Crocodile Rock

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/pop/343960_crocodile18.html

I have many fond memories of shows at the Crocodile. I can't even remember what the first show I went to there was, but I spent plenty of time there. It was the only club I ever went to where you'd end up standing next to Mark Arm or Robyn Hitchcock. I nearly had a panic attack the first time I bumped into Peter Buck, trying to get a view around one of the poles. I remember being so excited the first time I saw the Young Fresh Fellows. I stood at the front of the stage by myself (I didn't know anyone else at the show) and sang along to every single song.

When my friends' bands played at the Croc, it really felt like they'd arrived. When Five Gears In Reverse had their final show there, I ended up quitting my job so I could go see the show that night. That decision also prompted me to move back to Olympia, where I eventually met the woman I married. I have no idea what my life would be like now if that show hadn't happened.

There have been plenty of great venues that have closed over the years in Seattle. Some have changed names, some have been turned into condos. I still miss the Sit 'n Spin. But I feel like the Crocodile was always the place to play. Maybe someone else will buy it. There are still plenty of great places to see good music. But it won't be the same.