For Nirvana fans, The Central Saloon holds special significance. On April 16, 1988, Nirvana performed their first Seattle show here, where Sub Pop founders Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman discovered them. 
What was the title of Nirvana’s debut album?
The Central Saloon, established in 1892, is the oldest saloon in the city. In its early days, Yukon miners would sit on the creaky wooden floors, sipping whiskey and sharing tales of gold quests.
During the grunge scene, the bar became a pivotal venue, hosting iconic bands like Soundgarden, Diamond Lie (pre-Alice In Chains), The Melvins. Mother Love Bone played its final concert here.
Did you know that when Sub Pop founders Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman saw Nirvana live for the first time on April 16, 1988, there were only 10 people in the room?
Jonathan Poneman got a demo tape from audio engineer Jack Endino, who had recorded some Nirvana songs at the Reciprocal Recording studio in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood. After listening to it, Jonathan and Bruce Pavitt decided to check out the band live.
Bruce Pavitt recalls:
After John and I listened to the demo, we invited the band to play a showcase at The Central Tavern in Pioneer Square in early April 1988. There were only a handful of people in the room, and I wasn’t that impressed. The band was pretty rough around the edges at the time. They didn’t have many noteworthy songs, and their live performance was a bit weak, but Kurt Cobain had an amazing voice. So, we decided to sign them based on his voice.
Shortly after, Sub Pop signed Nirvana and released their debut album.
