The Eastside Scene, April 24, 2015

the E A S T S I D E

scene Arts and Entertainment | May 2015

Soul legend

Booker T. Jones performs the new, improved Bellevue Jazz & Blues Festival

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Feeling the blues Downtown Bellevue puts some fire in its belly, adds blues genre to annual jazz music festival.

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JUST A TOUCH OF HOLLYWOOD

Bollywood showhouse Totem Lake Cinemas diversifies with second-run blocbusters. The shift mirrors changes and renovations at Kirkland’s Totem Lake Mall.

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BEYOND THE NEW FRONTIER

Two new exhibits at BAM highlight the work of Jana Brevick and the Pacific Northwest’s “designercreators.”

PLUS

The Don’t-Miss List 4 | Great Northwest Wine 7 | Conversations with Funny People 10

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E A S T S I D E

ON THE COVER: Booker T. Jones

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Guest column by Linda Pawson

rts organizations are dependent upon support from the community in a wide variety of forms, including grants.

I recently received a rejection notice to a grant proposal that was LINDA noteworthy.

PAWSON In explaining why they would not be funding our request they said, “…we do not consider museums or art exhibits as we are unable to truly measure the impact they have on the greater community.”

I respectfully disagree.

We all use measurements to assess our progress. The business of the arts is no different. We have budgets, we keep track of website analytics, we have numerical goals and objectives.

It is indeed challenging to measure specific economic indicators that are attributable to arts organizations. For instance, it is difficult to determine the influence of an inspirational exhibition on the amount spent at local restaurants or neighboring retail stores. While arts organizations do impact the local economy in dollars and cents, it is the broader impact on the community that is invaluable.

Our society grows and matures as cultural opportunities create space to explore

new ideas and share interests and needs.

Whether it is a show that ties the process of making art to a fundamental need for expression and survival, a performance that engages the mind and offers a glimpse into another culture, or an educational activity that allows a face to face chance to engage in new dialogue— every experience with the arts has a tangible and real impact on individuals and on the community.

The Eastside is fortunate to be home to a broad diversity of individuals. The community that we build depends on our ability to exchange ideas and to understand our neighbors.

While it is sometimes difficult to provide quantitative data points, we in the arts strive to help develop the soul of the community. We raise awareness, we allow for conversation and we help ignite passion for engagement in what happens around us.

And that, in my opinion, is a truly measureable impact.

Linda Pawson is the Executive Director of the Bellevue Arts Museum.

The Bellevue Arts Museum, or BAM, is dedicated to displaying the work of creators in the field of craftwork as well as the traditional fine arts. The Museum is located on 510 Bellevue Way N.E.

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What’s Inside

Beautiful View

Publisher William Shaw Editor/Layout Daniel Nash Production Designer Diana Nelson Contributing Writers Megan Campbell Eric Degerman Kyle J. Jensen Brandon Macz Andy Perdue

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The Don’t-Miss List

WATCH | Cabaret

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Village Theatre will close out its season at Francis J. Gaudette Theatre with the musical classic Cabaret.

First staged on Broadway in 1966 and adapted to film in 1977, Cabaret is the story of the seedy Kit Kat Klub, a nightclub in 1931 Berlin, during the rise of the Nazi party.

When: May 14 to July 3 Where: Francis J. Gaudette Theatre, 303 Front St. N. in Issaquah

WATCH 2: ELECTRIC BOOGALOO | SIFF

It will be hard for the 41st Seattle International Film Festival to top last year’s SIFF. The festival’s 40th opened with the heartfelt Jimi Hendrix biopic All Is By My Side, screened hidden gems like the low-tech, low-gore Australian horror gem The Babadook and closed with the festival organization’s landmark acquisition of The Egyptian on Capitol Hill.

SIFF has become the largest film festival in North America for good reason: It largely eschews the industry-worshipping glitz and glam in favor of providing a rich and varied viewer experience.

When: May 14 to June 7 Where: Various locations, check siff.net for details

LAUGH | Jubal Flagg Presents Radio Gods, with Briane Moote

Seattle morning radio show bros Jubal Flagg and Brian Moote, joined by Movin’ 92.5’s Jose Bolanos, will open May with a standup showcase.

Flagg is cohost of Bellevue top 40 station Movin’ 92.5’s Brooke & Jubal in the Morning. He’s worked in entertainment for more than a decade, appearing regularly on FOX’s Dish Nation and writing comedy bits for radio stations across the country.

