Basement show
Encyclopedia
A basement show is a musical performance, often of the punk rock
or hardcore punk
variety, that is held in the basement
of a residential home, rather than at a traditional venue
. These are also sometimes referred to as "house shows" as they can happen anywhere in a residential house, not just in the basement. Basement shows are normally held for a variety of reasons, including:
Some bands have written songs about this, such as Deerhunter
's "Basement Scene," "Theme Song for a New Brunswick Basement Show" by the legendary Lifetime
and "It Sounds Better In The Basement" by The Devil Is Electric
. Basement shows also build on the notion of music being more than just performance, but about the building and strengthening of community. By opening one's home to these performances where people come together to share their artwork/music, they open up a community-based cultural exchange.
Yet, despite their symbolic value, basement shows have been declining steadily since the '80s. There are several reasons for this:
Basement shows still occur nevertheless, often to stage local shows, as get-togethers for the local kids, and for touring bands that cannot find other venues to play, although sometimes a house show is preferred.
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
or hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
variety, that is held in the basement
Basement
__FORCETOC__A basement is one or more floors of a building that are either completely or partially below the ground floor. Basements are typically used as a utility space for a building where such items as the furnace, water heater, breaker panel or fuse box, car park, and air-conditioning system...
of a residential home, rather than at a traditional venue
Music venue
A music venue is any location used for a concert or musical performance. Music venues range in size and location, from an outdoor bandshell or bandstand or a concert hall to an indoor sports stadium. Typically, different types of venues host different genres of music...
. These are also sometimes referred to as "house shows" as they can happen anywhere in a residential house, not just in the basement. Basement shows are normally held for a variety of reasons, including:
- lack of a suitable venue in the area;
- convenience and relative ease;
- host can give much back to their local scene and community;
- shows hold important symbolic value to the DIY ethicDIY ethicThe DIY ethic refers to the ethic of self-sufficiency through completing tasks oneself as opposed to having others who are more experienced or able complete them for one's behalf. It promotes the idea that an ordinary person can learn to do more than he or she thought was possible...
and punkPunk subcultureThe punk subculture includes a diverse array of ideologies, and forms of expression, including fashion, visual art, dance, literature, and film, which grew out of punk rock.-History:...
/hardcoreHardcore punkHardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
culture; - shows completely avoid any sort of corporateCorporationA corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
sponsorship; it is therefore considered the antithesisAntithesisAntithesis is a counter-proposition and denotes a direct contrast to the original proposition...
of selling outSelling out"Selling out" is the compromising of integrity, morality, or principles in exchange for money or "success" . It is commonly associated with attempts to tailor material to a mainstream audience...
, and keeping the scene small and independent; and - basements are more suitable for smaller bands, with an audience of fewer than 50 people.
Some bands have written songs about this, such as Deerhunter
Deerhunter
Deerhunter is an American four-piece indie rock group originating from Atlanta, Georgia. The band, consisting of Bradford Cox, Moses Archuleta, Josh Fauver, and Lockett Pundt, have described themselves as "ambient punk," though they incorporate a wide range of genres, including noise rock, art...
's "Basement Scene," "Theme Song for a New Brunswick Basement Show" by the legendary Lifetime
Lifetime
Lifetime may refer to:*Life expectancy, the length of time a person is expected to remain alive*Mean lifetime, a certain number that characterizes the rate of reduction of a particle of an assembly...
and "It Sounds Better In The Basement" by The Devil Is Electric
The Devil Is Electric
The Devil Is Electric were a DIY political pop-punk band from Bloomington, Indiana, and were formed when Operation: Cliff Clavin, the former pop-punk band of Chris Clavin and Hannah Jones broke up, following the release of their EP Last Words....
. Basement shows also build on the notion of music being more than just performance, but about the building and strengthening of community. By opening one's home to these performances where people come together to share their artwork/music, they open up a community-based cultural exchange.
Yet, despite their symbolic value, basement shows have been declining steadily since the '80s. There are several reasons for this:
- cities have become stricter with enforcing noise regulations and fire codes, making basement shows increasingly more difficult;
- people are becoming less willing to hold them, as theft, and vandalismVandalismVandalism is the behaviour attributed originally to the Vandals, by the Romans, in respect of culture: ruthless destruction or spoiling of anything beautiful or venerable...
can often occur in the house where the show is being held; - DIY and the origins of punk music and ethic are blurred by commodification and appropriation by mainstream music and culture
Basement shows still occur nevertheless, often to stage local shows, as get-togethers for the local kids, and for touring bands that cannot find other venues to play, although sometimes a house show is preferred.