The grungy side of Seattle
This post is geared towards the musically oriented, who de-stress at concerts and/or are looking for local music venues to unwind while in Seattle for ARVO 2024 (May 5 - 9).
The U.S. pacific northwest and more specifically Seattle were birthplaces for several well-known bands in the late 1980s and early 90s, including Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Green River, Blood Circus, Screaming Trees and the Posies. These groups were each considered part of an evolving “grunge” culture in Seattle — which is now known as the place where grunge began. Several venues specializing in grunge music lie in the Belltown neighborhood, which is only about one mile from the Seattle Convention Center. These include:
Both owned by 'The Crocodile Venues', these locales have hosted both famous musicians and others who are just getting started!
Venture a bit further downtown, there’s also The Showbox (by Pike Place Market) and Showbox SODO (SODO stands for “South of Downtown”) which host a wide variety of musical talents and can be accessed by the light rail or by bus.
If grunge isn’t your style, there is plenty more to see and hear! Check out Climate Pledge Arena and Lumen Field for stadium tours (and sporting events). For lovers of Jazz, we have one of the top clubs in the world, Dimitriou's Jazz Alley. For lovers of Classical music, one of the most obvious stops is Benaroya Hall, located only blocks from the Convention Center (there will be one show playing around the Meeting time).
There are many other local music venues that cater to a broad range of musical tastes. If you want to go out during the Annual Meeting and see a show, I recommend searching Visit Seattle's music events calendar. You can apply date- and neighborhood-based filters to find exactly what suits your tastes!
Daniel Hass, PhD
