HISTORY

The Central Tavern – located in the historic Skagit Building at 207 First Avenue South -- has been near the center of Seattle’s nightlife action for many decades. What began as a café associated with the Famous Hotel has existed in many different incarnations, from a Gold Rush-era eatery, to a fleabag Skid Road dive, to a legendary live music venue.

Seattle music fans are forgiven if they’ve come to expect bad news on the real estate front. Between the constant threat of rent hikes and developers dreaming of bigger dollar signs, stability is often hard to come by for small and midsize venues around town.

One of the things we’ve missed out on during the Covid-19 pandemic has been live music. As social distancing restrictions lift up, we might soon see the return of live music in our neighborhoods. However, some of Seattle’s staple venues are struggling, with several closures making headlines in local news.Many of these clubs were integral to the early 90s grunge explosion in Seattle, so let’s take a look at some of these clubs and how they helped turn Seattle into one of the music capitals of the world.

The 1980s were a sea change for the Central. It saw new ownership and with that, a strong desire to bring live music to the venue. In time, the charming venue became the birthplace of Grunge. American music greats such as Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, The Melvins, Mother Love Bone, and Nirvana all have played at the Central.

There are few establishments that have stood the test of time, and even fewer that have changed the landscape of American music. The Central Saloon has accomplished this while remaining at the forefront of live music all while being the oldest saloon in Seattle.

The Central saloon has a history of hosting popular artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Alice in Chains, Nirvana and Soundgarden, but the bar has another history, one teeming with ghosts. According to employees and customers, the ghost stories go way back. One bartender recounts a tale in which a shadow flickered across the stage and blocked out the light. Another employee claims he has heard ghostly footsteps traverse the stage. A team of paranormal investigators encountered an apparition of a woman in white and a black shadow with a masculine frame.

Like a phoenix, the Central was born out of fire --the Great Fire of 1889. Three years after settlers began to rebuild the city, the Central was opened by Mr. Thomas Watson and was originally known as “The Watson Bros. Famous Restaurant.” Nine years later, Mr. Watson sold the business to Mr. Jamison and Mr. McFarland who aptly named it, “The Seattle Bar.”