In 1994, the space that had housed the New Melody Tavern on Ballard Avenue became available. It needed a sound system, but rent was cheap, and Dan Cowan saw an opportunity.

"It was a bit of a lark," Cowan said. "But, music has always been important to me."

Cowan, who had worked in clubs and owned a cafe where Madame K's currently is, turned the space into the Tractor Tavern, the Ballard music venue that will celebrate its 15th anniversary this month.

"My initial thoughts were to not be doing indie rock bands," Cowan said. "There seemed to be a hole in the market for more folk-oriented music."

That original business plan fizzled, as Cowan learned more about the industry, customer spending habits and where the audience is, he said.

The venue attempted a jazz night early on that had amazing music but no audience, Cowan said. It was hard to tell what the draw would be on any given night. Sometimes bands would show up to play to 12 people, he said.

"You have to go through those nights," he said. "That's part of the learning curve."

The Tractor gradually opened its doors to more genres and local bands.

"Now we do pretty much everything but metal," he said.

Ryan Ellis, the Tractor's manager, has been with the club for six years. He said he started by selling band merch one night as a favor to a friend, and it snowballed from there.

He said in some ways it is sad the Tractor had to change the kind of bands they book.

But, Cowan said his own musical tastes and the tastes of audiences are starting to intersect once again.

Popular local bands like the Fleet Foxes and the Duchess and the Duke are popularizing a folk-oriented, 60s-era sound, Cowan said.

He said the Tractor tried to have square dances years ago, but they were never popular. Now, the Tallboys host a twice-monthly square dance at the venue that draws crowds of more than 100 people – an impressive feat for a Monday night, Cowan said.

The increasing nightlife in Ballard has pointed a spotlight at the venue, but there was a time when the neighborhood allowed the Tractor to fly under the radar.

"I've always loved it," Cowan said. "But when we first opened, people were like, 'Ballard? We can't drive all the way to Ballard.'"

The long-running venue is the godfather of Ballard clubs – it was there first, Ellis said.

"The Tractor is the anchor of the Ballard nightlife scene," he said. "We knew Ballard was cool before anyone else did."

Cowan said Ballard Avenue has changed radically in the time he has been there. There is more competition for shows and customers with other venues and bars in the area now, he said.

Despite that, and the tricky nature of the business, the Tractor is on firmer ground now than it was in the early years, he said.

"I think we hold our own," he said. "I don't know any other clubs that have been around as long, other than Jazz Alley."

Ellis said he attributes the Tractor's longevity to consistently booking good shows, dealing with bands honestly and making sure patrons are having a good time.

"We throw a party every night," he said. "Luckily, we're throwing a party that people want to keep coming back to."

Apart from meeting admired musicians like John Doe and Wanda Jackson, Cowan said he is kept in the business by the feeling he gets hearing a crowd's reaction to a band and compliments on the Tractor itself.

"People, as a rule, come here to listen to the music and not to be a part of a scene," he said.

The Tractor will be kicking off its 15th anniversary season with three nights of shows headlined by the Maldives Aug. 27 to Aug. 29.

Cowan said the Maldives, who evoke the the sounds of the 70s and roots music, are one of the throwback bands gaining popularity.

Ellis said the Maldives have been playing the Tractor since the band formed, and Cowan said he has developed a personal relationship with them.

"When you have a birthday, you want to be surrounded by friends and people you like," Ellis said.