116499 4 Location 526567 <p>The Experience Music Project is a one-of-a-kind museum that will rock the socks of any music fan. Here are some highlights:</p><p><span style="font-weight: bold">The Jimi Hendrix exhibit</span> displays letters Hendrix wrote to his family, pictures he drew, rare photos of him as a kid and as the rock god he was to become, lots of documentary videos about his musicianship, some of his wild stage costumes, and remnants of the guitar he smashed and then lit on fire in that infamous performance I think we've all seen footage of. I was humbled to see these rare artifacts of Hendrix's life -- he was so incredibly talented and ahead of his time. </p><p><span style="font-weight: bold">There's this crazy sculpture at the EMP made of a zillion guitars</span> -- it spirals to the ceiling like a guitar cyclone. The artist tricked out many of the guitars so they are able to play themselves in a very specific pattern, so if you listen to the headphones, you can hear the sculpture playing a strange, live song. Amazing!</p><p>One of my favorite exhibits was <span style="font-weight: bold">the Guitar Gallery.</span> This room showcases the history of the guitar. You are able to learn all about how the guitar was conceived and improved through time, all while checking out a ton of beautiful guitars and listening to/watching a compilation of some of the best guitarists at work. </p><p>We spent a couple hours in <span style="font-weight: bold">the Sound Lab</span>. Here, you are able to play the guitar, bass, piano, and drums, all while learning tutorials. I learned a bunch of really challenging drum beats, that famous phrase from Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" on guitar, and part of an Alanis Morrissette song on keyboard. They also have "jam rooms" where you and your buddies can go into a soundproof booth and rock out on guitar, keyboard, and drums. We blasted the amps and had a great time. The Sound Lab even has a recording studio where you can record your own song for 10 bucks. <br /></p><p>I also really liked the <span style="font-weight: bold">concert poster exhibit</span> where they showcase a ton of cool artwork designed for, you guessed it, concert posters. <span style="font-weight: bold">Seattle's musical history</span> shines in the exhibit showcasing local musicians like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Mudhoney, Modest Mouse, Sleater Kinney, Heart, and plenty more. </p><p>Overall, we had a really fun day here! The admission is only 20 bucks, which we found well worth the experience.</p> 2006-08-24T09:01:48-07:00 817004550 2006-08-22T17:00:00-07:00 0 -9223372036854775790 142782 2032311 116499 0 195305 0.133195613485762 2006-08-21T17:00:00-07:00 Published 75.5 2006-08-30T16:17:22-07:00 98584 0