We can thank Metzger for another club on the all-ages roster, but we can thank Pedro the Lion for the sound quality--the band played the Yak Room's first concert last November to raise money for a good sound system and drew a crowd of almost 400 fans. Clearly, an all-ages venue was much needed for those teens stuck close to the Snohomish-King County border.
"I know a lot of the kids would come to shows, especially those who live in the suburbs, but their parents don't like the idea of them going to Seattle," Metzger explained. "They're 16, they just got their driver's licenses. I think their parents feel more comfortable with them being able to come to a show [closer to home]."
Having spent his high-school years in the Edmonds area, Metzger knows firsthand how difficult it is to be underage and away from all the action. "I remember when I was younger, my favorite bands would come and play and I was so bummed I could never go see them," he said. "I love putting on shows for all the kids."
But all-ages clubs are not just good for the kids, Metzger argues, they're necessary for Seattle's music scene. "The perfect example is the Eastside," he says. "All those kids started going to shows and playing music when they were super young--14, 15, or 16 years old. They started bands and playing music, and now look at 'em. They're in some of the best bands in Seattle, they're getting signed to major labels."
What the Old Fire House and Ground Zero have done for the Eastside of King County, Joel hopes the Yak Room will do for the North End. Even with his ambitions, he has to take things slowly with the Yak Room. "I haven't booked shows in a long time, and I'm trying to get back into the swing of things as far as going to shows and networking and all that stuff. It's kind of hard to get people to come out to these shows; I don't want to bite off more than I can chew. The goal would be to do at least two shows a month. If it starts going really well, maybe more. It just depends." MEGAN SELING
