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. recommended

ccatherwood@thestranger.com