>1. Your name plus the name of basement venues you run or have run, locations of the houses (street and city without number is fine) and years of operation?
brian emo, the punk trade center (the P.T.C.) bennett st. appleton. 2002-2004
>2. Describe what your basement venue looked like and what made it unique? How many shows were held in it/how often were shows held?
the P.T.C. started out with three roomates. two of which troy-not-oi and myself (brian emo) decided that we needed a space to book D.I.Y. (do it yourself) punk bands that we didn't have to pay extra cash for (venue overhead). the ptc looked like a slummy house. the house had tar shingles as siding and vines covering most of that... the drive way is gravel broken glass and bottle caps thetiny back yard is usually over grown with weeds and garbage from past tennants or the slumlord owner grace the hidden corner behind the house where the attendee of the shows would congregate prior to the show. as you would go in the back door and down the steps you would come into the fist room of the basement where couches and chairs were set up for lounging on one side of the room. next to the stairs was the bathroom for those attending the show. tables were on the other side of the room for band to set up and sell thier merchandise... in the next room once past the furnacewas a space that people would stand and watch the bands this room had a pillar in the middle of the stage area which made the bands a little awkward but the sound was great. due to our overzelousness we booked shows as often as we could which was a blessing and a curse. we had a show almost every weekend in the begining and sometimes during the week depending on what touring bands needed for a date. we got wise to the fact that over saturation causes low low turnout thus we started to book only every other weekend torwards the end... all in all we probly booked a couple hundred shows in a very short time. we put on some band that are todays big things but i don't wanna name drop... i think the main thing that made it unique was that we were the first basement venue in appleton to consistantly book shows with touring bands. almost every show had at least one sometimes more. the other thing that made us unique was that took the time to sound proof so A) we would be busted by the cops and B) it actually sounded good in the basement. the last thing that we did was unique was we fed the bands and people yummy vegan food after the shows most of the time...
>2. Bands that played your basement shows?
i would be hard pressed to remember every band that played our basement some of my favorites include: I Object, Berzerk, Fat Day, Living Under Lies, the Red Light Sting, Clair de Lune, maneurysm, high steppin nickle kids, yesterday's kids, hiwiredays,thunder birds are now!, army/navy, copeater, the young ones, armed with intelligence, one day forever, protest stagnation, modern machines... we put on most of the area's local punk/indierock bands as well.
>3. Why have you hosted basement shows? Is it worth the trouble?
hosting basement shows is economicly the most viable way to get a music scene started. when i was 17 every weekend you could go to a punk rock show at columbus club or for those older than me it was blue jay bowl, but the scene sorta got closed out by concert cafe as the main viable venue and when that got shut down the kids that were used to that being there really missed it. so with the D.I.Y. ethic in mind we sorta rose to the challenge of creating a space that worked to return the lifeblood to our music scene... to me the only trouble that exists really is that technically it's illegal. your supossed to have licenses and all this legal mumbo jumbo which basiclly is just a way to keep the rich music industry going, and to keep the little guy just scraping by... to me it's totally worth the danger of getting shut down by the cops. the thing you gain by doing basement shows is a sence of community...i can't tell you how many friends i made by helping people gain a place to speak thier mind.
>4. Why do you think so many exist?
i think so many basement venues exist out of a need for a place to play that is cheap for example if you rent a venue typically it costs several hundred dollars for just the space then you add a sound system if you rent that, that is another 60$+ total average being 300-400$. that is alot of overhead. it's tough to break even on something like that. so it just makes sence as a promoter to find the cheapest route, especially if your hosting little known touring indie/punk bands. so imagine being a promoter who isn't making any money or a promoter who is losing money the reason for basement venues is simple economics. you almost always break even on a basement show. plus a basement show is more personal would you rather see your favorite band twenty feet away or would you rather see your favorite band so close you could kiss them?
>5. Why do you think most of the basement venues do not last very long?
i think the reason basement venues exist for a short period of time boils down to the fact it is a game of cat and mouse. eventually someone does something stupid and calls attension to the venue. if you keep drugs and alcohol to a minnimum you got a better chance to not get busted. for the most part we got away clean on that note. the cops came to our house several times but everytime it was after the show was allready done so we never got fines like say the blank house... we just sorta stopped mostly cause i moved out and troy had the other legal issues hanging over his head so it was too much of a gamble to keep it going for him...
