The Crocodile on a Night the Stage Shakes

The Crocodile on a Night the Stage Shakes

The Crocodile at 2505 1st Avenue in Belltown is the venue where Nirvana played before anyone outside Seattle had heard of them, and the room still operates on the principle that discovering a band before they're famous is one of life's best free pleasures. The main room holds 575, the back bar holds 100, and the booking runs from indie and punk to hip-hop and electronic with the eclecticism of a city that has never limited itself to one sound.

The walls are covered in show posters that read like a history of Pacific Northwest music: Pearl Jam, Mudhoney, Death Cab, Macklemore. The sound system was upgraded but the room's intimacy wasn't — you're still close enough to the stage to see the guitarist's fingers and feel the bass in your sternum.

Insider tip: Check the calendar for the showcases — multi-band bills where four or five local acts play short sets. These are where Seattle's next band is hiding, and the cover is usually under ten dollars.