Zune Launches All Over Westlake Center

John Richards from KEXP was there MCing and of course Secret Machines were what we came to Westlake Center at noon on a Monday to see, but neither of those were the highest-priced talent that Microsoft would throw up on stage for their first Zune launch event yesterday. None other than the wizard king of Redmond Bill Gates himself stood before us to extol the wonders of the Microsoft mp3 player and pantomime a demonstration of its song beaming technology. Who knows, maybe he really sent a song from his Zune magically through the air to John's Zune - Regardless, it would be more visually exciting to stand there and watch Bill's brain grow.

After Gates's blessedly short set a couple handlers draped a cloak over him and whisked him off to wherever they keep him when they don't have an immediate need for visionary-ing and the three-piece Secret Machines rocked a solid, but also short, set. The Secret Machines do a progrock-type of thing with lots of drums and more guitar sound than seems possible from the 1.5 band members who wield string instruments (one guy does guitar and keyboards) and it seemed to play well to the mix of Microsoft corporate guys, rock fans, photographers and random Westlake Center passersby. After four songs they called it quits and the weather gods immediately unleashed a wind and rain storm that nearly saw Seattlest actually don the Zune poncho someone thrust on us.

Today Microsoft's Zune is officially launched and soon we'll begin building 520 and a new Sonics stadium with castoff iPods. To the future! Meanwhile, pay no attention to the technical glitches on launch day.