Awesome place to see a show. Last show I saw was Liam Finn and Eddie V showed up to play a few. Fun place to play also.

Love any place that hires the Pimps of Joytime from Brooklyn! Shows that the music scheduler has great taste! The bar staff is efficient and friendly. read more

Moving to Seattle from Atlanta in next 45 days and gave four stars for the simple fact that there is a country bar in the city. Looking forward to checking it out. read more

Tractor rules. Been going to Tractor for 10+ years. Anytime a band I want to see books here I go if I can. It can get pretty crowded, but I love this place. Great neighborhood, great space, efficient service. Excellent venue for small live shows. read more

Great little dive... good for live music. Zach Deputy threw down there this last Friday! If this place is gonna pull in talent like that I'm sure I'll be back there again in the not to far off future. May I suggest you guys look into getting Trombone Shorty and the New Orleans Band!! Troy won't disappoint the good ole folks of the PNW. Oh ya, servers didn't make you wait long for a drink either so good onya. read more

Great venue, terrible seating- by which I mean if a place is gonna have concerts regularly, you'd think they could figure out a reasonable seating schematic and maybe the chairs themselves would be a step up from the cheapest, least comfortable that are around... I saw an excellent show, and my experience was diminished by the bad chairs and layout. I would've preferred to stand. read more

Oh yay how I adore the Tractor, which has been around for a long spell! It is a terrific, smaller venue to see awesome live bands (last act I saw was Veronica Falls with Bleach....ahhhmazing) for uber reasonable and in many cases a chance to see some who might become bigger later on. And beer! You also get the bonus of Ballard Ave to partake in a bite or drink beforehand. read more

Great venue to see live music in Seattle. Bring a flask. $8 is too much for a pint of Manny's.

I thoroughly enjoy spending a Friday night at the Tractor drinking whiskey sours and mingling with good people. Great times. I recommend catching Cash'd Out when they come back through - they're a Johnny Cash tribute band who put on a fun show. I like the Tractor's style. It kind of has it's own niche within the Seattle community and adds to the endearing nature of the Ballard neighborhood in particular. read more

The Tractor books great bands and has plenty of open space for square dancing on Monday nights, which is the highlight of the Tavern. There aren't very many places to sit or casually socialize, but as a dancing venue it works. The dancing on Monday is very social and there's no need to bring a partner. In fact, there's almost more women than men, and since everyone just wants to square dance, showing up stag is just fine. :) read more

My husband and I watched the AMAZING Rebirth Brass Band here last night with a good friend of ours. The place is a fairly good venue and the price was reasonable for what we got. The sound was really good in there and not too overpowering even though it's a fairly small spot. The bar had a good variety especially with it being so small, the prices were good and the bartenders were nice. My only gripe with the bar was that it was cash only which I did not see noted anywhere until we were already in. Of course there is an ATM inside, but taking out money would cost you a premium depending on your bank. Other than that, the place is basically a bit of a dive. The people running it are nice, but in my experience a bit disorganized which was a little frustrating. There was a lot of confusion as to when we could go in for the late show and I wish they would have taken more control of the situation. Overall an OK experience, but personally just not my type of scene. TLDR version: Your call. I believe it will depends on what you're seeing: if the band is worth it, then the venue won't matter either way. read more

First time visit was last night to see Colter Wall (wow! that guy has some PIPES!) But when people say this place is a dive - LISTEN TO THEM. If there was somebody I really wanted to see came here, I would go. No question. But trust me when I say the owner of this business (or building. . ) are not putting ANY extra money into this place. Bathrooms are probably some of the most disgusting I've ever seen and yes, you really DO have to contort your body into some type of pretzel shape to use the toilet (if you dare.. . ). Even though they have a bench-thing lined up against the main room wall, you won't be sitting during any performances because everybody will be standing in front of you, blocking your view to the stage. Not the end of the world - but don't think for one minute you'll be siting at any point if you want to see your performer. BUT - tickets to these performances are super cheap, beer is good, and everybody is there to have a good time. read more

My favorite venue in Seattle, hands down. And you can get the Tractor t-shirt at http://www.desteenation.com.

Cool dive bar. Good music, fun crowd. Terrible beer selection. The open dancing room on the side with the stage is nice. There isn't much in terms of sitting which would be nice. Nothing special but it's a fine place to grab a drink. read more

Sweet music, hardworking, Heavy pouring bartenders, DIVY AND a bit dirty. Don't expect to sit on the toilet. I've seen numerous shows here, Every time I have a blast ! Love it! read more

It's good this is a hole in the wall because that way we can afford to go more often to hear great music. I wear earplugs to bring the volume down 10 decibels or so. The Tractor could offer a bit better low-mid price wine selection by the glass, that would make me happier! and compensate for the shortage of seating. It would be logical to remodel and make one big room instead of 2 rooms, so both rooms can see well. read more

Tractor Tavern is a great place to be, I like the music there, there band is awesome....I make it a point to be there if I am in Ballard..

