You can't live in Seattle and not have heard of the O.K. Hotel. In the late '80s, Steve Freeborn and Tia Mathies transformed the now-legendary building, located under the viaduct in Pioneer Square, into a music venue, fine arts gallery, and cafe. In fact, in the 1992 Cameron Crowe film Singles, it's where Janet (Bridget Fonda) and Cliff (Matt Dillon) work (renamed "The Java Stop"). Those who remember it, speak of it fondly: the club hosted shows from Mudhoney, Tad, Mother Love Bone, Soundgarden, and many other grunge godfathers. It's where Nirvana performed "Smells Like Teen Spirit" live for the very first time in front of an audience.
Sadly, the O.K. Hotel closed its doors in 2001 due to damage from the Nisqually earthquake. It has since been renovated and turned into a residential property. And now, 15 years later, those who remember are gathering for a reunion: from Thursday, February 25th through Sunday, February 28th, the Royal Room (the latest venue run by Freeborn and Mathies) is hosting the O.K. Hotel Family Reunion, bringing back many of the iconic '90s bands who graced the hotel's stage.Thursday, February 25thRamona FreebornThe RollvulvasMaurice and His ThingMetal MenEl SteinerKitchen RadioRockin Teenage Combo
Friday, February 26thJukeTom Price Desert ClassicCoffin BreakAlcohol Funny CarGuardian AlienLove Battery
Saturday, February 27thCan You Imagine (Steve Fisk & Peter Bagge)Spectar (Members of Action Buddy)MKB Ultra (Mia Boyle)MACAWSageJ.R. RhodesFred Roth Revue(Members of Imij) ft. Om on vocals
Sunday, February 28thPigpen (Wayne Horvitz, Briggan Krauss, Mike Stone, Geoff Harper) plus guests featuring Matt CameronThe Miss Annes (Amy Denio, Jessica Lurie, Naomi Siegel, Beth Fleenor and Kate Olson)Michael ShrieveBrad Mowen (performing selections from Naked City's Torture Garden)AND TBA
Four-day festival passes are currently sold out, and pre-sale tickets for Thursday and Friday are sold out online, but tickets will be available at the door for all four shows. For more information, check out the official Facebook event here.
“This a coming of age story starting after the death of my mother and clinging on just life by using sex, drugs to cope and falling in love with music again,” says beloved local musician Grace Love of her upcoming one-woman concert and musical, Sex, Drugs, Rock & Soul.
This Friday, the Seattle music scene is being turned upside down with the Seattle Rock Lottery. Head over to The Crocodile at 10:00 p.m. to see how it all shakes out. The Rock Lottery, started in 1997 has become a landmark event for not only Seattle- but for Brooklyn and North Texas. 19 years later…
