Having been integral in running the Crocodile Cafe and then moving up to Capitol Hill with the boys to open this new, cool space (including being part of the demo/rebuild crew) I can say that it was a pretty crazy, cool, and amazing time and I'm very glad that MOE is getting its due - and that the insanely awesome people that worked there are getting to relive those days.

The first really big break I ever got was opening for Chris Connolly and William Tucker at MOE. It was my neighborhood bar/nightclub. Every single one of my friends and I practically lived at that place for the four years it was open. Almost every local band rehearsed in the spaces behind the Comet across the street or, some years later, two blocks away. The whole neighborhood was alive with musicianship. Try as I might, it's practically impossible to accurately put into words what a special time that was. This is a place that deserves every accolade.

Carrie, if you read this, I'll never forget that Heatmiser show. The band recorded 'Mic City Sons' and then, after turning it into the label, had broken up. I guess they somehow committed to someone (Caroline Records? Virgin?) to tour behind this record that was essentially never supposed to come out, but eventually got relegated to Caroline Records. It would be one of their last shows ever on their last tour together.

Elliott and Neil seemed to simply be going through the motions, taking occasion to be playful with one another as they went. At one point they began throwing themselves into one another as they played, and if I remember correctly, a very heated argument seemed to break out between them just out of earshot. They all seemed spent, completely over the whole thing, that they were only doing it for the benefit of some entity that demanded they be together in spite of an obvious hatred for one another. I think I (much like you and others there) hoped it would be special.

But anyone watching that trainwreck could tell you that no good would come of the night. It was memorable for all the wrong reasons, a really unfitting last memory of a truly great Northwest band. Oh well, we can't rewrite all the histories, can we?

It was an honor to be a part of that very special collision of talent and drive that was the staff & community of Moe...

The 20 year memory is an interesting thing. Very interesting indeed.

Best show at Moe's = Moe Tucker.

But the clowns... THE CLOWNS!

I think Drive Like Jehu was the only show I have a great memory of seeing there (no fault of the venue, by the time I was of-age, it was a weird time in music for a 500-capacity space). Funny side note — Drew Barrymore was in front of me in line that night and turned away at the door for, my guess, being a few months shy of 21.

I saw American Music Club there, that was pretty good. Having some asshole pour a full beer down my shirt in the bar wasn't.

I disagree about 1994 being a good year for Seattle music, though -- it was TERRIBLE. Still the stench of grunge poison everywhere. There were a few interesting bands getting started but they certainly weren't playing at Moe.

I absolutely loved Hammerbox and saw them many times - tho never at Mo's. The first album was the fucking best and I think that was more like 1992, but wasn't Pete Droge's Ramadillo playing all around town in '94? As certainly were the Presidents of the USA. And Kevn Kinney and Peter Buck were sitting in monthly at the Croc it seemed.

So - though I am clearly a PJ fan (from the start), 'twas not all grunge, Herr Fnarf, and CERTAINLY not a terrible year in Seattle music, except for that most unfortunate suicide...

@9, not grunge; poisoned by grunge. Not the same thing. PUSA and especially, especially Hammerbox were unspeakably horrible. There were plenty of good shows from out of town, but if you wanted good homegrown talent you had to look to Olympia. The only good band to come out of Seattle in the 80s or 90s was Tullycraft.

You and I, good sir, will absolutely have to agree to disagree. The only. good. band...???

Now, good day to you, sir. I said GOOD DAY. (And have a good night too)

And for the rest of ya, a blast from the past:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hd_rxzzz…

@10 - ONLY good band. That is a bit much even from your usually steady text on the Slog. Fnarf, were you ever a fan of the Fallouts or these guys http://youtu.be/QwvqlSb-sCY

Seattle had quite a few turds in the 90's (agreed about Hammerbox - yawwwwwwn) but our fair city had some good stuff beyond Tullycraft.

@8: "music in Seattle" is not the same as "Seattle music".

1994 was a great time to be 25 in Seattle. I feel like the same isn't true for 2014. Seattle's gotten more exclusive and more expensive (food, housing, music, sports, etc) and is frankly a nice place to be 45 now.

I moved here in 1994 and dove into MOE's and others. Great to be reminded of the electric scene that was happening. I enjoyed it so much I don't remember it so clearly...

The only good band to come out of Seattle in the 80s or 90s was Tullycraft.

You misspelled Hovercraft, Fnarf.

@17, no, I misspelled Sukpatch. Sorry. I still don't understand why Sukpatch didn't conquer the world at least as much as Stereolab did. I don't understand why every hip-hop group isn't sampling the shit out of them today. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJ6lixvo…

@13, you're absolutely right about 25 vs. 45. I would be terrified to be 25 in Seattle today -- get that Amazon or Microsoft job and you can afford to live, but you can't enjoy it because you're working 95 hours a week.

.. dunno .. with all the mdma scattered about, ARO:space was anything but ".. a sterile electronica type dance club..".

.. wheee!!! °\(ッ)/°

This was a great article. Yeah, I'm biased, but I used to love going to Moe's. There were so many amazing shows. The list is just crazy. It was pretty incredible when I got asked to be part of it. Great that so many people from the Moe's day still like what we're doing. Good times.

Ladies and Gentlemen from Georgetown it's the Purdins.