to be for everybody but it’s going to be done right.”
Main bar, originally uploaded by Lookin4TallGuys.
Wonder is Q will continue to go down hill, and their glass size get even smaller & more expensive? Has to be my least favorite “gay” bar on the Hill :( I was there on a Sat night in June and it was a disaster. Upstairs was mysteriously closed, very few gay men (or men of any kind really)….just a bunch of hoochie girls in mini skirts and 4 inch heals :/ Their music is bizarre too. They keep on saying “its not for everyone,” well….I can see that by all the people just standing on the dance floor! Kinda a shame.
Best wishes to the now full owner, really hope he can make some positive changes….
What the hell are you two wackos talking about? This is one of the most beautifully designed clubs I’ve ever seen, the music does not suck: for example, Maritini, who usually plays on Wednesday night, plays nothing but the newest, best, most danceable music around. The enormous dance floor is terrific, the sound system is superlative…the only positive thing that was said is that the location is great. And don’t complain that the music isn’t great because people are just “standing on the dance floor”…how many people do you know who can dance, anyway? And it’s not gay enough? The more people who patronize a club, whether they like to blow other men or not is what counts. The place is great, and why you folks are whining is beyond me.
Thomas, you aren’t the only one scratching your head. This back and forth as to what kind of club and who the audience is, seems to have left us all confused. I hope Q can reinvent itself and stay consistent. With that said, I am not sure Q is in the right location for its supposive audience, maybe Belltown would have been more appropriate? It is a beautiful club though.
-Wacko
“I’ve done this before in New York.”
Famous last words for a club owner in Seattle. It’s what the owners of The Social were trying to do, too… albeit with even less panache or style. Seattle is *not* at all like New York, and you’re an idiot if you try to recreate the New York club scene, really, anywhere else in the world… but especially in a town as fickle as Seattle.
The reason Q is failing is because gay dudes don’t want to go hang out with a bunch of obnoxious woo-girls and their jackass Belltown-bro boyfriends. The music sucks, the drinks are getting weaker and weaker. It doesn’t reflect the tastes of the community its in… which is too bad, it’s a nice space and it’s in a great spot. If it would’ve embraced its queer roots, it’d have taken off. But, nope. So… buh-bye.
This place could have done really well if it just played to its audience. The space is awesome. There are no great dance clubs on the hill. This could have been the one everyone went to. Now we have to settle for sweaty , stuffy Rplace.
It’s so simple. Just make strong drinks, have a space to dance and play some top 40s and the gays will be happy.
Life of a Seattle hot night spot:
1. idea
2. hype
3. water down original idea
4. promising opening
5. favorite place everrrrr
6. eastsiders get wind of it
7. south enders get wind of it
8. stabbing
9. white flight!
10. shooting
11. closed.
Yup.
Awesome list. May I propose the following addenda, based on many years of experience here in Seattle:
1. idea
2. hype
3. water down original idea
4. promising opening
5. favorite place everrrrr
6. eastsiders get wind of it
8. gay flight!
9. change to douche format
10. south enders get wind of it
11. white flight!
12. stabbing
13. shooting
14. closed.
Luv it.
It kind of seemed like the competing interests in the club tossed out the venue and just watched the clientele battle to claim it. In the beginning, they made a big deal of wanting GLBTQ business but they just didn’t take a last one or two steps to embrace the community. Sadly it is close to being won as another cliché “ultra-lounge” as detailed by the previous comments. I think the queer Seattle community would like a great dance venue for their own; the one Q was originally billed to be. It would be sad to see this become just another Electronic Club taking up space in what was the vibrant heart of gay Seattle culture.
I am curious (honestly) as to what the owners could have done to embrace the LGBTQ community and patrons? Seems like a common theme with these new clubs on the Hill – I am looking for specifics.
Not trolling – honestly curious as to what the specific, concrete, missing component or components were?
Drag performances/productions/events. Not just drag guests to mingle with the crowd. but staged performances. I don’t recall ever seeing one .
