Bands & Musicians in Washington

Seattle reshaped rock when Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Alice in Chains carried grunge worldwide through the Sub Pop label, but the state's roots run deeper: Jimi Hendrix and Quincy Jones came up in Seattle, Ray Charles found his footing there, and Tacoma's Sonics prefigured garage punk. Olympia later incubated the riot grrrl movement through K Records and Bikini Kill, and hip-hop from Sir Mix-a-Lot to Macklemore kept Seattle on the map.

Seattle's circuit runs through the Crocodile, Neumos on Capitol Hill, and the Showbox downtown, with Bumbershoot filling the Seattle Center each Labor Day weekend. The Gorge Amphitheatre above the Columbia River hosts major summer weekends. Across the state, Spokane's Knitting Factory and Bellingham's college-town rooms keep touring acts busy between Seattle dates.

Washington's roster spans Jimi Hendrix, Quincy Jones, and Bing Crosby through Heart and Queensrÿche, the grunge class of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden, plus Death Cab for Cutie from Bellingham and Macklemore from Seattle.

Seattle is the hub, especially Capitol Hill's cluster of clubs and rehearsal spaces, though Olympia's DIY scene and Bellingham's college circuit at Western Washington University offer cheaper entry points. Spokane covers eastern Washington. Open mics run nightly across Seattle's neighborhoods, or find collaborators statewide on BandMate.