Syracuse Ska Forum

Last weekend we did a last minute show at Half Penny Pub with The Cohorts from St Petersburg, Florida. It went reasonably well. This is the same place where The Benefits played their last show before Heather took off for Italy. And where in its previous incarnation as the Stag Hotel, we hosted Westbound Train and General Rudie, among others.

I had a good, long talk with Chris of The Benefits tonight and we're hoping to do a series of 18+ shows at the Half Penny Pub this fall, mostly geared to college kids. We're both excited about that idea. To be clear, we'll be doing them in conjunction with all ages shows too, so no one wil be left out, ok?

Just wondering how many of you here are familiar with the space and if so, how you fell about it? They're usually 18+ and never a cover, so its a very popular watering hole for college kids. The back room has a raised stage and AC, so it works quite well for live bands. Imagine the Westcott with a raised stage and AC.

Comments???

The more available venues in Syracuse, the better.

I've never been there, but i'm all for a venue that's basically the Westcott with a raised stage and AC. I'm also all for 18+ shows because it doesn't lock me out...

Yeah, but the younger kids have traditionally felt threatened by this. I'll never forget the anguish when we did The Pietasters at Planet 505 as 16+ and many kids couldn't get in that night. It was not a pleasant feeling for me at all. But like I said, this would be a supplemental series to everything we're already doing. That's an important distinction.

And to answer Karen, we already have been using a lot of venues in Syracuse, just not consistently. Its hard to build up a following when you keep bouncing around to different venues. We'd really prefer to do monthly series at each venue and build up the audience. The venue really matters a lot that way ...

Oh yeah, I was just referring to how many venues in Syracuse have shut down in the past few years. It's good to see that new spaces are being found.

Yeah, I remember when I was about a two weeks shy of 16 A New Found Glory played as how at the Bowery Ballroom with the Movielife, Cooter (who after that show became Autopilot off), and Element 101. The show was 16+ and we ended up faking my birth certificate to get me into the show because there was no way I was missing that. God, to this day, that's one of the best shows I've ever been to.

I fully support this idea.

Probably in part because you have many fond memories in that space.