Annie Rose and the Thrillers at Baby O's, Seattle, WA, September 3, 1982

This poster advertises a performance by Seattle band Annie Rose and the Thrillers on September 3, 1982 at Baby O’s, just a few months before the venue closed. Baby O’s had opened at 122 Cherry Street on February 8, 1981, with two bands: the Impacts and the Bones. Many local bands performed here over the next two years, including the Frazz, Enemy, ESX, Annie Rose and the Thrillers, Billy Rancher and the Unreal Gods, and the Visible Targets. In January 1982, John Baptiste, a promoter and talent booker from Astor Park, another Seattle venue, became manager at Baby O’s. On July 13, 1982, Baby O’s participated in the Pioneer Square Music Festival, which raised money for UW radio station, KCMU, now KEXP. The venue had also been the Monte Cristo Café in the 1940s, followed by the Fox and Hounds Restaurant in the 1950s, and the Greek Olympic Torch restaurant with belly dancing and live music around 1979, before being reimagined as a Rock venue. After live performances ended in late 1982, Baby O’s became the Fox Restaurant and Lounge in early 1983, and later a popular deli, Bakeman’s Restaurant. 

After moving to Seattle from Norman, Oklahoma in 1972, Annie Rose De Armas (b. unknown) led the Country-Rock Band Rose and the Dirtboys with steel guitar player Chris Middaugh (b. unknown), bassists Rod Talley (b. unknown) and Guy Purdy (b. unknown), and guitarist Bill Gallagher (b. unknown) until 1975. De Armas is an openly gay singer known for performing with her dance band, Annie Rose and the Thrillers, at local venues including the University District’s Rainbow Tavern and throughout the Pacific Northwest from 1978 to 1984. Over the years Thrillers vocalists included Kristen Anderberg (b. unknown), Donna Beck (b. unknown), Susan Johnson (b. unknown), Denise Roselle (b. unknown), Judy Schnepps (b. unknown), and Patti Vincent (b. unknown), also a tenor saxophonist, along with Doug Reid (b. unknown) on alto saxophone. Drummers included Paul Black (b. unknown), Don Kammerer (b. unknown), and Carson Michaels (b. unknown), alongside bassists Dave Liston (b. unknown) and Gary Oldroyd (b. unknown).