The Crocodile

Live music???  It was incredible. Amazing. Music was only ok. But being there????  That was what I missed most in covid times.

I've seen some of my all time favorite shows at The Crocodile. Nestled in Bell Town lives one of the few preeminent grunge venues left Seattle that still showcases live music today. The ability to showcase a major band to a small local upstart artist makes this venue extraordinary in my opinion. Having been fortunate enough to soak in bands like Cheap Trick with Pearl Jam opening, Allen Stone ( Local Hero & now National Touring act ) and The Beastie Boys I can say I've enjoyed many shows and many brewskis in the back room. Oddly enough I've never had the pizza while attending a show. How can that be I love pizza , don't you all? Let me know if it's worth having.

Anyways no matter where your at your so close to the artist you could literally grab onto there leg for dear life but someone in a black shirt with security may stomp your guts out. Probably your guts are ok but 50/50 you may get escorted out of the venue. Take my word if you wanna see live music in intimate environment this is the place for you!

Enjoy LIVE MUSIC!

The Croc is a Seattle classic. My mom always says this venue was way better 'back in the day' but it's remained quite cool. I came to see a show, but we got there early. We ordered pizza which was delicious and got a couple drinks. The drinks were less than I was expecting, $6 for a rum and coke or gin and tonic type drinks. They don't stir the drinks for you, so the top will be boozy unless you stick your finger in and stir it up. Unlike most venues, there's a high ceiling so it doesn't get too hot. It can get packed! It's dark but the space is easy to navigate despite that.

The Crocodile is located in the downtown Seattle neighborhood of Belltown. I would say it's divey in the best way. The bathrooms split the venue between the main performing area and the back bar. There's a special section for those under 21 that is off of the bathroom area. You'll be ID'd going into the main performing area due to the bar. Actually, you'll be ID'd at the entrance and then given a stamp on the wrist of over 21.

You're not far from the stage no matter where you're at except of course if you're in the back bar. The great thing about the crocodile is this intimacy, relative in-expense of tickets and great choice of performing bands. A number of bands have gone from here to play the biggest music festivals. This is a great place to see up and coming bands without breaking the bank.

Dope venue. Super small/intimate while still having a big band feel. Kind of like a mini neumos.

Clean bathrooms, reasonably priced drinks, and they had a delicious cocktail with blueberry Red Bull mixed with lemon deep eddy.

There's even a pizza joint attached!

-Bar/Restaurant-
The pizza is great (made to order & wood fired), the drinks are reasonably priced, and the bar staff is very friendly! If you're limited on time before a show at the Crocodile, they offer a solid option to grab some food and drinks before the headliner goes on.

-Venue-
I've been to a handful of shows at the Crocodile, and it is one of my favorites when it comes to classic Seattle-style intimate dive venues. The staff is friendly all the way from the box office and security to the bar. The sound is good, and despite being a little packed based on who you're seeing, you'll still have some space to dance and move around.

-Parking-
You're probably best off grabbing an uber as Beltown is a busy area with plenty of late-night businesses all under residential buildings. I usually have some luck grabbing a spot a block or two north on 1st or 2nd.

If you're anything like me, and much prefer seeing live music before artists blow up and require larger venues, you'll enjoy seeing your favorite artists at the Crocodile. Cheers!

I've been to a few shows at The Crocodile and each time has been fun and memorable.  Located in Belltown, the concert venue is small, but is very much "Seattle".  And I mean that in the most endearing way.  The Crocodile has been around since the beginning of Seattle's grunge scene, showcasing local bands, like Nirvana.  It's made an impact in our community for the better.

The Crocodile is all ages.  I have been to shows where hipster high school kids have been to and it's been, interesting.  I've also been to shows where the patrons are dancing their asses off and that's always been a fun time.  I like the bands that perform here, as I'm into more indie rock music, so I've been lucky enough to see some of my favorite bands perform here.  The sound quality isn't the best, but it's decent.  Stage is small and it's standing room only; yet, you can see the show from wherever you are, for the most part.  There is also a balcony and an upstairs bar in that area, in addition to the main bar in the back of the room where the performance plays.  Outdoor patio is open to patrons where the bouncer watches over.  

I like The Crocodile.  Location is convenient, staff is friendly, and most of all, the venue space is what Seattle was and is all about.  I'm a fan and will continue to see shows here, especially because the bands they get are more my cuppa tea.

