Basement banter
Eugene's newest underground venue, Stonehenge,
keeps people coming hack to see bands, friends
BY AMY LICHTY
PULSE REPORTER
“Basement rock!” proclaims the
flyer for Eugene newest “under
ground” venue, Stonehenge. Locat
ed in the basement of a house rent
ed by five students, who also run
the establishment, Stonehenge’s
setting and bands have students
talking. With a cheap cover (up to
$5), free punch and day-old pas
tries donated by bakeries, Stone
henge appears to have found the
perfect formula for a low-key yet
rocking new venue.
Just past a gravel driveway lit by
candles on pothole-riddled Central
Boulevard in East Eugene, Stone
henge’s covert location even had
the bands checking for directions.
The owners and patrons seem to
agree there’s something about the
venue that keeps people coming
back.
“We’ve been having a consider
able amount of people come to the
shows and telling their friends, so
the audience has been growing,”
said Adam Zeek, one of Stone
henge’s co-creators and a junior at
the University. “And we’ve been
meeting a lot of new people and
starting a community, which is
what we’ve been hoping for.”
Besides the free food, cheap
prices and great bands, people re
turn to have fun with friends, listen
to good music and enjoy the
Dancers: Staver a convenient,
comfortable dance location
Continued from page 5
manage the studio, he teaches sal
sa and meringue classes, he trains
under Staver’s teacher’s training
program and he DJs every Saturday
and every other Friday at the stu
dio’s dances.
“I’m really learning a lot,” Reyes
said. “Staver DanceSport is a good
place to practice dancing. It is com
fortable and convenient. It has a
big floor, and you get the chance to
learn about all types of dance in
just one place, with the very best
dance instructor.”
Staver said her work at Staver
DanceSport has been a positive ex
perience thus far.
“ (Being at) Staver DanceSport has
been a very successful experience.
People enjoy dancing. This is an en
vironment where people enjoy danc
ing for the fun of it.”
To make an appointment for a
private dance lesson, call Staver at
746-6268.
dahvifischer@ daily emerald, com
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PLEASE RECYCLE THIS PAPER.,
uniqueness of this venue.
“It’s nicer than the WOW Hall,”
Lane Community College student
Matt Gellein said.
Most people at the Nov. 8 show
that featured The Thermals, Things
Explode! and Nero said they got a
good vibe from the location, but
found it slightly odd — it is, after
all, in the basement of a house.
Ashley Keneller, another room
mate and co-creator, said creating
small clubs in private residences
was nothing new.
“There’s been a couple of other
places like this in Eugene that have
come up and then shut down,”
Keneller said. “There isn’t one right
now, so (we thought) it was just
the right time to start this. ”
It wasn’t an easy task to open the
new venue.
“We moved in with the idea that
we would do shows in the basement.
We rented this place in September
and have been working on the base
ment since we got here,” house
member Matt Brown said. “It was
pretty filthy when we moved in. ”
Shortly after the tenants cleaned up
in the basement, which holds about
60 people, the bands started coming
to perform. Zeek began e-mailing
bands over the summer and asking
them to check the spot out.
“We look for bands that take it
upon themselves to tour the coun
try with their music,” Zeek said,
“and bands that are looking for this
kind of venue.”
“Whoever is interested, we have
them come play,” Brown said.
Stonehenge’s setting isn’t the
only distinctive factor; the club has
specific goals most venues don’t
consider to be part of their mission.
“We want people to come and
have a good time and meet other
people. Too many people come
to Eugene and move away within
four years, which makes it kind of
hard to get to know people,” Zeek
said. “There are lots of faces here
we’ve never seen before, which is
kind of our goal, for people to
come together. We want everyone
to come and feel comfortable and
make friends.”
Zeek, Brown, Keneller, and
roommates Whitney Gum and Tay
lor Morrow plan on continuing
Stonehenge for as long as they live
in Eugene. The next show will be
Saturday at 9 p.m. for $5. The
show will feature Mirah, Liarbird,
The Strangers and Sophisticated
Micah Sykes. Stonehenge is at 2841
Central Blvd.
amylichty@dailyemerald. com
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