Friday, August 18, 2000

The Cyber Scene in Seattle ~ by Larry Sivitz and Soula Jones, Seattle24x7.com


In one of the most memorable events in American music history, the
Experience Music Project (EMP), Seattle's dynamic new interactive
music museum created by Paul Allen, brought together a spectacular
array of artists in a series of blockbuster concerts as part of its
weekend-long Grand Opening celebration this summer.

Matchbox Twenty, Alanis Morissette, Eurythmics, the Red Hot Chili
Peppers, Beck, James Brown and Bo Diddley were among the more than
40 artists who participated in an eclectic combination of free and
ticketed concerts throughout EMP's Grand Opening celebration on the
Seattle Center campus.

Based on the curly scribbles of architect Frank Gehry, the abstract, organic, visually elusive, roller-coaster of a building
speaks not about music history but about music appreciation.  You
can play on a virtual concert stage, or jam in one of many demo
rooms where visitors can learn in just a few technology-aided
minutes how to play guitar, keyboard or drums. They can even
scratch records on a turntable like a hip-hop D.J. or adjust the
separate tracks of "Sweet Dreams" by the Eurythmics on a mixing
board as a studio engineer does. (On Friday, opening day at the
museum, one visitor mixing the song was surprised to find Dave
Stewart of the Eurythmics, a friend of Mr. Allen's, reaching over
his shoulder to help him out.)

At the night's private opening gala, another visitor poured over the same exhibit, slowly examining each sign and artifact. It was
the world's richest man, Bill Gates. In the meantime, on a stage in
a giant room named after Hendrix's notion of a Sky Church, Mr.
Allen basked in his night of glory, jamming on rock and blues songs
with Robbie Robertson of the Band on guitar and Herbie Hancock on
keyboards.


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Seattle's first annual Web Awards were a midsummer night's dream
come true for the bustling Web community. The city's First Annual
Zurbie Awards took place July 23rd in the richly adorned meeting
hall at Seattle's Union Station. The Zurbie's, named for Seattle
Online Network's founder Kristine Asin's pet cat, took the trophy
form of an outlined glass cutout (about 1/2" thick) of a cat in the
classic sitting position A matching ice sculpture of the statuette
greeted guests as they entered the hall. PTO determine the award
winners, Web site nominations for each category were accepted at
SeattleNetwork.com's June event. Nearly 500 attendees were given
the opportunity to fill-out forms nominating the best of our Web
world.

In addition, 2000 corporate members, individual members, and
non-members, who regularly attend SeattleNetwork.com events the
third Tuesday of every month, received the opportunity to cast
their vote online.

The night's big winner--the Zurbie for Seattle's "Best" Web Site--
went to next-generation entertainment company AtomFilms.com. And
the Zurbies go to:
Best Service Site - HomeGrocer.com; Best Site to Kill Time - ;
SeasonTicket.com; Best E-Commerce Site - Gear.com; Best B-2-B Site
- Onvia.com;  Best Web Development - Saltmine.com; Best Brick and
Mortar Crossover - REI.com; Hottest Startup - TeraBeam.com; Best
Local ISP - FreeiNet.com  Long live Zurbie - the cat's meow!

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The Washington Software Alliance launched its newest chapter last
night, at the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium. The South Sound
Chapter will serve a 30-mile radius of the southern Puget Sound:
Tacoma, including Olympia and Bremerton, WA.  Along with employees
from area companies, guests included Governor Gary Locke, Tacoma
Mayor Ebersole, council members and other elected officials.

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Quietly building a loyal following among the Emerald City's
digerati, Seattle24x7.com has assembled the first-ever listing of
Seattle-area Internet Co's. The fun-to-read Website also dispenses
the latest views and breaking news in sections titled What's
Brewing, ShopTalk, Kultcha, and a beginner's corner known as
Ignoramus and hosts weekly indices ranging from private financing
to who's firing. An in-depth community calendar lists online events
through the i-land. Next up on the agenda: Seattle Internet jobs, exclusively.