Going to Seattle tomorrow...
 

Can someone recommend me some cool places to go (guitar/record stores) and if there's any good shows this week, let me know. Thanks.

There is a really cool record store that I got some DEVO, Sonic Youth, and Fugazi from a few years back when I was visting, can't remember for the life of me what it was called. I also went to a record store that was going out of business and got JAMC- The Videos 1985-1989 for 3 bucks.

You should definitely go to their version of the Rock and Roll hall of Fame if you have time- it is pretty cool. The focus there is Hendrix/Cobain, but you know, it's Seattle. I think it is called the Music Experience.

I've got some pics:

My sister infront of the In Utero woman:



My little brother infront of one of Kurt Cobain's trashed Hi-Flyers



Me in the punk rock flyer art section, to my right is a Gang of Four flyer. (I think I was 17 in this pic!)



A bunch of guitars with little robots plucking strings- you can put on headphones and listen to the composition.

i think NIRVANA are playing

Our camera sucked and lighting was horrible, but here is some more:

Some Hendrix paintings:

From what I hear, Ballard, which used to be the Norweigen ghetto, is now the punk rock and roots rock center of the universe. Kind of weird, but low rent will do strange things. There's a record store there called Bop Street that's supposed to be good.

I have no idea what the club scene is like these days. I was born there, but I tend to stay away now.

As far as tourist stuff, I always loved the aquarium.

I highly reccomend the 13 Coins restaruant (kind of downtownish but off the beaten path) for swanky 24 hour dining with these amazing comfy booths. It's been open, and 24 hours, since at least the '70s - the type of place businessmen used to take their mistresses for affairs and not be seen because of the gigantic booths. The food is from moderate to somewhat pricy, but is totally gourmet.

I actually went to EMP last time I was there. May go back.

Didn't you get in trouble for taking pics? I was told to stop photographing 'intellectual property'. Kept taking pics though.

No I didn't. That was like 4 years ago though, might have changed by now.

by all means, you should go to the big library downtown. it's beautiful.

the best record store i went to in seattle was Wall of Sound. i think it was on broadway, but it's been almost 2 years since i've been, so i could be wrong. but Wall of Sound has a ton of experimental/noise/psych/batshitcrazy lp's and cd's for you to pick through. Sonic Boom and Easy Street are good record shops, too.

if you're looking for a good coffee shop, go to the victrola. it has a pretty nice atmosphere, but they turn off the wireless on the weekends to encourage interaction between the patrons.

pike's market or whatever is pretty neat.

uwajimaya is a pretty swell grocery/district type area for asian foods.

chiso is probably the best sushi place i've been to.

and there's also a pizza place off of broadway that has some of the most amazing pizza and cheescake i've had in my whole entire life.

if you want to know anything else, just PM me and i can hook you up with some websites or something.

I don't know how long you're going- but a drive through the cascades can be amazing if you have a full free day.

Also Snoqualmie (spelling?) falls is pretty cool.

Just grab a 6 pack and have a sit-down at puget sound , watch the waves .

have a good time, i know fuck all about whats what in seattle but from them pics i would'nt mind going some day.

go to hendrix's house. and that museum with j's, steve turners and mark arms guitars.....

Wall of Sound used to be in Belltown, but that was even more than the two years you mention. I do miss that place, it was amazing. It started out as just a wall in a book store, thus the name.

I can't quite remember, but I think this is a pic of Mark Arm's guitar.

The EMP is great, as is the rest of the Seattle center, but I think you've already seen all that. Try Sonic Boom records. Theres a few outlets in Seattle.

http://www.sonicboomrecords.com/

did you hear that the 'new' location closed down the bookstore, making it an entire record store?

Hey, Julian! No cameras allowed in the EMP!

Well, it was always going that way. First the bookstore, which was called something else that I can't remember, rented them out a wall, and then they took over the whole store and left some of the book stuff in tact. It would make sense when they moved that the books wouldn't follow them I suppose.

Fuck I wrote about my experiences and accidently erased it so I give up.

Seattle depresses me every time I come here. I don't think I will ever come back here. Cant wait to get home tomorrow.

WHAT!?

Seattle is by far the greatest city on earth. You must be stoned or drunk to think otherwise, sir. You have clearly not visited the waterfront oddity stores and seen the mummies.

I'm not a huge fan of Seattle either to be honest. It is in a beautiful geographic location but I find the culture lacking. Then again, I have a bunch of relatives in Seattle. It would be much more attractive if I didn't. Although then again it really caters to a more prosperous demographic than I am accustomed to. Yeah, when it comes down to it- Seattle is just not white trash enough for me. Gourmet bullshit, veganism, organic food, leftist elitism. I want to be surrounded by hicks that think Bush was chosen by God to be president in a scary greasy spoon with horrible country music on the radio. I feel much more at home in those surroundings.

Oh, BTW AFAIK I've been to Seattle 5 or 6 times, and none of those times have I gone to the space needle. Is that weird?

I heard the whole area is pretty much a shithole redneck place... never been, though...
Say hello to '90s alternative rock for me, okay?

Whoever told you Seattle is a 'redneck shithole' is retarded. Seattle and it's surrounding bedroom communities are great places.

In regards to you, Julian, perhaps it's the family connection that's tainted Seattle for you. In my opinion, it's hard to find big cities that still have a unique identity these days. Most cities now are just turning into little NYCs. The waterfront is great, though overshadowed by that crazy freeway. The buskers and other street performers were all pretty good. The hobo problem in the older districts has been cleaned up, I think, and I only saw a few in the whole city (in huge contrast to Vancouver, I tell you, which is infested with hundreds upon hundreds of marching hobos).

The Seattle Center rules. The Space Needle is great and the outdoor movie theater at night is a really good idea. The EMP is by far the most interesting place, and just an amazing idea- the Sci-Fi museum below it is pretty cool too. The Monorail is FIXED! Though it's not really that long it's still a nice ride. Woodland Park Zoo is the best zoo I ever went to.

I think we're forgetting how awesome the WTC Riots were, too.

seattles is on the list along with the southern united states. i already been to a lot of the other parts. would anyone reccomend portland?

I've not been to Portland but I hear it's pretty cool. Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver are all worth checking out.

If I did drink or smoke pot lots, I certainly woulda been wasted the whole time to cover up the depression. I smoked alot of cigs and popped a few benadryl though.
I guess It's all on how you view it - I know England has pretty gloomy weather, so you are probably used to that more than me. But for me EVERY time I go there (I think this is my 7th) I feel like shit and wanna kill myself. I ain't takin' away how you feel Danny - I mean my brother has lived there for 10 years now and he doesn't complain.
There's certainly lots of cool places to go and see, and it's beautiful and shit, but it just ain't for me.

Damn cuz, you took the words outta my mouth. Well put. I was trying to explain the leftist elitist hippier than thou vibe I got to someone but this is well put. It's certainly not a redneck place, quite the opposite, but it reminds me of that recent South Park episode where everyone starts driving Hybrid cars.