Seattle Times
Kate Becker is one of Seattle’s coolest figures. Hopefully, as someone who cares about music and the arts in Seattle, you’re already familiar with Becker. If not, Andrew Matson of The Seattle Times is happy to share what he’s learned about the venerable music lover, venue founder and educator. The article above focuses mostly on Becker’s work between 1992 and 2002, when she opened and managed the Old Fire House Teen Center in Redmond. The center was a place for “nontraditional kids” to play music, learn lessons of tolerance, safely party and escape the confines of suburbia. Members of Modest Mouse, Fleet Foxes, Gossip, Sunny Day Real Estate and Flexions are just a few of the hundreds of young musicians supported and nurtured by Kate Becker and the Fire House. The successes of the Fire House lead directly to the founding of the Vera Project, an all-ages venue whose success continues today. To read more about Redmond in the ‘90s, all-age venues and Kate Becker, click the link above.