In a very rock and roll fashion, Nirvana was kicked out of their own release party after getting too drunk causing a ruckus at the bar. Only a few months after the opening, Nirvana chose the bar as the place for the release party of Nevermind, one of the most critically acclaimed albums of all time. In January of 1990, Re-Bar moved in, marking the beginning of an era. The gay activist and playwright actually made his Seattle debut at Sparks. They held full-length plays inside the bar, such as Doric Wilson’s Street Theatre. The S was a gay and lesbian bar that took the tradition of cabarets and took it to a whole ‘nother level. Axel Rock became the Sparks Tavern, also known as the S. Axel passed away not too long after his diagnosis, and Axel Rock closed down.ĭespite the mounting tragedies, the AIDS crisis didn’t stop the people of Seattle. Sadly, they were blindsided by the AIDS epidemic, like many in the LGBT and Black communities. Alex Herbin and his partner, Rick, also known as Axel and Rocky, ran the club with a vengeance. This time, it was a dance-driven venue made to attract the gay club scene. In the mid-1970s, the building hosted a venue called Thirsty’s, which was very similar to the Nite Hawk, though with a much dirtier name. The Nite Hawk mainly booked cabarets and entertainment geared towards the city’s gay nightlife. And so began the building’s long history of creating a place for Seattle’s LGBT community. The new building went through a number of owners before becoming the Night Hawk Tavern, known simply as the “Nite Hawk” to Seattle locals. In 1930, Pete’s was torn down, and a new building was erected. Pete’s Coffee Shop was also rife with burglaries and drunkards wreaking havoc. Another tenant was known to sell resurrection plants, plants that seem to come back from the dead, as an attempt to make a living. French civil engineer Francois Duval died in the building while sitting in a rocking chair. During those days, death and hard times cast a hazy shadow over the building. The Boarding House & Pete’s Coffee Shopīefore the building at 1114 Howell was built, the site was occupied by a boarding house and a relatively unremarkable cafe called Pete’s Coffee Shop. Some of Re-Bar’s ghosts are more solemn, like the ghost of a woman who spends her time sobbing on the west side of the bar, and a man who is heard whistling in the restroom after the patrons clear out. If you hang at the Re-Bar near closing time, expect to be mocked, laughed at, or pushed aside. Both are quite mischievous, if not boisterous, with the patrons. While the spirit of an old-school leather daddy parades around during closing time, the spirit of one of the early building owners makes herself known here and then. Nearly a century of history has left behind quite a few ghosts. But aside from being one of the city’s coolest bars, and a long-held safe space for the LGBTQ community, Re-Bar is also quite haunted. Over the years, the venue has become home to artists, goths, punks, and party people who just want to jump headfirst into a dive bar. Re-Bar is etched into Seattle history, even hosting Nirvana’s release party for their album Nevermind. Although it’s towered by the nearby high rises, the regulars party hard, making Re-Bar the loudest spot on the block. Re-Bar is a tiny lounge in the Downtown/Capitol Hill area. Nowadays, Bezos and his high-tech bros have all but gentrified the grunge out of Seattle.
It’s why the city has the cult-like following that it’s known for.
Seattle is known for its weird and grungy ways.