The All-Ages Movement Project is a two-year-old organization
run by Vera Project cofounder, all-ages advocate, and superbabe Shannon
Stewart. Its aim is to strengthen the networks of all-ages spaces
across the country. In order to do this, the group has created a
growing online directory of “community centers” that host and promote
music, youth, and activism. At the EMP Pop Conference on April 11, the
group hosted a panel that included the Department of Safety‘s
Kevin Erickson, the Vera Project‘s Joshua Powell, Ana Maria
Gallegos y Reinhardt of Warehouse 21 in New Mexico, and Chris
Wiltsee, founder of a youth-run record label called Youth Movement
Records. Hearing about all of their all-ages ventures got me to
thinking about how lucky Seattle is to have places like this in our
community. As a casual concertgoer, you rarely see or hear about these
people behind the scenes, but they really are changing lives by
creating and maintaining places that provide opportunity, direction,
and fun for kids.
April 17 will be a day of choice, a day in which our fragile
community is in great danger of being divided right down the middle
and ultimately torn apart. No, not another state primary: I’m
talking about two incredible all-ages shows both taking place Thursday
night. Dirty Projectors are at Chop Suey, playing what is sure
to be a triumphant encore to their last visit. The band boast some of
the strongest and most unique singing voices I’ve ever heard, with
three-part harmonies that are angelic, quirky, and guaranteed to blow
you away in person. Down the hill are Why? and Mount
Eerie at the Vera Project. Holy smokes, man! This show is going to
be the barnburner to burn all barns. Both Yoni Wolf and Phil Elverum
are master storytellers who will entertain with not only the material
off their new albums but also hilarious between-song banter. Word on
the street is that Mount Eerie’s new album, Black Wooden Ceiling
Opening, is uncharacteristically dark and influenced by black
metal—maybe Elverum will rock corpse paint. 