The Crocodile is one of the most storied venues in the country. It has become the heart and soul of the Seattle music scene and has hosted some of the biggest acts of the past four decades. Everyone from Nirvana to the Beastie Boys has traveled to the famed venue to put on unforgettable performances on their stages. After opening its doors in 1991, The Crocodile began supporting the now-famous grunge scene that was preparing to bubble over into the mainstream. The venue now has one of the most interesting backstories and was named one of the best venues in the country by Rolling Stone.
Over the years The Crocodile has transformed from its original location and reopened and expanded into what is now three venues and a hotel all wrapped in one. Learn more about the story of The Crocodile in Glide’s latest edition of These Walls, a column dedicated to shining a light on amazing venues. Check out our full interview with talent buyer Hunter Motto about his cozy music room.
The Crocodile has been owned and operated throughout its 31-year history by some prominent musicians – Peter Buck and then Sean Kinney among other co-owners – what do you credit this building in terms of having such a stronghold on the Seattle musical community and such influential musicians?
The Crocodile’s investors have always been the backbone of our business. The musicians who have graced our stage are the beating heart and the fans represent the venue’s emotional center (in this less-than-perfect metaphor). After thirty-one years, the venue is rich with memories and lots of good karma. That karma helped us find a new home after our lease was terminated at the 2nd & Blanchard location.
The venue has had a number of prominent shows- what are the challenges of having a band like Alice in Chains or Green Day there? Do you mainly have to just keep it under the radar till show time?
High-profile underplays can be challenging from a logistical standpoint, sure. The tour may want to plant their touring front-of-house console (soundboard) in the middle of the room or they may have so much gear we don’t know where to put all the empty cases. Keeping a secret in the music industry–like a big act playing a small club–is always tricky, but when it’s finally announced, it’s a magical moment worth all the time spent with pursed lips. Even after 10 years at The Crocodile, the magic and joy of booking an underplay have not worn off.
Seattle has always gotten a reputation for a certain type of sound or music even 30 years after the grunge movement – what do you like to think of as the Seattle sound today?
The Seattle sound of today is as varied and diverse as our city, so much so that I don’t think any single genre would do it justice. There are bands today playing heavy music that sounds like grunge and 90s shoegaze pop and 00s pop punk and 70s psychedelic rock and 60s laurel canyon songwriters and jazz-inspired funk. Seattle’s hip-hop scene has grown and changed since Blue Scholars and Macklemore started 15 years ago. Folks should check out Shaina Shepherd, Smokey Brights, Lemolo, Chris King, Motus, and Travis Thompson.
How has the Belltown section of Seattle changed and progressed since The Crocodile first opened in 1991 and then reopened in 2009?
Belltown is always Belltown! Rich high-rise apartments and people sleeping on the streets. Bars that rock until 1:59 am and vibrant music venues. Buildings are being bulldozed, like the former home of Tula’s, Lava Lounge, and White Rabbit, and new buildings are being built. There are three venues at The “new” Crocodile: The Crocodile Showroom (our larger main stage), Madame Lou’s (our 300-capacity club), and Here-After (our seated comedy club and theater). Shout out to Belltown Yacht Club, the rock club up the street on 1st which is attached to Screwdriver bar, and our old neighbors Jupiter Bar.
What bands do you feel most got their sound from playing regularly at the Crocodile?
Mudhoney… REM…
Is there a local band that played your venue early in their career that you have seen blow up?
There are so many artists we’ve been lucky enough to host and welcome to their Belltown home-away-from-home. Nirvana, Mudhoney, Jack Johnson, Sia, Fleet Foxes, Macklemore, Perfume Genius, TAD, Vampire Weekend, The White Stripes, Circle Jerks, Lizzo, Billie Eilish, Kehlani, Screaming Trees, Death Cab For Cutie, Sunny Day Real Estate, Brandi Carlile, The President of the United States of America, Neko Case, Spoon, Regina Spektor, John Mayer, Sigur Ros, The National, Everclear, Arctic Monkeys, and more and more.
How do you balance having big names play the venue while still focusing on the local scene?
It’s a wonderful thing to be able to help local musicians build their careers and hone their live performances. If we could, we’d book all local bands, but we can’t! Start forming new bands, people!
What do you dislike about other venues that you tried to make sure don’t happen here? Is there really a bad concert experience you try and make sure your audience doesn’t have?
The Crocodile has built a culture and expectation that our staff will be friendly, helpful, and prioritize the experience and safety of musicians and fans. We want our venues to be fun, raucous, comfortable, beautiful, endearing, full of memories, punk rock, good sound, and kindness.
How does your venue interact with the community around it?
Because there are three venues in the building and a hotel on-site, we are now more than ever able to offer to program almost every night of every week. To me, that’s an investment in our neighborhood and community. Folks in Belltown can catch a show whenever they want. Or maybe they just want a drink or a bite to eat. We’re here and working to keep the community vibrant. It also means we get to book more local bands, which is an incredible privilege.
I see The Crocodile was ranked among one of the best clubs by Rolling Stone, how does it feel to get recognized for your work?
It’s a real honor to be recognized on Rolling Stone’s list of best clubs in the U.S., but even more so because the election board Rolling Stone brought on, musicians and industry professionals, are people we deeply respect.
Has landing on that list provided any notable changes to the audiences you see at the shows?
Honestly, I don’t really think so.
In your 30 years of business what bands have consistently put on terrific performances at your venue?
Walking Papers, The Hold Steady, Sweet Water, The Crying Spell, Lemolo, Travis Thompson, Van Eps, gosh so many.
Are there any bands that haven’t played at the venue that you would like to see perform there?
Of course, I’m waiting for Blondie to play the room!
