culture
the other press september 18, 2002

 

three-chord songs. He also had this annoying habit of only singing half a
lyric and walking away from the mic, assuming the crowd is so devoted
they would finish his sentences. We took off after four songs back to the
Key Arena to see Death Cab For Cutie. I didn’t really know this band very
well but I had read a lot of positive press regarding them. I left the show
an absolute convert. The general alterna-mumble style of the band made
for a great show. I topped off the evening by heading back to the EMP
stage for a little more electronica. I made it just in time for the break
dancers to show their stuff. I walked a little roboto and then headed back
to the fine motel, weak beer and TV.

 

Monday September 5th

Most of the things I had wanted to see took place the day before so I
decided to actually go to the Experience Music Project Museum. As we
were lining up to get in, Wilco hit the Memorial Stadium Stage and Jeff
Tweety sounded to be in fine form. Being a music nerd, I was essentially
in my personal nirvana from the moment I entered the building. From
the Jimmy Hendrix museum area to the “Pacific Passage” which docu-
ments the rise of grunge, it doesn’t get any better than this! The place is
stocked with music memorabilia and I saw the cone hats Devo wore and
the B-52s’ wigs! EMP is a far more progressive museum than the aver-
age. The idea is that you should be able to actually experience the music,
not just look at it. On the second floor there are all kinds of instruments
you can play with, computers instructing you, sound and jam rooms, mix-
ing boards and general fun galore. Being a musician I seized the oppor-
tunity for some cheap recording time and cut a terrible-sounding three
song CD in the small EMP studio. There are also some crazy music-relat-
ed 3D rides. This was the odd part of the museum. We saw this insane
short film that had James Brown funking it up back in the 70s. The film
featured tons of dancing and soul musicians playing in the middle of a city
street. The crazy part is that you watch it in a moving chair that wiggles
along with the dancers. I am still rather confused about the whole thing!
From there I beelined back to our fine country having achieved the impos-
sible: I was sick of music...for about a day.

 

It takes Lee Reynaldo of Sonic Youth a little more time to
his feet these days, but he still rocks

 

  

The cool kids of Seattle rush the front at Memorial Stadium. Modest Mouse let loose.

 

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