I was excited to book my tickets for ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead as they're an all time favorite that I last saw live 18 years ago.
However, when researching the venue I was saddened to find on the FAQ section that the Ceocodile has no coat check area. A proper coat check is one of the shining pillars of polite society. That The Crocodile lacks one is most regrettable. Had they had one I surely would be leaving a 4 star review of what is otherwise a most satisfying venue.
Other regrettable facets of this venue revolve mainly around their measly selection of beer and the fact that the ceiling is quite boring. Not to mention that the skylight leaks rain water. That's not good- there's probably a mold/mildew problem which is bad not only for structural integrity, but also for general health and welfare of employees and the visiting public.

BOUNCER ASSAULTS PATRON FOR NO GOOD REASON, WHAT A CROC!!"

Never left a negative review in my life, but  I witnessed something unbelievable the other night. A minute or two after the last song of 'the last internationales' set ended, a great night of music was over.

As folks made their way from the stage to the adjacent bar, I was near the front door waiting for my wife to use the restroom. I noticed a man was pleading with the bouncer to let him re-enter to find his wife, to no avail.

I felt for him because the concert from start to finish was DANGEROUSLY overpacked and concerts and night clubs are scary places nowadays.

What continues to make zero sense to me is that he had bought a ticket, and his hand was stamped for re-entry. Yet the bouncer not only denied re-entry, he was rude and eventually child-like in his responses.. purposefully interrupting him repeatedly by shouting loudly

Clearly frustrated and surely embarrassed (at least I  would have been)the patron finally gave up, turned around and walked toward the open section of the bar.

I was absolutely gob-smacked by the bouncer's next move. His eyes lit up and the look on his face was that of an uncontrollable rage. He began to give chase to the unsuspecting patron, pushing and shoving his way past the crowded bar, spilling more than one drink and causing at least one young girl to an injured leg or foot (duno if he stepped on her foot or what, but in the haste of his important mission, he didn't even acknowledge her)

Finally, the well-built 220-250 lbs bouncer wrapped both of his arms around the man's neck in what the mma-world calls a rear-naked choke. Also known to WWF wrestlers, and fans of Brutus 'the barber' Beefcake, as 'the sleeper hold.' The bouncer proceeded to drag the patron, by his neck, out the front door, and shoved him toward the wood or perhaps metal fencing that separates the smoking area from the sidewalk. Thank god, the 140 or 150 lbs man was barely able to keep his balance, or this could have been more horrific than it already was.

I overheard a woman ask the bouncer why he did what he did, to which the bouncer replied proudly, "because he called me a piece of shit," and "because I can."

I didnt hear the 'piece of shit' comment that the bouncer claimed the patron made. But, does it really matter what the man said? I began to wonder, over the last 24 hours, whether bouncers have some legal right to act like this.

So i looked it up, and was not surprised to find that bouncer's and security guards have no right, under ANY circumstances, to put their hands on anyone UNLESS they are being threatened, or physically attacked.

Not only can I vouch for the fact that didn't occur, but i caught almost the entire ordeal on video, thanks to my new iPhone.

Throughout the encounter, the patron never threatened the bouncer, nor did he seem overtly mad or defiant at any time. The bouncer never once requested that the patron leave the premises. And finally, when the bouncer assaulted him, the victim did not even attempt to resist being manhandled. In fact, the video shows the victim's face bright red, clearly gasping for breath as he was literally drug by his neck out of the crocodile.

Moments following the choke-and-drag-occurred, the victim was understandably in disbelief of what had happened but in surprisingly good spirits. When I asked him if he was ok, he explained that he had a bit of a kink in his neck, but that he was just upset that he didn't get to say 'hi' to his friends in the band.

His shirt and pants were soaked. Apparently he had ordered an $18.00 margarita which he was now wearing in nearly its entirety thanks to the attack.

The story ended somewhat happily, as his wife convinced the lead singer to come outside for a photo-opp. His lovely wife explained that The Last Internationale was 'their band' because the couple had actually met each other at their concert 6 years ago. I think they said it was their 6th time seeing the band in concert. They took pictures together and spoke for a moment before Delilah had to go back inside the crocodile.

I told the couple that I had gotten most of the incident on video, but he was apparently not interested in seeking any recourse. They were very resilient in that, they weren't going to let a little thing like 'assault and battery' ruin date-night.

Well, there was no way in hell I would've let it slide. And after contemplating whether I should post, I hope everyone reading can understand why I did.

Ok... so I'm a Seattle tourist and know nothing of the history of the Crocodile.  We happened to be walking by during our happy hour bar hop and the name seemed familiar (and pretty cool) to me so we decided to walk in.  Great decision!

There wasn't a cover charge just a bouncer at the door.  As we were getting a couple drinks a band was setting up to play.  It wasn't too crowded yet so we were able to score some bench seating to the left of the room (which afforded us with space when the room actually did fill up.)  It's a small, intimate venue but the views from even the back of the room were great.

Definitely glad we came in and had a great time here.