Venues close but music keeps playing

By Mathias Kamin
Jay Ornsby, works at the Koffee Kat on Margret Street in Plattsburgh. He used to run a “punk house” in Morrisonville. Sharing a driveway with an old scrap metal yard, 946 Mason Street held the “Garage of Death”, an all age’s venue where local and international bands could come and showcase their art. They hailed from France, Japan, Canada and Plattsburgh high school. The spot held illegal shows that were supported by donations and word of mouth. The house held about 4 shows a month, for about 5 years, from 2000 to 2005.
“We provided a safe environment for people to come listen to music.” Ornsby said. The “Krak house” as it was called by some friends after Jay Krak, who would book many of the bands, had to shut down. The scrap yard and house were bought by the company Earth Works, and the new owners weren’t so please about the venue.
56 Elm Street used to be the home of the Koinonia center, a collaborative community space where musicians, artist and art lovers could come together. There mission statement read as such.
The “Koinonia Center exists to provide a drug- and alcohol-free art space, music space and community center to the residents of Plattsburgh, New York. We offer artists and musicians a place to display their art. Our aim is to simply give back to a community which has given us so much with ideals centered in fellowship, friendship and positivity.”
According to Koinonia’s Myspace page all shows are canceled until further notice.
The gap created by these closings has left space for other areas for music to open up. The Plattsburgh Music and Arts Center, located at 29 Clinton Street, is a place where “bands or individuals can come and practice fairly cheaply.” Said Jamse Ward, bass player for the local band Eat Sleep Funk, partner and co-founder or the PMAC.
It cost 10 dollars per hour for a band to use the space and practice at ‘gig volume and only 5 dollars an hour for an individual. Lessons in bass, drums, keyboard guitar and voice are also offered at the PMAC for a similar fee. “It is the cheap alternative to lessons at the college or elsewhere” said Ward.
The PMAC has been open for a year this past December and although it is not a music venue it is a place where a sense of music community has formed. The PMAC was started by Jamse Ward, Shawn Parrote and Bill Bougill.
Of course there are always those places that have permits to hold music, and these are the ones where a music lover doesn’t have to ask about. The Koffee Kat a small but colorful café on Margret Street in Plattsburgh has music nearly every Saturday night from 8-10. The Monopole, a tavern is hidden away on an alley off of Margaret, offers live music every Wednesday through Saturday. Irises Café and Wine Bar at 22 City Hall place, has acoustic music every Thursday night with live bands on Fridays and Saturdays.
The Coffee Camp also on Margaret St has been trying to have music every week for its patrons.
“It has been hit or miss for the past 8 years”, says Bevan Brady son of the owner of the Coffee Camp. “We lean towards jazz and blues music, but we allow a drum kit, and have been having more punk shows.” Brady believes that the reason he has seen more punk bands ask to play might have something to do with the fact that there are very few venues for that style of music around the area. He welcomes anyone with musical talent to come and ask for a spot on the calendar.