I recently went to see a Peruvian singer, Susana Baca, at the Crocodile. This is a woman who has appeared before at the Triple Door, the Paramount, etc. I'm not sure exactly sure how she ended up at... More

I recently went to see a Peruvian singer, Susana Baca, at the Crocodile. This is a woman who has appeared before at the Triple Door, the Paramount, etc. I'm not sure exactly sure how she ended up at the Croc, but it was completely the wrong venue for her. Hot, crowded, noisy (three different couples behind us yakked at full volume through the ENTIRE show), full of drunks. We walked out halfway through, and a lot of other people did too. I'm sure this is a fine place for getting drunk with your friends to the beat of a loud punk band, and the food was surprisingly decent, but for someone who actually wanted to be able to see and hear this petite, soft-spoken woman with an acoustic backup band it was awful.
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And we're not talking symphony orchestra here... The Croc is the place to catch indie acts of every stripe before they hit the big time and start playing the Showbox (next rung on the ladder),... More

And we're not talking symphony orchestra here... The Croc is the place to catch indie acts of every stripe before they hit the big time and start playing the Showbox (next rung on the ladder), the Moore (yet another step up) or the Paramount (sellout city). (You and I both know that sports arenas don't even merit discussion as music venues, unless you're just going for the fireworks display). Their bookings are consistently eclectic (from Jim Jennie and The Pinteops to Sigur Ros) and excellent (Camper van Beethoven and the Knitters were two of my favorite shows in the past year, but there were really too many to count). The beer is cheap, the floors are sticky and the whole place has that funky smell that can only come from a tightly-packed room of sweaty rock fans. If you love music and want to catch your favorite band up close and personal, the Croc is the place to be.
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The food at the Croc is pretty good - maybe a tad on the greasy side and the lunch time service can be a bit on the surly and slow side. I've had the tuna melt and the hamburger and both are ok -... More

The food at the Croc is pretty good - maybe a tad on the greasy side and the lunch time service can be a bit on the surly and slow side. I've had the tuna melt and the hamburger and both are ok - nothing delightful, but nothing offensive either. At night they have some great bands here - and that's the real reason to come to the Croc.
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A diner in belltown you might not have heard about if it were not owned by one of the members of REM, and the host of some of the coolest shows ever. I have seen some of my favorite live acts... More

A diner in belltown you might not have heard about if it were not owned by one of the members of REM, and the host of some of the coolest shows ever. I have seen some of my favorite live acts there. The place is far from fancy but host some cool indie bands in a very intimate setting (small perfoming area). Several years ago I saw the Go-Betweens there and it happened to be a band members birthday. They passed out cake to all and sang like I was at a family function. THAT my friends is what makes the crocodille a staple in downtown seattle. Check the Stranger for listings.
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The way the Crocodile Cafe is set up there's an inner area with a stage for live music shows that happen pretty much every night, and outside that is a cafe area. Once nice secret is that if you... More

The way the Crocodile Cafe is set up there's an inner area with a stage for live music shows that happen pretty much every night, and outside that is a cafe area. Once nice secret is that if you feel like just listening in on a concert without paying for it, you can grab a table just outside the stage area and hear pretty well what they're playing. Most of the time I go inside, though, and over the years I've seen a lot of great shows here.
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