Steve McCracken

Great Concert Hall!

Benaroya Hall is outstanding. The main auditorium is in the traditional European "Shoe box" style - tall, narrow and deep. The acoustics are excellent. In use several nights a week, Benaroya Hall has been an important part of the resurgence of downtown Seattle. A word of warning - if you're afraid of heights, don't sit in the front rows of the 2nd or third balcony - it's a long way down and those railings seem pretty low.

I hear it's going to be great. At least that's what I like to tell myself...

Good once you get there.

Once you get there, the White River Amphiteater is a great outdoor venue. All but the grass section in the back is covered by a massive roof -- no worries if it's a rainy night. The Amphitheater is big, so if you're part way back, you're pretty far from the stage. Huge projection screens on either side make up for this. The biggest problems is traffic: be prepared for back-ups almost all the way to and from I-5, as 6,000 cars travel single lane roads to get to White River.

Up the Irons!

Iron Maiden lit up the White River Amphitheater. Great show. Almost sold out. Where does lead singer Bruce Dickinson get the energy to run around the stage like that? Seriously, non-stop action. Rime of the Ancient Mariner was the highlight.

Great movie

Cool visual effects, solid acting, and engaging plot lines. All adds up to a great movie recreation of the original Speed Racer. Plus, my 5 year old son thought it was pretty cool, too. How can I get my hands on my own Mach 5?