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September 27, 2006

Oakland's Warehouse Culture

There's an article currently in the SF Bay Guardian on the secret life of warehouse shows. The piece explores Oakland's warehouse culture, and overall does a good job of representing the genuine idealism of most of the people involved in these ventures.

I should point out that these include many of my friends, including Jason Smith, the "chuckle-prone" owner of the Cereal Factory, members of local bands like Battleship, the Mothballs, Dreamdate, etc. as well as many of those that have struggled in the past to keep alive the now-defunct 40th St. Warehouse and French Fry Factory. If you don't live in Oakland: Yes, these names are a bit strange, but know that they represent the very vibrant heart of the Oakland music and art scene, places where the underage and the broke can also partake in the fun. It's good to see that the folks that are helping make this a reality are getting some recognition for their efforts.

I was also pleased that the reviewer touched on the efforts by responsible organizers like Smith to work with their neighbors to make sure the shows don't alienate the local community. Too often tensions with neighbors and the city flare up, resulting in crackdowns on alcohol and noise violations, making it very difficult for the warehouses to survive.

I think that these venues exits because there is a need for them, and the wonderful creative energy of Oaklanders is responding to that need. The city should do a better job of bringing some of these warehouses into the fold of legality, rather than focusing on shutting them down. Obviously, I don't condone selling alcohol to minors, and not all warehouses should be -or would want to be- turned into for-profit businesses. But some of these warehouse organizers could very well make the jump from members of the underground-economy to full-time, recognized and licensed venues. Provided the city is interested in helping them along the way. Lobot Gallery strikes me as a possible example for a successful model. The city will benefit by capturing that tax revenue, and with time can increase the prestige of Oakland as a place for night-life, helping it achieve it's stated goals of bringing more residents to Oakland.
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post scriptum:

Since we're on the topic of the Oakland music scene, I encourage all you locals to go to the fundraiser on September 30th for the drummer of Oakland's own Rogue Wave at the Independent. Poor Pat Spurgeon's got some serious kidney problems, and this fundraiser is to help him pay for the cost of the surgery. I'm sure it will come as a surprise to no one that record labels don't often provide health insurance. So help Pat out by going to the show.

The benefit concert has been added to the calendar, and will feature Ben Gibbard, Nada Surf and John Vanderslice.

Posted by jessehudson at September 27, 2006 02:47 PM

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