Crocodile Closed for Good?!?!?
Driving in to the office this morning I heard on KEXP that the Crocodile Cafe was going to close its doors for good. I’ve been digging around hoping for something to dispel this awful news but info is scarce right now, and what info there is all points to the news being true. Three Imaginary Girls reports that the venue just doesn’t have the capitol to remain viable. It is also reported that all remaining shows have been canceled.
The Crocodile has been the go-to spot for the greatest sound in Seattle forever. I was just having a conversation this weekend about the best shows I’ve seen this year and 2 of the top 3 were at the Croc. The Blakes with the Cops, and Britt Daniel’s solo acoustic show. Over the years there have been so many good bands and good memories spawned at the Croc. I can only hope it falls into the right hands (stay away AEG!!!) and that Jim the sound-guy finds a proper home. It will be truly missed.
You have some favorite memories about the Croc? Best show? Most rediculous evening? Let’s hear ‘em.
Popularity: 25%
Easily my favorite venue in this town. I will cry a bucket of solid-gold tears if this actually happens.
Please let this be like the Showbox rumor! The Croc was one of the only joints that you got to see big names (Beastie Boys) and the not so big but equally fun names (Sinestro). Plus - what if I’m at a concert and I want some hash browns - what other venue is going to provide me that?!
Nooooo! Ack, I’m speechless, even from Denver. The Crocodile was the first venue - bar even - I went to in Seattle when I first visited the city in 1997. I was traveling with Denver band Hate Fuck Trio, and they played the Croc and we all got super drunk, naturally, and had a fantastic time.
I’m going to put down the Internets for a week and come back, and when I do it will be revealed this news was a hallucination.
PS: what’s going on out there with the shutdowns and celine-dion-ism (rumors Showbox will turn soft after sale to a big money interest) of venues?
Boy, the news travels fast. Everyone is coming up to me, “did you hear??” This is very sad — It’s just another nail in the coffin of taking away one of the many things I loved about Seattle and one of the reasons why I moved over 2000 miles to Seattle in the first place. The only music venue that I know of that is still left from the early 90s is the Tractor in Ballard. The last time I was at the Croc, I had this nostalgic moment when in the ladies room while putting on lipstick — that I was looking into that very same mirror, 13 years earlier doing the exact same thing, It was reassuring in a way how some things don’t change, that over a decade later, I’m still doing the things I love — seeing live music at cool venues. The crocodile was one of the few places left where Seattle’s true colors shown brightly. But as time moves on, more and more of those places are going away. I wonder if it will be turned into some high-glossed belltown monstrosity ala Frontier Room style. I think I’ll cry like a baby if day comes where they turn the Comet into Baja Fresh.
And Matt, to answer your question — I think the yuppies are taking over. Where there are condos, there are yuppies! And seattle is now virtually one big condo.
I guess it’s sad that a venue is closing. I’ll give props for the fact that bands always sounded excellent inside. I only saw two acts I really loved there: Spoils earlier this year and Mudhoney a few years back. I think their drinks are overpriced. I think their doormen are jerks (on busy nights). Venues close and new ones arise. The Croc has had very little to do with my musical experience in the city. They gave my friends’ bands gigs quite a bit when they had no real draw. Which is cool — but probably also part of the problem. If anyone’s been reading the press on it, it seems the Croc has NEVER been profitable and the only reason it stayed open is ’cause the owner had R.E.M.-spouse check book to keep it running.
To me, you still can’t beat the Blue Moon. Free. Quite often good bands. Cheap drinks. I’m beginning to really like the Rendezvous as well.
There’s still great music in this city and good places to go see it.
Check it… it’s official… it literally up to us to re-build from here…Seattle Times
C
My friend Pete (the former booking agent there until he got fed up with lousy management and quit last week) said that the place has been losing money for the last few years. Sounds like it all lies on the shoulders of the current owner Stephanie (raging alcoholic?) who, according to some sources (most everyone else that works there) is a complete incompetent douchebag of a manager, especially since her ex-husband Peter Buck (REM)pulled out of the business last year. Apparently this has been brewing for some time and I guess the shit finally hit the fan today.
I’ll get more detailed info in the days to come and let you know whats up.
Reading these posts, I offer that my sentiments lie somewhere in the middle. Not middle of the road, but I am a little worked-up about it as the writing has been on the wall for a long time now.
This isn’t to say that I won’t cherish my many memories of the Croc. Seeing Modest Mouse there years ago, as well as Mudhoney, the Shins, Death Cab (before they drove me nuts), the Murder City Devils more than once, Hater, Wellwater Conspiracy, several Cops shows in recent years…the common thread was rock and fucking roll, and the bearded Barrett Martin watching from the VIP balcony.
Just as the RCKNDY and Moe’s and the Offramp/Graceland, the OK Hotel and Breakroom, places come and go. The Croc had a good run. After all, bars/nightclubs are a “for-profit” venture, right?
R.I.P. Croc.
This year, I cut my hair, traded my black leather jacket for brown, and started business school. Then the Croc closed. This just really makes me feel old. I will even miss that load-bearing beam 15′ from stage that always obstructed my view.
The other (and less personal) reason this is sad, is that it is indicative of the general shift in Seattle culture from local and quirky to homogeneous big-city. Change IS inevitable, but so is me whining about change.
Let’s not forget that the Croc was first and foremost a business. How much will it affect the actual music scene? Well, if you’re out for music and not a bar or place to hang out…it will affect the scene absolutely NONE. I sincerely hope to God that bands don’t form with the idea “I’m in a band to play the Croc” or any venue. And if bands to form for those reasons, I don’t want to support them ’cause it seems they’d be operating in the realm of commerce as opposed to music. Some other place will pop up.
As misterlevitan said, the writing has been on the wall for awhile. From the articles I’ve read about the situation over the last few months, this seemed inevitable. Things come’n'go. There’ll always be something new.
Who knows — maybe someone opens a kickass venue there to replace it?
[…] the Crocodile just up and closes it’s doors. Apparently, this was a long time coming. Stephanie Dorgan (owner) was reportedly […]
I think the argument that the closure of the Crocodile will have NO impact on the music scene is categorically flawed. From a nostalgic standpoint, the club has been an institution since the “scene” that put Seattle on the musical map, and every local band that’s gone on to bigger and better things has cut their teeth in this venue.
From a practical standpoint, there were a good 15 to 20 bands playing there every single week. To think that those shows are just going to immediately materialize in other, smaller venues would be a mistake. If something else opens to pick up the slack, then more power to it; but nothing will be able to replace the experience, atmosphere, or reputation that the Crocodile provided on a nightly basis.
Way to be understated, LB…
[…] hosting diverse local and national acts and hopefully filling some of the void created when the Crocodile (un)expectedly closed its doors. This builds on the current trifecta of great stages found in this neck of Capitol Hill. Namely, […]
[…] closing of the grunge clubs of the 90’s with a strong punctuation made by the shuttering of The Crocodile. It seems that dance is the new rock. Tagged with: Broken Disco, Michael Jackson, Radiohead, […]
…the three things i wrote about missing from the croc in my blog). Killer bands, great sound when standing stage right and those squishy seats at the bar…
cr
my blog:
http://blog.culturemob.com/high-dive-and-the-crocodile-cafe
What’s up with this rumor that Johnny Depp is going to buy the Crocodile?
http://www.threeimaginarygirls.com/blogentry/2008may/surelythisistoowildassbonkerstobetruejohnnydeppbuyingthecroc
I did some digging and this rumor is not unfounded.