Fremont Abbey Got Left Out of Our Feature About All-Ages Venues—Again, Damn It!

In this year's Back to School issue (now on stands—remember them?), The Stranger included a round-up of all-ages-friendly music venues , but for the third year in a row we forgot about Fremont Abbey Arts Center . We regret the errors.

As the writer who forgot FAAC in 2016 and 2018, I can mainly attribute it to a mental block—you know, the sort of phenomenon that causes you to blank unintentionally on things like getting flu shots, paying taxes, or putting the cap back on the toothpaste tube. There's no good excuse for this behavior, but the omission definitely is nothing personal. If we do a similar survey next year (if there is a next year), we will surely not bungle things.

Run by Abbey Arts, Fremont Abbey—and its counterparts Ballard Homestead and the new U District space the Auditorium, which FAAC director Nathan Marion says focuses on indie-rock geared toward a more youthful demographic—books quality music, art, and spoken-word events, as well as dance classes. Most of the musical acts Fremont Abbey brings in don't really interest me, but I acknowledge the thoughtfulness that's put into its schedule. (You can see what's on the horizon there here.) The one show that I did catch there, Bing & Ruth and Zen Mother, was excellent, and the room's vibe was comfortable and unpretentious—plus, the sound was pro.

FAAC's mission "is to curate welcoming arts & cultural experiences where people of all ages and incomes can explore creativity, enjoy beauty, grow empathy and increase awareness." It's hard to argue with any of those noble goals.

So, here's to The Stranger's 2019 Back to School tip sheet for all-ages venues not excluding... what's its name?