Did you know that a baby is born colorblind? Or that your body grows 40 yard of hair every day? And that you produce 12,000 gallons of urine in your lifetime?

Well, if you didn’t know or even if you did, you need to check out BODIES…The Exhibition. Why? Because it’s totally creepy, cool. And because I’m gonna give you a discount. But more about that later.

If you’ve been to the BODIES exhibit in Seattle before, I should warn you the new location is a bit smaller. This was great for someone like me, who has an attention span of a fly. It still took a good hour an a half though, and that’s mostly because we couldn’t stop talking to Crystal, the very knowledgeable guide who walks around, in a lab coat, just in case you have a question. And we had lots. We talked to her about the actual bodies (they were never claimed by their families) and how they died (of natural causes) and man, oh man, she knew her stuff. Crystal definitely deserves an employee of the month award, if for anything, dealing with us yapping her ear off.

For the faint at heart, please know that you are seeing actual bodies. You’ll see muscles, veins, bones, skin and yes, private parts. There is one small area where you can touch a REAL brain and bladder. But besides that, there is no touching, picture taking or even gum chewing anywhere near the bodies.

I don’t want to spoil the whole exhibit for you, so just go for yourself. It’s not just educational. It’s highly interesting. We had a blast with the headsets, especially since there’s a child and adult option. I, of course, being 31 years old chose the child option more times than not. And if you’re wondering if you’re the type of person who would like this sort of thing, I can assure you that BODIES is for everyone. So bring the kids. Go by yourself. Or take your grandma who’s still smoking a pack a day, just to show her what her lung looks like.

And besides, it’s worth a go because through the rest of the exhibit – which officially ends March 28th – you can get a 20% discount when you buy tickets online and enter the code: GEN1

BODIES…The Exhibition
Promo code through March 28th: GEN1
1505 5th Avenue // Seattle, WA
Hours of Operation:
Sunday – Thursday – 10 am – 7 pm
Friday – Saturday – 10 am – 10 pm

Personally, I tihnk the Jasper Fforde books defy a standard classification. There are the nursery crime books, the first focusing on who pushed Humpty Dumpty off of that wall, and the second on Goldilocks and those bears. Then there are the Thursday Next books, which are” literary detective” novels complete with the ability for the lead character to jump in and out of works of fiction. Strictly, the are fantasy, but really, they are so much more.

Mr. Fforde has a new book out, Shades of Grey, and he’s coming to Third Place Books tonight at 6:30 for a reading and talk. If you’ve never been to Third Place Books (either Lake Forest Park or Ravenna), you’re missing out. They have a fantastic selection and are really a neighborhood hangout location. Shop local and show your support for your local booksellers.

Third Place Books
17171 Bothell Way NE
Lake Forest Park, WA 98155

Hey! Remember last year when all of Seattle’s most wonderful bloggers and most adorable reader got together for drinks, amazing hand turkey art making, socializing, and raised a bunch of money for Northwest Harvest, convincing many an attendee from the mixer upstairs that we were more interesting and eligible than the techy singles? Well it’s time to do it all over again. Mark you calendars for the 18th of November and plan to be at Central Cinema from 6 to 9 with a donation in hand and warmth in your heart. It should be a super fun time — please pay a visit to blogsgiving.org and let us know that we’ll see you there.

Have you emerged from the fog of Bumbershoot? Don’t worry, I, too am still in recovery mode. Still, as soon as memories of one festival fade, another rises to take its place. Announced today [reverb], the full schedule of Seattle Weekly‘s Reverb festival should get you excited for October (or, if you will/must, rocktober) with a full-day slate of mainly local bands who will be taking over Ballard on Saturday October 3rd.

