238.5: Rando Show Spots
Killer episode on Patreon this week for tha real onez. The Patreon feed usually gets two bonus episodes per month and the 185 Patreons are the people who keep this podcast (and Substack) alive. Consider becoming a member here.
This week behind the dreaded paywall, Rob Moran and I discussed shows that we’ve played or seen in offbeat spaces. It’s a fun topic albeit semi-ridiculous because if you’re a Punk lifer, you pretty much know the offbeat spaces are the regular spaces. Here are some spots I played or saw shows that some folks might consider outside the norm.
Laser tag party room
In the late 90s my friends and I put on shows in the party room of a laser tag spot in Oxnard, CA. Sure, I guess it was strange that there were a bunch of pissed off teenagers slamming in one room while a normal ass family was having game night 30 feet away, but whatever. I also worked there for maybe a year, making it extra awkward whenever a security guard got punched by one of my friends.
Flatbed truck
This is a pretty brilliant one that I’ve only ever seen once. The Missing 23rd played a skate shop opening or something out in Moorpark. The store rented the flatbed of a semi truck and just had it parked in the large parking lot out front. The stage was a little high and for whatever dumbass reason (probably day drinking) I did a stagedive and landed on Ryan Fredette from In Control, sending his face into the bed of the truck like it was an 80s WWF turnbuckle. He still gives me shit about chipping his tooth to this day.
Parking Lot
When the store won’t shell out for a flatbed, sometimes you just gotta play the plain ass parking lot.
Desert Slab
The tale of the 2001 In Control tour was basically a check list of off kilter show spaces. The first day was at an abandoned cement factory in the hills outside of Las Vegas. Our van would overheat easily so we’d drive through the night and end up having all day to chill in whatever town before the show. Aint much to do in Vegas when you have no money so we just went to the show spot early.
The location was obviously a party spot and there were a ton of beer bottles laying around so it gave us something to do - throwing rocks at them. This was cool until the promoter showed up and told us this was exactly where we were playing, in a pile of glass on a cement slab outside of an abandoned cement factory.
It was one of the best gigs of the tour.
Junkyard
Coincidentally, one of the Vegas mainstay show spaces was a junkyard called the Hammer House ran by Stu from Folsom (now in Spiritworld). We’d play there a couple times once we graduated from the slabs, but for this example we’re staying in the summer of 2001 and going to Denver, CO.
This space was pretty cool - literally just an empty room at a business after hours like many other Punk show spaces. Plus, this was my first junkyard show (shoutout Brian Baker) so check that off the list. There were maybe 15 people there. After the gig, they didn't have money to pay us so one of the guys went around attempting to syphon gas out of cars in the yard. He nearly passed out after the third one, so we said it's all good and took off. I also overheard a conversation about storm drain fishing that I’ve never been able to shake.
Living Rooms/Backyards/Garages/Basements
We should mention these shows. Outside the West Coast, people have basements but no one in California does so small shows at parties go down in living rooms or garages, and bigger shows go down in backyards. On tour, we’d play a bunch of basements all over the country. Together, these spaces always have been and always will be the life’s blood of the DIY Punk and Hardcore scenes.
Tap Dance Center/Dojo
Andy Diehard and the Tehachapi dudes did a couple shows at a tap dance center out there that should be mentioned. Also for a minute there was a karate dojo or some shit called Kung Fu Corner out in Thousand Oaks or Westlake. If memory serves, we played on the mats. Someone definitely got ringworm the next day.
Barn
Our friend JP lived out in the hills past Ojai on a nice piece of land and built a stage in his barn. We did three shows there including 25 Ta Life/Powerhouse. No, Rick didn’t ride a horse. All three shows were ragorz.
Roof
The first time we played Austin, TX was on a roof. It was an okay gig and I think one of the two or three times we made $100 on our first tour so that’s a win. Plus no one fell off, so that’s two in the win column.
Frat House
This is technically a backyard show but I’m breaking it out because it was outside of a frat house so it wasn’t your typical Punk or Hardcore crowd. The original In Control bass player, Chris Holden, got an ultimatum from his dad - quit IC or pay for your own college. Chris decided to be an adult (kinda). A year or so later, he’s living large at Cal State Northridge and he sells us on the idea of this epic battle of the bands. It’s going to be a rager and the winner gets 500 bucks. Shit, we play anywhere anytime for no money and we were the best band in my head, so this was a no-brainer.
So we get to the gig and some Sublime-ass band is playing. They wrap, then a hip hop group plays. When they’re done, they leave with the PA. For some rando ass reason, the singer of LA Hardcore band ALC was at the gig so he said he could run home and get his PA, which was awesome, and an hour later we’re ready to rock just as the cops show up. As everyone is leaving, the MC says we can play a couple songs and addressed the crowd:
“YO this party was OUT OF CONTROL!! So here’s IN CONTROL to play for you on your way out!!”
Consider SMASHING that Patreon button and have a killer week.
- ZN