[Editor’s Note: This is the latest in a series of articles about attempts to kickstart an independent music scene in White Center. We’ve been following the story of a venue owner and the challenges of promoting a local music community. Previous stories can be found here and here.]
After a challenging year of trying to keep the lights on in his White Center business, Tim’s Tavern owner Mason Reed has something to look forward to—on February 16, he will take over Slim’s Last Chance in Georgetown. The owners of the old-time watering hole announced in December they were moving to California.
Slim’s has a special place in Reed’s heart: it was the first venue where he played in Seattle as a touring musician. “It is mind-blowing and serendipitous” that he is becoming the new owner, Reed says. “I am honored and humbled. Slim’s is an institution and it is my job to keep it alive.”
His beloved and beleaguered music venue in the heart of White Center will also stay in business, although Reed recently started a second fundraising campaign, Save Tim’s Tavern, to finance the seemingly endless construction costs. This after pouring a whopping $150,000 into reconstruction of the building the past year to comply with King County requirements, he still has to spend another $100,000 for the demolition of his outdoor stage, which King County requires due to missing permits. To top off this string of setbacks, the sewer line recently failed and a winter storm blew the Tim’s Tavern sign off.
Closing the tavern and making a clean, fresh start at Slim’s in Georgetown is not an option because Reed is locked into his White Center lease for two more years. “We have to make it work,” he says. “King County kneecapped us, otherwise Tim’s would be in the black now. Two-thirds of our service area wasn’t usable in 2025, which cost us $250,000.”
The Save Tim’s Tavern campaign is a membership-tiered model with perks such as member-only shows and ticket discounts. Music lovers can subscribe for amounts of $10 to $250 a month. Of the $150,000 he needs, Reed says he has raised $16,000 so far, while emphasizing that not a penny will be spent on purchasing Slim’s. “That is a no-money-down deal, which the owners of Slim’s made possible because they want to keep live music going.”
Celeste Lucas, who owned Slim’s Last Chance for almost 18 years with her husband Michael, confirms that. “I know it sounds crazy but sometimes you have to take risks.” After hearing about Reed’s struggle in White Center, the couple offered him their building and “because of the trust we built” now also their brand.
Did Reed learn any lessons from the White Center ordeal that he will benefit from in his new venture?
“Don’t assume anything,” he says, referring to the missing permits for his building in White Center (which only came to light after noise complaints from neighbors). “Just because a building has been operating a certain way for years, it doesn’t mean it’s legal. I never would have questioned if the former tenants had the required permits. And don’t assume if the sewer line breaks in a building you rent, it is not your responsibility to fix it.”
He is doing a lot more due diligence for Slim’s, Reed adds. “There is a lot more specific language in the contract and the permits are in order, as far as we know.”
And —not a small detail— Georgetown is governed by the City of Seattle, “which not only has lots of outdoor music, but also clearer rules. Sometimes, I feel King County is making it up as they go,” he says. (Small businesses in White Center complained to Post Alley in the past about the difficulties and lack of clarity when dealing with King County.)
Besides the money he raises with the Save Tim’s Tavern campaign, Reed is also counting on a Temporary Use Permit for 60 outdoor shows a year at Tim’s to partly make up for his unforeseen renovation expenses. Although the application information for this type of permit was shared with him in 2024, as meeting notes from King County show, Reed “finally got clarity” from officials about the details only last December, he claims: the processing of this application, which costs over $10,000, can take six to twelve months due to the required noise and traffic studies, and a public hearing.
A permit wouldn’t even guarantee 60 shows a year because King County will decide how many shows are allowed, partly based on public comments and the permitting experts. “King County pulled that card out last time we met,” Reed says. “So instead of having outdoor shows in 2026 we are now looking at 2027.”
But the tavern owner keeps plowing ahead. “I am not a roll-over-and-die kind of guy. I do my best to do what’s right for our musical community, to support and uplift it, and use music as a force for good.”
Taking over ownership of Slim’s is not the only way Reed does that. He started a non-profit, the Together In Music Society (TIMS), which offers legal services for artists before they sign a contract, and founded the Seattle Legacy Preservation Partnership (SLPP). This investment fund aims to protect Seattle’s cultural legacy by purchasing real estate such as venues, cafes, and instrument stores. “We want to keep the cool things in Seattle alive, so they don’t get bulldozed over and turned into condos.”
The first event in Slim’s Last Chance under new ownership is a concert by Jerry Joseph & Wally Ingram Duo on February 21.
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