Pioneer Square1892
A bar opens at 207 First Ave S
The building went up the year of the Great Seattle Fire, and there's been a bar in it since 1892. It served Yukon gold miners on their way north.
Shop Since 1892 →
207 First Ave S · Pioneer Square · Seattle
Since 1892.Wear the history.
Show posters from one of Seattle's oldest saloons, plus poster tees and hoodies hand-printed in-house in Pioneer Square.
Jan 16, 1986U MEN, MELVINSMar 2, 1986Napalm Beach, BAM BAM, PuddleheadsJun 6, 1986Tex Horseheads, F-Holes, Girl TroubleJul 3, 1986Soundgarden, Malfunkshun, My EyeAug 24, 1986Wipers, Soundgarden, Mobius StripOct 10, 1986Faith No More, Soundgarden, Terry Lee HaleFeb 14, 1987Valentine's Day 1987Mar 5, 1987Scratch Acid, U-MenApr 30, 1987D.O.A, No Means No, Crotch RocketsOct 3, 1987Sonic Youth, Live SkullOct 24, 1987Redd Kross, SoundgardenNov 21, 1987Soundgarden (Record Release), Screaming Trees, AshNov 27, 1987Variant Cruise, Fastbacks, Pop Defect, R.B. Chop ChopNov 29, 1987The Melvins, Bundle Of Hiss, Gut ReactionFeb 24, 1988Flaming Lips, Skin Yard, Blood CircusMar 19, 1988Soundgarden, Blood Circus, Eagle Park SlimJun 3, 1988Screaming Trees, Room NineJul 2, 1988Soundgarden, The Fluid, Mudhoney, No Means NoAug 17, 1988Mother Love Bone, Alice In ChainsSep 10, 1988Mother Love Bone, Spades, Satisfaction MonkeyDec 10, 1988Mother Love Bone, Dead Flowers, S.G.M.Dec 28, 1988Alice In ChainsFeb 11, 1989Mother Love Bone, Alice In Chains, Dead Flowers, Hungry CrocodilesMar 9, 1989Alice In Chains, SwallowJul 8, 1989Dinosaur Jr, Limp RicherdsDec 1, 1989Screaming Trees w/ Dickless + King KrabJan 6, 1990Alice In Chains (Pre-Facelift)Jan 13, 1990The Melvins, Blood Circus, Tree PeopleJun 1, 1990Alice In ChainsOct 3, 1990The Fluid, Seaweed, DogbiteOct 13, 1990Urge Overkill, Derelicts, MotorhoneyNov 24, 1990Skin Yard, Love Battery, HammerboxApr 15, 1991Blister, 7-Year Bitch, 13, Mia Zapata, Terry Weist, Wendy-O-Matik
A bar at 207 First Ave S since 1892
134 years on First Avenue
Every shirt and poster here comes from a chapter of the Central's story. Scroll through it.
Prohibition1919
Call it the Central Cafe
The Central name has been on the door since 1919. When the country went dry, the bar got through Prohibition as the Central Cafe.
Under the floor1965
A copper still in the basement
A copper still turned up in the basement in 1965. It helped launch Seattle's Underground Tour.
New owners1970
Seattle's Only 2nd Class Tavern
Two Boeing engineers bought the bar for $8,000 and gave it a motto. Seattle's Fat Tuesday was dreamed up at the bar and first held in 1977.
Shop 2nd Class Tavern →The stage, 1986 to 19901986
The Seattle sound, to a few dozen people
Soundgarden, Mother Love Bone, Screaming Trees, Mudhoney, the Melvins and Alice in Chains all played here. In 1988 Sub Pop's founders came to watch a young Nirvana.
Dig through the archive →March 9, 19901990
Mother Love Bone's last show
Mother Love Bone played its final show at the Central. The posters from its run here are in the archive.
Shop Mother Love Bone →100 years1992
The Central Day
In the bar's 100th year, the governor proclaimed April 7 "The Central Day."