Moote is a Whidbey Island native who’s been working in comedy for more than eight years, following a career as a special education teacher in Seattle schools. He has appeared on Nickelodeon’s Nickmom’s Nite Out and MTV’s Money from Strangers.

When: 7:30 p.m. May 3 Where: Parlor Live Bellevue, 700 Bellevue Way N.E. Ste. 300 in Bellevue

LISTEN | Ester Rada

Israeli-Ethiopian soul singer and songwriter Ester Rada and her band will perform on Mercer Island early in May. Raised in one of the roughest neighborhoods of Israel, Rada was born to parents who had been airlifted out of Sudan as part of Operation Moses in 1984. She grew up with a love for the soulful sounds of classic performers like Nina Simone and Ella Fitzgerald, as well as contemporary artists like Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill. As a performer, she’s toured Europe and North America and performed at SXSW. Tickets are available at SJCC.org .

When: May 3 Where: Stroum Jewish Community Center, 3801 East Mercer Way, Mercer Island 8

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Feeling the blues Downtown Bellevue’s jazz festival puts some fire in its belly

Influential soul instrumentalist and multiple Grammy winner Booker T. Jones will be a featured performer at the Bellevue Jazz & Blues Festival.

Credit: Gary Copeland

By Brandon Macz

J

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azz is going to the Blues for this year’s Bellevue Downtown Association concert series — a first-time mashup of complementary musical styles.

The downtown association had hosted Wednesday night Bellevue Live concert events for several years before upping the ante with its five-day jazz festival seven years ago. This year is the first the BDA is blending Blues into the mix.

“We just wanted to open a door to other offerings during our seven years,” said Mike Ogliore, BDA vice president of events and operations. “A lot of these folks will blend from one area to another, and how you interpret that is up to you.”

The 2015 Bellevue Jazz and Blues Festival will kick off its five-day lineup on May 27, with acclaimed local and national musical acts accompanied by performances by student musicians from around the Puget Sound region. Ogliore said the event capitalizes on the fact that student musicians are fueled by national competitions prior to the festival. Student jazz musicians will showcase their talents during weekend performances May 3031.

“They’re really on their game and it’s just a nice addition to their calendar,” he said. “They’re there to do their thing and not concerned with being absolutely perfect.”

Four-time Grammy winner Booker T. Jones — of Booker T. & the MGs fame — said he’s honored to be the festival’s first repeat headlining act, having performed at the Bellevue Jazz Festival back in 2012.

“I’ve changed my show somewhat. I have my son (Ted Jones) playing with me now; he wasn’t playing with me then,” Jones said. “Some elements of the show are the same because I still play the MG hits.”

Jones has been keeping his keyboards hot for more than 50 years, and was still in high school when he composed “Green Onions” for the MGs in 1962. He

said festivalgoers can expect MG hits and a bevy of work since then.

“I’m very fortunate to have the older work,” Jones said. “I still personally love it and was so fortunate to be able to play music that well that young.”

He released his 10th studio album, “Sound the Alarm,” in 2010, returning to Stax Records after breaking away from the studio more than 40 years ago because he felt creatively restricted when it changed ownership. He said he came back when ownership changed for the better.

“We’re very close now actually,” he said. “It’s like coming home.”

Jones will perform 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Saturday, May 30 at the Theatre at Meydenbauer Center; tickets are $35 or $20 for students. The Dirty Dozen Brass Band will perform there the night before, also at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

Bake’s Place will again host a bevy of featured artists during the festival, having a hand in selecting acts that really stand out to restauranteur Craig Baker, whose restaurant has been providing diners with live music six nights a week for the past 17 years.

“There’s a famous quote that says without space between the notes there is no music,” Baker said, “and we all need times in our lives when we can sit back and take part in something that has an effect on our very being.”

Seattle-based funk and jazz band, McTuff, will perform there 8:30 p.m.

Wednesday, May 27 ($15 tickets) and is one of Baker’s favorites, he said, incorporating the not-often seen Hammond B3 organ.

“They burn it up,” Baker said.

“They’re just unbelievably good.”

Lloyd Jones Struggle will play 7 p.m and 9:30 p.m. Thursday, May 28 at Bake’s Place, with tickets running at $20.

Bake’s Place will not require a cover to see performances at the venue on Friday and Saturday, May 29-30.

Some people talk about doing great things.

