This page is Point of Interest page 4 of the Alternative Rock, Grunge and Seattle Tour,

click here to access the main tour page and introduction.

The Moore Theatre

Welcome to the Moore Theatre. Famous grunge bands like Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, and Mad Season have played here, but the Moore was the place where one particularly important show was put on by Sub Pop Records on June 9th, 1989. This show helped popularize grunge music both locally and internationally.

With Mudhoney, Tad, and Nirvana gaining traction in the local press, Sub Pop co-founders Bruce Pavitt and Jonathon Poneman organized a concert for all three bands right here at the 1,400 seat Moore Theatre. They called it 'Lame Fest', probably because it fit with the grunge aesthetic, and the "loser" image Sub Pop was creating. Lame Fest at the Moore Theatre would be the biggest stage any of the bands had played on to the date, because up until this point, these bands had only been playing smaller venues like the Central Tavern and the Vogue.

Nirvana opened the gig, and they played an intense show to start off the night. At the end of the show, the band started swinging and throwing their instruments around. Krist Novaselic threw his bass in the air, and Kurt Cobain ran around the stage and jumped into the drum kit to finish the set off. Tad also played a good set, although not much has been documented from their performance. Kurt Danielson, the bass player of Tad, recalled that the size of the Moore was a little bit intimidating at first, for being used to much smaller venues. This feeling was likely shared by members of all three bands.

During Mudhoneys set, the crowd was wild, and fights broke out between security guards and the audience. The security guards were supposedly being overly aggressive and controlling with the audience, who were trying to hop on stage and enjoy the show. Security did not let the audience get at all close to the stage, and Mark Arm of Mudhoney even kicked a security guard in the back in frustration. Mudhoney had to stop their set several times.

But despite the crowd trouble and some negative media about it, Bruce Pavitt saw this show as a defining moment for Seattle and for Sub Pop Records. He said "It was the turning point in the scene", because the day after the show, "word hit the street that the Moore had actually sold out a show of local bands". This would change how the music was perceived in Seattle. Pavitt also said that it was this Lame Fest show, consisting of Nirvana, Tad, and Mudhoney, that "ignited the city's youth and put Seattle on the map".

I'll tell you about another significant event associated with Lame Fest at the Moore. Despite being basically broke, Bruce Pavitt and Jonathon Poneman somehow found the resources to fly in Everett True, a journalist from the influential British music magazine Melody Maker, and treat him to a weekend of partying with Sub Pop musicians in Seattle. True attended Lame Fest on April 9, 1989, and because of the success and energy of the show, he wrote an enthusiastic (if somewhat exaggerated) piece about the music scene in Seattle when he returned to the UK. Because they were well acquainted with the history of popular music in America, Pavitt and Poneman knew that exposure to the press 'across the pond' had been the ticket to success for musicians like Jimi Hendrix. After Everett True wrote his piece for Melody Maker, rival publication the New Musical Express also began to report on the Seattle music scene. Bringing over Everett True had proven to be a worthwhile business move, since the international exposure that resulted helped to popularize Seattle bands in the UK. The real explosion was still a way off, but industry watchers began to pay serious attention to Sub Pop and Seattle in the spring of 1989.

Lame Fest at the Moore ticket

Disclaimer: copyright of this image rests with the original copyright holder, no infringement is intended. Image obtained from: http://www.revolutioncomeandgone.com/articles/13/s...

As if you've just walked out of the main entrance to the Moore, turn right and cross Virginia St, then continue walking northwest along 2nd Avenue. We are now entering Belltown, one of Seattle's most youth-oriented neighborhoods. It is home to a mix of jazz and rock venues, bars, nightclubs, restaurants and cafes. We will be visiting one of the most popular venues for rock bands in the 1990s, the Crocodile.

Bruce Pavitt. (2017). Retrieved (May 6, 2017) from the Bruce Pavitt Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Pavitt

Henderson, J. (2010). Grunge Seattle. California, United States of America: Roaring Forties Press.

Northwest Passage (n.d) Sub Pop Rock City: the story of the first Sub Pop Lame Fest. Retrieved from: http://www.revolutioncomeandgone.com/articles/13/s...

This work was created by Kyle Huisman

Contact: seattlerock@outlook.com