Three Imaginary Girls and the Chop Suey have organized another benefit event for the displaced employees for the Crocodile Cafe. It’s another great line-up with all the proceeds going to help clean up the mess on 2nd Ave
FRIDAY – January 4, 2008 @ Chop Suey
Coconut Coolouts
The Intelligence
The Girls
Das Llamas
$6 donation
8pm doors
21 and Over
As you may have already read, Crocodile Cafe owner Stephanie Dorgan closed the club a week before Christmas, leaving all her employees a voice mail telling them, in a way as gentle as getting bent over a keg in the back, that they were all jobless-and thus “screwed”.
The local music community is rallying to support them. Former Croc booker Pete Greenberg (now booking Chop Suey) has put together an incredible bill to benefit the former Croc employees with performances by members of
Fleet Foxes,
Peter Parker,
the Pale Pacific,
Siberian,
Triumph of Lethargy
Skinned Alive To Death,
Dave Terry (of Aqueduct),
Siberian,
Pleasureboaters,
J.Tillman,
Damien Jurado,
and David Bazan.
With DJs Kristoffer K and Roy (Rooha-that’s Canuk for Roy…).
This is a chance to hear some great local music and support the team that brought us so many nights of debauchery.
Chop Suey–1325 E. Madison St.
Sun-Dec 30th
7pm $10 21+
There is a rift in the Seattle music scene this month. Like the entire society that controls our nightly musical experiences is on a giant purge session.
First the Showbox is sold off to AEG, sure, sure they placate us with promises that the original booker and talent scout will remain in his position, but everyone just knows Celine is coming to town. It’s inevitable. This is a company concerned with nothing but the bottom line and they’ll throw any Clear Channel shit at you to make that dolla.
THEN, the Crocodile just up and closes it’s doors. Apparently, this was a long time coming. Stephanie Dorgan (owner) was reportedly brought to court after her first year for keeping shoddy accounting records. Her husband and partner in the Croc, Peter Buck-of R.E.M. fame, pulled out after their divorce last year. So I guess we shouldn’t be surprised. And every club is first and foremost a business. Yeah, right, I get it. But these are the places we revolve our social lives around. The places we go to see that little band from Albany we’ve been tracking all year. Of course we’re up in fucking arms about them being bought out by giant promoters and buttoning up shop.
Now, it’s rumored that the Comet
Tavern is up for sale. The Stranger pulled a posting from Craigslist stating the following
——————————-
Seattle’s oldest bar – $400000
Seattle’s oldest tavern/bar, centrally located in Capitol Hill. Very established. Possible Class H and pull tabs. NDA required. DO NOT TALK TO EMPLOYEES. ——————- Check out the post here
Just when it was becoming a standard in the Seattle Music Scene. I mean. I’m pretty sure pull tabs AND punk rock can coexist, but damn! What the hell is going on here? Are we on the turn of a new music revolution? Or is Seattle Music just going to be systematically wiped off the face of the Pac NW?
UPDATE————-
The Comet Tavern HAS BEEN SOLD!!! The Seattle Times reports that the comet Tavern was sold TODAY – Wed Dec 19th. It is said that all will remain status quo with the venue/bar. Whew!
you can check out the short article here
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.
While Kevin did a fantabulous job with this month’s upcoming shows, there were a few more that I wanted to call out:
The Ponys – I know, I know, this was already included, but for the love of god, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE support this band! They’ve put out three (3) solid albums to date and their infectious garage rock—embellished with pop sensibilities—is sure to please. Their latest release Turn The Lights Out is awesome, but check out the previous LP, Celebration Castle, for the real goods. TONIGHT @ THE CROCODILE ($10).
Grand Archives (w/ Helio Sequence & Minus the Bear) – This show goes down at the Showbox (ugh, “at the Market”) Saturday Nov. 10th. With three solid local bands on the bill, this will no doubt be good. While Helio Sequence and Minus the Bear have received plenty of high marks before (and rightly so), it’s Grand Archives that whets my whistle. Mat Brooke (of Band of Horses and Carissa’s Wierd fame) fronts this recently signed Sub Popper. $16 Adv / $18 DOS All Ages
These Arms Are Snakes – This band is so awesome, not even the fact that their name is just the 2nd most awesomest band name ever can diminish their awesomeness. For fans of local post-hardcore (that just means it’s LOUD and AWESOME). Part of ISIS’s 10-Year Anniversary Tour. Wednesday Nov. 14th @ Neumo’s;$15 Adv All Ages.
Lake of Falcons – So, in case you were wondering, this is the band with the best name ever. EVER. Just think about it: A lake…of FALCONS. Fashioning a “throwback” grungy sound with crunchy monster-guitars and dual vocals, it’s a pleasure to see them still booking shows. They’ve been around on fantastic DIY label Beep Repaired for some time, but haven’t got their proper due. A great chance to support the hard-hats of the local scene: Wednesday Nov 21st @ the Crocodile ($6).