Loved the event I went to. A really cool venue with something new and different. Western/grunge Seattle vibe. Customer service was good and drinks were also good. Elcletic crowd. read more

I love the Tractor. Great venue with tons of great acts, mostly in the Americana, alt-country, and similar genres. Very low key and unpretentious. In a neighborhood that has become way to trendy for its own good, the Tractor is a reliable live place for live music and good drinks. As others have pointed out there aren't many seats, but that's typical for this type of place in a lot of cities. The sound system is good but not stellar. Then again, this ain't symphony hall! I've been over the years to probably 50+ shows. Hopefully I'll see another 50 there! read more

I do not particularly care for country music but I'm not a hater also...and if you saw me in person you wouldn't think I'd like punk either but hey, don't judge a book by it's cover. So I gave Tractor Tavern a chance, I can definitely connect to a degree. It's a place where misfits and repressed souls with an eclectic taste for music can congregate, dance like happy drunken fools but not be judged. I get it, I'm one of these people. Came here on a Saturday night with my friend and her very Irish hubby who has 2 loves besides his wife: southern culture and alcohol. Lord and behold, Tractor Tavern serendipitously came up as we were bar hopping on Ballard. Some Johnny Cash cover band was playing. It's decently sized and spacious for a dive, not too crowded, and has a very enthusiastic atmosphere filled with indie music afecianados. Not only did I score some points as the hostest with the mostest, my inner Johnny Cash fangirl was brought out that night. read more

I would go with 2.5 stars if I could. First time at the Tractor last night to see Dale Watson, who was great, but this review is for the venue itself. We arrived at 8:00 pm for a sold out show starting at 9:00 pm. There were probably 40 or so people waiting in line to get in when we arrived, who managed to snag all of the very limited seating available before we got in the door. If you are seeing a show here, unless you get here VERY early, it is likely you will be standing for the whole evening. The sound is pretty good, the beer selection is decent, but I'm uncomfortable standing for 4+ hours, plus if you are short like I am, you will struggle to see much of the time. In hindsight, we would have just arrived at 10 pm when the headline show started, to minimize the standing. Would be a much better venue with more seating, not sure if I would go again? Also, the bathrooms are pretty bad, as others have said, certainly not accessible. read more

The band was super amazing. Unfortunately the staff here is so rude. To the point that It actually kind of affected the mood that night. Especially Joel working the front door. I took too long to get my money out and he snapped, "this really doesn't have to be this hard" and snatched the rest of my money from my hand. Call me crazy but I'm really not into people snatching my money out of my hand, especially when it's 90 bucks that Im shelling out. Also, especially when I tried to buy tickets from him an hour earlier when they weren't busy at the front door (they were advertised as being on sale at the door) and he told me to come back at 10 when they had a huge line (not a line of other ticket buyers but of will call people). One of the bar tenders also cut off my friend who had only had three drinks and was totally composed. Anyway, It seems like they have a great lineup here but my experience with the staff was so bad that I probably will never go back. One more thing, their sound levels and acoustics are also really bad. They need to get an audio engineer in there to make some adjustments. It's partly the space itself but there's some things they could do better with their mic levels and overall setup. read more

WARNING TO MUSICIANS: Be aware that the owner Dan (if he is indeed still the owner) has ripped off bands! I have first-hand experience with this - he refused to pay my band one night after we traveled up from the Bay Area and played a full show there. Yes we had a signed contract - regardless, he flat out refused to pay us with a "go ahead and try to sue me" attitude. Owners like this give ALL club owners a bad name. read more

