Farewell (and good riddance) to the King Cobra!
February 27th, 2009
When I found out earlier this week that King Cobra was closing down (it broke on the seattlepunk.org message board before anywhere else), I was pretty bummed. While I have known people that have had negative experiences there, that place, in its short-lived history, had some excellent shows. While I generally attended punk shows there, at the end of this past summer they started doing the occasional hip hop show, and I was excited to see the venue become a mainstay of two underground scenes that I am proud to consider myself a part of. The venue was doing a great job of supporting scenes that other venues are not always so quick to champion. It is possible that that led to its demise, but that is neither here nor there…
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I was most likely apologetic due to my fondness for the club, but I had heard from patrons on a consistent basis that the staff there was not up to par. As a whole, the security is solid, and the bartenders seem to do a great job, but from what I had been told, the doorman and the sound guy left something to be desired. As a passive individual, I simply chalked it up to clashes of personality…but after tonight I realize I was simply naive.
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In all likelihood, the people at King Cobra are bummed out that they are losing their jobs. But as professionals, they should not be taking it out on the patrons. At one point tonight, my friend took my camera and snapped a picture of Slats: a Capitol Hill mainstay and one of her acquaintances. It happened to catch the doorman in the corner of the picture, at which point he motioned to her to cut it out. I decided to bring up a running joke of the night (to my friend, mind you) and mock a friend who was their earlier, who had said that he was going to get kicked out because it was the second to last day it was open. Out of nowhere, the doorman grabbed me, took me outside, made me delete pictures off of my camera. He then repeatedly chastised me for my comments. When I tried to explain to him that I was mocking another individual, he simply called me names…eventually he let me back in, but it left a bad taste in my mouth. Later, when I tried to again apologize, as did my friend who started the whole thing, he simply blew us off.
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This story is not unique to me, as I talked to several others who were escorted out this evening (including people who were performing) for the smallest of things. I understand that people get out of line. I understand that people at the venue are on edge because they are losing their jobs. But as a faithful patron who stood up for that venue on many occasions, I cannot accept the fact that the staff can treat people that way. If that is the way the venue wants to treat people, it really should not continue to exist.
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That being said, tomorrow is the last day at King Cobra. I urge you to go out an celebrate the last day of what should have been a great legacy in Seattle…a local venue that celebrated the local scene. And, if any of the staffers happen to read this, I urge you not to take your frustration out on the patrons…we are people too!
February 27th, 2009 at 2:28 am
Thom Bone said:
I am so sorry this happened to you. Indeed, staff has always been camera shy. They have let me photograph and film there in the past (witness the Hanson Brothers video I put up in tribute to King Cobra on seattlepunk.org tonight as an example–they simply asked me that if I catch any staff that I “witness” them out of the video. I told them I would, and they trusted me to do the right thing, which I did.) However, I think you are right that the staff is upset (understandably, in their defense) that they are losing their jobs. Also, the patrons, knowing that KC is closing, may not be on their best behavior (who knows what else was going on that you didn’t see or know about?) and stressed out. All in all, a tragedy all around.
That being said, yes, we have quite a few threads going about it on “SPO” (as seattlepunk.org is called by its members, in short) and I am almost proud that we broke the story and all, and it definitely saddens me to see a club fall in Seattle. After all, this is what I started SPO to try to prevent! By trying our best to get everyone excited about shows and bands again, and giving them a platform to make new friends, hook up, create bands, book shows, and on and on, I am hoping to be able to do some small part in helping the scene not only sustain itself, but continue to grow.
So to me, personally, it feels like a failure that we’re losing a venue, even though I know that SPO is really to new still to have any influence on anything either way yet.
I guess what I am trying to say is that I am sorry this has happened to you. I am also sorry KC is closing. I wish that what might be (you going back tomorrow before the Funhouse SPO show?) your last experience there is a bad one.
And I thank you for writing this article.
February 27th, 2009 at 2:32 am
Thom Bone said:
Well, shit.. when I said “I wish that what might be (you going back tomorrow before the Funhouse SPO show?) your last experience there is a bad one.” I MEANT to say:
I wish that what might be (you going back tomorrow before the Funhouse SPO show?) your last experience there WAS NOT a bad one.
February 27th, 2009 at 8:20 am
chris morales said:
I have to be honest…I HAVE NOT SHED A TEAR AT THIS POST.
I am not gonna go off and bitch about my multitude of bad experiences with the staff of the Cobra…
I do have one comment to make to one person who works pretty high up the food chain of that coffin nailed serpent,
The night you told my friend and I that we didn’t DESERVE to be to in King Cobra…
Well, I guess,… neither do you
February 27th, 2009 at 9:28 am
Chris Craig said:
All my experienced there were ok, in terms of negative interaction with the staff, there were none. But what that club had going for it, from my perspective in the crowd and knowing many people that performed there, was that the sound was excellent for a local club, and the sound guy whether he was a jerk or not was a pro.
February 27th, 2009 at 10:03 am
Kevin leDoux said:
What Mr Craig said there would encapsulate the entirity of good news I’ve heard about the King Cobra. I was in love with the idea of the venue to begin with, especially replacing that rectum of a club, Sugar, but not one person came to me and said anything positive about the place.
