The Venue We've Been Waiting For?

When you think of the Blacksburg YMCA, you might think of the beloved thrift store, the perennially popular crafts fair, the open university classes, the after school programs and community volunteerism. You might get through a loooong list of things before you think of serious rockin' out. But it makes all kinds of crazy sense. The YMCA mission of being a safe and fun place for all ages meshes nicely with the straight-edge ethos and the "Y" is taking its place as an important venue in the southwest Virginia music scene.

Above: Roanoke indie folk-rock band 'The Wading Girl' made the trip to the Blacksburg YMCA to play a set at the benefit show for those affected by the Ideal Laundry warehouse fire.

The inaugural show at the "Y's" current space on North Main St. was hosted by Virginia Tech's Fever to Sing collective and sister organization WUVT 90.7 FM. The band was the Evens—Amy Farina and Ian MacKaye. The old-school among us appreciate how appropriate this act was for breaking in the space. Ian MacKaye's prior bands Fugazi and Minor Threat were formative for the straightedge scene and were well-known for their DiY ethos and emphasis on living simply and discouraging violence. (See the interview with Ian MacKaye.)

The second show at the "Y" continued this positive community theme. The Fever to Sing collective had already planned the event when they heard the news of the fire at the Roanoke Ideal Laundry warehouse. The warehouse contained about 30 rental spaces, many of them used by bands for practice and recording. Many bands lost gear in the fire and the second "Y" show was quickly retrofitted to become another benefit to help the musicians who lost their tools of the trade. A fire was a lousy way to start the new year, but fortunately nobody was hurt. It's also creating opportunities to reach out to each other and get energized.

The fire benefit show at the "Y" brought out all ages, from middle-school to senior citizen. The audience fashions ranged from mohawk to dreadlock, from boys in super-skinny jeans to boys in multiple pairs of baggy pants. The bands were a cross-section of styles and cultures - the JAH praise band with the clever name Dubnium, the loudness of Satanized featuring Evan Lipson of the Dynamite Club, the ever-popular Two Funerals Blacksburg Riot Grrls, the Roanoke Americana Rock of the Wading Girl and a little bit of the sweet sounds of a couple of members of Roanoke's Junior filling in between sets.

The crowd wasn't huge, but respectable for a January night with Virginia Tech still on break. The audience was cheerful and friendly. The younger set seemed especially pleased to have a show to go to. Blacksburg has very few venues that could be considered all-ages. I remember how important it was for me in the olden days to have a place I could go and see music when I was way under 21. Having a non-drinking, non-smoking, all-ages venue is an important part of the mosaic that makes up a thriving community and music scene.

Rana Fayez from the Fever to Sing collective tells me she already has plans for the next show at the "Y". The more support we throw behind the "Y" as a venue, the more resources the event planners will have to attract future bands. The "Y" has proven they are anything but stodgy, and their dedication to community-building is something we can all support by turning out and rockin' out.