EL CORAZON HISTORY
When Dana Sims opened his nightclub/live music venue in downtown Seattle in 2005, the name was a no-brainer: El Corazón. Meaning “The Heart” in Spanish, the space El Corazón inhabits has functioned as a live music venue, club or bar since 1910, and helped launch some of Seattle’s most iconic bands. (Previous names of the space include Graceland, The Off Ramp, Sub-Zero, The Eastlake East Cafe and Au Go Go). The venue was the heart of the grunge explosion in the ’90s that changed Seattle and music forever; Pearl Jam’s first five shows were in this room. Soundgarden, Alice In Chains and Mudhoney all cut their teeth here. Nirvana even debuted an early version of Aneurysm here in 1990, before it was changed for its official release the next year. El Corazon has served as the launching pad for new generations of Seattle bands that have gone on to big record deals and world tours (The Fall Of Troy, Macklemore, Aiden, Schoolyard Heroes, Himsa, 3 Inches Of Blood, This Providence, Monsters Scare You, etc). While many Seattle venues have shuttered, El Corazón is still pumping life into the scene. The venue continues to host national and international acts, provides local bands with a place to build their foundation, and remains one of the leading concert halls for the all-ages crowd.
FUNHOUSE HISTORY
Under the shadow of the Space Needle, the original Funhouse opened its doors on Halloween 2003 in the former location of Zak’s 5th Avenue Saloon. Operating for 9 years, the bar & live music venue hosted thousands of events during its lifetime and was known for being the kind of place that fostered the local underground music scene. Bands like the Spits, Dead Moon, No Means No, Guttermouth, Red Fang and many more played sold out shows in the intimate confines of the Funhouse. The club even influenced a critically acclaimed feature film documentary entitled “Razing The Bar” (SIFF 2014). The Funhouse was home to punks, roller girls, average Joes and creative people of all stripes. While successful, the club fell victim to Seattle’s rampant development and lost its lease when its building was sold and later demolished in 2012.
Now reopened in its new home with sister club El Corazon, the clubs infamous clown mascot has risen again to oversee a new era of music & art in the heart of downtown Seattle.