Most of what I have heard though revolves directly around the dudes at the door. It sucks to get harassed going onto, being in and coming out of a place and makes the entire night suck regardless of how good the sound guy is, ya know?
This place did fill a void when the Crod shat itself and fell through, but overall, I’m not sure Seattle’s going to miss the King Cobra.
Welcome back Crocodile!!! Please stick around.
February 27th, 2009 at 10:30 am
misterlevitan said:
While I only patronized the KC once – and for an EXCELLENT People Under the Stairs show – and I had a good experience, I have heard nothing but negative comments about this venue. That it took this long for it to cave without a staff change is baffling. They must have had some crazy funding to keep going that long. Were these door guys up high on the food chain? When it comes to live music, it’s a buyers’ market. We’ll just go somewhere else.
So no tears from me. Adios, D. Baggins and your merry gang of bouncers!
February 27th, 2009 at 10:43 am
Grendel said:
I was sure sad to see it ago…to a degree I still am. While I loved (will lopve) the Croc, KC was so much closer because I live on the Hill. TGhe sound at KC was always hit or miss. Sometimes it was amazing. Other time it was horrendous. Same sound guy…different results. Not sure what was up with that. Usually when you have people that are quality (like Mike at Nectar or the guy who did the Croc) it is pretty great al the time!
February 27th, 2009 at 10:46 am
Thom Bone said:
I have to agree with the poster above me. When a club has asshole or overbearing staff, they do more to scare people away than just about anything. People want to feel safe in a club and be able to relax, but they do NOT want to feel (or be) oppressed. People go to clubs to get away from the bullshit of everyday life.. they are not looking for more bullshit from the staff of the venue.
If said staff gives them bullshit, they are not only likely to avoid that venue, but are also likely to talk shit about it, thus influencing others to stay away too.
A club that people avoid going to will fail.
When will they ever learn?
El Corazon, are you paying attention?
February 27th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
chris morales said:
I am not gonna candy coat it here, King Cobra Sucked. Everyone is ‘Tippy Toes’ about saying it directly but that is the way it is. Just mentioned the closing of King Cobra to my girlfriend, her comment chastised, “Good… fucking pompous Fashionistas!”
The Barmen were totally indifferent to customers and spent all their free time off by the staircase talking like Junky-Fresh Gossip Girls, the room looked like a corporate version of CBGB’s. It smelled like ammonia and cheap whiskey. The doormen pissed everyone off… I have personally heard them actually turn away people by saying, ” You might have a better time at the Comet”.
The only persons I ever saw doing their job in the place was the booker and sound guy who busted their asses!
Classic Example of the KING COBRA:
Two months ago at the last Sub Sonic happy hour, I stopped into the Cobra for a drink and call Chris Craig prior to meeting up with Kevin and Co, the filthy bartender was reading their newspaper at the end of the bar. I finally has to ask for a drink and they told me to wait til they were done reading.
I was the only person in the bar!
Throughout Seattle I have spoken with multitudes of people who have had enough with King Cobra’s undeserved elitist attitude.
It’s not recent. A few months ago a close friend was visiting from Chicago to do some recording for an upcoming record and he given shit at the King cobras front door for wearing a ‘Smiths’ shirt. A ‘Smiths’ Shirt! He has sold out El Corazon on his last two Seattle Tour dates and he is rejected from the King Cobra for wearing a ‘Smiths’ T?
He was pissed.
A lot of People are pissed.
Fuck you King cobra, you have done this to yourself.
Like my girlfriend said, “Fucking Pompous Fashionistas!”
February 27th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Big Rob said:
The people at KC were very into themselves and their room fee was more expensive than The Sunset or Nectar, the bartender passed me and Barfly up 6 different times leaving us standing in line for 20 fucking minutes for a drink. The door man was a douche nozzle, the security were rarely overbearing to myself but I had seen them a little out of control at times. All in all I don’t give a fuck about King Cobra going under because I can now just reserve my hate for the people I see on TV, I don’t have to see them in real life.
February 27th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
Kevin leDoux said:
Sounds unanimous to me.
Sayonara KC.
Don’t let the doorman kick you in the back on the way out.
February 27th, 2009 at 2:31 pm
LB said:
OH MAN! I totally LOVED this place!!!!!! How ’bout YOU????!!!
just kidding…only been in there twice…
February 27th, 2009 at 2:31 pm
chris morales said:
Fucking Pompous Fashionistas!
February 27th, 2009 at 5:28 pm
Percival said:
But this does create a need for another rock club on the hill that is accessible to up and coming local bands. Lets face it, Neumos is for signed bands. You’re lucky to get booked at Chop Suey the one night a week they feature rock, and if you aint on casseroles radar you aint never gettin a chance at the comet.
February 28th, 2009 at 1:21 am
chris morales said:
Oh look, its 1:20 in the morning. forty more minutes til the Cobra is dead!
March 2nd, 2009 at 11:15 am
dj100proof said:
Never went to this place, but I will say the picture in the article made me laugh for about 3 or 4 whole minutes.
November 11th, 2009 at 10:02 am
Seattle Subsonic » C-Hill Loses Another Venue: War Room To Close : Seattle's Music Blog said:
[...] yesterday became official today: the War Room is closing its doors on November 30th. Following in the footsteps of King Cobra, which closed this past February, the eclectic concert and dance venue with the coolest rooftop bar [...]