The Crocodile

The Crocodile, founded by Stephanie Dorgan and Jerry Everard, opened its doors in Seattle on April 30, 1991, at 2200 2nd Avenue.

The timing was significant. 1991 was the year Nirvana’s Nevermind, Pearl Jam’s Ten, and Soundgarden’s Badmotorfinger all arrived in the world. The venue was born at the exact moment the Seattle scene was spilling over into the rest of the world — and it was inside The Crocodile that much of that story was lived before it ever reached the big stages.

In November 2020, The Crocodile moved to a building just steps from the original, settling into its current address at 2505 1st Avenue. The space is different, but the name and the spirit remain the same.

Nirvana’s Surprise Show at The Crocodile

On October 4, 1992, Mudhoney was headlining The Crocodile with an opening act billed as Pen Cap Chew — a name that meant nothing to anyone in the room. Then Nirvana walked out. By that point, the band was already one of the most recognized acts in the scene, with Nevermind having exploded up the charts a year earlier. It also turned out to be the last time Nirvana ever played The Crocodile.

R.E.M.’s Surprise Show at The Crocodile

On October 23, 2001, R.E.M. played a surprise show at The Crocodile, with Eddie Vedder joining them on stage as a special guest. It was one more example of the way this venue functioned over the years — as a space where unexpected encounters between musicians just kept happening.

Eddie Vedder Attends Shows at The Crocodile

In 1998, Eddie Vedder showed up at The Crocodile to catch a Sleater-Kinney show. Outside the venue, he spotted Carrie Brownstein, the band’s guitarist and vocalist, and went over to introduce himself. He told her he felt like he was standing next to Jagger and Richards.

The mutual admiration between them grew into a lasting friendship, and years later Sleater-Kinney were invited to tour with Pearl Jam.

Closure, Reopening, and Alice in Chains

In 2007, The Crocodile closed. Two years later it reopened under new ownership — which included Sean Kinney, drummer of Alice in Chains.

Kinney’s involvement did not go unnoticed: on August 22, 2018, the venue hosted an Alice in Chains pop-up store in the form of a career retrospective, featuring rare photographs, equipment used throughout the band’s history, limited-edition merchandise, and a surprise show.

Over the decades, many other names have taken the stage at The Crocodile with no direct connection to grunge but significant to the broader world of rock — among them the White Stripes, Beastie Boys, Yoko Ono, Ben Harper, The Lumineers, and Patti Smith.

Hotels near The Crocodile Seattle

Staying close to the venue is always a great opportunity to walk to and from the event, and enjoy the exciting atmosphere as musicians and fans gather throughout the day.