Bellevue's Rich History Of Rock Includes Heart, Queensryche

The city that gave birth to Queensryche and Heart has a rock-scene history that goes back several decades.

In fact, Bellevue was once considered one of the heavy metal capitals of Western Washington. The Skate King roller rink hosted metal bands every weekend and was a popular teen center. Queensryche never played there, but all five of the band's musicians were from the Eastside and the group became one of the most popular heavy metal bands in the world.

Heart, which would become a No. 1 selling rock band (with songs like "Crazy On You") in the early '70s, got its start in the Bellevue suburbs. One of the band's first gigs was at the Hatchcover, a tavern on Bel-Red Road that later became home of the Terry Bue Gallery. . Nancy Wilson, vocalist Ann Wilson's younger sister and one of the band's guitarists, wasn't even old enough at the time to play the room.

Just west down the street in the early '80s, Gatsby's featured hopeful locals, switching from rock to country and back to rock again, depending on the mood of the times. It became the Royal Orchid restaurant before it was razed later that decade.

Mad Anthony's in the Commons, now Seoul Olympia, was home to duos like Bordersong and Bodacious in the '70s. The Hindquarter on Eighth Street, which would become Duke's, was also a singer/songwriter stand.

For years the reigning club in the Overlake area was the Saratoga Trunk. The Trunk featured every hot dance band in the area. Groups like the long-running Burgundy Express were regulars. When disco fever swept the nation, the Trunk got a major facelift and became Papagayo's, complete with a tropical theme. When it changed hands in the early '90s it was, briefly, a nude dance spot. Now it's a Chuck E. Cheese.

Deeter's, now the Bellevue Bar & Grill, was also a flashy rock, then disco, then rock nitery with lines out into the parking lot.

Stand-up comedy, which made some performers more popular than rock stars in the early '80s, came to Bailey's, an Eighth and Bellevue Way eatery. It brought in national acts such as Rita Rudner and Bobby Slayton. But comedy faded, as did Bailey's.

Jazz also came and went at Roxy's, now the Red Robin. The club featured two pianos - and players - simultaneously.