From sweaty rock clubs to award-winning
ballet, Seattle covers the ground between “high” and “low” culture with surprising depth. And even more surprisingly, there aren’t distinct audiences for these attractions but a music and arts loving populace that might be at Death Cab for Cutie on Tuesday night and then Wagner on Friday.
Culturally, Seattle is best known as the “home of grunge.”
Pearl Jam notwithstanding, though, grunge music ceased to be very important about ten years ago. But rock clubs continue to be the cultural heart of the town--the
Crocodile,
El Corazon, and the
Triple Door among them. Seattle also has a burgeoning hip hop movement, as well as strong jazz, folk, and country scenes.
Seattle theatre runs from the nationally recognized
5th Avenue to dozens of underground fringe theatre groups. The
Seattle Symphony has reached new heights of popularity and controversy under the baton of
Gerald Schwarz. The Symphony pulls double duty as the orchestra for the
Seattle Opera, best known for its ambitious Ring Cycle undertakings. Both Symphony and Opera have brand new performance halls (
Benaroya and
McCaw respectively) to call home as well as discount performances for the culturally hesitant.
