Monday, October 29, 2012

EMP Museum @ Seattle, WA

Andy is not impressed by the architecture
EMP (formerly known as Experience Music Project) Museum, designed by Frank Gehry (it's supposed to resemble the vibrancy of music, but to me it looks like the Disney Concert Hall threw up on it), is what the Grammy Museum would like to grow up to be.  It features an amazing stage for concerts and impressive, interactive displays on music and pop culture.

If I lived in Seattle, I would definitely become a member of this museum.  Hell, I'd probably even volunteer there.  Hm, looking for job openings...

Favorite Exhibits:
  • Can't Look Away:  The Lure of Horror Film
    • Scream Booth
    October 1, 2012
    HC, Fiona, Sin, Andy's tongue
    • Philip Worthington's interactive shadow monster installation.  Monster parts grew and changed with our movements.  
      Me on the right
    • Old movie posters
    • Movie and TV props  
    • Rubert Giles' spell book in Buffy the Vampire Slayer
      Photo via EMP
    • Commentaries on Michael Jackson's Thriller and Evil Dead 2 (one of my fave scary movies).  Learned that Evil Dead 2 was one of the most successful horror sequels, which I found amusing because it's pretty much a remake of the first Evil Dead (commentary even admitted this right when I was thinking it!) 
  • Icons of Science Fiction
    • Putting on costumes to pose in the compositing special effects installation
    • So, this is how much of a nerd I am.  The Dalek (major recurring enemies in Doctor Who) was the first thing I rushed over to see.  I got super excited about it, and naturally no one knew what I was talking about. Looked much less threatening in person.
      Dalek from 1988 ep of Remembrance of the Daleks. Photo via EMP
    • Command Chair from Star Trek:  The Original Series
    • Neo's coat from The Matrix.  Didn't realize how tall Keanu Reeves is.  He's like a foot taller than I am!
    • Rifle from Men in Black
    • Superman suit.  So much spandex...
    • Concept sketches of Darth Vader's helmet
    • Displays of science fiction books that actually got me curious to read them.  Putting The Forever War on my To Read List. 
  • Nirvana:  Taking Punk to the Masses
  • Kurt Cobain during soundcheck 1992
    • An abundance of information on Nirvana and the Washington music scene.  
    • Personal photos, handwritten lyrics and letters, demo tapes, album covers gave insight into Nirvana.  There were remnants of a guitar smashed by Kurt Cobain that were reunited for the first time in years that gave me chills.  
    • Had no idea Death Cab for Cutie was from Bellingham, WA.  We were there the day before! 
    • The listening stations allowed me to check out bands I had always heard about.  And even though I'm behind the times, I think I could get into The Posies and The Young Fresh Fellows.
  • Guitar Gallery:  The Quest for Volume
    • Is a must for anyone who plays or loves guitars 
  • Jimi Hendrix:  An Evolution of Sound
    • Had no idea he used to play with Little Richard
  • The Rolling Stones
    • Because of my age, I've only ever known them as old, wrinkly rockers.  It's hard to remember they were actually young and attractive once.  
      Keith Richards before he was an old pirate
  • Sound Lab

2 comments:

  1. don't forget learning how to play Wild Thing with one string on the bass/guitar.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Andy was screaming with his tongue out? :P

    ReplyDelete