Take a look:

The Sunset: 12:30 – Kay Kay & His Weathered Underground; 11:30 – Coconut Coolouts; 10:30 – Unnatural Helpers; 9:30 – The Girls; 8:30 – Final Spins; 7:30 – Erik Blood; 6:30 – Telepathic Liberation Army; 5:30 – Born Anchors; 4:30 – Katherine Hepburn’s Voice; 3:30 – Little Cuts

Tractor Tavern: 12:00 – The Maldives; 11:00 – Staxx Brothers; 10:00 – Widower; 9:00 – Eldridge Gravy & The Court Supreme; 8:00 – Fences; 7:00 – Raggedy Anns; 6:00 – Brent Amaker & The Rodeo; 5:00 – Southside; 4:00 – Hallways; Ballard Loft

5105 Ballard Ave NW: 10:00 – DJ Taco Supreme; 6:00 – Trashy Trash DJs ;

Conor Byrne: 11:30 – Star Anna & The Laughing Dogs; 10:30 – Barton Carroll; 9:30 – Zera Marvel; 8:30 – Kaylee Cole

The Bit Saloon: 12:00 – Midnight Idols; 11:00 – Mobile Slaughter Unit; 10:00 – The Keeper; 9:00 – Redwood Plan; 8:00 – Tea Cozies; 7:00 – Levator; 6:00 – The Basements

Hattie’s Hat (all-ages): 10:30 – Hattie’s Hoot! featuring many special guests; 9:30 – Rusty Willoughby; 8:30 – Shenandoah Davis; 7:30 – Shana Cleveland; 6:30 – Lonesome Shack; 5:30 – Lindsay Fuller; 4:30 – Jet Sparks

New York Fashion Academy (all-ages): 10:30 – Thee Satisfaction; 9:30 – Fatal Lucciauno; 8:30 – Spaceman; 7:30 – SK; 6:30 – GMK; 5:30 – Astronautalis; 4:30 – Fresh Espresso; 3:30 – Grynch

Salmon Bay Eagles (all-ages) : 10:00 – Shook Ones; 9:00 – Cute Lepers; 8:00 – Thee Emergency; 7:00 – The Lonely H; 6:00 – Valis; 5:00 – Wallpaper; 4:00 – Visqueen (all- ages Record Release!); 3:00 – Recess Monkey

Mr. Spot’s Chai House (all-ages): 9:00 – Kore Ionz; 8:00 – Heatwarmer; 7:00 – Lady Drama;

Volterra: 10:00 – Los Volcanes; 9:00 – Lushy; 8:00 – Leif Totusek & Freestyle Candela; 7:00 – Matt Jorgensen + 451; 6:00 – Greta Matassa; 5:00 – FOWM Jazz Combo and String Ensembles

Wristbands for the whole thing will run you $5-10, depending on your age and timeliness. [$]

help doug plan his chbp setlist.

Next weekend, the Capitol Hill Block Party takes over Pike Street from Broadway to Twelfth Avenue. The layout has been reconfigured [lineout], with the main entrance moving to 12th Avenue and the mainstage moving closer to Broadway to try to offset some of the crushing human traffic that resulted from people trying to pass through the ticket gate and traverse last year’s Mainstage/Neumo’s/King Cobra (RIP)/Beer Garden intersection of doom.

Built to Spill, playing on the mainstage on Friday night just after Deerhunter and before the Jesus Lizard, are leaving their set list in your trusty hands. You have until tomorrow to let them know which of the songs in their lengthy catalog you just can’t live without. Vote online at KEXP and they’ll crunch the numbers to come up with something really special for your sunset listening.

The lineup is pretty spectacular [chbp] — in addition to all the locals you’ll also find Sonic Youth! the Gossip! The Pains of Being Pure at Heart (at last!) and many many more. Tickets, which are still available, will run you a reasonable $23 per day; save a few bucks and buy a two-day pass for $42. You’ll find them online [ticketswest], at Rudy’s, Moe Bar, or with a mere $1 service charge at your neighborhood Urban Outfitters. They’re apparently selling fewer tickets this time around to limit the crowds; so get your tickets early. And if you have spare invites to your VIP rooftop patio, invitations are gladly accepted.

this week alone, MFNW, decibel, and Doe Bay have announced summer lineups. start planning!

