Sight Seeing Saturdays

So lately Clay and I have been trying to visit the many points of interest around Seattle music - not only are we huge music lovers in general, but the grunge movement and the guitarists who got their start here are nothing short of amazing!!

Not too many years ago Paul Allen opened his "Experience Music Project" (EMP), but visiting there several years ago, I was severely disappointed and am not in any hurry to return to the blatant (not to mention boring) showoff of his music collection. So instead, we were left to venture the random sights and memorials on our own....

Enter first Mr. Jimi Hendrix, a guitar hero for Clay for sure. Hendrix died at the very early age of 29, choking on his own porcelain god impurities at the time his father lived in good ole' Renton, WA (similar to Tyrone, GA in both proximity to big city and in redneckedness). He was first buried somewhere else, but when his dad realized that fans wanted a place to come visit him (and when the checks were cashed, I'm sure), he wanted to give Jimi the proper burial place he deserved. Thus the memorial to the right - it was quite impressive. Carvings of his lyrics in his own handwriting, his signature, his pictures, and one or two dozen plots circling the memorial for his family to join him in the future. It was beautiful.

If only Steph had such a monument that she deserves....

Then to complete the Hendrix experience, we heard there was a Jimi Hendrix statue in Capital Hill (aka the Midtown Atlanta of Seattle) we needed to see. And so to Cap Hill we drove.... We got to Broadway and Pine (the intersection of the statue) and looked and looked - drove around it twice and finally got out to try to find this statue... Surely it's actually a model of Hendrix himself and not some abstract art that we saw from the street??? So we look, we venture close to the art at Seattle Community College (located at the same intersection), but no Jimi.

Surely it would be obvious?!?

FINALLY.

He seriously couldn't have blended in more, couldn't have been more random! I guess the only thing that made sense in this busy intersection was that it happened to be in front of a music store - I guess that was the big connection?? A monument in and of itself, Clay and I had to walk into this store - surely one of the last remaining brick and mortar music stands left in the country.(!) It was ok. I guess. It was no Zune marketplace ;) But alas, our Hendrix experience has been completed. Check!

Next on to my personal fave - Mr. Kurt Cobain. The lead singer of Nirvana, he was a leader of our generation and a genius sadly too sick for this world. Unfortunately his crazy wife won't bury his remains or even tell where she scattered ashes, so the only remnants of his last days remains at his house where he took his life (unless you believe all of the conspirators who say that he was actually murdered and his suicide note was nothing more than a brain dump and a letter to simply leave his wife). The neighborhood was much different than I would have ever imagined - extremely quiet and conservative feeling, the address wasn't even posted anywhere... Of course I'd done my research so I'm confident we found the right house - I wonder who lives there now - but for sure it is inhabited by someone who doesn't want any visitors or spectators... Not shy, I still took pics and still walked up close - he was a hero of mine, dangit! I deserve to feel a part of his life. Thus the pic above :)

So our musical tour ends here, a reminder of the great Seattle musical influences of the past - if only such brilliance would spring up here again.... Well short of me and Clay of course! ;)

So happy musical times everyone - go put on your favorite album and enjoy the healing power of some kick-arse music!!