In the immortal words of Rihanna, “We found love in a broken place.” We haven’t asked her, but Rihanna was likely singing about the U District’s new all-ages venue, Heartland, which has already created a thriving community in its relatively short lifetime. When former underground haven Healthy Times Fun Club fell, Seattle’s underage underground-music fans suddenly found themselves stranded on an island of off-limits, age-restricted shows. Even all-ages shows were often only for national acts at huge local venues, where ticket prices turned away people with modest incomes. Enter Heartland—a charming hole in the wall that appeared out of the nothingness to answer the valiant all-ages clarion call, insuring that the rock and the roll will remain for the people. Neat side note: Heartland recently began streaming sets live to Hollow Earth Radio, officially making everyone’s DIY hearts swell a couple sizes larger. KS