Participating in the arts

What does it mean to participate in the arts?  I've been struggling with this question for some time now and I have yet to find a complete answer.  The current definition of arts participation only coincides with fine arts activities such as attending the opera or ballet or going to a museum or art gallery.  It's understandable why these activities are focused upon as they are easier to track and the context in which these activities are put don't change often.  However, the fact is, most people do not participate in the arts by going to the Opera or visiting a museum or gallery.  The role of the arts has changed in this era of extensive world-wide communication and easy access to information.  We no longer have to rely on institutions to keep our cultural fabric alive.  While there will always be a place for the works of past masters, the internet revolution has sparked an artistic movement that transcends formal education.

Fall in Seattle

You know what I love about the year in general?  Fall.  The cold weather, the leaves changing, the food, the pumpkin beer!  One my favorite times anywhere is during autumn.  It's a preparing season.  We might not be conscious of it but we are getting ready for something whether it be winter, school, or the holidays.  There is this collective feeling that everyone is moving at a slower pace during this time....and I mean that as a good thing.  Like right now, I'm in a coffee shop that it full of people who are working, conversing or just enjoying a latte and there is not one person who doesn't have a smile on their face.


 

An Overdue Post

Foxy Shazam

LP

So yeah, I've been lacking on keeping up with this whole blogging thing.  I started this blog before I had anything to do up here in Seattle.  I started grad school a few weeks after my first post went up and finding a job(s) and a cool internship has taken a front seat in this two year road trip of education, experience and just all around awesomeness.  If you are interested, I am in a Masters of Fine Arts Program focusing on Arts Leadership.  It has been a crazy first class.  We've been learning about different theories and styles of leadership.  It was intense and I am happy to be done with that class.  I start two more next week: Fundamentals of Nonprofits and Persuasive Communication!

The past few weeks have been filled with meeting new people and seeing a lot of live music!  My good friend Charlee was able to come up at the beginning of September for the Bumbershoot festival.  It was my 4th time going and it was just as fun as the previous years.  We got to see sooooo many bands but there were a few highlights:

Reignwolf:  I actually saw this guy at the Capitol Hill Block Party in July but his performance at Bumbershoot was insane.  He creates these amazing and full sounding heavy blues/rock songs with just a guitar.  He has this "I don't give a fuck" attitude that really resonates with his music and keeps his live performance entertaining and musically solid.  Even if he didn't play a full drum kit and the guitar AT THE SAME TIME! he would still have an amazing show!

Foxy Shazam: I've been wanting to see these guys for a long time.  If you don't know them, imagine a crazy rock band that really really loves Queen.  Their onstage antics made their set exciting.  I didn't know what was going to happen next.  The keyboardist played a solo while the crowd held him and his  keyboard as he surfed across the dancfloor.  Lead singer Eric Nally is always an interesting person, commenting in between songs and eventually eating six lit cigarettes on stage.  While not as tight as other bands we saw, Foxy Shazam knows how to entertain.

The Wombats:  This would be my 3rd time seeing this band from Liverpool.  Their danceable rock riddled with lyrics about girls, love, and desperation bring a happy yet angry mix to their live shows.  It was certainly the rowdiest set we saw the whole weekend.  The Wombats always put on a great show!

LP: This was the surprise of the night.  We decided to catch LP's short set in the Toyota lounge and we were so happy we did.  The pipes on this singer/songwriter are nothing short of incredible.  If you don't know about LP I am certain you will soon.  It was so great to see a singer of that caliber perform in such an intimate setting.

The Burger

Sasquatch @ Li'l Woody's 

"Just a Burger? Just a burger. Robin, it’s so much more than “just a burger”. I mean…that first bite—oh what heaven that first bite is! The bun like a sesame freckled breast of an angel resting gently on the ketchup and mustard below—flavors mingling in a seductive pas-de-deux And then…a pickle…the most playful little pickle! Then a slice of tomato, a leaf of lettuce and a…a patty of ground beef so exquisite; swirling in your mouth breaking apart and combining again in a fugue of sweets and savor so delightful. This is no mere sandwich of grilled meat and toasted bread, Robin: this is God…speaking to us in food."




