City of Seattle Creates Musician Load-in Zones at Select Venues

In a move that should make gigging musicians a little happier the City of Seattle is making changes  to make it easier for them to load-in and load-out at live music venues around the city.

“Seattle’s music scene is a critical part of our city’s cultural draw and the quality of life in our city,” said Mayor Ed Murray. “We want to better serve local music venues’ needs and the musicians that play there.”

Five music venues have been selected to try out the program and have loading zones nearby that prioritize musician’s use through branded signs.

The first Seattle venues to get the signs are:
1. High Dive (Fremont)
2. The Crocodile and Tula’s (Belltown)
3. The Triple Door (Downtown)
4. Showbox at The Market (Pike Place Market)

According to the city each venue has slightly different circumstances and load zone times are tailored to meet the neighborhood and establishment’s needs. The city will monitor the four locations to be sure they are operating as intended.

“This is a step forward in improving working conditions for club musicians,” said Motter Snell, president of the Musicians Association of Seattle. “Thank you to the Department of Transportation, the Office of Film + Music and the Seattle Music Commission for working with us and Fair Trade Music Seattle to accomplish this.”

The City of Seattle is inviting other interested music venues to request similar load zones. To qualify for the Musician Load Zone program, interested businesses must meet the requirements defined in the Admissions Tax Exemption for Live Music Venues. If they do, the city will evaluate whether a load zone is feasible. Businesses interested in a musicians priority load zone sign should contact Rachel White, OFM’s Music and Creative Industries Program Manager at rachel.white@seattle.gov or 206-684-8504.