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A NEW WAY TO HAVE FUN Great Northwest Wine

Great whites (and pinks) ast month’s Great Northwest Wine Competition helped highlight some of the finest whites and rosé wines from the Northwest states and British Columbia.

The competition at the Columbia Gorge Hotel drew 1,204 entries. The top wine was Palencia Wine Co.’s 2014 Vino La Monarcha Pinot Noir Rosé from Washington’s Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley. The best white wine was the Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery 2014 Dry Rock Sauvignon Blanc from British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley.

Here is a selection of other white and pink gold medal winners:

Pacific Rim Winemakers 2013 Hahn Hill Vineyard Chenin Blanc, Yakima Valley: Aromas of honey and pear lead to a bright entry with flavors of Honeycrisp apple, all backed by bright acids that lead to an attractive finish.

3 Horse Ranch Vineyards 2014 Pinot Gris, Snake River Valley: This delicious white reveals aromas of dusty apple and tropical fruit, including pineapple. On the palate, it’s a bright and tart white that provides flavors of Asian pear and Golden Delicious apple.

Alexandria Nicole Cellars 2014 Crawford Viognier, Columbia Valley: This luscious Viognier is a classic, with aromas of tropical fruit, orange Creamsicle and sweet lemon. On the palate, it is a delicious wine throughout with a late burst of sweet orange acidity toward the finish.

DeLille Cellars 2013 Chaleur Estate Blanc, Columbia Valley: This blend of Sauvignon Blanc (65%) and Semillon is one of the United States’ top examples of wines in the style of white Bordeaux. Starfruit, lemon pepper, seashell and chalkboard dust aromas lead to flavors of gooseberry, Golden Delicious apple and lemon juice.

This is much more fruit-forward and complex than most West Coast examples.

L’Ecole No 41 2013 Semillon, Columbia Valley: L’Ecole No. 41 has long championed this underappreciated white Bordeaux variety.

This is another great example, with aromas of fresh-cut apple and lemon-lime, followed by a smooth entry with hints of apricot and stone fruit. Beautifully balanced acidity leads to a bright, peachy finish.

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Mercer Estates 2014 Spice Cabinet Vineyard Rosé, Horse Heaven Hills: This gorgeous rosé by winemaker Jessica Munnell (pictured above) opens with stunning aromas of strawberry, raspberry, peach and apricot. On the palate, it is loaded with flavors of of pomegranate, peaches and cream and cranberry, all backed by impressive acidity.

Purple Star Wines 2013 Riesling, Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley: Kyle Johnson, owner of this winery in the Yakima Valley, crafted this gorgeous Riesling with aromas of light apple, honey and citrus, followed by flavors of apple backed by stunning acidity.

Zerba Cellars 2013 Cockburn Vineyard Chardonnay, Walla Walla Valley: White wines are somewhat rare at Zerba, so this was a delicious surprise. It opens with aromas of baked apple, hominy and a hint of marzipan, followed by juicy flavors of apple and pear, along with light toffee and fresh caramel.

Coyote Canyon Winery 2013 Albariño, Horse Heaven Hills: Justin Michaud crafted this Albariño from estate grapes in the Horse Heaven Hills. It reveals aromas of pear, Golden Delicious apple and kiwi, followed by flavors that are both creamy and taut with just the barest kiss of sweetness. This is a perfect wine for crab.

Huston Vineyards 2013 Private Reserve Chardonnay, Snake River Valley: Aromas of fresh caramel, white peach, baking spice and Golden Delicious apple lead to flavors of pineapple and butterscotch, all backed by a touch of sweetness.

Eric Degerman and Andy Perdue run Great Northwest Wine, a news and information site. Learn more about wine at greatnorthwestwine.com.

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Arif Amaani at the counter of the Totem Lake Cinemas, where he’s recently begun showing second-run blockbusters to supplement the screening of Bollywood films. | Credit: Kyle J. Jensen

Just a little bit of Hollywood

By Kyle J. Jensen Arif Amaani is many things. He is an entrepreneur, film enthusiast and former collegiate athlete. Yet more than anything, he is an entertainer.

“There is not a script for soccer,” Amaani said about his days playing soccer for Seattle University. “Sometimes, you need to be a little creative.”

That’s also his approach to business. Originally from Dhaka, Bangladesh, Amaani is the owner of Totem Lake Cinema, which has shown Bollywood films for the last 14 years. Since then, he has seen plenty of changes in film — the digital shift, Netflix and inflated ticket prices, all of which have contributed to his decision to start showing second-run films.

