Can Nickels Kill Seattle Nightlife?
There was a good article in the Seattle Times about the recent Sub Pop 20-Year Anniversary and how Mayor Nickels tried to get a little PR spotlight to act like he actually gave a shit about Seattle's music and nightlife which is the cornerstone to why anyone in their right mind would want to move to this city in the first place. Seattle's music scene and culture is what attracted me back in 1995 to move to Capitol Hill.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/musicnightlife/2008057827_nite18.html
Nickels is so influenced by Seattle builders and the commercial real estate community that he has developed a Seattle Nightclub task force and is implementing a Seattle nightclub license that business owners that have a venue of 99+ with live music will have to renew every year with some real funny stipulations on trash, fighting, noise, etc.
He has recently pushed through a new sound ordinance for music venues that I am sure will start getting enforced as soon as their can figure out how to measure ambient noise on the street that can already be louder then the allowed decibel levels from cars passing by and people talking. I wonder how this will effect events like Bumpershoot and outdoor festivals like the Capitol Hill Block Party which is now pretty close to some new condos in the Pike/Pine corridor.
http://www.seattle.gov/council/newsdetail.asp?ID=7052&Dept=28
In the last year, Seattle bar and club owners have organized themselves to have a voice with the newly proposed regulations and laws that the City Council are considering. The Seattle Nightlife and Music Association was formed and has membership and tons of information on this issue:
What would this city be without it's vibrant live DJ and music scene? I am sure drug usage would go through the roof way higher then it already is but in a bad way. I do agree that there should be some guidelines to shut down venues that aren't being responsible in their operations but the mayor is really gunning against our highly cherished nightlife just to appease these new condo dwellers that want to live in an entertainment corridor or downtown in the bar district.
Support your local pub, bar, live music venues and nightclubs. It is bad enough that Seattle lost the Crocodile Cafe this past year.
-Nostalgia B