Other bars are pro-active in the community. Drag shows are one way as Dancer points out. They sponsor multiple teams in the predominatly gay sports leagues or sponsor gay social clubs. They also host big and small fundraising events and donate to the causes (Q hosted a few big ones but hasn’t done much when compared to others). They also call themselves gay bars through signage. It was evident that Q was reluctant to be involved in the community when it refused to call itself a “gay bar” and went for the politically correct “open to everyone.”
It’s fine if it wants to be Electronic dance club but without a supportive atmosphere it feels like the community was being a little led on by all their pushing in the GLBTQ media and initially hiring a gay DJ/promoter. They could have just hyped their sound system/venue with a differnet club name and us queers wouldn’t be so critical.
Yeah, I don’t go to Q anymore. As a gay guy, I want to see more men there but the last few times I went, it was Belltown/Eastside/Fremont bleed over (e.g. girls in hoochie shorts, skimpy clothing, etc). I am all for a mixed crowd but not when there are only a handful of other gays.
It is a beautiful space though! And the music can be okay… I just wonder why the guy sold his share.
I have only gone a couple of times and found it to be a really nice bar, but not to my liking. Worst bar service I’ve ever experienced. Check this out:
— order drink (preferred call brand)
— bartender starts drink then pours 2nd brand of liquor into drink
— “WTF was that?”
— “oh, I rand out of (preferred call brand)”
— “but you can’t just mix them! They don’t taste anything like each other!”
— “ok, what else do you want? I’m out of (preferred call brand). I want to make you something you want”
— “never mind, if you’re out of (preferred call brand), nothing else is like it either. I’ll just drink it”.
— “OK. $9 please”
Seriously? Any bartender with any class would’ve comp’ed it. Other people have told me equally bizarre bartender stories from there.
I don’t know what the right mix of clientele is there, but one thing I’m sure– if there are too many eastside/southside hoochie-girlz there, you will totally lose the gay crowd. That’s all well and good. Maybe the owners don’t care– you can still clean up on that crowd too. But I also worry about the violence/gang activity/shootings that will invariably come to CapHill with that demographic change. I sure won’t be there for it.
Hey gay guys on this thread take notes: Q is not a gay bar. It wasn’t designed as one, was never advertised as one, and has never booked music to attract a (predominantly) gay demographic.
The owners are gay. Lots of staff is. The space was designed and developed as a house music and EDM venue to attract any upscale nightclubbers. You do not install an F1 soundsystem to play top 40. If you’re criteria in choosing a nightlife venue is “gay” then Q isn’t for you. However, if you are gay and like the music and diverse crowd Q has you’ll have a great time.
I had to post this in response to all the above complaints that Q is failing its audience. No, you’re not the audience. You fail to get the club, not the other way around. With Sean Majors brought in as the new Saturday night promoter (has been doing Thursdays for two months) expect a recreation of Kingdom Saturdays that made The Social an over-capacity club every weekend. Sure, lots of that crowd is B&T but they are hip to not-top-40 music and bring the right non-bigoted attitude.
If this place is attempting to recreate The Social and bring the same crowd that frequented The Social, may it suffer the same fate as The Social.
Great…a recreation of the Social. I’ll make sure to bring my Kevlar. When will Q be getting bottle service? lol
When they named the club Q, I think it was reasonable for people to assume it was a Queer club.
“Q is not a gay bar. It wasn’t designed as one, was never advertised as one, and has never booked music to attract a (predominantly) gay demographic.”
And that is exactly why this club failed…Look at Rich’s in San Diego or XL in NYC, those clubs were designed for a gay demographic and have been VERY succesful. Dont try to blame your poor choice of promoters on the Seattle gay community. When you brought good DJs (Paulo, Rosabel, Mike Cruz) Q was packed but the club never wanted to advertise it as a “gay club”.
