And we thought we had it bad when the Cigarette Czars stamped out our right to smoke in bars. Up in Seattle, Prohibition – at least on fun – is in effect in full force. Last weekend, the Emerald City celebrated the 20th anniversary of Sub Pop Records, the erstwhile indie label that produced Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and pretty much every other loud, drop-D-tuned rock band that went on to define the grunge movement in the early ’90s.
“Sub Pop’s Utterly Lost Weekend” included performances and parties. Also, at Experience the Art of Music – an interactive living-museum-type of institution – Mayor Greg Nickels proudly declared the weekend of July 11-14 an official city holiday. “In the post-huzzah lull,” The Seattle Times wrote, “someone in the crowd yelled out, ‘Now stop the war on nightlife!'” Evidently, in Seattle, according to the Times, “there were once positive relationships between police and local concert venues.” Now venue owners are fearful of being fined for violating noise and capacity restrictions, and patrol cops are insisting that employees at venues “enforce infantile state liquor laws, such as the one that bars adult performers from drinking alcohol while performing” (my italics).
Clubs that have never violated noise or capacity restrictions are racking up the citations now, “shutting down long-standing music nights.” The consensus of the industry: “It’s more difficult to live in Seattle as a musician, promoter, or club owner than just a few years ago. And nightlife is suffering.” Granted, Fort Worth is not Seattle, not only because we’re not located in the Pacific Northwest and also not called “Seattle,” but also because we’re basically just getting into the nightlife business. True, Fort Worth has had nightclubs here but never as many as today. Seattle, on the other hand, has a long history of healthy – not just existing but healthy – underground music and nightlife. City officials there evidently think they can freely step on it – “It won’t break if we bend it a little” seems to be their M.O. And the scene probably won’t be hurt.
Regardless, reigning in nightlife is a hairy proposition and one that Fort authorities would be crazy to instigate here; not that they’re thinking seriously about it, at least to the extent that Seattle is. But the combination of the recent citywide smoking ban and new noise ordinance in Sundance Square makes me wonder … Underground culture is vital to any city’s health. A wealth of cool entertainment options generally keeps young people happy, and happy young people generally bring the kind of wide-eyed energy that leads to new ideas, new business models, and new ways of thinking and also helps keep cities livable and lovable. Cities that are unable to attract young people and have a lot of plus-55’ers – Baltimore, Buffalo, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh – are dying. The old-timers have already made their contributions to society and are content to withdraw to their bedrooms and leave the fresh thinking to the whippersnappers. Unlike some other cities its age, Seattle is booming. Its well-established creative culture isn’t going anywhere. Ours is still in the precarious position of “what can be.” We’d only screw ourselves by screwing with it.
Contact HearSay at hearsay@fwweekly.com.