So why does he stick with the erratic film industry? The entertainment value.

“Enjoyment isn’t money for me,” Amaani said. “When I see that I give an audience something to cheer about, it makes me happy. That is what it’s all about.”

During the past two years, business at Totem Lake Cinema has changed. Larger theaters have begun to show Bollywood films, causing the audience to scatter to varying theaters.

Amaani, realizing the need to keep up with the evolving industry, decided to transform his cinema. With movie prices rising, he believes that audiences will appreciate a cheaper theater experience.

In its heyday, Totem Lake Cinema was a meeting place for the Eastside’s south Asian community. Crowds would dress up in festive gear, interact with one another during the films and connect to the entire cinema experience, ac-

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Even though much of that has changed, the theater will hold on to some of its old character.

“We will still show Bollywood films but we are adding the second-run aspect to give the Kirkland community something new to enjoy,” Amaani said.

Tickets are priced at $3-$4, a third of the price for most first-run films. To kick-start the second-run format, the theater is currently showing “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” and “Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1”.

Sohel Azhar, Amaani’s brother, points to the cheap prices and family-oriented atmosphere as the biggest draw.

“There is still a vintage charm to the theater, and a family can watch a film for no more than $20,” Azhar said.

The cinema isn’t the only business currently undergoing changes in the area. The Kirkland City Council approved a redevelopment of Totem Lake Mall on March 3, something that has long been discussed.

As Kirkland’s population grows, the mall receives more traffic and visibility, which gives Amaani hope for the future of the cinema and the mall as a whole.

“It’s been a quiet mall, but a lot of things have happened recently so I think this will be a good time to bring something new to the community,” said Amaani. “The mall has been leasing more buildings recently and there are a lot fewer empty spaces than before.”

Ellen Miller-Wolfe, economic development manager for the city of Kirkland, said the Totem Lake Malls redevelopment plan has been on the city’s agenda for years.

“The city has been discussing it for a while, but only recently has a new potential owner come forward,” Wolfe said.

It’s too early in the process to say what exactly will happen to the mall, but there is a high possibility that much of the empty space will be torn down and revamped, according to Wolfe.

“We should have a better idea of what exactly will happen come the end of March,” Wolfe said.

Seeking to satisfy his itch to entertain, Amaani hopes that the potential redevelopment plan and his eye for a niche will help bring new business to Totem Lake Cinema.

“It will make me feel good to see a large crowd again whether it is for Bollywood or Hollywood films, as long as I give the community something to offer,” Amaani said.

“The thought excites me.”

Although Totem Lake Cinema may not have the Bollywood experience that it once did, a new experience has begun — a more communal experience. Perhaps the audience Amaani needs is the one he is trying to reach — the local community.

“I will make a new connection with a new audience, even though I’ll still have some of my old regulars,” Amaani said. “But I want to bring in a broader crowd, hopefully the Kirkland community.”

Kyle J. Jensen is a student with the University of Washington News Lab. This story originally ran in the Kirkland Reporter.

Peter Bristol’s “Cut Chair” and other works in the BAM exhibit “The New Frontier.” | Photo credit: Megan Campbell

Beyond the new frontier The Pacific Northwest has always been a place of natural grandeur — for better or worse, depending on whom you ask.

The author Fred Moody, writing in his memoir and cultural history Seattle and the Demons of Ambition: A Love Story, described our geographic wonders as an insurmountable benchmark against anything men could create, causing an inevitable cultural malaise — you can’t beat Mother Nature, so why try?

But Moody’s words were published in the way-way back of 2003. In the 12 years since, the sleepy landscape’s been transformed by the advent of “sustainable” architecture: Futuristic Tetris-block buildings that nevertheless incorporate the natural materials of the region. Northwesterners eschewed rivalry with nature for partnership, marrying design and beauty.

And so it is when you step into The New Frontier, one of two new exhibits at the Bellevue Arts Museum; one where featured Northwest “designer-creators” ride the line between fine art and functional utility.

You enter and begin with diverse woods sculpted to resemble pebbles. From pine to fir, monkey puzzle and walnut, Seattle woodworker Joel Sayre’s “stones” vary in shape, size and design.

Moving through the exhibit, materials like brass and concrete are incorporated into furniture and other fixtures.

