The Crocodile Café: Back from the Dead

The Crocodile Cafe, the iconic Seattle rock venue that abruptly closed down in 2007 to a chorus of disappointed and shocked music fans and artists, is coming back.

Located in Belltown, The Crocodile Cafe was a permanent fixture in Seattle's music scene, serving as the jumping point for up-and-coming artists as well as featuring national talents.

Photo of The Crocodile Café Courtesty of idolator.com

The collective disappointment that the music community felt after The Croc's closing was rampant:

John Richards, a DJ for KEXP who met his wife at the club, said he was devastated by the news.

"It's one of the landmarks of music in this city...that place is Seattle music,"

Richards said in the Seattle P-I.

I was only able to patron the Crocodile once in its first run, the majority of bookings being 21+ affairs. Many moments of self inflicted pain would occur when I would see the Who's Who of Seattle music on the concert calendar and know that my underage self could only linger outside the doors for a passing glimpse or listen.

Video of Nirvana at the Crocodile Café, October 1992

Since it's inception in 1991, the historic music space has hosted virtually every nationally recognized local Seattle band, from the likes of Nirvana, Mudhoney, and Pearl Jam during grunge's heyday in the early 90s, to Robin Pecknold and J. Tillman, members of the Fleet Foxes, who played the last show at The Crocodile in December 2007.

video of Fleet Foxes at the Crocodile Café, November 2007

The Croc's comeback is the result of Marcus Charles buying the interest in the venue.

Enter Marcus Charles, the man behind such ventures as Juju Lounge (now Neumo's), Capitol Hill Block Party, Marcus' Martini Heaven, and a slew of other good times. Having sold his interest in Neumo's, Marcus was looking for a way to bring some more rock to Seattle, and help preserve a piece of the city's cultural history. Marcus assembled a team of investors, which included rock 'n' roll veterans such as Susan Silver, Peggy Curtis, and Sean Kinney of Alice In Chains. Together, they hammered out the details of the remodel and put the wheels in motion.

As an avid follower and participant in local music, I'm very excited to see a long loved Seattle institution make a comeback. On a rare all ages engagement, I was able to catch The Postal Service and Xiu Xiu back in 2003. The signature green ticket stub from the concert is in my wallet, faded to where it's barely legible, to remind me of what I once thought was a one time venture into the Crocodile. But now that the sentiment is no longer relevant, I look forward to giving my lone green ticket stub to some company.

The reopening will feature remodeled facilities, improved capacity for concerts (said to be around 400, almost double the previous capacity), and the removal of a support beam pole in the middle of the venue that plagued many concert patron’s view.

The Crocodile doesn't have an official opening date, but is tentatively looking to reopen in February or March 2009. The New Croc will be staffed by Talent Buyer Eli Anderson and Operations Manager Roy Atizado, booking manager alums from Chop Suey in Capitol Hill.

You can follow the progress of the opening of The Crocodile on Twitter.
Check out images of The Crocodile Cafe in transition on Flickr.
Join The Crocodile’s Facebook group.