Its multi-colored design and funky shape had been staring me down for days until I finally stepped foot inside its doors this week. The "it" in this situation is the EMP (Experience Music Project) located near downtown Seattle, directly next to the Space Needle. The EMP is a highly interactive "museum" with a wide variety of exhibits going on at any given time. I use the term "museum" loosely because at no point did I really feel like I was in a museum-type atmosphere.
The first exhibit I saw was the
Can't Look Away: The Lure of Horror Film exhibit. Now, I'll freely admit that I'm a baby when it comes to horror films. I rarely ever watch them and find no delight in being frightened. That being said, this exhibit was awesome. They had artifacts from classic movies (
The Shining,
Edward Scissorhands,
Alien, and many others) on display and a booth where you could get photographed while screaming. The pictures are then put on the wall lining the staircase as a mini-exhibit of their own.
Next up, it was on to the Avatar exhibit. Full disclosure: I am one of the very few who has never seen this movie so I will not try to describe everything I saw without much background knowledge. After seeing this exhibit, however, I'll be watching this movie in the very near future. Very cool. I should note they also have a Battlestar Galactica exhibit going on that I know very little about. The extent of my Battlestar Galactica "knowledge" is Jim Halpert mocking Dwight Schrute on The Office.
My favorite part of the EMP was a room appropriately titled the "Sky Church". It is the world's largest indoor movie screen and was playing a live video of Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust". Freddie Mercury was wearing nothing but a white hat, a handkerchief and towel around his neck, and very short shorts. Let's just say you couldn't focus on much else due to the 8,000 foot screen emphasizing these shorts front and center. Take a look at it yourself and you'll see what I mean:
The Sky Church would be an amazing place to hold a party, dance, wedding, or just about any other celebration that would give you an excuse to spend more time in this room. Shortly after leaving this room, you stumble on the
"Roots and Branches" art piece which is a collection of guitars, organs, banjos, drums, and other instruments that are tied together in a tangled root-like pattern. I think that just about speaks for itself.
The main event of the EMP right now is probably the Nirvana exhibit and rightfully so: It gives a very intimate look into the life of the band throughout their entire career. There are homemade pictures, letters, and possessions that make the band seem more accessible than ever. The sign of a job well done is that it made me very interested to delve into the music and history of Nirvana more than when I walked into the EMP. Next door to the Nirvana exhibit was a Jimi Hendrix display that paid tribute to his career by showing old instruments, wardrobes, and text from Hendrix's lifetime. Fittingly, before you see the Hendrix exhibit, you can enter a room that details the evolution of the guitar over time with a nearly endless display of guitars dating back to the 19th century until today.
Lastly, there is the Sound Lab floor where you can take a crack at becoming a rock star. Key phrase: take a crack. At least, that was my experience....I learned that I am no Hendrix and that I can't even "slappa da bass" like Peter Klaven from I Love You, Man. On this floor, you can play guitar, drums, bass, vocals, DJ, mix final tracks that you put together, among others. Sound cool? It is.
Overall, I came away very surprised with how expansive and interesting the EMP was from exhibit to exhibit. Although I only spent a couple hours there, it is certainly a place you could find yourself at for an entire day. If you happen to be an avid horror film/Avatar/Nirvana/Hendrix/Battlestar Galactica fan (and really, who isn't?), this is the place for you. And if you're not? Well then you're like me and you'll come away from your trip to the EMP with a new appreciation for them all and wonder why you hadn't visited the eccentric-looking building sooner.
