I've been The Room at Rebel Sound Records on North Street about a dozen times since its opening in late spring of this year. I have seen the good, the bad, the ugly, and stuff that I just don't get.
Still, it's a place that keeps me coming back for more.
For those of you who haven't ventured in, The Room at Rebel Sound is located at 146-A North St., in the former Abbey Cutters space, just a few doors down from The Garden skate shop and Pancho's Mexican Restaurant.
By day, it's a record store -- with real records. Along the poster-plastered walls of the from room is a solid stock of punk and rock vinyl (New York Dolls to The Clash to The Damned). But there's also CDs in rock, indie, pop and ska flavors, as well as books (authors ranging from Dee Dee Ramone to John Waters), T-shirts, ‘zines, and other bits of flair and swag.
By night, it's an all-ages music venue, with everything from gypsy punk to industrial rock outfits entertaining in the back room. Because of this, The Room is a dry venue. A soda cooler is at the door. The 21-plus crowd tends to pop over to neighboring Pancho's for a beer break.
The Room itself is small, with dark red walls, limited decor, and worn industrial carpeting. A string of little white lights line the back wall, while standing lights and
Here, the draw isn't the room itself, but the culture it brings. I can safely say there's nothing like it this far in western Massachusetts booking so many bands on a regular basis.
A typical rock performance will literally heat up the room with occasional dancing and a fair bit of moshing. Show crowds remain tame in comparison to earlier local punk shows; unless you start something, you won't leave black and blue or bloody. The age range generally runs from teenage to 30s.
Also on occasion, The Room expands to the ballroom at the ITAM Club in Pittsfield for bigger shows, which have included American punk pioneers Agent Orange and Youth Brigade.
I actually went to see the latter play on Monday night. As with most shows presented by The Room and Rebel Sound Records, there were multiple bands in the lineup, including Youth Brigade, Off With Their Heads, Public Serpents, Three Fifteen, The Damaged and The Dead Radio Rebels.
As with most shows, the crowd tends to segment into clusters of friends and fellow musicians, pairs of teenage girls and guys flying solo.
Regardless of who you go with, the main reason to go is the music. Each lineup presented by The Room and Rebel Sound is packed with artists begging to be heard, and usually worth hearing.
I've met a bunch of musicians, who have come from across the country, from New York City to L.A., to play in this little neck of the Berkshire woods. Most are surprised to find a scene here at all, but are happy to play and earn a few bucks, or at the very least, a few good fans.
Andy Poncherello (a.k.a. Andre Duguay), is the guy behind the brilliant idea of having a performance space in the back of a record store in Pittsfield. He's also the guy behind the sound boards, the cash register, the posters, the bookings, etc., as well as the local punk band The Poncherellos.
Though still booking, he told me recently he's become frustrated with low attendance (though Youth Brigade and company brought more than 100 people out on a Monday night), and wishes more people would take a chance on the music.
But for now, the doors are open, and shows are booked through Nov. 1.
Who knows what the future holds. So if you haven't already, get out and get down to The Room, and experience firsthand what the noise is all about.
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