Multibillionaire Paul Allen lifted a Dale Chihuly glass guitar above his head and smashed it to smithereens, opening his $240 million-Experience Music Project museum of American popular music. "Let the experience begin!" Mr. Allen shouted as confetti and streamers fluttered down.

The normally reclusive Mr. Allen spoke for about five minutes — one of his longest public speeches —to welcome a crowd of several hun- dred at the grand opening outside. Mr. Allen, a musician since childhood, originally conceived of the museum as homage to his idol, guitar legend Jimi Hendrix. As cofounder of Microsoft Corp. with Bill Gates, Mr. Allen has the money.—
an estimated $28 billion - to make his dreams come true. The museum's scope has since expanded to cover all of pop music, from soul to country, hip-hop to techno-rock.

The museum — a unique hands-on blend of artifacts, video arcade, nightclub, music, class and amusement park - is opening, with a three-day bash featuring dozens of performers, including James Brown, Beck, Eminem, and Alanis Morissette. Its goal is to illuminate the path of creativity, perhaps even provide touchstones for emerging talent, Mr. Allen said.

"When people realize what it is - as it evolves, it's going to be a pretty spectacular thing," said Mr. Gehry, the world renowned architect who designed the curvy, colorful building.
It's a model for how to reawaken the arts for young people."
The 71-year-old Los Angeles-based architect dismissed reports that he doesn'tlike rock and roll. "Some of my; best friends are rock-and-roll people. It's just my age," he said.

The crowd that gathered to watch the opening remarked on the building — likened by some to a colorful pile of rubble or a blob of Jell-0 — in the shadow of Seattle's landmark Space Needle.
"At first I thought it was awful, but I was walking around a couple weeks ago and now I think it's pretty," said Rita Jones, 67. Differs agreed. "When it was first going up, I had
my doubts, but now you step inside and it's incredible," said John Pleas, 34, who described the building as - "a big spaceship."

Among the features that captured the attention of visitors to the museum is a colorful, two-story sculpture made entirely of guitars, which looks as if the instruments are exploding from the floor.