The showcase highlights 28 studios from Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. It combines, for the first time, the modern styles of the Pacific Northwest.

The exhibit tries to capture the “bubbling scene” emerging from around the region, co-curator Charlie Schuck said.

“It’s a snapshot of right now,” Schuck said. “This is the first time we’ve been at a point in the region that we can have a show for this.”

Veering away from mass production, these highly trained artists explore the boundaries of creation.

Peter Bristol’s steel Cut Chair provides a sturdy place to sit, despite looking like anything but. The chair looks as though it has one leg to stand on, as segments from

the other three have been cut out. Bristol creates the illusion of instability; though the chair’s robust, cantilevered seat is supported by a plate concealed by thick carpet.

The Pacific Northwest artists’ work is very much a response to the economic downturn in 2008, realizing that building a long career in a corporate organization is not practical, Schuck said.

“All of these people are very much in that vein — the new economy,” he said.

These “designer-creators,” as co-curator Jennifer Navva Milliken coined, are intimately involved in their work. They are local artists making a living off of their unique designs.

Journey into infinity After walking through a forest, thick with creations incorporating diverse woods, metals and glass, the exhibit blasts into a new realm.

“You have permission to come aboard,” Seattle artist Jana Brevick said.

In her first comprehensive solo showcase, Brevick invites the public to step aboard and explore a collection that spans her metal- and jewelry-making career.

The exhibit, This Infinity Fits in My Hand, highlights Brevick’s witty humor and her interest with scientific phenomena.

Some creations date back 15 years.

Objects on display include PuzzleGuts, a fabricated and cast necklace fitted with a tin man from her 1999 Robot series, and Strobe, a ring made from obsolete vacuum tubes from her 2000 “Intermittent” collection.

The big reveal, however, is Brevick’s spaceship, Atomic Exfiltrator Ship Seven.

Bellevue Arts Museum staff were hard at work putting the finishing touches on the section, which sets the framework to display Brevick’s new pieces.

The items on display in the ship all relate to space.

Her sterling silver lightning necklace, on display in one of the spaceship’s windows, provides the “Power Supply,” as it’s called, to the ship.

“This is about giving the ship energy,” Brevick said.

Brevick’s collection and The New Frontier are located on the third floor of the

“Strobe,” a ring made from obsolete vacuum tubes from Jana Brevik’s 2000 “Intermittent” collection. | Photo credit: Roger Schrieber

Bellevue Arts Museum at 510 Bellevue Way NE. Admission is free for members and children under 6. Tickets are $30 for the family, $12 for adults and $10 for seniors and students.

The museum is open Tuesday through

Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is free the first Friday of every month.

For more information call 425-519-0770.

Megan Campbell is a staff writer for the Issaquah/Sammamish Reporter

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Conversations with Funny People

Kortney Shane Williams Interview by Daniel Nash

K

ortney Shane Williams meets me at Jai Thai on Capitol Hill two hours before he’s set to get on stage at the bar with a group of other local comics. The night’s show will break from the norm —the audience will suggest fodder for jokes that the comics will have to write in a matter of minutes.

Williams is somewhat wary of the gimmick, noting that standups and improv performers have different skill sets.

One-on-one, he’s a frank yet visibly shy man, rarely meeting eye contact. But Williams’ in his element on stage and overcomes his reservations as he riffs off of suggestions like “prom sex” and “no nipples” like a free-verse John Coltrane — he says he’s been more influenced by jazz artists than comics.

Williams began his career at 20, paying Central Florida clubs to put him on stage. Now past 30, he’s a known quantity in the Northwest comedy scene who runs his own showcase at Naked City Brewery.

Williams will perform at Laughs Comedy Spot with fellow Seattle comic Derek Sheen on May 27, 29 and 30.

Let’s start at the beginning: You began performing as a 20-yearold in Central Florida clubs. What made you want to start?

After high school, I started a day job at Coca-Cola and I worked with a bunch of older women on the night shift in the office. One of the women there, she was in her 30s -- and at this time I’m like 18, 19 -- and one night I tell her, “I think I’m funny.” And she’s like, [Williams deadpans] “You’re not funny.”

And I’m standing there asking, “Every night I say something and you guys laugh, so how am I not funny?” She goes, “No, no, no, you’re goofy, but you’re not funny.”

