Beyond the Grave with the Harrington
Graphic by Anika Dua
On March 24th, 2023 the Harrington– a fan-favorite mainstay of the Syracuse house show scene– took to Instagram to announce that their final show, a “going out of business sale” of sorts, would be taking place on April 1st. While many of the venue’s devoted following hoped that this was some kind of joke, the Harrington did, in fact, come to its final crescendo that night...never to be heard from again.
Or so it seemed...
Nearly seven months later, I busted out my ouija board (iPhone) to communicate with two of its founding members on “the other side” (life post-Harrington) as they reflected on the venue’s legacy of music, friendship, and endearingly cryptic Instagram posts.
Will Harrington, who graduated from SU in the spring, and Sam Stehle, a current ESF Senior, started the Harrington in 2021 alongside four of their closest friends, Ray Satchwell, Jack Filkorn, Jake Ryerson, and Tim Dean. Having both grown up in the area, they were no strangers to the controlled chaos of live D.I.Y music in the area.
After spending their first few years at school attending and learning from former venues such as The Summit and The Arc, they decided to establish their own space that could further behave as a more welcoming, creative alternative to the homogeneity of the frats and bars that give SU its party school reputation.
“The music scene is a reaction to the frat community. We have a lot of distaste for frat culture as a whole. It’s immediately less inclusive if you’re doing it at a frat. We are completely accepting of people in frats and sororities and all that, but you come to this as your own singular person.” said Stehle of their motivation to start the venue and the reason why D.I.Y music is able to flourish in Syracuse specifically.
As for how they see the future of Syracuse’s D.I.Y movement, the two seem optimistic, even sharing that others have reached out asking for tips on how to start their own venues. A subculture has begun, and there are no signs of slowing down.
“At least 5 people have come to us asking: how do you do it? Most of them have actually taken the steps to do what they wanted to do,” Harrington shared excitedly.
On a personal level, Stehle and Harrington aren’t interested in carrying on the Harrington as a brand after they leave Syracuse. Instead, they’re hoping that the music and memories will speak for themselves.
“We love music and if we didn’t run this we’d be out at [house shows] anyway. My hope is that in 20 years somebody’s kids are thinking about going to Syracuse and they tell them about the Harrington” Harrington said.
Stehle and Harrington went on to share how they believe the student music scene is at its best when it's focused on building community.
“We just hope that freshmen who come to the shows are like ‘there’s a space for me, that’s my people.’”
While the Harrington is no longer active as one of these spaces, eagle-eyed Instagram followers may have noticed their “MISSING” bio or their stories featuring the iconic Harrington logo on a milk carton. Is this merely some friendly trolling, or indicative of a much larger plan?
Before I can wrap up the interview, Stehle and Harrington tell me they have just one more thing to add. “Our last show was April first. Halloween is right around the corner. We think it might be time for an April fools joke...maybe a return from the dead.”
If this means what we here at Jerk hope it means, grab your friends, find a costume, and get ready to dance the night away at the Harrington’s triumphant return to the land of the living.
As their final Instagram post says “KEEP THE MUSIC GOING OR DIE TRYING.” But, perhaps it seems the beloved venue isn’t so dead after all...