The Vacation Long Gone - Day 4

We headed back to Seattle in the morning with Portland still fresh in my lungs and the echo of guitars still aching in my ears. Our first stop in Seattle: the Experience Music Project.
With no high expectations, we purused the place. The first few exhibits reminded me of a lower quality Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. By that, I was not impressed.

I did walk away from EMP with a few new pieces of, well, experience:

A. Guitar Pedals are cool. If the pedal was an instrument unto itself, I could play it. I spent an inordinate amount of time working the distortion pedal and the wah-wah pedal and the echo pedal and the...I don't remember the names of any of the other ones. I had no idea of the possibilities!

B. I learned that I cannot drum. I should have known that already...ever since that time I was roped into a new age drumming circle... EMP has an entire exhibit devoted to learning to play musical instruments. You can play guitars and keyboards or even learn how to spin records in a more open area downstairs. Or you can head upstairs and enter a sound-proof room to get a more intimate one-on-one with an instrument. I chose drums. As the lesson progressed I had the bass drum down no problem. And then I could add in the snare okay. But when that drum set asked me to play the cymbal things, well, no way. I crumbled into a heap of rhythmless banging. And it was over.

C. EMP introduced me to Bob Dylan. Their rotating exhibit at the time was entirely focused on Dylan. Up to this point, I had never paid him much mind. I actually once owned his 30th Anniversary Concert, but that was only because I had a thing for Eddie Vedder at the time. (Damn, he sang a powerful "Masters of War." ) Anyway, this exhibit was awesome. It detailed Dylan's life and writings. At various stations, I could listen to each of his albums and watch old interviews. I have to say, I was moved and smitten. This was truly EMP's gift to me.

D. EMP has an ever-changing and informative website. Currently,it has a section devoted to In the Studio with Built to Spill. Check it out, it's worthwhile.

I don't remember what we did for the remainder of Day 4. But, after reading this blog, you're probably happy that I'm drawing a blank.