• MusicFest NW just announced their lineup looking a whole lot like a NXNW-experience that makes a road trip to Portland look all the more appealing this September. Running from September 16th to the 19th in the city of roses, a $60 wristband will gain you no-cover admission to participating clubs, where the likes of Sunny Day Real Estate, Explosions in the Sky, Girl Talk, Bad Brains, the Get Up Kids, Monotonix, Mudhoney, Frightened Rabbit, Mount Eerie, the Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Grand Archives, Common Market, and about a hundred other bands will be playing (an extra $100 lets you skip the lines). [ticketswest]
• A week later and closer to home, the Decibel Festival also just gave some hints at their lineup. Taking place over four days in Seattle (September 24 to 29), the festival includes visual art, workshops, panel discussions and cutting-edge electronic music performances. So far, the international cast of performers is scheduled to include Alex Under, Alter Ego, Andrew Weatherall, Benga, Boxcutter, Bruno Pronsato, Caspa, Daedelus, Goldmund, KiloWatts, Lusine, Mad Professor, Martyn, Mary Anne Hobbs , Megasoid, Mikael Stavöstrand , Monolake,  Mountains,  Move D,  N-Type, Nosaj Thing ,  Pezzner, Reagenz, Spacetime Continuum,  Sub Swara, Tadeo, Tanner Ross,  Voodeux, The Wighnomy Brothers. Early bird passes are going for a cool $100, but only in limited quantities and if you order by July 24. [bpt]
• And for something sooner and a bit more placid, Doe Bay will be hosting an intimate festival of their own in the middle of August. Hop on a ferry and be among the entirely manageable crowd of 750 to hear The Long Winters, The Maldives, Hey Marseilles, Friday Mile, David Bazan, Weinland, The Moon Doggies, Slender Means, Drew Grow and the Pastors’ Wives, Spanish for 100, The Lonely Forest, Goldfinch, Tito Ramsey in the comfort of the Orcas Islands. Resort camping is also available. [bpt]

look behind the masks on monday; photo courtesy clues. [constellation]

After a relatively quiet period former Unicorn Alden Penner has teamed up with onetime Arcade Fire-er Brendan Reed and a handful of other Montreal pop luminaries to create a Google-challenging new band called CLUES, which seems poised to live up to the promise of its legacy. Although they played a bit last year, they’ve buckled down, recorded and released an album, and are hitting the North American tour circuit in 2009. On Monday, they’ll be here in Seattle headlining a show with the likes of Aqueduct and Mount Eerie, whom I will do my best to recommend at every possible opportunity. His last show at the Fremont Abbey was quiet and funny and beautiful, and it will be interesting to see how this one, at a more conventional, rockish venue shapes up.

One of you lucky adventurers and a pal will have the chance to check out all of this for the low cost of free. Drop an e-mail to seattle.metblogs at gmail.com with your full name and I’ll pick a winner on Sunday morning. Inclusion of fun facts about Quebecois dietary habits might improve your chances of winning. If you’re not willing to try your luck, click over to Neumo’s and get yourself a ticket for $12.

Clues, Aqueduct, Mount Eerie; 1 June; $12, 8pm. [neumos]

american beer at oddfellows

From the looks of all of the conference tournaments on better bar televisions over the last weekend, it appears to be almost March Madness time (for further evidence, a Capitol Hill tournament pool [chs]). Which also means that it is also almost time to fire up the good old “Tournament of Blogs” here to help you choose your most favoritest local weblog of all of Seattle. The selection committee is working overtime at Seattle Metblogs HQ to narrow the field, refine the rules (possibly relevating previous champions the the Hall of Fame), and seed the contenders, but we would of course love input from you. Nominate your favorite local bloggist (yourself included) by sending an endorsement to seattle.metblogs @ gmail.com.

