Where the Music Happens

The Head and the Heart at The Moore Theatre Courtesy Jason Tang/Seattle Theatre Group

With timeless concert halls and avant-garde venues, Seattle has great sound in its genes. Start big at Climate Pledge Arena (305 Harrison St) and WaMu Theater (800 Occidental Ave S), destinations for grand concert tours from major stars. Other A-listers perform on the historic stage of The Paramount Theatre (911 Pine St), which has showcased indie standouts like The Decemberists and pop starlets like Camila Cabello. It’s one of three venues run by Seattle Theatre Group, which also operates The Moore Theatre (1932 Second Ave) and Neptune Theatre (1303 NE 45th St), each known for a spectrum of styles, from international rock to funky experimental acts. For headliners of the classic music variety, Benaroya Hall (200 University St), home of the world-renowned Seattle Symphony, delivers with amazing acoustics and equally impressive talent like Yo-Yo Ma.

More intimate venues for touring acts range from Showbox (1426 First Ave), which has hosted up-and-coming rock and alt-pop bands since 1939, and its sister site Showbox SoDo (1700 First Ave S) to The Crocodile (2505 First Ave), a Belltown institution known for its notable acts in hip-hop, punk, and more. Bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Mudhoney have graced its stage.

In the Columbia City neighborhood, small but bustling Royal Room (5000 Rainier Ave S) features a wide range of food and music styles. Downtown’s The Triple Door (216 Union St) hosts burlesque to funk alongside a pan-Asian menu of everything from Wagyu tartare to miso ice cream, while cocktails, rock, and lounge-y wood paneling come together at Ballard’sSunset Tavern (5433 Ballard Ave NW). Nearby in Ballard, the venerable Tractor Tavern (5213 Ballard Ave NW) will celebrate 30 years of being one of Seattle’s favorite independent venues in 2024.

If it’s a specific genre you seek, Seattle has a concert hall for that too. El Corazón (109 Eastlake Ave E) invites heavy-hitting metal beats; Fremont Abbey Arts Center (4272 Fremont Ave N) offers soulful acoustics; and Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley (2033 Sixth Ave) presents world-class melodies within a refined atmosphere.