Click the photo for an audio slideshow of EMP's Hendrix exhibit, featuring curator Jacob McMurray. Photo courtesy of Experience Music Project.

What: Last chance to see EMP's Hendrix exhibit
When: Throough Sunday
Where: Experience Music Project, Seattle Center
Note: The museum offers free admission from 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 2, and the first Thursday of every month.

It's supposed to look like a smashed guitar.

It's a piece of chewed-up bubblegum.

It's going to be called HEMP: Hendrix Experience Music Project.

Plenty of rumors and tales swarmed around town when the Frank Gehry-designed Experience Music Project began to come into focus around 1999 and 2000. One thing was certain: Jimi Hendrix would be a big part of it.

The project began, years before the 1997 groundbreaking ceremony, when billionaire around town Paul Allen decided he wanted some kind of shrine to the Seattle-bred singer/guitarist/legend. And since the day the mushroomed-idea opened at the Seattle Center, the Hendrix exhibit has been the cornerstone of the museum, even as the focus of the projected expanded to include science fiction. Monday, Aug. 6, the exhibit's coming down, primarily to preserve the items which have been on display since the museum's opening in 2000.

I caught up with EMP curator Jacob McMurray, who co-curated the current Hendrix exhibit that went up in 2003. During a tour of the exhibit, McMurray explained why it was being taken down, what's next for the space, and where Nirvana fits into the museum's future.

Here are a few excerpts from our conversation.

Daft Punk
July 29, 2007
WaMu Theater
Better Than: Everything.

There's really only two words to describe last night's Daft Punk performance at the WaMu Theater:  HOLY FUUUUUUUCK!  To elaborate, slightly ... it was the best show I've seen in my five years in Seattle, and easily in my Top 10 shows of all time. It was the first time I've been to the WaMu Theater, and despite hearing that the sound there is horrible, Daft Punk sounded phenomenal.  And their light show and stage set was out of this world -- it was like a Broadway or Las Vegas production of Battlestar Galactica, but even cooler than that sounds.  I'll have a longer rundown (and lotsa cool photos I shot) tomorrow, including a bit about my post-show chat with a guy who hitchhiked and train-hopped from New York City for three weeks to make the show (and got arrested twice in the process).

Click the photo for a slideshow. Thanks to the Ryan Adams camp for allowing us to take photos from the "back of the house."

Ryan Adams and the Cardinals
When: Friday, July 27
Where: The Moore Theatre

By Hannah Levin

Clearly, a cleaned-up Ryan is a more reliable Ryan, which is certainly a good thing. That reality makes me feel even worse about making this observation: last night’s show was almost too flawless. Though the previous infant terrible’s clearer headspace no doubt played a big part, what impressed me the most were the Cardinals, his long-running backing band. Hell, I’d go to a show just to watch them. Effortlessly improvising while gracefully and methodically warming up the room with each of the set’s eighteen songs, the five players seemed to be operating as part of the same central nervous system. Witnessing a band communicate so seamlessly was impressive, right down to the atmospherics they conjured to smooth over Adam’s multiple tuning breaks.

Ravi Coltrane, playing through Sunday at Jazz Alley, is obviously one of those players who'd like for you to actually hear his music, even if that means giving away a few free samples.

Via his Web site, www.ravicoltrane.com, the son of Alice and John Coltrane gives away an exceptionally generous amount of music, including this live recording of "6 and 7."

Hey, just a reminder that Arthur & Yu will be playing a free all-ages in-store at Easy Street Queen Anne beginning at 8 p.m. We love the hazy 60s-esque folk-pop of Arthur & Yu around these parts, so this in-store is real special. And hell, if you're 21 or over, you can get an early start on drinking at Solo before the in-store. A portion of the drinks purchased between 5:30 and 7:30 benefit Vera.

Page McConnell, Self-Titled
Release: April 17, 2007
Where Was I Listening: At My Desk 
When: This week, lunchish 
Glad I Heard It? Yes. But, probably wouldn't buy the record.
Recommended For: People who crave a slice of R&B with their white bread, daydreaming, jam-band fare.
Sample: "Maid Marian"
"Critics" notes:

McConnell's handed out a bit of a keyboard record, something I don't hear a lot of. And by switching between organ, piano, and synth, he mixes it up enough to keep things interesting. Sure, it's a product of a Phish, but, anyone not afraid of the stereotype won't balk at the notion that this record is not self-indulgent, boring, or mindless. In fact, it leans on solid songwriting rather than jams, and taps into the instrumental house music vibe that permeates acceptable extended jams, as opposed to directionless meanderings.

Note to Jam Haters: Hate the jam-band scene all you want. It's an easy punching bag. But for its time and place, the music behind the nappy hair is perfect. I'll take a 20-minute walk through "Ain't Wasting Time No More" beneath a bottle of gin with the sun on my face over an evening in a stank cave full of fingers that reek of armpit any day.

In the words of Green Velvet, who performed at last year's Decibel fest to a frenzied crowd: "I like electro, I like retro, I like ghetto, house and techno!"

And that's what's up for the 4th year of the NW's most awesome electronic music festival, happening Sept. 20-23. When the line-up was released last week, my first reaction was 'hmm.'  But after researching the acts I wasn't familiar with (Guns 'N' Bombs), or who I'd only heard as a presence on compilations (3 Channels), I realized that Decibel organizers are pretty much way ahead of the curve this year, bringing hottness from all over. They haven't booked artists we necessarily know, but those we should know. A bold move that can be rewarded with trust-- if some of these names don't ring a bell, I believe it'll be worth your while to once again get the pass and blindly forge into the night(s).

Otherwise, I'm ultra impressed with the range of styles this year--party-rockers Simian Mobile Disco, Switch, and Diplo will bring the hipsters around; our best locals are all signed on (Lusine, Caro, Truckasaurus, Jacob London, Jerry Abstract, Nordic Soul, and Jeff Samuel back from Berlin); and no less than ambient pioneers Harold Budd and Robin Guthrie will perform. (They require no preview link. You will see them, and you will cry).

Reactions to the solid bookings/wishful thinking from local electronic music mailing list, Division:

"Chemical Brothers lunchtime DJ set at the Cha Cha."

"Keoki Vs. the Nachos outside Club Lagoon."

"Boards of Canada. FSOL Vs ORB Cagematch Fight. Richie Hawtin's Gym Socks Live PA."  

"Bob Moog. Rare Instructional Demo. From Beyond the Grave."

Maybe next year, guys!