In the early days of Sera Cahoone’s solo career, the Colorado native frequented a few notable Seattle haunts: the famous—and sadly defunct—OK Hotel; the open-mike night at Capitol Hill’s Hopvine Pub; and the Tractor Tavern. “I feel like I really came into my own here in Seattle,” she says. “I played a lot of my first shows at the Tractor. [It] will always have a very special place in my heart.” And Cahoone has fond memories of being off the stage at the Tractor as well, saying alt-country band Freakwater of Louisville, Ky., was “one of the best shows I’ve ever seen.”

Cahoone will return the favor when she and her band headline the second of the Tractor’s three shows (over three consecutive weekends) celebrating its 20th anniversary.

“People always remember where they see a great show,” the soft-spoken singer/songwriter says. “The Tractor, in particular, has been a home for the Seattle country/folk music scene. Also, as Ballard grows and changes, the Tractor is a staple of old Ballard—what made Ballard so great in the first place.”

Cahoone recalls her first Tractor gig: “I believe it was the last night you were able to smoke in a bar. I remember smoking a cigarette onstage, saying something like ‘What am I doing? I don’t smoke.’ It just seemed like the right thing to do at the time.” But the most memorable event at the Tractor, Cahoone says, was the time she came out for an encore and found a pair of Denver Broncos underwear on her mike: “It was the best.”

This show comes during a busy time for Cahoone, who has been touring and playing consistently since releasing her third record, Deer Creek Canyon, back in 2012. Can we expect another in the near future? “Yes,” she says. “I have been working hard at writing some new stuff. I’m getting there, but still have a lot of work to do.” Saturday, February 8.

Tractor Tavern, 5213 Ballard Ave. N.W., 789-3599. 9 p.m. $15 adv.