We’ll be finalizing the lineup on Thursday night at our almost-monthly Third Thursday happy hour, once again at the lovely and lively Oddfellows Cafe. Drop by after 6:30 for the final bracketing, drinks, and the warm glow of the company of Team Metblogs in the wild.

Speaking of a certain weekend in April, the EMP just released their schedule for the eighth annual Pop Music Conference. I’m deeply disappointed that I’ll be out of town and missing the event. With a Prince-borrowed theme “Dance Music Sex Romance: Pop and the Body Politic”, it sounds like the always-interesting conflagration of academics, music critics, and hangers-on will be even more stimulating.

The conference starts on Friday 16 April and runs through Sunday afternoon. There are talks about viral media in the Obama campaign, a roundtable discussion on groupies, a keynote conversation with Nona Hendryx, a sneak preview of Copyright Criminals, Sean Nelson talking about “Sean Nelson, “Let’s (Not) Get it On– Or, `Fucking to Songs About Fucking and Other Uncomfortable Developments in the Awkward Relationship Between What We’re Going to Have to Just Agree to Call Indie Rock and Sexuality in the 1990s”, Robert Christgau on “The Old Folks Wish Them Well: Romantic Marriage in Rock and Roll”, and even more eclectic stuff like “The Jocker and the Hoosier Boy: The Politics of Bowdlerization in ‘The Big Rock Candy Mountain'”, “Partnered Dance vs. Solo Self-Expression in the Rock & Roll Era”, and an entire session on “Punk and Female Flesh”.

Registration is free and for in-town fans of thinking and music it’s crazy not to drop in for at least part of the dazzling show. Peruse the rest of the panels and get yourself on the list at empsfm.org/popconference .

sasquatch crowd last time around; photo by me [flickr].

Time to start planning your Memorial Day weekend. The lineup for Sasquatch, once again a three-day festival at the extremely scenic Gorge amphitheater, made an appearance today. Some rumors — Animal Collective, the Decemberists — are confirmed along with plenty of enticing smaller acts — both local and national — below the big names:

Music line-up includes Jane’s Addiction (feat. all four original members), Kings of Leon, Nine Inch Nails, Ben Harper & Relentless7, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Erykah Badu, The Decemberists, Fleet Foxes, TV On The Radio, Animal Collective, Silversun Pickups, Bon Iver, Santigold [sic], Of Montreal [sic], Explosions In The Sky, Devotchka, Peter Bjorn & John, Gogol Bordello, M. Ward, The Avett Brothers, Doves, Calexico, Grizzly Bear, M83, Girl Talk, The Gaslight Anthem, The Walkmen, Chromeo (dj set), Deadmau5, Mugison, Sun Kil Moon, Airborne Toxic Event, Blitzen Trapper, Shearwater, BLK JKS, The Wrens, Tobacco, Monotonix, King Khan & The Shrines, St. Vincent, Passion Pit, John Vanderslice, Bishop Allen, Blind Pilot, AA Bondy, Black Moth Super Rainbow, The Knux, Ra Ra Riot, The Dodos, Beach House, Arthur & Yu, The Submarines, Owl City, Viva Voce, James Pants, Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band, The Builders & The Butchers, The Dutchess & The Duke, Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head, Dent May & His Magnificent Ukelele, Fences, School of Seven Bells, Death Vessel, Horse Feathers, Hockey, Point Juncture, WA, The Pica Beats, Loch Lomond, Vince Mira & more to come.

Comedy line up includes Zach Galifiankas, Demetri Martin, Tim & Eric Awesome Show Great Job, Todd Barry, Jon Benjamin, God’s Pottery, People’s Republic of Komedy & more.

I wonder where they’re going to put Girl Talk and/or Bon Iver? Word to the wise: if you’re sure your going and want to avoid the camping wasteland, start looking for alternate lodging now.