On the other side of the rope at Thursday’s 500 Pine party
We sent the Neighborlogs intern out to try to get some shots of the 500 Pine party. Only one problem. He didn’t have an invite. He got to experience the party like plenty of other people did tonight — outside with the signs and legal notices about film and photography. Meanwhile, Seadevi was on assignment for CHS with a +1 and full admittance. We haven’t heard from her yet. Good times, we assume.
The Stranger’s Lineout blog featured this set of pictures of the ‘movie set’-style recreation of the old 500 Pine watering holes that were part of tonight’s party scene. This picture of a cool projection of the block somehow escaped Jansport’s clutches and made it onto Twitter:
So, to me, the fun and enjoyment of the old 500 Pine block was the openness of the whole place. The mixing of the music scene at the Cha Cha, high school kids rebelling by going to a place called Bimbos Bitchin’ Burrito Kitchen, stylish gays at Manray, punks and drunks at Kincora. So, having an exclusive invite party doesn’t convey the spirit of the block. I understand about overcrowding/ fire codes/ etc, so I understand the reasoning, but it doesn’t seem like the memory can be fully honored without a full cross section of Capitol Hill being admitted.
I thought it was lame. The lines were long, they weren’t well organized (there were two lines – one, at the more obvious entrance on Pike St, was for vendors/staff only – but they had no signs to indicate this so many people waited in the vendor line for 15 minutes only to be turned away when they got to the front). Then the regular persons line took 30 minutes. And they didn’t allow +1 on the Facebook event RSVPs, so some people couldn’t even get their friends in. Their website had been very confusing about this, but the way I read it was that they were going to allow +1 on Facebook RSVPs.
Their website said:
“you either need a ticket or need to be on the list. the ticket and being on the list is virtually the same thing. if you have a ticket bring it. the ticket is for you and a +1. You may have to wait in line.
LIST: if you have confirmed your attendance on facebook you will be on the list.”
Notice they said “the ticket and being on the list is virtually the same thing.” So if they’re virtually the same thing, both of them should have included +1!
I did get in around 9pm, but it was kind of empty and people were just standing around, not even close to drunk. None of the vibrancy that 500 Pine had. The snobby exclusivity of it made it feel more like Amber than 500 Pine.
how much money were they given to put this together? should’ve donated it to charity. it was lame, poorly organized and crammed into a small space. the decor looked like a garbage dumpster threw up in the parking lot. it was clearly catered to the pseudo-hipster crowd of capitol hill but that is not what the 500 pine block was about as it was inclusive of all capitol hill and seattle residents