In Vancouver
Auto’s Pub
celebrates 5 yrs. w/Blueshot
Near the intersection of S.E. McGillivray Blvd. and 164th in Vancouver, Wash. is a very cool, laid-back pub with a strong automotive motif, great food, full bar and very reasonable prices; it’s known as Auto’s Pub.
Blue Shot
(Photo by Eric Donaldson)
This pub is a spacious place with collectible automotive decor and design throughout, a roomy venue staffed with attentive, personable people who seem genuinely dedicated to making sure all who enter have a great time. This writer and companion happened to catch the fifth anniversary celebration on a recent weekend. The first impression upon entering is “comfortable.”
A lovely young lady introduced herself as Heidi and she was very helpful answering as we asked a few questions about the pub and how she likes working there. The short story is that she’s been there a year or so and enjoys her job and the people she meets. Heidi is quick to laugh and is very knowledgeable about the many beers and ales on tap and available in bottles. She offered helpful suggestions of menu items to try.
Speaking of food, the menu is well-rounded and very reasonably priced, especially appreciated in this time of such poor economics. The menu has all the usuals: Poppers, wings, chicken strips, nachos, chili and a half-dozen burgers that look amazing! Everything except one combo pizza is less than $7! Very good prices, thank you Auto’s. A very cool thing to this writer is the fact that all their appetizers and pizza selections are available all hours the pub is open!
Auto’s offers a happy hour every weekday from 4 to 6 p.m.; Taco Tuesdays; free poker on Wednesdays; and free pool on weekends on the several pool tables available, with breakfast specials on the weekends during football season.
On this night, a part of the fifth anniversary celebration included dancing the night away to the rhythms of Blue Shot Band, four fellows with several decades of stage and studio experience between them; a couple of them spent a few years on the much larger stages in arenas throughout the nation.
Dave Smith on drums, Skip Schafer on bass, Jason Thomas on guitar and Keith Laurent on keyboards all add up to a very experienced group of guys with a young, energized sound. All the members sing and there is some very cool vocal work going on, along with a tight rhythm section that had folks dancing, getting some serious aerobic exercise to be sure. Each member brings a different point of view to the band’s music and this shows in the gentle way the songs flow from one with a jazzy feel, to a classic rock song, to a ballad. Then you are pleasantly surprised with an original that sounds and feels as if you know it by heart. Very cool.
The members of the Blue Shot Band each have extensive bios and have been profiled in these pages from time-to-time in recent years. More info may be found at their website, www.blueshotband.com. More info on Auto’s Pub can be found at their website: www.autospubusa.com and see ad this issue.