Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground ::: Photo by Josh

We went out to the new Croc for the first time last Friday to The Builders & The Butchers sold out show. Actually, I think the crowd was at it’s biggest and most devoted for the Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground set. So many people were singing along! That’s new. Bets were flying about whether lead singer Kirk Huffman’s wife Rachel who sings backup and was very pregnant would have her water break while they were on stage. It didn’t, but not for any lack of her trying. Each time I see them, the band swells, and the new additions of multi-instrumentalist Jacob and bassist Laurie from Ships seemed natural picks. Nate Mooter even played an accordion tune as an intermission. Openers Dr. Helicopter seemed to impress the bro-heavy crowd with their heavy swamp rock, while into the night The Builders & The Butchers lead singer Ryan Solle presided over the crowd as few lead singers can. The “New Croc Buzz” was in definitely in full effect.

My first thoughts on the new Croc were mixed though after only one show so I’ll keep them to myself for now and give things a chance to work themselves out. The one thing I will note though is that new the Croc no longer a scrappy rock n’ roll bar with years of built up character and little details that make you smile. That little area in the back corner that was a step above so the short people in the back could see… gone. The opportunity to step away from the music to have a breath, a beer and a seat… also gone. (The new Tribunali being closed was a huge bummer for a party with a person on crutches). No more is it a stubborn misfit in a neighborhood that is rapidly changing and becoming more affluent. Instead it seems to have taken on the neighborhood’s modern aesthetic, becoming a large square room with exposed beams and high ceilings (so Seattle!). Instead of feeling like the Croc, it feels like just another modern dark club in the city. Of all the issues I might have with the new digs, this is what I was most disappointed about. I feel like it might just be pointless bitching at this point, but these little things are part of what made the Croc a special venue in my minds aside from all of great shows and memories that I have there.

Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground have just announced a summertime nationwide tour starting in Portland in late June and ending on the east coast in mid-July. The dates are at the band’s new website.

[P.S. Sorry about all the B+W photos. We prefer color, but the Croc was really red for most of the night; so red it made the pictures better to look at in B+W. -josh]

Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground, “Orchestra Land” ::: Photo by Abbey

Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground ::: Photo by Josh

Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground ::: Photo by Abbey

The Builders and The Butchers::: Photo by Josh

The Builders and The Butchers ::: Photo by Josh

Flickr: The Builders & The Butchers, Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground, Dr. Helicopter at the Crocodile

Even if there wasn’t a trio of solid local bands (Hypatia Lake, The Quiet Ones, The Kindness Kind) tuning up their strings right now in anticipation for tonight’s show at The Crocodile, I’d still be excited.  Even if LMFAO and LFO and NOFX were on the bill for tonight’s show at The Crocodile, I’d still be excited.  Even if the doors to the storied Crocodile swung open and there was an empty stage, I’d still be excited.

Because The Crocodile, my favorite Seattle venue of all time is reopening tonight.  I’m trying to recall the last show I saw at this amazing venue, the last time I drunkenly positioned myself behind the infamous Crocodile Pole, the last time I balked at the rudeness of The Crocodile’s bouncers. There’s a blur of booze-soaked nostalgia flooding my body right now, and if you’ve ever lived even slightly close to The Crocodile and the same isn’t happening to you … I’m going to be frank, I’m a bit disappointed.

 
My, body, is, tingling.

Hypatia Lake on Myspace
The Kindness Kind on Myspace
The Quiet Ones on Myspace

Lineout has the full press release. Here’s the important part, the first two nights that the Crocodile is back:

Thursday, March 19, 2009: The Crocodile and Via Tribunali present SOUNDCHECK with
HYPATIA LAKE
THE KINDNESS KIND
THE QUIET ONES
8:30 PM Doors — 21+ with identification — No cover

Friday, March 20, 2009: The Crocodile and Via Tribunali present SOUNDCHECK with
AKIMBO
BROTHERS OF THE SONIC CLOTH
PATROL
8:00 PM Doors — 21+ with identification — No Cove

The Crocodile has a new Vimeo Channel, and partnering with One Shot Seattle they’ve brought in a number of established and up-and-coming bands to film an interview along with the band playing a few songs (usually acoustic) in the new space. As noted on the Vimeo site for the song “Undertaker” embedded above, “For those of you keeping score at home, The Moondoggies were officially the first band to play at the new Crocodile. The boys came down and pretty much jumped into the first hole in the ground that they saw and started playing this little number from their debut album.”

