Where Do the Kids Go To Dance?
One of the problems most bars and clubs face over time is finding and keeping a constant crowd that comes in and keeps business going. Things are different for the indie and underground music crowd in Las Vegas, though, because they have a hard time finding all-ages venues for those under 21. The hipster kids often have no place to go until they hit the wonderful age of 21.
Julie Rose, a 17-year old freshman at UNLV, who has been going to indie and underground shows for about a year now, was enthusiastic when asked to share stories about the issues underage shows have in Las Vegas. Rose spoke of sneaking into shows and constantly being kicked out of venues.
One way Rose has found a way into events is by promoting them. She has been putting on her own shows for about six weeks now, and is thoroughly enjoying it, but she said the hardest part is finding a venue that will let in all ages.
“We want the events to under 21 because Vegas is a 21 and over city and it makes it hard because everyone needs to hear it,” said Rose about the events that she and others put on.
Rose’s first event,Spitshit , took place on November 3, at Canvas Café, and she was very pleased with the event.
“It was pretty amazing,” said Rose, citing that a lot of people came, with a lot of them under age 21. She said the open mic aspect brought more of an indie scene with “lots of creative people performing.”
One performer Rose knows is Brett Bolton, who plays drums for the local band Jr. Anti-Sex League (yes, the name derives from George Orwell’s 1984). Bolton, who has been playing drums for about nine years, and has been with the band for about a year, echoes Rose’s criticism about the lack of all-ages venues.
Bolton said he prefers to play with his band at all ages venues so they have a bigger crowd but there aren’t very many, and so they’re forced to play at a lot of 21 and over venues.
When asked where Jr. Anti-Sex League have played this year, Bolton listed a lot of venues that are now closed. The band used to play a lot at the University Theater on Maryland Parkway next to UNLV when it was still open, and Bolton said the Alley is a good venue, but it’s now closed after a brief re-opening in October.
“That’s the story of Vegas,” said Bolton with a shrug over the dilemma of the lack of all-ages venues.
“It’s just kind of sad, like ‘oh, there’s another one gone,’” said Rose. “But it’s kind of expected anymore.”
A Las Vegas Weekley story on November 8 states that the grand re-opening of the Alley was interrupted by a Clark County representative who informed the venue that they were in violation of a code restricting all-ages activity within 1,500 feet of a business selling alcohol.
Attached to the talkback on the web version of the story was a link to a petition to “Save the Alley” at www.petitiononline.com/AL8125W/petition.html. The petition had 38 online signatures, many with additional comments pleading to keep the Alley open.
Several comments stressed the need for a venue with no drinking for underage kids in Las Vegas.
“The Alley gives kids something to do rather than getting drunk or high. It’s more than a venue, it’s a home to most of us” reads one comment by Maria Theresa Penaflor.
Aidan O’Connell wrote “The Las Vegas Valley [sic] needs a safe, drug-free environment for kids to hang out at…”
Other comments praised the Alley for bringing diversity to the Las Vegas music scene: “It is essential to the growth [of] Vegas bands…the Alley is a safe, well-maganed [sic] and responsible venue, that is scrutinized by unreasable [sic] Vegas rules” writes Peter Huender.
Even the fans of the Alley, with all their devotion, weren’t enough to stop it from closing.
This could be because all-ages venues are on a to-do list of license inspections. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department lists a “teenage dance hall” business license as a license that requires investigation, so all-ages venues are already under close scrutiny before they even open.
When a venue is available for a band, arranging shows comes pretty easy, according to Bolton. Other bands that are setting up a show will sometimes ask Jr. Anti-Sex League to play with them or the band will contact the venue directly.
“Most of the places will say yes almost right away because we’ve either played there before or they’ve heard about us playing another venue,” said Bolton, echoing a comment made by Rose that just about everyone knows everyone else in the Las Vegas underground and indie scene.
Rose may count on this aspect when it comes to promoting the shows she has just started putting on. Her next one is Friday, December 7 at Crown Electric Tattoo Co. at 731 S. Las Vegas Blvd. The bands that will be performing are Infested, Operation Miranda, Captivity, Anne Frank, and Channel 12.
(Here’s an amateur filmed clip of Operation Miranda performing warm-up:)
“This show will be representing the underage crowd because most of the musicians are underage, high school and college kids,” said Rose, who kept a stack of black and white photocopied fliers for the event with her. “I hope that the event is going to be sick. It’ll have the high energy that comes from hardcore shows.”
Rose said there isn’t much local music fans can do to support venues since the problem is in licensing, but it doesn’t make it any less frustrating.
“It just puts limits on everyone, because music is for everyone, and they’re an audience who needs to hear all the great shit that’s happening,” said Rose. “So it hurts everyone–the artists and audience.”
