Vera! (or why you should come to Seattle Center today)

If Staley could have foreseen his final resting place, he might have thought twice about his little habit.








But look at his view...



Today kicks off the big opening party of the brand-spankin-new music and gallery space for The Vera Project, the nonprofit darling of twenty- and thirty-something, music-worshipping Seattlites. You remember Drink for the Kids, right? That's Vera.



One nice thing about working at the Center is that you can wander by the Vera space every few days or so and see the progress. These pictures are actually from late January (taken by my talented friend Linda).








Last week, Vera looked more like this.

It's hard to walk by the pristine space and not feel ambivalent about the future of Seattle music. Imagine AiC or Soundgarden or even DCFC emerging from this "state-of-the-art facility." But who can crush the dream: music for the kids. MUSIC FOR THE KIDS! CREATIVE EXPRESSION! SAFE, EASILY ACCESSIBLE PARKING. This is all part of the big new plan to make Seattle Center hip (charette, anyone?). I'm making fun but I'm there every day, watching the progress. Dorks like me who moved to Seattle for the music have to be there, secretly watching the progress. Secretly loathing it. Loving it. How can you not love the art kids?

The Ver(a)rt Gallery Opening, "Don't Let the GermBots Bite" by OneSevenNine (with music and snacks, of course), starts at 6 pm. If you want to publicly confess your extreme music dorkitude, stop by at 3 pm when Mayor Nickels cuts the ribbon on Seattle's first city-sanctioned all ages club. And tell yourself it's just a cleaner version of the Off Ramp.

If you listen closely, you may even hear Staley's transcendent, mono-moan screech,

Down in a hole

Feeling so small