Believe it or not, and it came as quite a shock to me, there are a bunch of kids out there who like going to rock shows but don't like booze and cigarettes or putting up with drunks and smokers. 
Enter The Hall - an all-ages venue in University Place that's been up and operating since May 13.  Hosting mainly hardcore shows, the purpose of The Hall is the same warm and fuzzy cliché you hear from every exclusively all-ages joint, especially those with "straight edge" origins.  (Straight edge definition: drugs, alcohol, cigarettes and a bunch of other "fun" stuff = evil.)  Utilizing an American Legion Hall, hence the name, The Hall's main purpose is to provide a safe place for kids to come, have fun, and see shows.
Today, The Hall is putting on Hallapalooza - a 16-band extravaganza starting at noon and running well into the night.  For eight bucks, Gift of Prophecy, Never Looking Back, Sidetracked, Fatum, the Pete Moss Band, Made for War, Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally, Zero Year, Left Alive, I Declare War, Cerise, They Come in Swarms, Don't Tell Sophie, Durango 95, Nothing to Prove, and the Biznautics will deliver a full day of hard-hitting stimulation, free of secondhand smoke, spilled beer, or vomit in the urinal.  For full story and information, check it here. â€" Matt Driscoll