SHREDnews

By: Emily Kaufman

In a world of sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll, one venue located in an industrial park in the town of Hamden, Connecticut, breaks the “rules” and gives teens a positive place to rock out. Although the venue is pretty small in size, if you make it to a show of a favorable band, you definitely will not be disappointed. Steve Rodgers of the band Mighty Purple started the venue in a practice space used by his band not far from where the venue lies today. Rodgers would have friends come over and jam and eventually others in the local music scene came around to do the same. As word spread, this grew to the point where an open mic was formed to keep things in order. Over the course of two or three years, the open mic became an underground phenomenon and soon gained a real presence in the region’s music scene. The Space grew into a real listening room with a comfortable, creative atmosphere where alcoholic beverages were not served or prohibited, allowing for gatherings of musicians and music lovers of all-ages.

After gaining massive support from the community and dealing with some “hatas tryin’ to shut us down”, The Space moved to its current location at 295 Treadwell Street. To this day, the venue still does not allow alcoholic beverages, but does have a snack bar providing Snapple, Vitamin Water, Red Bull, Monster, water and sodas. Healthy, vegetarian and non-vegetarian meal options are provided for those whose hunger cannot be satisfied by a bag of chips. I personally love the freshly made chicken Caesar wraps that can be ready in ten minutes or less after placing your order.

If you’re not too fond of the band on the stage or your friend is outside having a smoke in the designated smoking area, there is plenty for you to do at The Space to burn some time or just have fun. The upstairs of the venue not only has bathrooms, but it has a vintage shop that is full of surprises. From old dresses and jewelry to records and Polaroid cameras, everything is a great price and you never know what kind of goodies you’ll leave with. Across the hall from the shop is an arcade in what used to be the venue’s green room. Every time I attend the shows, I bring a bunch of quarters with me and have a go at the pinball machine. I hate to brag, but I have one of the high scores, that is, if no one has surpassed mine yet.

It may surprise you to hear that bands such as The Maine, Cartel, The Click Five, Mercy Mercedes, Anarbor, and more have graced the stage at the venue once or twice before. The venue makes a great listening atmosphere as well as an ideal tour stop between New York and Boston. This venue is halfway between an underground arts collective and a sticky floor rock venue. There’s carpet, a staff of awesome volunteers, couches galore, and over 100 kinds of tea. There’s also rock and roll, folk, acoustic orchestras, independent film, funk, computer games, indie shows, and more happening on their stage. Check out their website and see if one of your favorite bands is playing there soon!