Nada Mucho

Hard Yes on the New Croc’s Soft Launch

Posted by Patrick Galactic December 2nd, 2021 2 Comments »

By Patrick Galactic

I was at the Crocodile soft launch opening on Tuesday, November 30, part of a celebratory Seattle crowd, many of whom were experiencing a group event of this size for the first time since the onset of the pandemic.

Just a quick block or two away from their original location, the venue is no longer sharing every inch of available walk-up traffic with multiple businesses. It is THE business on this block.

The lines for entry were long but moved quickly. But once inside…to put it simply, the building is massive. It hosts multiple venues. For this night, with a packed house and so much stimulation, I mostly kept to the main floor and the downstairs venue, Madame Lou’s.

Madame Lou’s was the spot for live music on this night, featuring performances from Seattle rap luminary Gifted Gab, fuzz-rock destroyers Wild Powwers, and a host of others. The room reminded me of the Sunset’s music area, with a dark ambience amidst a full stage bathed in light. But this room is much larger than Sunset, with a full bar and leather seating around the back of the room. It was packed each time I was down there, with a feeling of renewal in the air.

The main room, what I assume is called just “The Crocodile,” played host to a variety of DJs spinning rock and dance classics. As in any DJ situation, as the crowd became more lubricated, the room became more festive and exciting. The stage featured visual projections from Seattle light artist Blazinspace on a massive screen that will no doubt be used many more times in the future. The room itself feels much larger than the old Croc main stage area. Though it was also packed, it never felt cramped or claustrophobic.

The staff were clearly in a great mood and proud to show off the venue. Though there is a hotel located above the main room, I was not able to check that out. Ditto for “Here & After”, the venue’s 100-seat venue for stand-up, movies, and a variety of other purposes. As big as this fucking place is, I only saw part of it…wow.

Amidst a sweltering atmosphere of celebration, The Crocodile’s new location and venues are top notch. Seattle’s music scene has just been upgraded and I can’t wait to see more.

Here are some pics I snapped with my phone.

Editor’s note: In addition to contributing to NadaMucho.com, Patrick Galactic hosts a weekly live music and arts streaming show on Twitch called Weird At Night.