King County Council member Dow Constantine, now running for King County Executive, held a fundraiser for a crowd of supporters at the Crocodile Lounge Thursday night.

The lounge reopened its doors last month after being shut since December 2007. It once hosted Pearl Jam and Nirvana. So it was fitting that Constantine supporter and former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic opened the event with a speech. The theme shared by both Constantine and Novoselic was free artistic expression, particularly music, and railed against city and state laws attempting to control what is heard and who gets to hear it.

In his speech, Constantine thanked club owner Marcus Charles for reopening the Crocodile, and West Seattle resident and club investor Susan Silver, also in attendance.

Said Constantine from the dramatically lit stage, "Krist touched on this. People undervalue the role of arts in our (city's) economy. Think about sporting events and conventions that generate a lot of money for Seattle. For every football game there are hundreds of art openings and museum events. That adds up...It's critical in local economy.

"The reason people live in urban areas is people sharing in the wonder of the arts," he continued. "To have a place that truly fosters young musicians to act (from their) basements and garages eventually up to clubs is crucial. We need to hold onto that here as Seattle continues to be a place where culture and music happens."

"I've been working with Dow for 15 years," said Novoselic after Constantine's speech while mingling with his own fans. He has become active in the Democratic party since Nirvana.

"Dow's not a 'politician.' He's a public servant. I think he gets it. He represents a large diverse population. I think he's going to be a great King County Executive," said the famous Wahkiakum County resident.