American Booty: 5 Years On...

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Five years ago to this day, our world changed forever. The terrorist attacks in NY changed the way we live and the way we see our world. Today, I decided I was going right up the Space Needle. Not that anything bad was going to happen…

I slept in quite well and decided not only to fit in the Space Needle but a visit to the Experience Music Project (EMP) as well. Unfortunately, a visit into the sewers of Seattle had to be missed out on, as well as the Microsoft Museum. I didn’t get a chance to venture into the Portland sewers but I did come to Seattle for the music.

The bus system is very easy to figure out in Seattle. I’m in the free zone anyway so I don’t have to pay. If I did, it would only be $1.25! Us Sydneysiders get complicated with stupid sectional travel which is expensive which goes a long way to explain why it isn’t as patronized as it could be. I could also take the monorail direct to the EMP but I decide I’d rather ride the bus.

Paul Allen, co founder of Microsoft is the man behind the EMP. Outside, the museum is supposed to resemble an electric guitar. However, inside is homage to music, nothing I’ve ever seen anywhere. I’d be lucky to find anything like this in the world, in such a big space - which excludes the Hard Rock Café chain.

I spend about an hour in one part of the museum and that’s the “Yes Yes Ya’ll” section - for hip hop! It goes into depth into the four elements of hip hop, which are breaking, rapping, djing and graffiting. There’s a DVD playing when I entered and I spent a good deal of time watching Grandmaster Caz recount the days of old school hip hop.

The memorabilia is impressive - hand written notes by Kurtis Blow, the outfit worn by Run (from RUN DMC), Grandmaster Flash’s turntables, spray cans from the Bronx, breakdancers shoes, subversive ads, original backpacks, flyers, 12” records and 45s.

Another great exhibit was the history of the guitar. Showing off innovations at the time, from the beginning with the Africans and the Spanish, right through til the famed bass guitar, invented by Paul Tutmarc, from Portland. The EMP is very proud of North Western music with another homage in the form of an exhibit to grunge music. I pass an exhibit on the song Louie, Louie and I’m still humming it through the Jimi Hendrix exhibit before I end up at the interactive exhibit - I can actually play Louie, Louie on the bass guitar!

Next stop is the Space Needle. I know back home my mum would be very sensational if she heard I was going up here today on the anniversary of September 11. It was obvious nothing was going to happen, apart from lots of photos taken from the top. The views were very good from up there but it was ridiculously windy, so it was impossible to get a photo of Kaz and I, together. Or else she would tumble 605 feet (184 m) towards the EMP, which really does look bizarre from up here.

I thought I’d catch the monorail back downtown, but the monorail wasn’t even working! Bastards! First the streetcar, and now the monorail. The Department of Public Transport must have some knobs working for them. I consoled myself at the Pike Place Pub and Brewery with a jug of beer. The TV is showing the commemorations of 9/11 around the country. I suppose the best I could do is to dedicate my jug to all those who sacrificed their lives on that day.

The jug lets me go to bed real early, as I have to be up on a 6am flight to LAX.

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Photos

Kaz in the Bag
From the top of the Space Needle in Seattle. It was just too windy to take a photo!

Looking West towards the Pacific
From the top of the Space Needle in Seattle.

Looking to the North West
Even though we are in the North West! From the top of the Space Needle in Seattle.

The view from my Hostel dorm
looking out towards the wharf...so many seagulls here!