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Greenwood Restaurant Wins Fight to host Live Music
By Tom Herriman
Cathie Whitesides and Hank Bradley at Georgia's Greek Deli |
A board agent stopped the music at the popular neighborhood restaurant last December and demanded that Kazakos obtain a cabaret license, a move that would prevent anyone under 21 being on the premises, including employees as well as diners.
For Kazakos, this was a slap in the face of traditional culture and modern good sense.
"I understand the family values are a little different here, but in Athens where I grew up, one of the best parts of family life would be going out to dinner with the whole family to a neighborhood restaurant where kids would be welcome, the grownups could drink wine with their meals, people could dance and sing. That's how it was with my family. That's why I started having music here with my friends Hank Bradley and Cathie Whitesides, to re-create that kind of atmosphere."
"Here in the U.S. the culture separates the kids from the grownups," Kazakos said. "I told the liquor board agents, 'There is nothing evil, there is nothing wrong with having children in a place where there is traditional music and people are drinking wine and socializing and maybe even dancing."
Kazakos danced around for nearly five months with the Liquor Control Board and City agencies before he won the right to resume his regular musical evenings at Georgia's, and let the whole family come in.
"They lost my letters, they said they would call back and never did. Olympia said the problem was in Seattle. The Seattle office said I had to talk to someone in Olympia," Kazakos said.
"Many of my customers got very upset. They wrote to the state and city government and the governor. Finally, just before a story in the Seattle Weekly was scheduled for publication, I called to find out the status of my case and they said I was approved."
The weekend evening concerts resumed in May. Bradley and Whitesides will again be playing Greek music at Georgia's June 4 and 11, July 2, July 30, August 14 and August. Call Georgia's at 783-1228 for reservations and information.
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