Once I saw the EMP close up with my own eyes I realized they were right: it WAS ugly. Ugly in a way that was AWE-INSPIRING. Ugly like Divine was "ugly," like Rat Fink is "ugly." In other words, I thought it was BEAUTIFUL, in its own loud, garish, can't-take-your-eyes-off-of-it way.

The engineers and curators who conducted the tour seemed understandably proud and excited about their work, yet the other journalists and musicians in the tour group (with a few exceptions) seemed awfully guarded in any enthusiasm they might have felt for the place. Either they truly did not like what they saw, or felt duty bound to keep their mouths shut.