Get Out Friday: Market Party at Steinbrueck Park

Pike Place Market’s very public Centennial Celebration wraps up this Friday, the 100th anniversary of its onion-borne existence. As with any freshly-minted centenarian, the Market will dawdle obliviously amid the avid attention of family, friends, and Willard Scott the press.

To commemorate the milestone, there will be stage performances, special presentations and, as we noted earlier this week, other activities taking place from 9am on. But the candles won’t truly be lit until around 6pm, when the real “Market Party” begins (for those not stuck in traffic at the office).

Even for this crowd-wary, downtown-parking-hating Seattlest, the evening festivities—namely, a big free sonofabitching outdoor concert—are not to be missed.

From the P-I (and similarly dished at Market Party’s myspace):

Leading the concert are the Iconics, an eclectic band featuring guitarists Dave Dederer and Andrew McKeag of the Presidents of the United States of America, Mike Musberger of the Posies and Fastbacks, Jeff Fielder of Sera Cahoone and Ty Bailie of the Department of Energy.

The concert brings together Seattle musicians of the past 20 years (some with ties to the Jackson Street jazz scene of the 1940s) for a celebration of Northwest music. Musical guests include Shawn Smith, Chris Ballew of the Presidents, Mike McCready of Pearl Jam and Sean Nelson of Harvey Danger, as well as singer Choklate, Paul Jensen of the Dudley Manlove Quartet and gospel legend Pat Wright.

Shawn Smith? Mike McCready? Damn. (Yes, we saw the other names/acts. Harvey Danger fans should be stoked, too.) We’ve also seen Stone Gossard’s name included in this bunch. Just between these three—who’ve been in Green River, Mother Love Bone, Satchel, Brad, The Rockfords, and that other little band—the setlist possibilities are compelling. As long as we’re speculating: Could Pearl Jam, fresh from corporate censorship, provide one of the quote SPECIAL PERFORMANCES BY LOCAL FAVES? We would’ve dismissed the idea as wishful thinking had we not seen this chill-inducing phrase float through our inbox:

“Fans of Pearl Jam might want to save the date.”

Your PR skills are masterful, Market Party organizers. Count us in. We will brave the traffic, the parking situation, the third-world-sewer-pit public restrooms and the almost-certainly overwhelming crowd to help celebrate your namesake’s b-day. But if your press release proves to be overcooked, don’t expect us to show up in 2107.

Guitar men, by Viv | Seattle Bon Vivant, lives in the Seattlest Flickr pool.