Syracuse Ska Forum

Hey kids. I haven't posted on here much, but I'm Alex and I <3 the ska.

For my final project for one of my classes here at SU, I decided to do a story on how much the venues around here suck. Our friend SkaDanny was a huge help. Seriously man, I can't thank you enough. There's no way this thing would've come together without you. Sorry the interview kept you up so late before your trip.

Anyway, I figured Dan would be interested to see how the final product came out, and some of you other people might find it interesting, too. It's here: http://www.myspace.com/ostrichburger. Click on the song titled "RTN 311/364 Final." (The other tracks on there are just random crap that I made when I was bored)

I'm happy to have any venues, but this interview wasn't too bad. I agree with your thesis that we need more medium sized venues, but you didn't explain why people don't like the ones we have(furnace, palace theatre). I'm not too thrilled with whoever said the furnace is too small, it's one of the largest we have and I would call it medium capacity since it's about 600 limit I believe. It really depends on what music scene you are talking about with Mezzanote, they arn't what I think of as a live music venue. There have been shows there, but not by the bigger promoters looking for a stable venue. I wish you would have focused on the Westcott having been used for shows for more then 10 years and that people are pretty fond of it. I don't really care if the Westcott doesn't have a stage considering it's a community center. No mention of the various venues that have opened or closed either, like The Lost Horizon and the Auburn Public Theatre.

Yeah, I understand your complaints. I had to keep the story to four minutes, so I wasn't able to go into too much detail. I had to cut out stuff like the venues that have been lost and also the SU Chancellor's involvement. Dan had some really interesting things to say about Nancy Cantor and what she could do to help the music scene.

I don't know about The Furnace, though. I've never been there, but everyone that I've talked to has said that it's pretty small.

Yea I definatly realize it wasn't meant to be all inclusive, just a school project. I got kinda lost when you started calling Danny, Dan because Dan Rocker is the name of another dude who used to book the furnace. The Furnace is a big room with a pretty nice stage, not too high, and it holds at least 500. The only problem with that room and many rooms in Syracuse is that one promoter will build a relationship with the owner and then gets pretty much exclusive use. It works well for the promoter and keeps the owner from getting worried about too many random untrustable people trying to put on shows but some might see it as unfair to new promoters.

Only 3 shows have sold out at the Furnace, about the same at Club Tundra which is smaller but about the same official capacity. The Furnace is about the size of the Buffalo Icon which is the main medium venue in Buffalo. More venues that are better managed by their owners and cost less money is what every city needs. I think I just hate it when people complain about things they don't understand, like venues and promoting shows(I'm not saying you are, I'm just generally ranting).

Or Styleens?

Armory High, Armory Low

i dont like the computerized sounding "DANNY" sample. That sounds really whack, but i like your piece overall. a

I remember that room from when I was like 7 years old. It's funny that its mentioned here, as I can specifically remember my sister (around 16 at the time) teaching me to skank.

Styleens only KIND of closed. Ohm brings in some big name acts from time to time (Crystal Method, Soulive), although you can't book it out anymore.

Any idea what show that might have been? There were a LOT of ska shows there back in the day.


It's strictly 21+ now, which is horribly limiting.

I remember like Swinging Utters and Mad Caddies or Toasters or one of those bands playing a show there.

Maybe it was One Man Army not Swingin' Utters. Either way I couldn't go and I guess it was a fun time. Like all the punks were there for the one band and then left and the ska fans showed up for the ska bands which in all honesty sounds about right.




edit: I think it was actually the Pietasters.