Musicians who remain active in the recording industry for over 20 years usually become internationally famous and aim to save the world, or quietly cultivate a devout fan base by emancipating humanity one pair of ears at a time. Mark Pickerel—drummer, vocalist, and Ellensburg native—has followed the latter career path. While in high school, Pickerel joined what would become one of the most notable—and yet most overlooked—bands of the grunge era. Seven years later,......

Has it really been over four years since you've taken a stage in Seattle, Mark? We could be wrong, but your late 2003 Showbox show—a great one, by the way—is the last we heard about. (QOTSA appearances don't count.) Assuming we're right, that's just silly. It's not like you haven't had albums to support. Your 2006 pairing with Isobel Campbell was a gorgeous, syrup-and-sour-mash treat—but did you two share any live love outside of Europe?......

Last week's rejection of the monorail reminds us of an earlier failure by Seattle to produce cool futuristic transport -- no, not the Jetfoil. We're talkin' SST. On September 29, 1966, Boeing unveiled a full-scale mockup of its supersonic airliner, capable of blasting 274 passengers around the globe at 1,800 mph. Boeing first studied commercial SST use in 1952, and officially began its SST program in 1958. By1963, to compete with the British-French consortium......