Other notable visitors caught testing out the space were John Roderick of the Long Winters who offers up three classic tracks and ruminates on the club’s history, his part in it, and the club’s importance to the local bands who played there, Throw Me the Statue, and recent Merge Records signee Telekensis, AKA Michael Benjamin Lerner, who plays three songs we haven’t heard before, including a cover of Spoon’s “Utilitarian.” I fully expect a whole lot more to happen in that space, going forward, so I’m thinking you should probably stay tuned to that one from here on out.

Promoter Monqui announces the first batch of shows for the revamped rock landmark with presale tickets available starting thursday (visit the link for that):

High Altitude Bluegrass Pioneers
Hot Buttered Rum and Everybody Orchestra on March 20

Portland’s latest literary indie mavens
The Builders & the Butchers on March 27

Seattle’s finest dance provocateurs
U.S.E. on March 28

From Death From Above 1979
Sebastian Grangier on April 2

The Blues / Garage / Punk sound of
Heartless Bastards on April 11

Britians Hottest Import
The Ting Tings on April 12

Sweet Indie Pop & Local Songsmiths
Dr. Dog & The Cave Singers on April 14

Folk rock revivalists
Vetiver and Richard Swift on April 18

Japantronica Godfathers first tour in 4 years
Ghost on May 1

& The throwback style of
The Devil Makes Three on May 28

HT: Travis at Ear Candy PS. It’s just The Crocodile” now. No “Cafe” on the end.

Thanks to lineout we’ve got a looksie the inside of the new Croc, and things seem to be coming along nicely.

And via Three Imaginary Girls we learn the venue has a new logo (above) and is now just called “The Crocodile.” Also news that the club’s former ace knob-twirler Jim Anderson is now under the Chop Suey umbrella.

Thanks to my handy google alerts we’ve now got our first official announcement, via a Columbia Record press release, of an event for the soon be be reborn Crocodile Cafe. The date?

The Ting Tings on April 12.

While I don’t count myself among the Ting Ting’s legion of fans, even so this little bit renews my anticipation. April seems so far away.

The Local Beat is back! Sort of. This is a short one.

Today’s paper, in the ‘Restaurants’ section of all places, let’s us in on progress in the new Crocodile, including news that the stage is relocating to the north wall to allow for larger crowds. |seattle pi|

The Decemberists played Philadelphia last night on their “Bridesmaid Revisited” Tour and NPR has a stream of the entire concert. |npr|

Applications for the northwest’s premier under-21 battle of the bands competition Sound Off!, are due this Monday November 10 at 5pm. The winner get’s a spot playing the EMP Sky Church during Bumbershoot 2009. |empsfm|

Oh I hope this is true and is good news, and not the orignial WTF — the Croc is going to be a pizza joint response I originally had. Sounds like our beloved Crocodile is going to reopen in January/February 2009 – with pizza in the back bar area and a concert venue in the front room. Until then construction — which means hopefully there will be some view improvement in the main room, but no messing with the great sound!

HOORAY!! It is good news! The beloved Hannah Levin has more details on the Croc’s re-opening, including the confirmation of my favorite rumor. They are moving the AWFUL pillar in the middle of the concert room, which was the only downfall of the Croc’s concert space.

The Crocodile - February 2008

Megan alerts us this morning to a message that has appeared on the thecrocodile.com web page in place of the out of date calendar:

Elitism:

1. The belief that certain persons or members of certain classes or groups deserve favored treatment by virtue of their perceived superiority, as in intellect, social status, or financial resources.
2. a. The sense of entitlement enjoyed by such a group or class. b. Control, rule, or domination by such a group or class.

Right.

For the second time this morning I’m asking myself: “What does this mean?”

In related news, apparently the Crocodile Cafe space is up for sale again, for $100,000 more than they were asking last time.