Clubs such as what Q are becoming now, are taking away what Capitol Hill used to be, a safe enviroment for the gay community, bringing douchy rude a$$ people from Beltown.
If you knew how to manage a business, you wouldnt be going the same route that the Social did.
Let us gays sit back and watch you fail.
Thats all!
Funny you mention XL. Scott Smith–that was his club.
You all sound like a bunch of reverse bigots.
This was an EDM club that situated itself in a more diverse area in an effort to keep out the B&T. THen they probably got scared by some spreadsheets and started moving the musical line in the sand.
Most clubs are lucky to have a 6 year life span, BTW.
Dance clubs on the hill identifying as gay:
Cuff – 20 years (dance club for around 15)
R-Place – also ancient, can’t find opening date (not always dance club)
Neighbors – 30 years
Dance clubs on the hill with gay target audience initially, then changing
Sugar – Lasted about 2 years, closed after shooting
Social – Did it even last 2?, closed after shooting
Q – We’ll see
Chop Suey, Neumo’s, and Re-Bar are also in the mix. They don’t necessarily identify as gay bars, but have very clearly promoted gay events. And don’t attract violence.
In my opinion, the main reason for the animosity or perceived bigotry from us gays is the increase in violence on capitol hill recently. We’re looking for causes and clubs like Q are popping to the front of the line.
Q did market itself to the gay community quite heavily which is why we though of it as a gay bar initially.
WRONG WRONG WRONG StC. This very blog told the residents of the Hill all about the new gay club back in 2011. Not sure the link will work, but it was in June 2011.
**http://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2011/06/first-look-the-plans-for-q-broadways-new-gay-dance-club/*
Let’s be honest about what really happened here. Same thing as The Social. It was opened as a gay club but not enough of the gay folks patronized it so the club has seen a tremendous influx of hipsters and straight girls and the like. if the place is to survive, they need customers to come from somewhere…
“We’re willing to turn away five of the wrong people so one person from Capitol Hill wants to be here.” Uh huh.
Q’s problem is that they turned away the wrong people :)
“has never booked music to attract a (predominantly) gay demographic”
AHEM. When you hire gay djs/promoters to curate the weekly programming (i.e. Nark and then Almond Brown), and those gay dj/promoters invite as guest djs OTHER out-of-town gay and gay-favorite djs (lately – Paulo, Joe Gauthreaux, Alyson Calagna, Rosabel, Jake Shears, Wayne G, Mike Sniffen, locals Trouble and Dana Dub, etc.), who are KNOWN for dj-ing at gay clubs or on the gay party circuit, and then on top of that you sprinkle scantily-clad gay male go-go dancers about the club on weekend nights, and advertise said events in local gay blogs and papers, then, yes, YOU ARE TRYING TO ATTRACT A GAY DEMOGRAPHIC. Unless you think that late-night big diva anthems and boys dancing in their underwear is meant to attract the Eastside EDM-loving bros and hos?
The owners clearly had that in mind when THEY chose the promoters, djs, dancers, and staff, who were by and large gay, gay, gay, gay, gay. What else do you need to make it clear? A “Pride Redefined” weekend-long mega party? Rainbow flags and rainbow lights during Pride weekend? A special Q Pride pass, an all-events card with a rainbow border? They did all that, too.
Whatever the failings of the club to have consistent programming and promoters, or to out-and-out promote their gay nights as such (and thus a dedicated customer base), the idea that they did not try to attract a gay demographic is nonsense. They just went about it in the wrong way.
Seems like they have tried to have their cake and eat it too. They simultaneously booked DJ’s and pitched to a gay audience, while at the same time trying to deliver the message that they’re “not really a gay (only) club”. I don’t see how a mixed message like that can succeed in really satisfying anybody, long-term.
Right. As if they thought gay clubs turn away straight patrons or the gay label prevents straight patrons from coming to gay clubs in Seattle.
Its the sad and desperate woo-girls who drove me away. Grinding their butts in the air turned my stomach…and apparently theirs, as two puked on the dancefloor. No great loss, though, as Cuff fills the void of decent music, lighting and respectful crowd behavior.