Marshall Erickson has probably the best monologue about a hamburger ever written and I share his enthusiasm for the uniquely American past time.  I have a been burger hunter for a while now, searching for the best combination of paddy, bun, and condiments.  The burgers can be separated into two categories: Traditional and Gourmet.  
While I stand by the Office Burger at Father's Office in Los Angeles as being the greatest gourmet burger ever (melted gruyere and blue cheese a top perfectly season beef adorned with fresh arugula and caramelized onions in between a freshly baked french roll), The top of the traditional is hard to decide.  I love the freshness of In-n-Out, the late night goodness that is Dick's up here in Seattle.  I even enjoy Sonic's take on the traditional burger but I have found a new contender in the form of a small joint almost hidden between a Barber Shop and a nightclub.  Li'l Woody's serves an amazing hand crafted burger that looks as good as it tastes.  The fresh and local ingredients blend together amazingly to create a complex yet balanced taste that can rival any established burger stand.  What really makes it is the bacon, cooked just right provides an extra kick of sweet and salty and brings the masterpiece that is the Big Woody to be called me favorite burger in Seattle.  To top it all off, it's the only place  know of that stay open until 3AM allowing that craving for a post drinking burger to be fulfilled.  You can wash it all down with a hand mixed milkshake with your choice of Molly Moon's ice cream!  Don't forget to try the "crack" (hand-cut fries and a side of milk shake for dipping) with your burger!    

Cooking Like It's 1929

Sitka & Spruce Kitchen @ Melrose Market - Seattle, WA

Moving into a new neighborhood is always exciting, especially one that has history like Capitol Hill in Seattle.  My apartment was built in the 1920s and still retains many of the features of the time: picture molding at the top of the walls, single paned windows that open fully and the kitchen.  My kitchen is my favorite feature of my studio.  Separate from the main room and features the original icebox and sink.  With barely enough room for one person, I am still able to pull off some amazing culinary feats.  Cooking has always been a big part of my life.  I love to cook for myself and others.  It's like meditation, it calms me down and allows me to get through rough times.  The lack of space in my apartment gives my confidence a boost when I am able to create something good from it.  It might not have great appliances or a lot of counter space but it invites you in and beckons you back in time.  This was an average kitchen size in the 20s and they made it work, so why can't I.  The past is all around me where I live.  The building facades date back to when the neighborhood was originally built.  Factories and warehouses have been transformed into boutiques and cafes with a unique sense of community.  You start to feel a part of the buildings, a part of the history and the businesses feel it too.
Walking down my block I came across this beautiful open warehouse filled with small food shops and cafes.  Melrose Market houses a butcher shop, a cheese shop, three restaurants, three bars, a flower stand, a home decor shop and a private event space.  Everything is either made on site or locally sourced and the presentation is amazing.  The bare wood supports and open floor plan allows everyone to move between the different businesses seamlessly, creating a sense of community among vendors and customers alike.  I know this will be my go to place for handmade sausages, artesian cheeses and the occasional sandwich but what really drew me in was the design of everything, especially Sitka & Spruce located in the back of the market.
French windows separate this small restaurant from the rest of the market giving me a feeling like I'm walking into someone's kitchen.  If William-Sonoma and Restoration Hardware built a house, this would be their prized room.  A gigantic butcher block serves as a prep table for the cooks and it's all open to the rest of the dining room. All of their ingredients are grown and produce locally.  They source a lot of from their own farm on Vashon Island that has a unique service for the supporting community, providing a weekly farm and larder boxes.  The boxes include a variety of produce and dairy products from the year's growing season.  I thought back to my kitchen and the way I approached food, always cooking for friends and having them try new dishes I experiment with.  It's a way to connect to people and celebrate the fact that we are alive and care about whats around us and that feeling was in full effect when I checked out the dining room.    Sadly, I was not able to sit down for a meal at that time but I will definitely be back to get the whole experience.