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Musicians and promoters weigh in on Tulsa’s lack of all-ages venues

In Tulsa, there’s a dearth of accessible, affordable and safe all-ages music venues. Many have come and gone over the years, like the Pink Eye, Vinyl Countdown, Creative Room, Hillman’s Garage, Boulevard Trash, and The Monolith, but they’ve all struggled in one way or another to stay afloat before ultimately shuttering. 

Some event centers offer a platform for all-ages shows, like The Other Side in south Tulsa and the recently opened pH Community House in Crosbie Heights. And, of course, there are larger venues that routinely host all-ages shows such as The Vanguard, Cain’s Ballroom, and Brady Theater. But what about a space specifically designated for modest DIY shows—the local punk band that might only draw 50 high schoolers? 

To better understand the necessity of and challenges facing all-ages venues, I asked both young local musicians and elder Tulsa music promoters and venue operators to share their thoughts and opinions: Covey Tims (lead vocalist, The Riot Waves), Noah Beal (drummer, The Lukewarm), Kylie Slabby (vocalist/guitarist, The Daddyo’s, Ramona and the Phantoms, and founder of Black Mold Booking), Jay Hancock (founder and owner, Holy Mountain record store), Aaron Kennedy (local musician and former bassist, As I Lay Dying), Jeff Richardson (founder, Hard Work Records), Michelle Cozzaglio (former owner, Boulevard Trash; current manager, The Fur Shop), and Natty Gray Watson (founder, Cult Love Sound Tapes).

The Tulsa Voice: Why do all-ages venues struggle to stay open in Tulsa? 

Tims: Venues seem to always fall under because of money. As big as the music scene is in Tulsa, it is predominately a bar scene. Sadly, there are tons of kids left out of killer local and touring acts that come through our bars. The short lived all-ages venues like The Creative Room and Boulevard Trash hosted amazing all-ages shows … Unfortunately, they shut down, but tons of kids showed up and it provided an amazing sense of community for the under-agers.

Beal: The market is absolutely there, but most venues make a lot of money on bar sales. Underage groups typically don’t bring the bar crowd out. That’s not to say that the talent is the reason, but many people don’t feel comfortable “taking the risk” on a local band they may or may not like at all … Cover charges can be scary to people, I’ve seen it first hand.

Hancock: Bottom line, an all-ages venue needs rules and guidelines. Underage drinking will always be the thorn in the side of the venue, but it’s up to the venue to curb the behavior. I helped run an all-ages space, The Monolith, for two of its nearly three-year existence, and the only reason it lasted as long as it did was by setting up guidelines that the people involved with the venue made sure were enforced … If the police show up and find underage kids in your venue or your parking lot, you immediately are looking at a contributing to delinquency of minors charge and some hefty fines. Most of the all-ages venues that have sprung up since the downfall of The Monolith have treated the space as a clubhouse for reckless behavior and then wonder why they got shut down.

Kennedy: Opening and keeping an all-ages venue is hard to do from the ground up. Most venues close to due to kids just becoming too much of a liability for the promoters, mainly because most people going to shows don’t want to pay a $10 cover fee to drink soda. The Marquee, for an example—it took them eight months to gain their liquor license, and despite who was playing, people were not just coming out. But once they gained their license, people started coming back out again. 

Cozzaglio: The main complication my husband and I have faced with owning [Boulevard Trash] was the restrictions on the building itself. Booking, promoting and working with bands was easy! We personally have never had issues with the security side of things either. But finding a perfect venue up to code ... not so easy. It’s truly a battle. Tulsa is very tough on these restrictions. People try to open all-ages spots, and they close. We hope to overcome that obstacle someday and open back up but it costs a lot of money to do that. 

As a DIY venue, gathering up that much money is not a simple task to do. There are larger venues in town and a couple houses that cater to all-ages crowds still, and that’s great! Younger kids still have a place to go. But, having a DIY all-ages venue in town where kids feel safe and at home is what we need again. It’s very important for our youth to be able to express themselves within music and within a scene full of people that they identify with. 

TTV: What is your take on DIY events, or house shows?

Richardson: [House shows] are the “hunter/gatherer” version of all-ages shows. They make no money, but have no real expenses either. The bands may get some gas money from donated change, and a few damp dollar bills. 

Tims: Some of our wildest shows have been house shows. The Riot Waves’ second home is Barkingham Palace. We play there at least once a month. Without that place, the kids would have literally nowhere to see live music and let loose. They constantly have touring bands coming through which is a great opportunity for experienced locals and new/upcoming bands to hop on the show.

Slabby: I love it. I have had some of the best and most memorable show experiences playing house shows and DIY venues. I’ve also had some crappy not-so-great ones. You never know how it will turn out. 

Watson: DIY is super fun and incredibly accessible. It’s really easy for anyone to put on or get into, so I’ve always been shocked more people don’t do house shows. But … it’s really hard to manage an all-ages concert space without simultaneously giving under age kids a place for them to indulge in illegal activities … it’s a huge liability when you’re the one running the space or your name is on the lease. Secondly, conflicts with neighbors will arise … and you’ll likely have at least a few interactions with police … even if you give your neighbors all prior warning. Thirdly, your house will get trashed pretty much every show—that’s almost completely unavoidable. Especially with more intense genres of music, you’ll likely end up with some holes in your walls and smashed household items. 

TTV: Are you working on any current all-ages events at the moment? 

Tims: Right now, we [The Riot Waves] are currently working on new songs to put together an LP. After that, we hope to put on an album release show. 

Slabby: I want to because I know a lot of underage people who want to see more live music, but I don’t know where to set up shows. I booked a few shows at Starship Records recently and they really like having bands there, so I guess that is an option for an all-ages spot. But Tulsa needs, like, way more! I’ve been on tour almost all across the country and we played at bars that allowed underage kids to come in and see the bands. I don’t see why we can’t do that in Oklahoma.