Stronger bigger drinks like when they first opened. I may return if that happens! :)
It’s a beautiful space and I am excited to see what changes will be made. Patiently waits the return of Kingdom Saturdays!!
At first I thought you said Kingdome Saturday’s. lol
I thought Saturday Douche Night moved to Von Trapp’s after The Social closed. Its spilled over to Q too? Guess its been a while since I’ve been out.
Q’s success could be the last nail in the Pike/ Pine coffin. A great neighborhood is being invaded by the Belltown/ Eastside crowd and Q and Grimm’s are at fault. Havanah doesn’t help. Add the downstairs at Cha Cha, and now Poquitos, and Friday and Saturday nights are douchebag/ date rape/ gay bashing central on Pike St. Fortunately Neumos, The Wild Rose, Purr, The Comet, and Vermillion survive and keep the area decent.
PS – promoters who want to bring “New York Style” to the Seattle club scene deserve the slow business death they get. And the puke.
I love Q. It’s a beautiful space; I love the staff; non-scary bathrooms; and hello soundsystem! My biggest complaint though is frankly the music. It’s been dreadful. I used to religiously attend Shelter and there have been some other interesting week night options, but Q is never on my weekend radar. (With the exception of the odd Decibel show as well as the festival.) I’m excited to see what Sean Majors will bring; fingers are crossed for some fantastic music.
Super excited for what Sean is going to bring
I’m not sure if a Belltown/Fremont style dance club meets Bellevue ultra lounge is the right venue for Capitol Hill?
And the Belltown owners have never had much luck in that neighborhood anyway. Remember Sugar and Club Lagoon? Probably not….they didn’t last long.
A club like Q might appeal to the Greater Seattle demographics in which they would rely heavily on to fill a place this big but we’ve seen places like this before….it’s been done in NYC, Las Vegas and San Francisco…I’m not sure if it will work here? They keep trying and trying, the same thing over and over, the same concepts, and pouring in as much money as it takes to be ‘successful’ and failing anyway. I think Seattle (and the people that come here) are looking for something unique….that you can’t get in those cities.
You can’t put taste in a tasteless town. They would be better off spending a few bucks on shit hole dive with personality and character than rather than millions on a bland ultra lounge. We have always had a unique identity, we don’t need to conform to what works in other cities. If they’re coming up here…they need to conform to Seattle, and we need to be ourselves and do our own thing. I think this is what is expected from us anyway.
Time for a name change I would suggest S for straight bar since that seems to be the direction it is going.
How far South are these “South-end girls”..just curious. I mean, I get the Eastside reference but…..
Imo, Scott Smith has always been a total wanker who’s never had a clue about the “business” of running a gay club in Seattle. Q’s been a carpetbagging vanity project from day one and Scott’s contempt and nasty atttude about Seattle LGBT community is legendary. He once described Seattle’s gay men in his crapfest of a blog as “…fucked up queens” and ” They all want to go on five or six dates before they’ll fuck and most of them look like shlubby, badly dressed straight men. While most of the straight men you’ll see out and about tend to look like homos are supposed to look.”
I think the LGBT community of Seattle caught the hateful vibe and reacted appropriately……they’ve took their money elsewhere.
Andy Rampl is lucky to be out of what must have been the toxic partnership of the decade. Good luck to him, and I hope he can turn Q around and remove the stank of a stumbled beginning.
The fact that Sean Majors of Decibel bought into the space is great news and I hope that the venue, infused with the consistently high quality booking of the Decibel crew will become the home and hub of genuine dance music in Seattle. My prior experience at this club was that it played consumer level “EDM” and I am looking forward to see what Sean will do with the spot.
[…] happened to the Q. Then last month co-founder Scott Smith sold his stake in the club. The “gruff but lovable gay face” of Seattle’s club and EDM scene apparently left on less than amicable terms. And last […]