Originally, I had planned to write this column about Mamma Mia!: The Sing-Along Edition, which, I'm sure, is happening somewhere sometime in your area in the near future. It involves the movie Mamma Mia! (which delighted me, honestly), and YOUR very own vocal cords, and, inevitably, the words "Money, money, money/Always sunny/In the rich man's world/Aha-ahaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!" belted out by someone's high-school guidance counselor in the row behind you. But then, I thought, haven't I written about Mamma Mia! enough already? Haven't you had your fill of Meryl Streep's overall crotch and Colin Firth's horrific pubescent screech? You don't want that, do you?
Say you don't.
Because when the moment arrived for me to actually GO to Mamma Mia!: The Sing-Along Edition, and I started thinking about the kind of people who want to see Mamma Mia! AGAIN (there's no way the sing-along is their first viewing) except this time in karaoke format with mandatory audience participation, I realized that—oooops, I was really busy that night doing literally anything else that I could possibly find to do.
Instead, the following night, I went to the Film, Music, and Digital Media Happy Hour—a new monthly event put together by the Mayor's Office of Film + Music. It was a charming little to-do: $4 well drinks (strong) and $3 PBR, genuine sunshine blazing in through the front windows. Everyone wore name tags, color-coded depending on which industry they belonged to—blue for film, red for music, and gold for tech. People sidled around—some relaxed, some careful—peeking at each other's names (are you important? Do I have anything to offer you? Can I have some money?), handing out cards, shaking hands.
Two friendly electronic musicians seemed disappointed that—despite my blue name tag—I am not a filmmaker looking for a soundtrack. A local screenwriter respectfully begged me (a self-professed hater of his genre) not to review his movie. Ever. Please. Someone else spoke of the fussiness of the French.
The idea—according to, you know, the government—is this: "Seattle has been a growing hub for film, music, and digital media over the past several years, and it is vital for these three communities to interact for our city to continue to thrive. This happy hour offers just such an environment for people from these industries to socialize, network, and build a unified community." It's sweet—and I don't mean this in a condescending way—that Seattle is small enough for people from all corners of the industry to meet and chat in such an intimate space. If you hosted this thing in Los Angeles, for example, you'd have to rent out Staples Center. And that would be expensive. Money, money, money!
The happy hour takes place the last Wednesday of every month from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Sole Repair at 1001 East Pike Street.
