List live music tonight in seattle
Executive summary
A sampling of live-music options in Seattle for tonight (Jan. 18, 2026) includes club shows, family-friendly matinees, community/charity broadcasts, and classical/choral performances; the listings here reflect venue calendars and ticket platforms rather than an exhaustive citywide schedule (Ticketmaster, Songkick, Consequence Live, Live Music Project) [1] [2] [3] [4].
1. KEXP’s 26th Annual Expansions MLK Unity Party — Clock-Out Lounge
KEXP’s long-running Expansions MLK Unity Party with a live broadcast is scheduled for Sunday evening at Clock-Out Lounge, featuring a lineup that begins with DJ Supreme La Rock for a live broadcast of Sunday Soul and continues with DJs Riz, Brit Hansen, Kid Hops, Sharlese and Alex Ruder — an evening described as music, dancing, and celebration in honor of Dr. King (Consequence Live event listing) [3].
2. Family and daytime programming at The Showbox — Rock and Roll Playhouse
The Showbox is carrying family-friendly programming this weekend, including The Rock and Roll Playhouse playing music of The Beatles and other kid-focused sets, with specific Showbox dates and times listed on ticket platforms for Jan. 18 (Ticketmaster and EverOut calendar entries) [1] [5].
3. Club dates at The Crocodile, Nectar Lounge and other neighborhood venues
Club and indie-night calendars show late-evening performances around town: listings aggregate a Crocodile show (including School of Rock presentations and other billed acts) and sets at Nectar Lounge and similar clubs with regular Sunday gigs on platform listings and venue calendars (Ticketmaster, Discotech) [1] [6].
4. Free and community classical/choral programs — Live Music Project and local churches
For fans of classical and choral music, the Live Music Project’s free-events calendar lists January classical and choral performances in the Seattle area around the date in question, including Cascade Song Festival recitals and an Epiphany Parish choral evensong entry that appear on the calendar in mid-January (Live Music Project listings) [4].
5. Online aggregators confirm broad coverage but not a single authoritative “tonight” master list
Songkick, Bandsintown, JamBase, EverOut and other aggregators maintain extensive event pages for Seattle (Songkick and Bandsintown cite hundreds to over a thousand upcoming events citywide), meaning tonight’s shows are dispersed across many venue calendars and ticketing platforms rather than consolidated in one definitive source (Songkick metro pages, Bandsintown, JamBase) [2] [7] [8].
6. What this sampling omits and how to find additional shows tonight
This report highlights verified listings surfaced in venue and ticket-platform results but is not exhaustive; many neighborhood bars, university stages, house shows and last-minute gig postings are not captured here and require checking venue social feeds, venue calendars (e.g., Jazz Alley’s calendar), local event aggregators, or real-time ticket platforms for late additions and door shows (Jazz Alley calendar, Ticketmaster, Songkick) [9] [1] [2].
7. Balancing choices: genre, age-appropriateness and cost
Tonight’s visible options span dance/DJ nights and community radio celebrations (KEXP), family/kids programming at major club venues (Rock and Roll Playhouse at The Showbox), club and indie rock slots at staple venues (Crocodile, Nectar Lounge), and free classical or choral sets listed by nonprofit aggregators — patrons should verify start times, age restrictions and ticket availability with the venue or ticket platform before heading out (Consequence Live, Ticketmaster, Live Music Project, Discotech) [3] [1] [4] [6].