Still bookingToday
Live music most nights
Bands most nights of the week, and an in-house print shop turning out the shirts. Buy the tee, then come see a show.
See who's playing →April 7, 2027135
135 years
The anniversary
The Central turns 135. The anniversary drop goes to the list first.
Get on the list →The Archive
The posters, 1986 to 1991
Real bills from real nights, in show order. Pick a year or scroll the wall.
Shop by band
Find your band
Every name on every bill in the archive. Pick one to see every poster and tee they're on.
Soundgarden 9 itemsBlood Circus 6 itemsAlice in Chains 6 itemsScreaming Trees 5 itemsMother Love Bone 5 itemsU-Men 4 itemsSkin Yard 4 itemsMelvins 4 itemsWipers 2 itemsWhite Zombie 2 itemsThe Hell Cows 2 itemsThe Fluid 2 items
Every band on every bill (70)
- 13 1
- 7 Year Bitch 2
- Alice in Chains 6
- Ash 2
- Bam Bam 1
- Blister 1
- Blood Circus 6
- Bundle of Hiss 2
- Crotch Rockets 1
- D.O.A. 1
- Dead Flowers 2
- Derelicts 1
- Dickless 2
- Dinosaur Jr 1
- Dogbite 1
- Eagle Park Slim 1
- F-Holes 1
- Faith No More 1
- Fastbacks 1
- Flaming Lips 1
- Girl Trouble 1
- Green River 1
- Gut Reaction 1
- Hammerbox 2
- Hungry Crocodiles 1
- King Krab 2
- Limp Richerds 1
- Live Skull 2
- Love Battery 2
- Malfunkshun 2
- Melvins 4
- Mia Zapata 1
- Mobius Strip 2
- Mother Love Bone 5
- Motorhoney 1
- Mudhoney 2
- My Eye 1
- Napalm Beach 1
- Nirvana 1
- No Means No 2
- Pop Defect 1
- Puddleheads 1
- Pure Joy 1
- R.B. Chop Chop 1
- Redd Kross 1
- Room Nine 2
- S.G.M. 2
- Satisfaction Monkey 1
- Scratch Acid 1
- Screaming Trees 5
- Seaweed 1
- Skin Yard 4
- Sonic Youth 2
- Soundgarden 9
- Spades 1
- Swallow 1
- Terry Lee Hale 1
- Terry Weist 1
- Tex & the Horseheads 1
- The Fluid 2
- The Hell Cows 2
- Tree People 1
- U-Men 4
- Urge Overkill 1
- Variant Cruise 1
- Vexed 1
- War Babies 1
- Wendy-O-Matik 1
- White Zombie 2
- Wipers 2
No match on the bills yet. Try another name, or search the whole store.
Made in Pioneer Square
Hand-printed at the Central
Shirts and hoodies are screen-printed in-house at the Central in Pioneer Square. The poster tees put real show bills from the Seattle stage back on a shirt.
1892Pouring since
42Archive pieces
16Printed in-house
Since 1892
-
Pickaxe Logo T-Shirt
Regular price $35.00 USDRegular price -
Metal Since 1892
Regular price $35.00 USDRegular price -
Haunted Skull T-Shirt
Regular price $35.00 USDRegular price -
2nd Class Saloon Legacy Tee
Regular price $35.00 USDRegular price -
Mythic Tiger Tee
Regular price $35.00 USDRegular price -
PSQ Smoke Skull Tee
Regular price $35.00 USDRegular price -
Metal Since 1892 | Raglan 3/4 Sleeve Tee
Regular price $35.00 USDRegular price -
Central Pickaxe Logo Hoodie
Regular price $65.00 USDRegular price
April 7, 2027
135 yearsThe Central's anniversary
000Days
00Hours
00Minutes
00Seconds
First in line
The anniversary drop goes to this list first.
The regulars
Dogs of the Central
Some of the regulars have four legs. Say hi next time you're in.
