One of our 43 Favorite Things about Wallingford is closing up shop over the next few days. Music & toy store, art gallery, and occasional show space Electric Heavyland is closing for good on January 1st. Rather than the standard "rising rents" storyline that you're used to, the Electric Heavyland folks are closing the shop so they can focus on their record label, enterruption. Since they're closing to focus on music, it would seem that the Wooden Octopus Music Pfest is still on, but we suppose we'll see next year. The store's closing out with a big sale: more ›

Despite the attention, it's not just the status of Rainier Hardware and the Seattle P-I that are worthy of mention. Here are some other pieces of news from the local business landscape. more ›

Going out with any regularity can leave one a bit burned out, letting even wonderful music be cast aside as boring. The usual remedy for this malaise is a show so wonderful that it completely redeems the show-going experience, recharging the concert reserves if you will. This weekend's inaugural Wooden Octopus Skull Experimental Musick Festival will be a different kind of sonic palate cleanser, producing music from the underground so challenging that you can't help but to approach music with fresh ears. more ›