The accessibility to live shows is prominent in the punk scene. While other genres' biggest stars may cost hundreds of dollars (or more) to see from the rafters of a gigantic arena, the scene can get you into your favorite band's headliner with a spot at the barricade for $25 or less. While any concert can (and most often is) exhilarating, being in the right venue adds a certain touch to the night of music, sweating, violent finger pointing, screaming, jumping and more. The Masquerade located at in Atlanta, Georgia, has had countless tours with memorable people, bands, speeches, and overall memorable nights ran through the heart of Midtown. The Masquerade, in its original form, holds weight with so many people in AND out of the scene from the past, present, and future alike. The weekend prior to Thanksgiving, the original North Avenue location- located across the street from beautiful Ponce City Market- closed its doors for the last time, with Yellowcard headlining the final show in Heaven, the biggest space of the three parts of the venue (Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory). The venue's temporary space will be in Underground Atlanta, home to Georgia State University, while legal disputes are worked out about relocating to the intended new permanent location in a different, more residential area in the city. This move comes after months of posturing and constantly pushing back the closing day of 695 North Ave. Many people started to question whether or not the venue would ever actually change locations with as many delays as there were. Now that the trigger has been pulled and the original location has closed. Emotions have been running high within the local scene, and with good reason.
It is seemingly forgotten just how important the venue of a concert is by many, and the venue is often taken for granted as well. Places like Nashville have venues sprinkled all over the heart of their city. Which constantly leads to their locals debating which big show to miss for the other on a given night. While expanding your amount of options for shows to go to is great, it can take away from the night once all is said and done. Atlanta has plenty of places to go to a show, but this decade has left three in prominence- The 7 Venue, The Tabernacle, and The Masquerade. The 7 Venue closed its doors in November of 2013, leaving just the Masquerade and the Tabernacle for artists to play at and draw in a considerable audience without going into a big amphitheater or arena.
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The Masquerade opened its doors in 1988 and has allowed many incredible bands in for concerts, both big and small bands alike. Some of the biggest names to play the club include Nirvana, The Misfits (a whopping nine times), Motion City Soundtrack, The Ramones, Say Anything, American Football, Nine Inch Nails, and countless others. The venue has also allowed small bands to have the opportunity to break out, such as locals Oceanier who have played the historic venue already while being less than 2 years into their existence and have used that opportunity to expand their audience in anticipation of their next release, which comes out on Christmas day. Bands like Attila started out as locals and soon broke out into worldwide success, all starting with shows years ago at 695 North Ave. There is a reason that artist hope to play this Midtown venue, aside from exposure. It is the atmosphere and the energy. Atlanta crowds are notoriously rowdy ones, and many bands cite the southeast's capital as one of their favorite cities to play for the pure excitement of every crowd that comes out each night. Hearing things like that is always great, especially as a frequent concertgoer in Atlanta. We love to get crazy here, and that energy always goes right along with the historic building.
After so many nights spent trapped in between hundreds of people you've never met before, you become accustomed to it. It becomes a comfortable space. When you have seen the same brick walls so many times, ran into the same strangers at so many shows that they are no longer strangers, been lifted out of a crowd from crowd surfing by the same security guard with the mohawk so often, opened a circle pit and slipped on what feels like the same damn beer can as the one that was in the same spot last time, and walked back outside into the real world with the same sense of disbelief that the night is over so many times, the venue becomes a home away from home. It becomes a place for best friends to meet or be met for the first time, relationships to start and build and bond, memories to be made and never forgotten, bruises and cuts to take home, and a massive amount of nights to remember and tell our future kids about. It sounds incredibly cheesy, but the original Masquerade was many people's home away from home. We all could flee there to have a safe space where we could share our love of music and support each other and make a home out of a building that's survived a fire and so much more. We survived, it survived with us, and that will never change. We will always be thankful for this building and for all we got to experience in it.
The Masquerade is now living on Lower Alabama Street in Underground Atlanta. What will come of this new venue and how people will respond to it while it is there (whether this location is permanent or temporary as it was intended to be) is still to be seen. The Masquerade has only called its "new building" home for a week now, and there is a lot left to be seen before any judgments should be made. As of right now, I do not have a show lined up until March when I see Senses Fail, Counterparts, Movements, and Like Pacific. Here's to hoping a great show pops up sooner than that one, and here's to hoping that 50 Lower Alabama Street can fill the gigantic shoes of 695 North Ave.
