Three Imaginary Girls

Seattle's Indie-Pop Press – Music Reviews, Film Reviews, and Big Fun

Sean Nelson (2008) / photo by: Victoria Uhl / http://www.victoriauhl.com/

News just broke from a *very* reliable source that Sean Nelson is not only leaving The Stranger, he’s leaving Seattle. Our beloved wordsmith, etc. is heading east to Nashville, Tennessee.

Sean Nelson at our Rockstar New Wave Karaoke Party in 2012 - it was so great to have him help us celebrate our 10 year anniversary. Photo by Nate Watters
Sean Nelson at our Rockstar New Wave Karaoke Party in 2012 – it was so great to have him help us celebrate our 10 year anniversary. Photo by Nate Watters

I’ve known about Sean since before I moved to Seattle (of course). I’ve known Sean on a sporadically casual, friendly-neighborly basis since the early days of TIG (2002). And by “known” I mean that when I see him I hang on his every word, trying not to make eye contact with his fantastic hair, and then I flub out something mismatched and amateur in return.

TIG's visit to KEXP in 2006. Sean was kind enough to have us on Audioasis.
TIG’s visit to KEXP in 2006 (that’s first generation TIG – Char, me, Dana). Sean was kind enough to have us on Audioasis. This is how photos looked back in 2006.

Sean is a master writer, KEXP DJ, and speaker (and obvs lyricist and singer). He can scold someone and cheer them on at the same time. He has an effortless depth of emotion and knowledge that is rarely matched by those he’s sharing it with – which makes every exchange a delight. I can’t count the number of times he has brought me to tears laughing and crying with just one sentence. Sean is a true national treasure.

Sean sang some amazing New Wave hits at our 2004 party. Photo by Ryan Schierling
Sean sang some amazing New Wave hits at our 2004 party. Photo by Ryan Schierling

It’s sad that he won’t be in Seattle to continue to fill our The Stranger with brilliant articles and our stages with epic performances… or for me to cross paths with on the rare occasion we both happen to leave our respective homes.

Sean Nelson at TIG's 2011 holiday party. Photo by: Victoria Uhl
Sean Nelson at TIG’s 2011 holiday party. Photo by: Victoria Uhl

At the same time, I feel a giddy excitement for him as he sets a course for adventure (I’m hoping he’ll document some of the escapades on the internet). I’m elated that he’s taking his talents to another city to transform them into smarter, fancier people (that’s what his presence and articles can do).

I have convinced myself that it’ll be for the greater good. He can convert that slightly-less-lefty town (Nashville), and transform them into a population that will “make good choices” (sorry, had to!) and get that place firmly on the hippy-liberal track. Perhaps he can make it a bubble we can escape to once Seattle becomes a place where all the places we once loved get a post on Vanishing Seattle?

That time we had dinner with Sean Nelson and John Roderick at Morton's Steak House. Photo: Brian Teutsch
That time we had dinner with Sean Nelson and John Roderick at Morton’s Steak House (more about what’s going on here).
Photo: Brian Teutsch

I’m sad. I’m happy. I’m super jealous. Sean’s headed to the same town as our big-time love, Megan Seling (and former fellow The Stranger favorite, and hopefully one day Nashville mayoral candidate). In my head, once Sean settles in, they will work on a sit-com script based on Seattle in the 1990’s and 2000’s and it’ll take the world by storm (WAIT, NOW I’M HAPPY AGAIN). I’ll take a book version, too!

I have my fingers crossed that he will at least share a final article to his Seattle contingent. It will be far better than anything I could imagine and I’ll hang on every word.

Sean Nelson (2009) / photo by: Victoria Uhl / http://www.victoriauhl.com/
Sean Nelson (2009) / photo by: Victoria Uhl

Top photo: Sean Nelson (2008) / photo by: Victoria Uhl

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