Hi IrishGal,
Seattle has a great live music scene, regardless of the genre you're interested in. I would consider myself an extreme music aficionado, and I have yet to be disappointed. Admittedly, there are far fewer venues when you are underage - I'd say there are at least three times as many clubs with 21+ musical offerings (most of which are just bars with a stage set up) than all ages venues - but there is a hell of a lot of good stuff for all ages fans as well. Plus, local promoters tend to know when a show is going to be more appealing to the underage crowd, and those shows are almost always billed as such.
The venues below are a good place to start when looking for shows in Seattle, as they almost always have under 21 shows. All of them are safe places, close enough to campus that walking (or sometimes a short bus ride) can get you there easily. These venues are just the tip of the iceberg and represent a fraction of the live music in the city, but most all ages shows I've been to have happened at one of them.
If you're into the whole DIY/house show scene, you should check out
Seattle DIY. They have a very loaded calendar with a lot of shows that are never mentioned in any other local media. These shows tend to be much smaller and sometimes are accompanied by a meal. Other venues like the
Crocodile Cafe are predominantly 21+, but occasionally have great shows where they open their doors to the all ages crowd. I personally think the Crocodile - along with the
Funhouse, which is strictly 21+ - is the best venue in town.
In terms of band suggestions, it's hard because I don't know what types of music you're into. Let me know some of your favorite bands or genres, and I could certainly give you some suggestions.
Also, since I am the Music Director at
KSUB (Seattle University's student radio station) I want to let you know that we're always looking for students interested in music to be DJs. There are a lot of perks: not only do you get to hear pretty much every album that comes out (usually before it is released), you also get to do cool things like interview bands that come through and get into shows for free. I've been involved with the station since I first got to SU as a freshman, and I've had some of my best college memories because of that. If you are interested in finding out more or
want to apply for a DJ position - and everyone who applies gets accepted - you should visit our website. This isn't like at other schools, where new DJs get timeslots in the middle of the night. The sooner you sign up, the better your chances of getting a prime timeslot of your choice.
But I don't think you'll be disappointed at what this city has to offer. There are dozens of venues - some huge, some small - that represent all musical interests. I don't know what the music scene is like in Florida, but I would venture to guess that Seattle's is one of the most vibrant in the country. When I first got here, I started going to shows almost every night, and got into more new bands than I'd ever even dreamed of before arriving. And I came from San Francisco, where the music scene is in and of itself excellent.
Hope this helps,
Rob La Gatta
KSUB Music Director/Spectator Web Production Editor
lagattar@seattleu.edu