SHA Kerry Evans Culture Editor What: Shaggy Concert with Rayvon When: August 20th, 7:30-10:30p.m. Where: Plaza of Nations Why: To celebrate Shaggy’s Domination Tour The outdoor venue of the Plaza of Nations was the perfect setting for the Shaggy concert. An evening with clear skies and an amazing sunset was a great way to wind down the summer. However, it was a general admission show (like most concerts are), so you sit by who you get stuck next to: teenie boppers, pot smokers, and the elderly. I was surprised at the different kind of folk Shaggy attracts. Chris Calhoun, a radio host for Z95.3, was the MC for the evening. I think we saw him twice. Once when he asked us, “How you feeling Vancouver?” and once when he introduced Rayvon. I hope you didn’t get a fat cheque for that job, Chris. Rayvon opened the show at 7:40p.m. He did a few numbers that I had never heard of. I asked the hot guy beside me, but he didn’t know either. But let’s be honest—who cares about Rayvon, I got to talk to the hot guy! Rayvon’s music was mostly reggae, but there was way too much treble and his voice was drowned out by the band. What were you singing to us, Rayvon? Six songs later he hooks us up with ‘My Bad’, which is his current single being played on radios and in clubs internationally. He finally exited stage left at 8:10 for an intermission. 8:30...Shaggy! He looked great with his low-rise jeans and grown-out afro. His four male back up singers, band, and female dance team didn’t look so bad themselves. He was well appreciated by the audience. He ran through the old hits including ‘Oh Carolina’, which is the song that made him famous and respected in Canada. He called Rayvon back to the stage and spent 20 minutes riling the crowd. Their amusing banter got the entire crowd on their feet, even the burned-out pot smokers. Rick Rock was there and he got into ‘It Wasn’t Me’. I love Rick Rock. His smooth voice compliments Shaggy’s rough and raspy approach to singing. Moore for Less Jennifer Aikman Look Culture Editor Cheesy title, I know, but really quite appropriate when discussing the Moore Hotel in downtown Seattle. Simply put, this is a kick-ass hotel. Built in 1907, the Moore was once an elegant and grand hotel where President Teddy Roosevelt once slept. Perhaps no longer in its prime, the ing to the shopping district or to Pike Place Market, which are both within easy walking distance. aM This is no-frills accommoda- tion, but the location is primo. y Attached to the hotel is the Moore from Pearl Jam in their heyday to the other press One of Shaggy’s female dancers had celebrated her birthday the day before, and Shaggy had one of his very attractive male back-up singers get down on one knee and sing her “Happy Birthday.” It was sweet and our eyes were definitely green with envy. Nearing the end of the concert, he chose a girl from the audience to come up on stage, and they all sang ‘Angel’ to her. She got songs, hugs, and photos. Now we were jealous. Boy, were we jealous. So jealous in fact that we were going to jump her after the con- cert, but she was 12. Anyhow, apparently Shaggy does this at all his concerts, and I think it’s a great idea. Very Bruce Springsteen and Courtney Cox. His last two songs were from his new album, and they were about the power of women. He expressed several times during the show that “Shaggy is all about the ladies” and we believed him. From the small taste we got from the new album, it sounds like it will go to the top just like all his others. They left us begging for more at 10:30. My friends and I headed over to Mavericks on the Waterfront to sit on the patio and use the indoor washrooms. As we sat there, the Shaggy bus rolled by and the patio crowd went wild. Everyone on the bus gave a wave goodbye, and once they turned the corner out of sight, it was time for us to hit the SkyTrain home. My only real disappointment was that there wasn’t much in the way of food: some hot dogs, fries, and mini-donuts. And the only place to go to the wash- room was a long line of port-a-potties. Thanks any- way. But overall, it was a good concert. Shaggy made me feel like a giggly schoolgirl, which I am. keep that in mind. I love everything about the Moore. I love the history, the location and the price. I have stayed there three times and it has become as much a part of the Seattle experience for me as the University District and the flying fish. Check it out. No, really. Check it out. rooms are cheap, clean and kitschy in a sparse vintage kind of way. You get a bed, cable TV, a shower (unless you stay in the uber cheap hostel-like rooms), and only in some rooms—a_ table and chair. Weirdest thing is there are no clocks, not even the standard cheapo clock radio. The views are great, if you consider having front row seats to one of the © page 10 seedier streets in Seattle a good thing. I just so happen to love that sort of stuff. I spent hours sitting on my sill watching the action below. Somehow American urban decay seems more glamorous than Canadian; maybe it’s the added danger of the right to bear arms. The street is very safe during the day as it is clogged with people head- the likes of Beck and Ryan Adams. Right next door is the NiteLite. This is the best drinking hole I have patron- ized in a very long time. It’s all about good-looking people nursing good- looking drinks, with surprisingly little attitude. The music comes from a jukebox so the selection’s usually var- ied and funny. It gets crazy crowded before and after concerts and plays, so www.moorehotel.com Address: 1926 Second Avenue, cor- ner of Second Avenue and Virginia St, Seattle WA Phone: 1.800.421.5508 Rates: Standard Rooms (with shitter and shower) $59 USD/single $67-$74 USD/double. European Style (no shitter or show- er) $39 USD/single $49 USD/double.