A short-lived Seattle venue now frequently cited as the birthplace of grunge, The Rock Theater, in Seattle at 410 Fifth Avenue South had two performance spaces: the Omni Room and Gorilla Gardens. Often simply referred to as Gorilla Gardens, the club hosted all-ages shows for out-of-town bands as well as local punk and metal bands for about a year between 1984-1985.
This poster, signed by artist Joseph Newton, advertises a concert by three Northwest bands, Butt Pirates, The Accused, and False Liberty at Gorilla Gardens. The Accused was created in 1981 in Oak Harbor, Washington, by bassist Chibon 'Chewy' Batterman, drummer Dana Collins, and guitarist Tommy Niemeyer. John Dahlin was the vocalist from 1982-1984, when he was replaced by Blaine Cook of the Fartz. False Liberty, a hardcore punk band from Seattle, was formed in 1984 by Greg Anderson, Justin Vaccaro, Pete Holden, and Victor Hart.
Caption information sources: https://www.discogs.com/artist/1436017-False-Liberty; and http://www.seattlestar.net/2013/12/december-7-1984-gorilla-gardens
ID Number: 2018.86.48
Date: 1985
Physical Description: 1 poster ; 8.5 x 11 in.
Additional Information: Digital copy of this item available thanks to funding from a 2016 Institute for Museum and Library Services grant. Metadata updated as part of a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services administered by the Library Services and Technology Act, through the Washington State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State. View the finding aid for this collection at https://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:80444/xv212358
Credit: MOHAI, Collection of Rock Music Ephemera, 2018.86.48