So then I come to work and every time I made somebody laugh, I put down a tic mark. By the end of the week there were all these thatch marks. And, again, I was like “I think I’m funny,” and again she’s like “You’re not funny.” But this time I show her my steno pad and I go “Look! Look at all these times I made you laugh this week!” So the next time I see her, she’s printed up a flier for an Improv Comedy Club open mic contest. And that’s when I started thinking maybe I would try this.

So what brought you from Florida to Seattle?

Florida is really an awful place for art. Not for music, necessarily.

There are some musicians, hip-hop artists that are all right; there are pockets. But in general there’s not a lot of… it’s a very white collar state, a lot of people with office jobs. So when you did shows there, people wouldn’t come unless you were famous. If you weren’t famous, you were nobody. When I started performing at open mics, I had to pay $25 to get on stage and do five minutes.

And then when I got more into it, I would drive an hour and a half or two hours to go to a club and do a spot, then drive back. Just for an open mic — and that was every week.

I had a friend in the comedy business who told me, “If you want to be successful, you’ve got to get out of here.” So I went to New York first, with $5,000 in my pocket. That was gone in five months. So then I went to stay with family in Cleveland, where I’m from, and that turned out to be the best four months of my career at that point. During that time, I book a show in Miami and a friend there tells me he’s driving out to Seattle and would I like to go with him? So I do and, during my first week here, I made $700 from performing -- more money than I had seen in my life from comedy at that point.

You’re actually the first Seattle comic I’ve interviewed for this.

Most everyone I talk to works in New York or L.A. Comics in Seattle are better than the comics in New York or L.A. No contest. Is that unique? I don’t know. There might be great comedy scenes in most cities. But the difference is there are a lot more people in New York and Los Angeles: hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of comics trying to make it. And maybe only, like, 5 percent of them are any good. Yes, New York has Dave Attell and Louis C.K. and people like that, but they’re the exception. There’s so little stage time available. The lucky comics in New York are getting maybe two or three minutes at 12 a.m. shows. It’s a war of attrition.

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But out here, people have five, 10, 15 minutes to work out their material and there are audiences. There are fewer comics out here, but I think there are more good comics because of that.

And you’re doing pretty well for yourself out here. You have a monthly showcase, (Stand-up Style), at Naked City Brewery.

What qualities do you look for in the comics you pick to perform with you?

My only concern is to have a headliner who is strong, who I believe in, who can do 30 or 35 minutes of solid material on stage. The rest of the performers are people that I like who can do 10 minutes. Maybe five. But if they have strong jokes, that’s what matters.

You’ve opened for heavy hitters like Dave Chappelle and Hannibal Buress. Who’s been your favorite performer to hang out with?

The greatest hang is Hannibal. When I met him he was popular, but not famous. This was way before [Buress’ 2012 special] Animal Furnace. His weekly show [held Sundays at The Knitting Factory in Brooklyn] is one of the most popular shows in New York, but he wasn’t known outside New York -- he was in the background, writing a little bit for SNL and a little bit for 30 Rock. So it’s not like a celeb hang with him. He’s a guy I can call if we’re both in town and he’s like “Let’s just go tonight. Let’s find a show and get on stage.”

You write a lot about sports, and particularly football, on your website Comedic Prose. As a Seattle transplant, what was your take on Seahawks fever?

One of the most distinct moments, which I’ll never forget, was when Pete Carroll was first reported to come here. My best friend is a huge USC fan — I’m a fan of [rival school] Ohio State — and I tell him “Pete Carroll’s going to Seattle” and his reaction’s just, no-no-no. And I’m thinking, as they release more details and it turns out he’s going to become president, I’m thinking “This is just beautiful. This is going to be awful.”

And I was wrong. But those first teams were, for lack of a better term, they were so Seattle. They just played the way Seattle teams play. Not soft, but you think of Seattle and you think of Shaun Alexander and Hasselbeck and Trufant and you think of these guys who were so... nice. The bad guy was Bosworth; and he never worked!

Then something happened and I’m telling you: The moment Marshawn Lynch grabbed his nuts during that Saints playoff game it changed everything. I thought it was the greatest thing on Earth.

Another thing is, I love the characters. I love how much bolder they are, I love that they’re the bad guys, I love it. And I’m shocked that Seattle embraces it, because that’s not what Seattle typically goes for.

Beth Billington For all your Real Estate Needs

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Coldwell Banker Bain Previews Properties Specialist Top 1%, CRS, GRI 425.450.5208 beth@bethbillington.com

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Beth Billington

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