Seattle Weekly
The Seattle Weekly’s Hannah Levin praised the Seattle City of Music Initiative saying, “When Nickels’ Office of Film + Music unveiled its Seattle City of Music Initiative in late 2008, the guarded skepticism with which many local promoters, artists, journalists, and club owners greeted it carried into early 2009.
But though our gorgeous summer has now morphed back into a more familiar pattern of chilly grayness, the forecast for the Seattle music community feels brighter and warmer than any time in recent memory. Part of this is due to people like Office of Film + Music director James Keblas and program coordinator Rachel White, who’ve worked tirelessly to bridge the gaps between the music community and more conservative factions within the mayor’s office. While Keblas continued to push for more tangible manifestations of the mayor’s Seattle City of Music Initiative, White compiled an exhaustively detailed yet user-friendly Nightlife Handbook, designed to help club owners navigate the perplexing maze of licensing and regulation requirements. White’s tome also provides advice on how to improve neighborhood relations and cope with the impending expenses of the new sprinkler requirements, set to take effect in December.”