Death Cab for Cutie, Macklemore and More Artists Band Together to Save Seattle's Historic Showbox

In a list reflective of the depth and breadth of The Showbox's history, more than 150 local and national artists have signed onto an open letter in Friday's Seattle Times urging Seattle residents to take action to #SAVETHESHOWBOX.

The group is led by Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie, Duff McKagan of Guns n' Roses, Macklemore, and Mike McCready of Pearl Jam.

In statements about the group's effort, Gibbard noted, "We have created a coalition to save The Showbox not just because we have great memories of playing and seeing shows there, but because we want it to be available for future generations of performers and music fans to create their own."

"This Showbox Market demolition cannot stand! This place has musically flavored what Seattle IS at its core. Progress is great and all, but not at the cost of the soul of the city," McKagan said.

Macklemore added, "Seattle has a long lineage of music and the arts. As our city continues to grow in density, it's imperative that we protect the spaces that give Seattle its cultural identity. If we value our musical heritage and want to leave the next generation with a piece of authentic Seattle, this is our fight."

McCready concluded, "The Showbox is integral to the social fabric of the Seattle music scene. I have been lucky to have played there in many forms, Pearl Jam, Flight to Mars , sitting in with the Screaming Trees, benefits for Seattle organizations and a host of other shows that are to numerous to recall. The Showbox is a classy, relevant venue as important as CBGBs,The First Avenue, Filmore East and West, The Troubadourand Whisky to name a few. I'm 100% into saving the Showbox for the future. It's existence is imperative to the soul and heart of our fantastic city! SAVE THE SHOWBOX!"

The letter notes, "For nearly 80 years, The Showbox has been home to some of Seattle's biggest cultural moments, from Duke Ellington to Buffalo Springfield, The Police, The Ramones, James Brown, Heart, Ellen DeGeneres, Eminem, Soundgarden, Coldplay, Robin Williams, Chris Stapleton, Prince, and beyond. Despite this venue's iconic status, it is under threat. The Onni Group, a BC-based developer, plans to tear down The Showbox, to build a 44-story luxury residential tower in its place. We cannot let this happen."

The group of artists is working with an advocacy coalition led by Historic Seattle to advance several policy solutions that can help protect The Showbox. In addition to designating the venue as a historic landmark, the letter asks people to take meaningful action to support the effort by contacting Seattle's City Council and Mayor Jenny Durkan.

They say, "Together, we can save this iconic place, which continues to have an indelible impact on our city and artists from here and around the country."

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