Les Savy Fav – This is another of my favorites…Art-rockers from Brooklyn celebrate their first release in three years. The bass lines will slice you into pieces, the guitars will make you squeal and you just might get some sort of ambiguous liquid thrown on you by satiric frontman Tim Harrington. I love this band. Friday Nov. 30th @ Neumo’s ($18 Adv)
The Cave Singers with Fleet Foxes - Can’t say enough about the beautiful, macabre folk of Seattle’s Cave Singers and the 70s AM radio-inspired musings of Fleet Foxes. Check them out while they’re still under the radar. Friday Nov. 30th @ the Crocodile ($10)
That is all.
November is pulling the grey blanket over the city once again and it’s the perfect time to turn your attention back to the concert scene. So throw away your shades (cuz you KNOW you ain’t gunna find them in the spring anyway) and don the rain slicker. It’s showtime!
Click here to check out recommended shows..
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I think I may have discovered the best thing this year. Yes, something even better than a statuette of Jesus teaching kids how to kick ass in the name of the lord. How can it be you ask. Such a statuette would be inspiring as well as elegant.
Well, before you pu-pu my claims, let me explain. 2 local sensations, the Blakes, and the Cops are billed to play TOGETHER at the Crocodile on Friday, October 5th. Yes, my friends, the thing that puts it over the top.. it’s not even a school night. Praise be to little 9lb 5oz baby Jesus!
Hi-YA!
Both of these bands are known for their live performances, and this is slated to be the release party for the Blakes new CD, which-if it even remotely compares to the last one-should be fantastic.
So it looks like you can grab tix at Sonic Boom, or your favorite rip-off online joint for $8 (+ripoff)
Go forth and rock. See ya there.
I’ll be the one with the halo.
“Please hold your ‘woo woo’ until after the set. This is going to be good” – David Yow Last night I watched Qui and Lozen put on an amazing show at the Crocodile Cafe. I had heard some good things about Lozen, but hadn’t had the chance to see them. They are a female duo (sisters?) from Tacoma. Their music is heavy and driving. Normally I’m not really into music that is staight up metal, but their’s has just enough artsy touches and unconventional song structures to keep me interested. I picked up a copy of their album, Enemies Against Power. I like it, but it doesn’t quite sink its teeth in the way their live show did. Here is a non-album clip from Youtube. (thanks to Youtube, you never have to go out into the world and experience things first hand ever again)
364 days before last night’s show, David Yow was here in Seattle (remember?) for one, of only three, Scratch Acid reunion shows (the other two were in Chicago, for Touch and Go Record’s 25th anniversary party, and Austin, their home town).
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Wednesday morning I woke up knowing I would get a Beastie Boys ticket to the Crocodile for Friday nite. Was it intuition or just determination? Not sure but I could just feel it in my gut. When 4 o’clock turned up — the time the tickets went on sale at ticketmaster.com, I did what thousands of other Seattleites did, kept clicking “refresh” until the screen popped up to buy a ticket in hopes of getting one of the less than 500 tickets available for a rare Beastie Boys appearance at a tiny local venue, The Crocodile Cafe. And then bingo, I got thru! However to my dismay — when I entered in my 2 tickets I wanted to buy — it told me none were available. What? I kept trying and trying but got the same message. I then walked over to my friend’s desk and told him how sad I was that I missed out and he said to keep trying — so I ran back to my desk and did just that. After about 10 more tries, I got my ticket — I felt like Charlie when he found that golden ticket in the chocolate bar. I knew my gut feeling from that morning wouldn’t let me down. I scored one of the hottest tickets in town since I don’t know when…
UPDATE: Tickets are to be on sale WEDNESDAY at 4pm. Don’t know why.
A little bird just told me this:
“Beastie Boys are playing at the Crocodile Café on Friday.” Tickets go on sale today at 5pm at
http://www.ticketmaster.com/
Tickets are $25 a piece, limit 2…this show will sell out very fast. From what I hear…just so you know…it’s more of a “rehearsal” for their new album/tour. This weekend they are playing at Sasquatch and I believe it is their first show of their new tour. I also hear it will, primarily, be an instrumental set.”
I can’t make it, so one of you all should. Take some pictures and tell us all about it!
Last night Britt Daniel, of legendary Spoon fame and responsible for 5 of the best albums of the past decade, played to an intimate crowd of about 150 at the Crocodile Cafe as a benefit for Muscular Dystrophy Research. As Spoon is a band that normally sells out venues like the Bowery Ballroom in NYC within 2 hours, it was a surprise to be standing 3 feet from the action and NOT be slammed against everyone else. The intimacy of this setting made for a rather quiet and self conscious start for Britt. Once the crowd showed it’s obvious adoration for him, the colar and guitar strings began to loosen and there was a steady increase in volume and energy as the songs kept pouring forth.