Pop Loser: The Croc Announces New Basement Venue, Baba Obscura Fest Hits in November, Ex-Hole Bassist Melissa Auf der Maur Unearths ’90s Archive

Welcome back to Pop Loser. This is my third and final appearance here filling in for Audrey Vann, and it’s been an absolute pleasure. This week we talk about the Crocodile’s plans for the defunct Madame Lou’s and Here-After spaces; Baba Obscura, an expansive new music festival happening in Pioneer Square this November; ex-Hole bassist Melissa Auf der Maur’s great archival solo album; Funkadelic/Maggot Brain listening parties happening at various Seattle and Olympia record stores; and more.

The Crocodile’s new ownership has announced plans to reopen its dormant basement space! Music and comedy fans have been speculating for months about the fate of the spaces that held the shuttered Madame Lou’s and the Here-After. On Monday, the storied venue announced that both rooms will be converted into Bottlerocket Social Hall, which is slated to open in March. The 400-capacity venue (which will also host 200-cap seated comedy bills) will be based on the multifaceted concept of Bottlerocket’s Pittsburgh namesake, which was founded by the Croc’s new managing director, Chris Copen. The plan is to book the sort of alt-comedy headliners who performed at the Here-After and the touring and local musicians who played Madame Lou’s. Additional programming will mirror that of the original Bottlerocket, according to the Crocodile’s press release: “Elvis Bingo, Bario Kart, Bad Movie Bingo, and more.”

Bottlerocket will feature, the release continues, “tiered viewing areas, an expanded bar, best in class All-Ages access, and the same intimate, old school feel” that marks the Pittsburgh venue. The venue’s design will draw on both Pittsburgh’s original Bottlerocket and the Crocodile building’s history as the Sailors’ Union of the Pacific. Like its Pittsburgh counterpart, the Seattle Bottlerocket will institute a Membership Club that provides guest drink discounts and three free shows monthly.

More good news: The new Crocodile operatives have contacted many of the organizers who had long-running events at Madame Lou’s and the Here-After, and they hope to restart those nights. Lastly, a new full-service bar will be added to the basement—one that can be patronized without buying a ticket to a show. The Crocodile will continue to function as is while these subterranean renovations take place.

Baba Obscura is stepping into the void left by Freakout Fest. The new music festival, taking place November 5-8, will be hosted in Baba Yaga, Showbox, Central Saloon, and AXIS. A joint effort between Pioneer Square club Baba Yaga and Desert Daze Music Festival founder Phil Pirrone, Baba Obscura also draws on the curatorial and organizational prowess of Seattle nonprofits Freakout, Sonic Guild, and Paper Plane Music. Similar to Freakout Fest, Baba Obscura will showcase an eclectic array of local, national, and international artists, with over 50 performances scheduled across six stages. Among the acts are the Gories, Mdou Moctar (solo), Rose City Band, Black Mountain (duo), JJUUJJUU, the Black Angels (celebrating the 20th anniversary of Passover), Margaritas Podridas, Zookraught, and Dark Chisme. The press release states that Baba Obscura aspires to be a neighborhood-wide experience, à la South by Southwest and the short-lived Upstream Music Fest. In addition to the live-music showcases after dark, planned daytime activities include art exhibits, DJ sets, pop-up performances and “immersive installations that highlight Pioneer Square’s historic architecture.” You can purchase tickets here.

Indie record shops nationwide are hosting listening parties to hype Org Music’s remastered, all-analog reissue of Funkadelic’s 1970 classic, Maggot Brain. In our corner of the country, these events will take place at Sonic Boom, Royal Records, Spin Cycle, Easy Street, and Olympia’s Rainy Day, September 11-13. Contact the stores for more details. Back in the bad old days of 2020, I went long on Maggot Brain for Pitchfork.

Re: last week’s item about Sub Pop’s retail businesses, we have additional insider info from store manager Travis Ritter. The shop in KEXP’s Gathering Space has, in Ritter’s words, “an all-new expanded footprint and façade that completely transforms the space.” He continues: “We also sell used records (on consignment), curated heavy-rotation new LPs and currently have two exclusive, limited KEXP x Sub Pop collab [T-shirts].” The Waterfront outlet houses more ephemera and archival works on display for fans to experience.

The post Pop Loser: The Croc Announces New Basement Venue, Baba Obscura Fest Hits in November, Ex-Hole Bassist Melissa Auf der Maur Unearths ’90s Archive appeared first on The Stranger.