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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Since We Asked Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Readers Choice 2006 Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Our Valley Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend August 18, 2006 Crazy in Seattle A few weeks ago on my way to Vancouver, B.C. I decided to stop in Seattle for a quick look around. After threading my way through dense traffic snarls and blocked-off streets, I found myself creeping up toward the Pacific Science Center. Right next to the familiar towers was a structure that looked like a giant child had crumpled up one of his plastic toys and abandoned it on the ground almost at the foot of the Space Needle. At first I thought it was a circus tent. After all, there was a huge Ferris wheel right there along with other rides. What I had stumbled upon was neither a giant toy nor a circus, but maybe a little of both. It was the site of Paul Allen's dual public venues: the Experience Music Project and the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame. Turns out the building has been there since 2000. (Somebody needs to get to Seattle more.) It was designed by Frank O. Gehry, the expressionist, post-modern, deconstructionist poster boy for the Santa Monica school of architecture. His most recent wigged-out-looking buildings include the Pritzker Pavilion in Chicago's Millennium Park and the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. I've seen the Pritzker. Its twisted metal sheets tumbling over an outdoor performance stage look like an explosion suspended in time. The Experience Music Project also captures a frozen moment. Undulating over its metal skin are more than 21,000 stainless steel and painted aluminum shingles in colors ranging from brushed and blasted silver and gold to glossy purple, red and blue. Gehry's inspiration is reported to have come from the colors and curves of electric guitars, the energy of rock 'n' roll, and the fluidity of music. Well, that explains it. Advertisement I've never been to the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, so I have no idea how the architect chose to reflect what the building contains. Gehry's flamboyant, in-your-face style that flouts all the rules is the perfect vessel to contain and convey rock's parent-annoying, kick-out-the-jams rebelliousness. Gehry's buildings have been criticized for not being utilitarian inside and for not relating to nearby buildings on the outside. How often have rock 'n' rollers been accused of being practical or caring about what their neighbors think? Hey, the Experience Music Project's restaurant is called the Revolution Bar & Grill. You got a problem with that? And to think that I was planning on driving downtown and would have missed this garish mix of whimsy, entertainment and education. I found the building ugly. Almost tasteless. It really does look like it was just plopped onto the ground with no relation whatsoever to itself or the buildings around it. But you know what? Inside, it works. The sources of Gehry's inspiration are in evidence everywhere. I loved being there. And it looked like the people all around me loved being there, too. Co-founders Paul Allen and Jody Patton knew what they were doing when they created the Experience Music Project to both entertain and engage visitors in the creative process. A large part of the rock scene is showmanship. Hype. The phrase "rock star" has become part of our vernacular. Which is why a huge amount of space in the Experience Music Project is devoted to the trappings of stardom. There is an entire room filled with costumes worn by rock stars. There is an exhibit of album covers featuring the artwork that helped drive record sales and create rock personas. There are films and recordings of historic performances and the actual guitars played at those events. You can look up all kinds of information about your favorite artists in the Digital Lab. And if your favorite artist happens to be Jimi Hendrix, you've come to the Seattle version of Graceland. There's an enormous gallery filled with Jimi Hendrix costumes, guitars, recordings, photos, song manuscripts, and pieces of the guitars he smashed in concerts. It's the largest collection of Hendrix memorabilia anywhere. Paul Allen was a big fan. But the coolest part of the building is upstairs. Over half the entire third floor is performance space. A place to make music, not just hear or read about it. There's a demo lab where you can join in a dance session, workshop or other activity. There is a space where you can perform in a rock concert simulation complete with cheering fans, smoke and lights. Or you can go to the sound lab and make your own music with guitars, keyboards, drums, samplers, mixers and microphones provided there. You can even go inside a sound booth and record your own CD. Somebody was thinking about the next generation of musicians when they designed this. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems California Casinos Men's Clothing Southern Oregon Loans --> GMAT Prep Fundraisers Send Flowers Entertainment Guide --> Casinos Canada Trunks, Footlocker Online Casino Reviews