Well I have something POSITIVE to say about the TT and the door guy (Joel?). I bought tickets way in advance for both Reckless Kelly shows that ended up selling out. I have been attending shows here for about 15 years and consider it my "home turf" for concerts. I've never had a bad experience and reading some of these 1 star reviews makes me sad. As a long time supporter of live music at the TT I am used to purchasing a "ticket" and being on a Will Call list at the door. No need for paper tickets. Fast forward to show time and I walk in thinking I'm "on the list" because I purchased in advance. Not the case! I scanned my emails as the door guy continued to look for my name as I insisted I purchased for BOTH nights. Instead of getting frustrated or angry with me, he asked me to move to the side while I figured out this problem. He kept checking on me as he let others in. Finally in desperation, I looked at my bank statement. Sure enough I had made a purchase in early June at the TT for $46, both shows. I show door guy and he said "yep, that's it. You bought hard copy tickets here at the bar! (Embarrassed now but kinda remember doing this!) Based on you showing me that statement I will let you in tonight. Just bring the ticket with you tomorrow night". How great is that????? I thanked him over and over. I was relieved and needed a drink!!! He said "I don't want to ruin your night". I did have a great night and brought the ticket the next night and proudly showed him I was legit! What I learned? If you are a reasonable person who treats others with kindness and respect, it will all work out. Don't immediatley get angry or obnoxious with employees doing their JOB. Thanks door guy, love you Tractor Tavern!! read more

BEWARE! Normally a great place to see a concert, however, lately there has been an extremely creepy older male (dark, receding hairline, unathletic build, last seen wearing a worn cowboy hat and black t-shirt) claiming to be a paid photographer, taking inappropriate pictures of girls in the crowd. We tried to complain to the bartender, but turns out they were friends. Use caution when attending this venue. read more

I really enjoy concerts at this venue. I recently went to a concert at the tractor tavern and it was a great time! The bartenders are very nice people and the atmosphere is top notch. It is small but it is surrounded by cool bars and restaurants. Great location! read more

This is the second time I've seen The Paperboys at Tractor Tavern. Great venue and nice staff behind the bar. The Sangiovese is pretty good, and a thank you to Casey who very nicely gave me a real glass when I asked. It would be nice if TT had some security on the floor for crowd control as this one rude, drunk guy kept pushing his way to the front. read more

Fantastic place for authentic country like The Ganges River Band.

awesome music! so many mike dillon bands. i love mike dillon!!! i get too drunk and have too much fun so yeh!

though I think this place is great there is hardly any bands playing I wanna see, which sucks, well alot of the time it's bands I haven't heard of which doesn't really mean they suck just I don't know 'em... I love one of the bartenders here!! read more

I've seen several really great shows here, and I like the venue a lot for how laid back it is. That said, it's way more low key during week night shows (if you can manage to stay out long enough to see them). Weekend night shows are usually a bit more crowded, which makes it harder to hear the music. Square dancing on Monday nights here is also a plus. read more

Excellent venue! This place puts a very personal aspect on a concert. The well priced drinks and friendly atmosphere make for a great experience. read more

my home away from home. if only they had a couch and a big screen tv i'd move in. love the staff. love the crowd. love the bands. looking for me? find me here cuz i loves it. read more

Went there last night for the Houndmouth concert; needless to say it was awesome. Service was quick, beer was delicious and the music was incredible. read more

Get up close and personal to your favorite live acts! Seriously, the stage is so low and shallow you can reach out and touch 'em (don't though, I'm sure it's distracting). Sound quality is great, even the sound check which sounded crystal clear from the street. There's even seating around the wall so you don't have to commit to standing the entire night. They also post a lot of flyers around Ballard so you might be able to snag a free souvenir 'poster' the morning after. read more

The shows are great, and I have been a patron of the Tractor Tavern for many years. The one star applies only to the seating, the 'lack of' that is. Many of us who have been faithful patrons of the Tractor, have approached that time in life where standing for a 3 hour show, is just not something our bodies can do anymore. It has unfortunately lost a following because if it. read more

I am definitely a fan of this place. Went to see Dirty Sweet on Wednesday with some friends. Ended up getting hooked up with a sweet Tractor Tavern koozie. People who work there are friendly, good small venue for bands and good drink specials. Go check it out! read more

They get some great acts, but there are NO SEATS!!! Which means you will be extremely uncomfortable. They cater to the over 30 (and many times the over 40) crowd, and we are just getting too old to stand up for that long, on a cement floor, no less. My back hurts all over again just thinking about it. I have passed up seeing some incredible acts because it just wasn't worth the physical discomfort. I've emailed the management very kind letters asking about their "no chair" policy, but I've never even received a response. read more

Great place. Good music and just a nice place to hang out! Will be back!

In terms of costumer service.. terrible. The website says their hours are 12-4PM but really they don't answer their phones until it is convenient for them. And hours later once they do, completely rude. I was even hung up on when trying to ask a question after apparently annoying the staff. Not impressed. Wished I could have seen one of our favorite bands there, but I'll go back to Texas where they treat customers as if they depend on them to keep their businesses alive. Oh, wait! We ARE the ones that keep their businesses going. Weird! read more