The Day The Music Died

It looks like it's official -- the Crocodile Cafe here in Seattle seems to be shuttering its doors for good. For those of you not fluent in Seattle-ese, the Croc was at the center of the grunge music explosion of the early 1990s, hosting the likes of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Gas Huffer, etc. I've had some memorable music moments at this very, very small venue... meeting Michael Stipe with my pal Ward, who told us REM's next album was "going to be a monster" (and that's what it was titled, a year later)... having the Magic Numbers ask the audience to name a song (which indeed made it onto their second album -- "You've Never Had It")... seeing Gomez for the first time.

I'm not going out to shows much anymore (and really haven't been for the last couple of years), but I will miss this institution. Here's a sampling of commentary over at the Stranger's Line Out blog post that help sum up the feelings about this sudden, sad news:

Yeah, weird that the indie rock scene is disintegrating huh. Might be because most of the dirty looking young dudes and girls who provide that indie rock are getting priced out of the damn town.
[...]
Wow, I can't wait to go to the new Quiznos/dry cleaners/nail salon that will take its place.
[...]
RIP Rockcandy, Weathered Wall, Lake Union Pub, Storeroom, Uncle Rockys, Gibson, Kincora, Sit n Spin, Area 51 yadda yadda gabba gabba etc.
[...]
We've got a streetcar to nowhere, aborted mass transit, and now one less club, the best one at that. Fewer and fewer bands are moving here to play music, and many are even moving AWAY to portland and elsewhere....