2008 Woodie Awards
Home Sweet Rock Show
Matthew Barry
Issue date: 1/23/08 Section: Culture
He had thick glasses and looked like someone straight out of Revenge of the Nerds. He performed as a one-man band called Valiant Steed. With his bass taking up use of both his hands, he had to use his nose to switch the drum beats on his little synthesizer. By the end of the set blood from his nose covered the microphone and dripped down to the floor. Jake Green was one of only six people there and to him it was the most memorable shows that had ever taken place in his living room.
Green, the guitarist for Forced Failure, lives at one of Arcata's underground music venues. All the houses that regularly have music adopted nicknames. Green's house is the Firehouse, named because they live across from the fire station on F and Ninth Street. Every few weeks his house becomes the place where crowds pile in to hear live music. With a lack of 21-and-under music venues, bands and show-goers have turned to private residences as places to play.
"It is intense at times," Green said. "There is always people. There is always equipment."
One of the main problems with having shows at a private residence is the loudness factor. If neighbors are unhappy with the type of music or the level they can call the police to have them end the noise.
"We have a deal with our neighbors that allows us to keep having shows," Green said. "We end the shows at 11 and if they ever go over we always cut it at 12."
At the Firehouse police visits usually come after the shows are over and people are hanging out outside, said Green.
Tona Klote lives at the Yellow House on Alliance and Spear. The neighbors around them are also lenient about the noise but police break up their shows earlier and more regularly.
"The area is kind of a hot spot," Klote said. "Once a fist fight broke out. Our house is just assumed to be a party house but we're not. We're just a bunch of bike hippies."
Another tough part about throwing house shows are the people who disrespect the house. A point that Klote and Green both made clear was that their houses are not throwing parties.
Green, the guitarist for Forced Failure, lives at one of Arcata's underground music venues. All the houses that regularly have music adopted nicknames. Green's house is the Firehouse, named because they live across from the fire station on F and Ninth Street. Every few weeks his house becomes the place where crowds pile in to hear live music. With a lack of 21-and-under music venues, bands and show-goers have turned to private residences as places to play.
"It is intense at times," Green said. "There is always people. There is always equipment."
One of the main problems with having shows at a private residence is the loudness factor. If neighbors are unhappy with the type of music or the level they can call the police to have them end the noise.
"We have a deal with our neighbors that allows us to keep having shows," Green said. "We end the shows at 11 and if they ever go over we always cut it at 12."
At the Firehouse police visits usually come after the shows are over and people are hanging out outside, said Green.
Tona Klote lives at the Yellow House on Alliance and Spear. The neighbors around them are also lenient about the noise but police break up their shows earlier and more regularly.
"The area is kind of a hot spot," Klote said. "Once a fist fight broke out. Our house is just assumed to be a party house but we're not. We're just a bunch of bike hippies."
Another tough part about throwing house shows are the people who disrespect the house. A point that Klote and Green both made clear was that their houses are not throwing parties.
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