Let the Kids Dance!

A seven-part podcast about the rise and fall of Seattle's Teen Dance Ordinance--conceived, written, edited, hosted and co-produced by me in partnership with KUOW and the NPR Network. 

Seattle in the '90s: A tidal wave of unforgettable music roars out of the city. Nirvana, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam take over global pop culture and Seattle is declared the world's coolest place to be. But reality in Seattle is different for young people. For almost two decades, the Teen Dance Ordinance has made it illegal for anyone under 18 to attend concerts without a parent or guardian. Police raid punk shows and hip-hop clubs. Politicians ban gig posters on utility poles. All-ages music is criminalized. And young people begin to fight back. 

Let the Kids Dance! is an immersive audio documentary that chronicles an untold chapter of pop-culture history. It's a wild story about moral panic, police brutality, extortion, riots in the streets (and on a Washington State Ferry), dance-ins at City Hall, rockstar activism, religious indoctrination, a multi-million-dollar lawsuit, the closest election in Seattle history... 

Not to mention the all-too-adult tendency to silence young people, devalue artists and build policy from fear rather than fact. 

Think of it as "Grunge Footloose." I'm the first journalist to dive deep into the entire thing. 

Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.