>6. Do you think Wisconsin basement shows are unique in any way?
i'm not sure how much different a wisconsin basement vrs any other state is. i think in some sence having a basement is unique. from some of the band that played our house i learned that some places don't have basements at all... maybe the only thing that wisconsin basement have that is differnt is that we don't have hipster big city additudes and those that do don't go to basement shows they play churches or something lame...
>7. Have you noticed any trends lately in basement shows in this area? (are more happening? are more getting busted? are more kids showing up to them? etc...)
HHHmmm i think the trend with basement shows is that more will pop up as needed to fufill the market. i think more will happen soon as i get a house and i know some kids at the rats nest will be moving to a new place and where ever that is it will for sure have basement shows. soon as i get another job i will be looking to get a house for the same purpose. so eventually we will only need to rent other venue spaces when it's not logisticly possible for our basements i.e. a well known band. i think in the long run appleton will have more in the near future as kids see the possibillties... i think the amount people that go to shows always fluctuates but i think basement shows will gain poularity the more kids are aware... i think less basements are getting busted cause as far as those of us putting them on are wise enough to know how to regulate so as not to get busted.
>8. How many kids show up to your basement shows on average?
an average basement show i'd say forty people depending on the size of the basement. i remember when we did the yesterdays kids cd release show we must've had like 80+ it was like a sardine can.
>9. Do you collect money? If so, is it split between bands or what is done with it?
the usual door cost at a basement show at our house was five bucks for three bands sometimes less sometimes more but never more than six. the money was always split amongst the bands touring bands got the most depending on the night. the only times we ever made money on shows was the "Yesterdays Kids" cd release show and a P.T.C. benefit show that walt from "the hamburgers" old band "honor amongst thieves" put together for us...
>10. Do cops often stop your house shows?
we never had cops stop a show... they stopped by afterwards but they never caught us red handed thanks to sound proofing and good luck...
>11. What draws bands to play basement shows?
i think what draws bands to play basement shows is a tie to the D.I.Y. (do it yourself) ethic of punk rock. everybody starts somewhere and the only way to make a name for yourself is to tour constantly. your average rock venue isn't going to put on the same no name band every couple of months cause there is no profit margin for them and they don't care about the music we want to hear anyway cause again it's not profitable enough for them. so since the mainstream venues don't care the bands will inevitably look for someone to pick up the slack.
>12. If there were more all-age venues in the area would there be less house shows?
i'm not sure that would make much of a difference cause there is always going to be someone who is new that your average rock venue is going to miss weather they are all ages or not and the truth of the matter is there isn't a decent all ages venue in appleton for the sort of thing we cover. even if there was finaincially it wouldn't be viable alot of the time. i think punk and indie stuff is such a hard market to corner. if there was a venue that was worthy i would be the owner cause i care more about the music than the profits, hipster bullshit or religous indoctrination.
>13. Can you describe a typical show at your venue(s)?
a typical show would be several bands of a like minded genre converging on our basement to rock out and hopefully have some fun together dancing like idiots and mocking the things we hate doing lewd things you can't imagine. after the show the touring band would stay at our house we would eat yummy food they'd take showers and check emails and we'd watch terrible movies and listen to records while waiting for the food to cook and talk about the things society tells you to ignore like hopes and dreams...
>14. Anything you'd like to add?
there is to much censorship going on right now and this trend torwards christian venues opening which serves the exact sort of thing we really don't want to promote... i'd rather see a hundred basement shows that suck than give one grain of credibility to christian venues that censor the bands and prohibit "dangerous thoughts" i will not give credability to absentee parenting by letting a venue say what i can and cannot say or will tell me i can't do this or that. thus i encourage whoever has a brain and a conscience avoid these venues and book thier basement...
lastly i would like to encourage you to turn off your tv call some friends and have a nice vegan meal together enjoy your life and stay posi... -brian xvx
p.s. groovie ghoulies show at ryans ballroom this saturday 6 bucks bring your friends and help me break even on my overhead...
