I know I’ve been sounding like a running PSA these past few weeks about this, but I wanted to share with you a very special article from the Seattle Times earlier this week called “When Redmond Rocked: How Our Rich Pop-Music Scene Took A Turn East.”
In the past couple of years, I have watched the Seattle/Eastside music scene change drastically. The article explains that this transformation has been going on even before my involvement. We’ve lost our character. We’ve lost our spirit – our passion. There was a period of time between 2005 and 2007 when the teen centers were the place to be every Friday and Saturday night. They brought out well-known local bands from the Seattle area and an incredible fan base every week. You couldn’t find an empty spot on the floor because it was so crowded. It was absolutely necessary to take a shower when you got home from a show because you had your sweat, the sweat of others around you, and the sweat from the lead singer all over you! It just wasn’t hygienic. Unless you got to the show when the doors opened or even a half hour before, you weren’t going to get in because the show was sold out. Merch tables filled with screen-printed t-shirts, buttons, and demo EP’s were scarce by the end of the night.
It is heartbreaking to see that this is no longer the case. Teen centers are barely making ends meet. They don’t have the appeal they once had because kids and teens would rather play video games or Facebook and spend time on the computer instead of listening to new music played by their peers. It is difficult to see teen centers suffering after having worked so hard to build their reputation over the years as premiere all-ages venues.
I want to know what can be done. There are a number of bands that have gotten their start from teen centers and local shows and now it is time to give back. It just isn’t fair knowing that these kids – aspiring artists will not have the same opportunity as those before them.
- Death Cab for Cutie
- Fleet Foxes
- This Providence
- Blood Brothers
- Modest Mouse
Ohhh yeah, I’m talking to you.