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I’m On A Plane: Sub Pop announces grand opening date for Sea-Tac retail store

Today marks the 26th anniversary of Sub Pop Records, which itself is of little significance were it not for the announcement the label made this afternoon that they’re celebrating by revealing the grand opening of the new Sub Pop retail store at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in SeaTac, Washington will be May 1. It will be located in the Central Terminal, near the entrance to concourse C, and will be open 365 days a year, with hours of operation from 6 am-10 pm.

Sub Pop, which introduced the world-at-large to artists like Nirvana, Mudhoney, the Afghan Whigs and the Shins, promises the store will feature a variety of Sub Pop-related merchandise including music, apparel, books, special travel items, art and more, “Perfect for last minute mementos or to create a tuneful travel experience.”

Artist rendering of Sub Pop retail store at Sea-Tac
Artist rendering of Sub Pop retail store at Sea-Tac

“The fine folks at the Port of Seattle and Sea-Tac International Airport are dedicated to expanding the local flavor and culture at the airport,” said Julie Butterfield, the store’s general manager. “There are already great local businesses in place and we are so excited to join the family.”

Sub Pop already has a relationship with Sea-Tac with a program that includes overhead music in common areas, a program of live artist performances in the terminal, artist- recorded overhead announcements, curated videos on terminal and baggage claim monitors, and a multi-channel web radio player available through the free airport wi-fi network. The addition of a retail outlet makes it a near takeover of the nation’s 15th biggest airport, with 33 million visitors a year, by the once-underground Seattle music scene

Besides official support by the Seattle Music Commission, the Port of Seattle – which operates the airport – and PlayNetwork in nearby Redmond, Sea-Tac’s Experience the City of Music program is backed by up to $375,000 pledged by Sea-Tac’s dining and retail merchants, which now will include Sub Pop along with Starbucks, Bose and Bigfoot Food & Spirits. Last September, Sea-Tac won an award at the industry-wide Future Travel Experience Awards for Best Arrivals Experience, thanks largely to the growing Experience the City of Music program.