brian emo, the punk trade center (the P.T.C.) bennett st. appleton. 2002-2004
>2. Describe what your basement venue looked like and what made it unique? How many shows were held in it/how often were shows held?
the P.T.C. started out with three roomates. two of which troy-not-oi and myself (brian emo) decided that we needed a space to book D.I.Y. (do it yourself) punk bands that we didn't have to pay extra cash for (venue overhead). the ptc looked like a slummy house. the house had tar shingles as siding and vines covering most of that... the drive way is gravel broken glass and bottle caps thetiny back yard is usually over grown with weeds and garbage from past tennants or the slumlord owner grace the hidden corner behind the house where the attendee of the shows would congregate prior to the show. as you would go in the back door and down the steps you would come into the fist room of the basement where couches and chairs were set up for lounging on one side of the room. next to the stairs was the bathroom for those attending the show. tables were on the other side of the room for band to set up and sell thier merchandise... in the next room once past the furnacewas a space that people would stand and watch the bands this room had a pillar in the middle of the stage area which made the bands a little awkward but the sound was great. due to our overzelousness we booked shows as often as we could which was a blessing and a curse. we had a show almost every weekend in the begining and sometimes during the week depending on what touring bands needed for a date. we got wise to the fact that over saturation causes low low turnout thus we started to book only every other weekend torwards the end... all in all we probly booked a couple hundred shows in a very short time. we put on some band that are todays big things but i don't wanna name drop... i think the main thing that made it unique was that we were the first basement venue in appleton to consistantly book shows with touring bands. almost every show had at least one sometimes more. the other thing that made us unique was that took the time to sound proof so A) we would be busted by the cops and B) it actually sounded good in the basement. the last thing that we did was unique was we fed the bands and people yummy vegan food after the shows most of the time...
>2. Bands that played your basement shows?
i would be hard pressed to remember every band that played our basement some of my favorites include: I Object, Berzerk, Fat Day, Living Under Lies, the Red Light Sting, Clair de Lune, maneurysm, high steppin nickle kids, yesterday's kids, hiwiredays,thunder birds are now!, army/navy, copeater, the young ones, armed with intelligence, one day forever, protest stagnation, modern machines... we put on most of the area's local punk/indierock bands as well.
>3. Why have you hosted basement shows? Is it worth the trouble?
hosting basement shows is economicly the most viable way to get a music scene started. when i was 17 every weekend you could go to a punk rock show at columbus club or for those older than me it was blue jay bowl, but the scene sorta got closed out by concert cafe as the main viable venue and when that got shut down the kids that were used to that being there really missed it. so with the D.I.Y. ethic in mind we sorta rose to the challenge of creating a space that worked to return the lifeblood to our music scene... to me the only trouble that exists really is that technically it's illegal. your supossed to have licenses and all this legal mumbo jumbo which basiclly is just a way to keep the rich music industry going, and to keep the little guy just scraping by... to me it's totally worth the danger of getting shut down by the cops. the thing you gain by doing basement shows is a sence of community...i can't tell you how many friends i made by helping people gain a place to speak thier mind.
>4. Why do you think so many exist?
i think so many basement venues exist out of a need for a place to play that is cheap for example if you rent a venue typically it costs several hundred dollars for just the space then you add a sound system if you rent that, that is another 60$+ total average being 300-400$. that is alot of overhead. it's tough to break even on something like that. so it just makes sence as a promoter to find the cheapest route, especially if your hosting little known touring indie/punk bands. so imagine being a promoter who isn't making any money or a promoter who is losing money the reason for basement venues is simple economics. you almost always break even on a basement show. plus a basement show is more personal would you rather see your favorite band twenty feet away or would you rather see your favorite band so close you could kiss them?
>5. Why do you think most of the basement venues do not last very long?
i think the reason basement venues exist for a short period of time boils down to the fact it is a game of cat and mouse. eventually someone does something stupid and calls attension to the venue. if you keep drugs and alcohol to a minnimum you got a better chance to not get busted. for the most part we got away clean on that note. the cops came to our house several times but everytime it was after the show was allready done so we never got fines like say the blank house... we just sorta stopped mostly cause i moved out and troy had the other legal issues hanging over his head so it was too much of a gamble to keep it going for him...
