UrbanUpdate

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Back in 1993, a group of music obsessed friends in Seattle decided to open a barbershop so they’d have a place to hang out. They called it Rudy’s after one of their friends spray painted the moniker on the wall in reference to the Fat Albert character. (To "Rudy" was to go crazy for the day, which fit in with the friends’ ethos.) The interiors quickly got covered with band posters (there was an ordinance against posting them outside at the time) and some not-so-under-the-radar groups like Nirvana and Pearl Jam showed up with flyers to spread word about their music. (Nirvana even sold tickets in house to fight the claws of Ticketmaster.)

Twenty-one years later, Rudy’s has sixteen outposts across Seattle, Portland, New York and LA, but the original shop on Seattle’s Capital Hill continues to thrive as a community center and is still the best spot to get a chop and style. As of late, Kurt Cobain’s influence seems to be circling back around: "Grunge is sort of fast and furiously alive here again, so one of the most popular cuts for guys right now is the ’90s bowl cut. Everything is super blunt," says store manager Nick Fenton. "We also get a lot of extreme high and tight cuts, sort of a variation on Macklemore’s style." Cuts are under $25 and you can walk-in. But when you consider all the music history on the walls, the experience is pretty priceless.

The Grooming Goods to Get at Rudy’s, According to Fenton:

Davines Sea Salt Spray "This product gives great body to guys with thinning hair, we can barely hold on to it because it’s so popular."

Grant’s Matte Dressing "Grant Fukuda’s pomades are local to Seattle, this one is great because it gives texture and has a nice matte finish."

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Rudy’s 1,2,3

](http://rudys-web-store.myshopify.com/products/rudys-brand-no-1) "Our line of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash has Rocket extract, aka arugula, which helps maintain healthy hair. It’s moisturizing and low in sulfate, too."

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