Many people who have enjoyed The Paradox over the years may not be aware of the long history and behind the scenes details of the all ages venue in addition to having questions about the future of The Paradox. This press release is intended to help clarify the past, present, and future of The Paradox.
In 1985 Seattle enacted the Teen Dance Ordinance (TDO), which put tough restrictions on underage concerts and dance clubs. As the years progressed, every all-ages concert venue in the city closed down until there was nothing left.
We started Mars Hill Church in 1996. In 1998 the leaders of our then little church dug up the TDO and met with an attorney to see if there was any way we could serve the all-ages scene. We discovered that there was a loophole of sorts in the TDO that stated we could do shows if we were a 501(c)3 religious nonprofit—which our church was.
The Paradox in the Press
Press Release from the current Paradox Staff - Alicia Blake & Liz Martin
The Paradox in the PressHello friends,
The Paradox was originally started by Mars Hill Church in 1999. Over the years, the venue has been run by a number of people - recently in the last year and half or so by myself and Liz Martin, plus our incredible volunteer staff on show nights. In all of its' many variations, this most recent evolution of the staff included no church members. The Paradox's mission has always been to promote and produce shows for all ages crowds, providing a safe place to see great shows at a small price.
Our non profit status is tied to the church, as are some of our finances, but this has recently come up as a subject both Liz and I have touched on, with the intent to separate the Paradox for the first time from the church. Over the past few months, Liz and I had considered a few different ideas, which included separating the Paradox from the church, possibly moving the venue and opening elsewhere. After a series of meetings with the heads of the church, we have found our vision for the Paradox does not coincide with the church's vision.
The Paradox was originally started by Mars Hill Church in 1999. Over the years, the venue has been run by a number of people - recently in the last year and half or so by myself and Liz Martin, plus our incredible volunteer staff on show nights. In all of its' many variations, this most recent evolution of the staff included no church members. The Paradox's mission has always been to promote and produce shows for all ages crowds, providing a safe place to see great shows at a small price.
Our non profit status is tied to the church, as are some of our finances, but this has recently come up as a subject both Liz and I have touched on, with the intent to separate the Paradox for the first time from the church. Over the past few months, Liz and I had considered a few different ideas, which included separating the Paradox from the church, possibly moving the venue and opening elsewhere. After a series of meetings with the heads of the church, we have found our vision for the Paradox does not coincide with the church's vision.