Rock still at its heart

It's got a new paint job and a new sign, but despite a new name, El Corazon, the old rock venue by the freeway, hasn't changed all that much.

Live-music enthusiasts are likely already familiar with El Corazon. For the last few years, the building went by Graceland and hosted an endless list of midsize shows, both all ages and 21 and up. In the early 1990s, the club was called the Off-Ramp (named for its close proximity to Interstate 5's Stewart St. exit).

Early this February, El Corazon opened its doors to Seattle at the site, after a few months of renovations. Despite the fact that relatively few drastic changes were made to the building, the changes that were made were the ones that made the most sense.

Gone are the huge speaker stacks that once framed the stage, replaced by efficient JBL speakers suspended from the ceiling. Though still cramped, it makes for a slightly larger stage. Keen observers will notice that the soundboard has been moved to the middle of the back wall, putting the sound crew in a better position for mixing.

The new color scheme also catches the eye. A more vibrant royal blue throughout the club has replaced Graceland's all-black theme.

Otherwise, the setup in the main room is the same. It's still dank, dark and filled with smoke. From the outside there is little signal of change other than a new sign boasting the venue's new name and logo.

Surprisingly, "The Post" is still there. Probably the oddest and most artist-unfriendly piece of the club's architecture is this four-inch thick metal pole, which seems to hold up the ceiling on the left side of the stage. It's always been a nuisance to anyone on the small stage, but the modified setup upfront cuts down on the irritation.

A few structural issues had already been taken care of under the old Graceland title. In the last couple years, the 21-and-up bar area doubled in size, shifting the all-ages entrance to the main room.

For the 21-and-up crowd, the revamped club features a new mini-bar section within sight of the stage, with an alcohol selection almost as good as in the main bar.

In the main barroom there is a new wall dividing the room in half. One of the security personnel said the wall helps to direct patrons to the bar. The wall also allows for more standing room as it features a countertop on which patrons may set their drinks.

Despite a new name and a few welcome upgrades, El Corazon is still for the most part the same familiar dive.