Seaside’s musical history began with the city’s inception as a coastal resort city in the late-19th century, welcoming visitors for fun and relaxation. It soon became a cultural and entertainment destination — with dance halls, theaters and ballrooms hosting musicians and big bands. 

In its early days, you’d find parades, orchestras and foxtrotting at the dance halls on Broadway. At the opening of Seaside’s 1.5-mile Prom in 1921, tens of thousands of visitors were treated to performances. Among politicians’ speeches and festivities, several live acts — including Portland’s Royal Rosarian band — played jaunty tunes. A group billed as “the children of Seaside” danced for the crowd.

Throughout the next two decades, jazz, swing and big-band music filled Seaside’s deluxe theaters and show palaces. Seaside’s Bungalow Dance Hall — located at the site of today’s Seaside Carousel Mall — had opened by 1920 and hosted dances every night. Until it closed many decades later, the ballroom attracted legendary artists like Glenn Miller, trombonist Jack Teagarden, pianist Fats Waller and Bing Crosby. On March 15, 1941, Duke Ellington and his orchestra performed at the Bungalow for a bowling-league benefit. Ellington’s appearance came at the height of his musical fame — he came to the Pacific Northwest fresh from recording his signature tune in Hollywood, “Take the ‘A’ Train.”

The Post-World War II Northwest Sound

In the post-World War II years, swing music gave way to rock ’n’ roll. Local venues — including the Bungalow — followed the tune. Bungalow owner, agent and promoter Pat Mason hosted Western rock and swing groups like Gene Vincent and his Blue Caps, Carl Perkins, and a young Willie Nelson, then an aspiring singer and disc jockey.

The burgeoning rock ’n’ roll scene centered at Seaside’s Pypo Club in the old American Legion building above the Seaside Natatorium, a large public swimming pool. Located at the southern corner of the Turnaround, the club was designed as a safe, alcohol-free space for teens to dance and enjoy live music. Admission was only a quarter, and the so-called bar featured fanciful concoctions with names like Seafoam Sluppers and Pypo Punches. The Pypo Club became a welcoming venue for upcoming bands, including regional hitmakers The Fabulous Wailers, The Kingsmen, and Paul Revere & the Raiders. 

The story of how the Kingsmen came to record “Louie Louie” is closely tied to Seaside. According to band member Jack Ely, the Kingsmen first heard the song at the Pypo Club. After a performance at the club, they noticed how teens would repeatedly play the Wailers’ version of “Louie Louie” on the jukebox, dancing with wild enthusiasm. Inspired by the song’s popularity, the Kingsmen decided to record their own version. Their rendition, with its raw, garage-band sound and unintelligible lyrics, became a sensation, topping the charts and cementing the Kingsmen’s place in rock history.

Experiencing Seaside’s Live Music

Seaside’s musical soundtrack remains today, from rock and jazz to folk, blues, drum circles and symphonic band, plus the local music its performers call “beachgrass” — an inspiring mash-up of surf sounds and mellow folk. Galleries, brewpubs, wine bars and coffee shops host singers, songwriters, bands and karaoke. The Seaside Farmers Market features outdoor live music every Wednesday alongside food and craft vendors in the parking lot of the Sunset Recreation Center. 

Seaside’s newest venue, The Lyons Den, debuted in May 2025 with a slate of local performers and musicians. The renovated space in the historic Gilbert Building serves live music, Thursday-night jams and fresh sangria. Sundays are open for kids. For additional performances, try Seaside’s American Legion, where weekly jam sessions host local bands. The renovated Times Theatre downtown features bands such as In the Pink, a Pink Floyd tribute band, and Seaside’s award-winning singer-songwriter Bruce Thomas Smith.  

Performers can be heard at one of the city’s many events, including the revitalized Seaside Jazz & Blues festival, which takes place in March. After an inspired beginning with New Orleans-style jazz performances in 1985, the festival returned under new management in 2024 and serves as a tribute to a Seaside High School band director whose life was cut short. Like the original jazz festival, profits go to scholarships for Seaside High School music education.