Underground Found

The Substation puts no limits on what it has to offer musicians and concert goers.

Photos courtesy of The Substation

On any given night of the week, swing by 645 NW and 45th St., and you’ll encounter a flurry of musicians surrounding a nerve center of the Seattle music scene. The Substation combines a performance venue, recording studio, and rehearsal spaces all in one. From death metal to bluegrass, it caters to every genre, providing a place for artists to experiment and more uniquely, to connect with each other.

The Substation opened in Spring 2015. Since then, owners Dave West, Ken Wallace, and Jeremy Rudo have continued to expand organically as more space became available. They now own the entire building. The most recent performance space addition – The Annex – can hold up to 350 people, making it an ideal location for indoor festivals that it could never host before. The front room holds 175 and the Chandelier Room comes in at 50. 

When the club first opened, it was described as ‘underground’. According to West, that is still an accurate description adding, “I think underground means supporting groups and performances that are cutting edge and are not just the ‘cookie cutter’ or the norm. I think we serve that need.”

Inside the club there are 2 (16x16) rehearsal rooms and the Chandelier Room which can also be rented. Beyond that, West rents 90 rooms in the same building, 35 across the street in the Rock Rooms Ballard Building and 6 rooms at the SAS Building. 

Birdhouse Studio, located adjacent to the Chandelier Room is a fully functioning music production recording studio. Their services include analog and digital multi-tracking, mixing and mastering, production and sound design. With advance notice, the studio is also available to record and mix your live show at The Substation. 

What makes the space truly unique is the compilation of all of these resources in one building. “The Substation is a gathering place for local, regional and national artists and musicians to hang out, meet, create, and perform. We serve the community with a wide range of performances including rock, EDM, burlesque, etc.,“ says West. 

The newest addition to the space includes an outdoor deck. The plan is to use it as a hangout area, with the potential to host summer deck shows in the future. Other than that, the next five years will be devoted to refining the current space. Every visit to the venue seems to uncover a new project though. We look forward to seeing what will turn up next.

Contacts:

Booking – larissa@substationseattle.com
Birdhouse Studio – attackodave@gmail.com
Room Rentals – attackodave@gmail.com