1. Hidmo - Not enough can be said of Hidmo, which only just closed it’s Eritrean restaurant location on 20th & Jackson. Their closing party brought together the most inclusive, all-ages crowd you are likely to see in this town. Read all you can on the story of this woman-owned, immigrant business turned community center, which managed to become an integral hub in just four years. Look for big things in the next year: http://www.hidmo.org/
2. HTFC - Healthy Times Fun Club managed move forward from their roots, with an entirely new crew taking over and keeping this (literally) underground venue going strong. The best place to see all-ages shows in a safe, sober environment, while still having hella room to dance, rock out, eat amazing vegan food, you name it! I can’t give out their address, so you’ll hafta work that out for yourself: (hint: a google gets hilarious results - http://www.google.com/search?q=Healthy%20Times%20Fun%20Club )
3. 20/20 - The Bike shop right next door to our new digs, 20/20 Cycle, 2020 Union, continues to be the best place to see shows on a rare basis (you may be catching a trend here…) Alex will also talk your ear off on a variety of amazing topics. Oh, and they have bikes. http://2020cycle.com/
4. New Crompton - New Crompton, who have been having shows on-and-off since the grunge days, continues to rock hardcore. They came back from a near-shutdown: “I fought the law and I won,” a resident noted after successfully appealing the SPD. I recommend any show here: http://www.myspace.com/newcrompton
5. Pet Seminary - This house creatively dealt with a downstairs neighbor’s relayed calls to the landlord, by turning shows into outdoor parties, neighborhood parades, whatever worked. But, alas! Yet another house show to close down, and in style! The night before their moving out, the kids of the Pet Seminary, right next to the roaring river that is I-5, ALL played in various incarnations, culminating in one of the Music Tapes’ recent “Bedtime Lullaby Performances” running well into the early morning.
6. T-Dock Show - Seattle Secret Shows strikes again. This was my favorite of the year: A whole mess of local and touring bands on the Lake Washington T-Dock. Swimming, bats flying overhead, music well into the chill of the summer evening. People not leaving, due to the magic. If you don’t know about the Seattle Secret Shows, ask!
7. Floating Dock Show - For, I believe the third year, a giant floating dock has been - uh - floated out onto Lake Union and rocked upon. If you’d like to join in this experience, including a - now less noisy and janky than in previous years - generator and PA, banquet permit (= legal drinking!), I’m sure this will become an institution not to be missed. 
8. The other dock show - I don’t actually remember the deets on this, but am including it due to the audacity to throw another dock show in the face of such stiff competition. Just go to dock shows, is I guess what I’m sayin’, here.
9. Beach. We don’t need no stinkin’ dock! That’s right, there was an amazing show on the beach. Golden Gardens, in this instance. This took place in the later days of summer, so our trek to the shore for sundown brought things to a chilly close. An unrelated hippie flautist was playing to the bay, and invited to join, he decided to jam with the bands, rather than take a turn. Hilarity ensued. http://www.seattle.gov/parks/reservations/goldengardens.htm
10. Secret Squirrel - Athens, GA - I actually played this show, (as a matter of full disclosure), plus it was far away, but I’d like to shout out to the amazing alternative venues everywhere. After playing the Athens Popfest in the afternoon, we played an amazing drunken-afterparty in the “Secret Squirrel”, a spot squirreled away at the dead-end of an alley. As an out-of-towner, you’d never find it. Unless you followed the stream of local drunks who could find it blind, which they might well be, metaphorically speaking…
That’s it! What was your favorite alt. venue? I really do wanna know! -Forrest

Also:11. The Mine! How could I forget? Oh, perhaps because I couldn’t even get in to one of the hottest sold-out shows in an underground recording-studio turned venue tucked away in the heart of ballard. Or maybe the liver… or spleen. Anyway, Kimya - rapping!, Your Heart Breaks, Theo (of Nana Grizol fame!) and Defiance, OH totally sold out this sweatbox and was not to be missed… Figure out how to find this place so you’re never disappointed again:  http://www.myspace.com/ballardmine