Make a Scene

The first step onto a college campus is usually a heavy one. Thoughts about your classes, your new peers, the (probably new) town — what the hell you want to do with your life — all go into that first step. Another thought soon enters your brain, if it hasn’t already: “Who am I?”

In short — you are whoever you want to be. And now, more than any other time, is the perfect opportunity for you to throw all sorts of your own personal spices into the mix.

Maybe you spent your high school years thinking about how stupid your parents were while listening to the Jonas Brothers. Or maybe you spent your weekends in your friend’s barn, partying to 50-Cent. Whatever the case, you’ll likely be introduced to bands in college that you won’t have force-fed to you by Sony, Universal and Warner Bros.

Some Spokane colleges have a budget for entertainers and spend boatloads on bringing in big names to play their basketball arena (I’m looking at you, Gonzaga). While that’s fun and all, it doesn’t create a community. It just creates consumers. Another avenue is one taken by Whitworth: They have a similar budget but spread it out, bringing in more obscure and independent bands. It works. Whitworth regularly brings in small-to-mid level bands, much to the enjoyment of their students. But what if you’re not the Music-Finding Czar at Whitworth or Gonzaga?

House shows. Sure, there are some risks, but anyone can throw one and they usually don’t cost you anything. Andy Carlson, veteran of many-a-house-show, mentions the other perks. “If you can book one of your favorite bands, you’ll get to brag to your friends how Daft Punk played at your house.”

Best of all, they create a sense of belonging to a culture.

“I really enjoy house shows because you get to go into a new community and spend time with people,” says David Plell of Cyrus Fell Down. “It’s not a business concerned with making money, it’s about people coming together for the sake of music.”

Independent bands exist in droves and they’re usually down to be your friend, even if no one else on campus is. No matter your musical tastes, you can build a grassroots community around your favorite independent bands. But there are a few things to keep in mind before you dive right in to your first house show.

Location
Picking the right house is step one. Obviously the residents must be cool with it, and the landlord should either a) be cool with it too or b) not know about it. Once you’ve ironed that out, it’s time to consider the neighbors. If the house is surrounded by adults with careers, they will likely call the cops about all the noise. If the house is surrounded by people that will be at the show, you’re set.

Or you could search for a house surrounded by commercial zoning. “My house was zoned in a commercial area so I didn’t have neighbors,” Carlson points out.

Noise
A house show is going to be loud (that’s a good thing). Loud shows tend to attract cops (that’s a bad thing). What’s a house show organizer to do? Put the music in the basement. Of course, having a basement is paramount to this strategy, but there are other solutions too. Cover nearby doors and windows with blankets and bedspreads to attempt to seal up any openings the sound can escape through. Oh, and make sure all the doors in the house are closed. This helps reduce the noise bleed more than you’d think.

The Back Door
Make the only entrance to the house show out of plain view — usually the back door. Large groups of people entering/exiting/loitering outside a house will draw unwanted attention, so try to be discrete.

Alcohol
All house shows have alcohol. The best move when minimizing your level of illegal activities is to have people bring their own. And whatever you do, never ever ever attempt to sell alcohol at a house show. Terrible idea. Very illegal.

Sound System
It’s preferable if you have a PA system for the bands to use at your house show, as most out of town bands don’t tour with their own. This could make or break your ability to get your favorite band play the show. “I’d definitely prefer to play a house show over a show at a regular venue — provided the house has a PA or adequate sound system we could use,” says Plell.

After a few successful shows, word will spread among your peers about all the cool music you’re bringing to the area. Before you know it, you’ll have built a community of friends who all feel like they belong to something special — and you did it all without the phrase “Student Leader” in your job description.