HOUSE SHOWS: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Illustration by Meredith Rogers

Since the '90s, Syracuse University students— whether they’re videographers, sound designers or people with nothing more than a passion for dance—have come together at D.I.Y music venues in the University Neighborhood.

D.I.Y venues like Dazed, Crater and The Shipyard were the most recent houses to host shows with student artists last year. The year before that, Redgate, Mudpit and The Harrington hosted shows with their own brands—where each venue saw different genres of music, decor and hosting nights of the week.

These venues near campus threw music shows to support local artists while creating a community out of those in attendance. That was until this summer, when some house shows had to shut down all events.

In June, Rent From Ben, a Syracuse rental agency that owns the former Dazed house on Euclid Avenue, announced that it would ban all parties from its properties in an email to all of its tenants.

When Polly Hoffman and Kieran Romano—the showrunners of Dazed—got word of the ban, they collectively sighed. The ban meant they had to cease all operations, which they would announce on Dazed’s Instagram on Aug. 6.

“We had no idea it was coming. It was totally out of the blue,” Romano said.

“I just wish we had known earlier so we could have done more for our last show,” Hoffman said. “It would have been nice to have one ‘last show ever’ and be able to go all out.”

For Hoffman and Romano, who have been going to house shows since their freshman year, 32 SMUT JERK 23-40 D.I.Y venues helped fuel their passion for music and brought them closer to others with similar interests in the scene.

However, this does not mean this community will disappear forever.

Hoffman and Romano plan to continue running shows this upcoming year, whether it means organizing with local Syracuse venues or throwing parties in other houses unaffected by the crackdown. Organizations such as the Westcott Theater and an SU fraternity both reached out and offered their spaces as potential venues. The Shipyard, a D.I.Y porch show on Lancaster Avenue, is still hosting smaller shows this year.

“Obviously it sucks that we can't keep doing the shows in the same way that we have done them in the past, but I do think it's fun that we get to do a variety of shows now,” Hoffman said. “We are doing a legitimate venue, but also some underground stuff, and maybe an outdoor show. It really puts an exciting twist on the year.”

The decision to ban house parties came after an expensive lawsuit, where the plaintiff sustained an injury during a party at one of Rent from Ben’s properties last year, Rent from Ben CEO Ben Tupper wrote in an email to Jerk.

The decision wasn’t easy, as Tupper said he has always advocated for a safe Syracuse party scene, and has even tabled and provided free drink testing kits at Dazed and Redgate events.

“For over 25 years, despite lots of party damage and post-party clean ups (I've literally probably picked up a couple thousand used red cups from my front lawns on Sunday mornings in my career), I still defended the rights of students to live their lives and enjoy their houses as they saw fit, within the law, including parties and D.I.Y musicalvenues,” Tupper wrote.

Tupper said pressure from his insurance companies ultimately led him to place the sweeping ban, adding that the same tenants who threw the injurious party had also scorched a bedroom with an unattended flame the week prior.

“This stunk because I was put in a position to either have to close my business, or tell students to stop having big parties,” Tupper said. “I can still be an advocate for student life, just without huge raging parties in attics or basements going on in my houses.”

While the lawsuit never reached a settlement because Tupper ultimately wasn’t held liable, he added that his insurance company would likely sue the tenants of the house where the injury occurred.

Hoffman and Romano took over the old Redgate house in fall of 2024 along with two other roommates. While they changed the name of Redgate to Dazed, they kept the tradition of weekly shows featuring local and out-of-town artists.

“We have put a lot of time and effort into not only the shows, but the brand as well. Trying to be something bigger than we are and trying to continue this for all the people who liked it,” Romano said.

The walls inside the Dazed house are decorated with posters from almost every past show. Romano—who designs the posters for every party— fondly refers to them as yet another creative outlet that the process of putting together shows offers.

Mason Manteau and Owen Wernow, members of the jazz and funk local band Gunk, said the closing of their mainstay venues meant they also had to find footing after losing a space to perform off campus.

“From a musician's perspective, this blows,” Manteau said. “Not only is this a good source of income for us, but performing is just the most fun thing that we do.”

Manteau lives in the house that once hosted Crater, another venue that got shut down by Rent from Ben. Now, the house is used as a practice space for him and his four roommates to all play their own music, just without its usual crowd.

Manteau said house shows connected bands like Gunk to musical names who are gaining traction outside of SU, such as LAUNDRY DAY, who played at Redgate in 2023 with Gunk as their opener.

“These shows really were their own bubble music industry. They were perfect practice and it was low stakes so you really get to learn the ropes,” Wernow said. “Because of that, we have a whole network of people and lots of experience that we need in order to move on as musicians.”

The legacy of community built by parties like Dazed and Crater led to the production for Dazed’s first show at the Westcott Theater on Sept. 26. The show featured artists Gunk and Mimicking Mars, who helped with the planning and production required to put on a show in a new location.

While the show can’t replicate the vibes felt at the house shows on Euclid, Dazed still stands for the message they have always put out.

But the culture is changing: hosting shows in larger, more official venues means losing the comfortable feeling that Dazed’s crowded basement once gave. Wernow added the house show scene also allowed student bands to get a feel for paid gigs, equipment setup and bookings in a relaxed atmosphere.

“Everyone is at the same level as you and they treat you like a human, whereas sometimes they treat you more like a kid when we are at bigger venues,” Wernow said.

For Romano and Hoffman, the most important aspect of keeping this music culture alive is to simply “keep on throwing.” As seniors entering their final year, they are making sure the traditions they were introduced to just four years ago stick around for upcoming students.

While the future of Syracuse’s D.I.Y music scene remains uncertain, what Wernow describes as “an essential part of the Syracuse experience,” is here to stay as a new D.I.Y venue called “The Stoplight,” has emerged with their first show slated for Nov. 1.

So, Jerks, will you be back in the basement this semester?