>6. Do you think Wisconsin basement shows are unique in any way?
i'm not sure how much different a wisconsin basement vrs any other state is. i think in some sence having a basement is unique. from some of the band that played our house i learned that some places don't have basements at all... maybe the only thing that wisconsin basement have that is differnt is that we don't have hipster big city additudes and those that do don't go to basement shows they play churches or something lame...
>7. Have you noticed any trends lately in basement shows in this area? (are more happening? are more getting busted? are more kids showing up to them? etc...)
HHHmmm i think the trend with basement shows is that more will pop up as needed to fufill the market. i think more will happen soon as i get a house and i know some kids at the rats nest will be moving to a new place and where ever that is it will for sure have basement shows. soon as i get another job i will be looking to get a house for the same purpose. so eventually we will only need to rent other venue spaces when it's not logisticly possible for our basements i.e. a well known band. i think in the long run appleton will have more in the near future as kids see the possibillties... i think the amount people that go to shows always fluctuates but i think basement shows will gain poularity the more kids are aware... i think less basements are getting busted cause as far as those of us putting them on are wise enough to know how to regulate so as not to get busted.
>8. How many kids show up to your basement shows on average?
an average basement show i'd say forty people depending on the size of the basement. i remember when we did the yesterdays kids cd release show we must've had like 80+ it was like a sardine can.
>9. Do you collect money? If so, is it split between bands or what is done with it?
the usual door cost at a basement show at our house was five bucks for three bands sometimes less sometimes more but never more than six. the money was always split amongst the bands touring bands got the most depending on the night. the only times we ever made money on shows was the "Yesterdays Kids" cd release show and a P.T.C. benefit show that walt from "the hamburgers" old band "honor amongst thieves" put together for us...
>10. Do cops often stop your house shows?
we never had cops stop a show... they stopped by afterwards but they never caught us red handed thanks to sound proofing and good luck...
>11. What draws bands to play basement shows?
i think what draws bands to play basement shows is a tie to the D.I.Y. (do it yourself) ethic of punk rock. everybody starts somewhere and the only way to make a name for yourself is to tour constantly. your average rock venue isn't going to put on the same no name band every couple of months cause there is no profit margin for them and they don't care about the music we want to hear anyway cause again it's not profitable enough for them. so since the mainstream venues don't care the bands will inevitably look for someone to pick up the slack.
>12. If there were more all-age venues in the area would there be less house shows?
i'm not sure that would make much of a difference cause there is always going to be someone who is new that your average rock venue is going to miss weather they are all ages or not and the truth of the matter is there isn't a decent all ages venue in appleton for the sort of thing we cover. even if there was finaincially it wouldn't be viable alot of the time. i think punk and indie stuff is such a hard market to corner. if there was a venue that was worthy i would be the owner cause i care more about the music than the profits, hipster bullshit or religous indoctrination.
>13. Can you describe a typical show at your venue(s)?
a typical show would be several bands of a like minded genre converging on our basement to rock out and hopefully have some fun together dancing like idiots and mocking the things we hate doing lewd things you can't imagine. after the show the touring band would stay at our house we would eat yummy food they'd take showers and check emails and we'd watch terrible movies and listen to records while waiting for the food to cook and talk about the things society tells you to ignore like hopes and dreams...
>14. Anything you'd like to add?
there is to much censorship going on right now and this trend torwards christian venues opening which serves the exact sort of thing we really don't want to promote... i'd rather see a hundred basement shows that suck than give one grain of credibility to christian venues that censor the bands and prohibit "dangerous thoughts" i will not give credability to absentee parenting by letting a venue say what i can and cannot say or will tell me i can't do this or that. thus i encourage whoever has a brain and a conscience avoid these venues and book thier basement...
lastly i would like to encourage you to turn off your tv call some friends and have a nice vegan meal together enjoy your life and stay posi... -brian xvx
p.s. groovie ghoulies show at ryans ballroom this saturday 6 bucks bring your friends and help me break even on my overhead...
VIEW 10 of 10 COMMENTS
Kisses