On June 9, 1989, Sub Pop hosted a concert featuring Mudhoney, Tad, and Nirvana at the Moore Theatre. Nirvana opened, celebrating the release of their debut album Bleach. Tickets were $6 in advance and $7 at the door. The oversold event led to a frenzied crowd that caused significant damage to the theater, resulting in a decade-long ban of Sub Pop from the Moore.

Established in 1907, the Moore Theatre was a lavish social venue for Seattle’s Gilded Age elite. Over its history, it has hosted a wide array of performing arts, from films and art exhibits to speakers, rallies, and even boxing matches. The theater also reflects Seattle and U.S. segregation history, with a “colored entrance” for Black patrons still visible near the front entrance for white attendees. 
Today, the 1,400-seat Moore is the city’s oldest active theater.

In the 1980s and ’90s, the Moore Theatre became a pivotal venue for the grunge scene. Bruce Pavitt from Sub Pop remembers the Lame Fest at the Moore:

That show ignited the city’s youth and put Seattle on the map.

Bands recorded live sets or videos at the Moore, capturing the raw energy of the era:

• Soundgarden’s Fopp EP was recorded at the Moore Theatre in 1988.
• Alice in Chains’ Live Facelift home video release was filmed at the Moore Theatre in 1990.
• Pearl Jam’s Even Flow video consists of footage taken during a concert at the Moore Theatre in 1992.
• Mad Season’s Live at The Moore home video release was filmed at the Moore Theatre in 1995.