Bar/Club

The Tractor Tavern is where you go to hear alternative country (whatever that is). This modestly-sized bar also books rockabilly, folk, blues, jazz and just plain rock bands, serves a decent barbecue sandwich (though you'll most likely have already eaten next door at Hattie's), and has a "nice-'n'-simple" bar with a half-dozen taps and a decent selection of hard liquor. But the Tractor is much more than the sum of its parts. It's a culture of its own, buried deep in the heart of Ballard. As such, a visit can feel a little daunting if you don't have meticulously-trimmed sideburns or a Betty Page hairdo. Fortunately, the music is always so damn good that we never notice if the patrons are looking askance at our tennis shoes and Dockers — and truth be known, they could probably care less. Everyone's too busy enjoying the likes of the Supersuckers, Kristin Hersh, Wayne "The Train" Hancock or the Hot Club of Cowtown to wonder who belongs there and who doesn't. The simple truth is that if you like the music, the Tractor likes you right back.

By Geoff Carter
NWsource staff