Have you held a wide-eyed child as a beautiful float glides down Fourth
Avenue, craned your neck skyward as the Blue Angels suddenly disappear
from view, gasped for air as a hydroplane comes out of the north turn
bouncing from sponson to sponson?
It seems like every neighborhood in Seattle and the surrounding
area has their own fireworks display. But the best fireworks aren't
always right next door. We've compiled a list of Fireworks displays and
other July 4th events so you can choose where to spread out your
blanket and take in the pyrotechnics.
The line-up of John Roderick’s The Long Winters is chock-full of
Pacific Northwest luminaries and power-pop all-stars from the past
decade. It began as a duo of Roderick and Sean Nelson of Harvey Danger
fame (not to mention Nelson’s stint as a KEXP DJ and as a writer for
The Stranger).
With a slightly punky perspective on vintage American blues, The Devil Makes Three is a breath of fresh musical air on its eponymous Milan debut. Laced with elements of ragtime, country, folk and rockabilly, the critically praised, drummer-less trio – consisting of guitarist/frontman Pete Bernhard, stand-up bassist Lucia Turino and guitarist Cooper McBean – brings forth a genuine approach to acoustic music that is deeply steeped in rhythm.
Crow's seductive ambiance is a cross between a stark industrial warehouse and an artist's romantic loft. Low lighting and gauzy curtains create a visual counterpoint to the restaurant's minimal decor and cement walls, which are painted in a palette of rich colors. Despite its noisy buzz, Crow is an inviting neighborhood hangout (kid noodles are on the menu) yet intimate enough for a special occasion.
Beer drinking and Independence Day have been bedmates from the get go.
Something about the hot July sun paired with, cold, alcoholic
refreshment just makes sense. George Washington himself was a brewer,
concocting a draught sweetened with molasses that was about twice as
potent as today’s varieties.
WaMu ZooTunes presented by Carter Subaru returns for its 25th season
and another exciting line-up. The popular concerts are held outdoors on
the vast, picturesque North Meadow of Woodland Park Zoo.
Imagine a turn-of-the-century dairy farm nestled on 55 acres of
tranquil farmland on Washington's beautiful Olympic Peninsula...the
sounds of exquisite chamber music floating in the air.
Inside the beautiful barn, world-renowned musicians clad in blue jeans
are enthralling Northwest natives and visitors with outstanding music
from the most-beloved classical composers. From late June through early
September, performances are held every Saturday and Sunday afternoon at
2pm.
An ironic contrast of pink wine and rough surfaces captured my attention at once as I entered Form-Space-Light Gallery. Located down a Fremont alley way, the space felt raw. Though its walls are clinically white and struck with bright light, its damp air, exposed pipes and an old rusty heater further support its already industrial propensity. The wood floor creaked as I walked across its worn, paint-splattered planks. I could nearly conjure up the fumes and grind of blade on steel as I was presented with a panoramic view of angular forms and non-descript imagery.
n Washington, there are subtle differences that often give tribally
owned and operated Casinos, to borrow a phrase, a house edge. Only in
tribal casinos can one hear the soft whisper of a stickman’s rake as he
adroitly delivers the dice to an awaiting shooter, glued against the
rail of a craps table; or the swoosh of a Roulette ball orbiting the
reds, blacks, odds, evens and zeros; or the relentless sensory
deprivation of 2,500 slot machines seemingly erupting in unison, the
progressive jackpot tally ticking inexorable higher, begging to be hit,
just begging. They have this and more, all under a sweet cloud of
cigarette smoke tantalizingly floating overhead. It pays to be
sovereign.
Get ready for the battle of East vs. West food festivals July 18th-20th
as the Kirkland Waterfront takes on the Seattle Center. With a one-two
punch of style and taste, Kirkland Uncorked is ready to show the
westside a thing or two about how the eastside does a three-day summer
celebration. Located on the shores of Lake Washington at Kirkland’s Marina Park,
the festival will feature wine tasting, restaurant food samplings, a
head-to-head chef grill-off competition, an art walk, boat show, dog
modeling contest, shopping, and much more.
Capitol Hill Block Party is a bit of a stepchild to the Gorge’s splendor, Bumbershoot’s ambitiousness and White River’s now-that’s-what-I-call-music line-ups. It’s a melting pot of a festival, an everyman’s Burning Man. While undersized for a summer concert sell-out headliner like Tom Petty or Beck, the Block Party has once again managed to put together an impressive group of artists.
Seattle has a music scene built on noise. We birthed grunge from our
asphalt loins, and in the many years since, we've become a hotbed for
new trends in the amplification and production of beautiful, sweet
noise. With music reaching a level of accessibility unknown prior to
the advent of digital production, our noisy little burg has been
overrun with new acts focused on pushing the envelope of complex
craziness. The Cops, The Valley, The Hopscotch Boys, Black Eyes and
Neckties, Truckasaurus—the list goes on and on.
Wooden Boats Ahoy! Seattle’s annual Lake Union Wooden Boat Festival at Lake Union Park – the 32nd annual nautical festival where young and old salts alike and even the landlubbers among us can explore the Northwest’s rich maritime heritage – casts-off over the July 4 weekend.
The seed for Sub Pop as we know it was planted by Bruce Pavitt in a fanzine released in 1979 named Subterranean Pop. In 1986, after a series of cassette compilations under the same name, Pavitt released a compilation entitled Sub Pop 100, and the next year Green River’s Dry as a Bone EP. By 1988, Pavitt befriended Jonathan Poneman and the two put out Soundgarden’s debut EP, Screaming Life. This release now serves as a golden stake of sorts, simultaneously marking the beginning of grunge as international phenomenon and Sub Pop’s start as a legitimate record label.
Seattle is littered with landmarks that create a city that is not only
interesting, but eclectic, the landmarks reflects the attitude of the
free thinking and progressive residents. Here's a guide to familiarize
you with a handful of the landmarks that call Seattle home.
