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Videos: Pehrspace Says Goodbye (For Now) With a 36-Hour Show
The year 2016 has not been kind to L.A.'s DIY venues. In May, The Smell got word that their building could be demolished. Two weeks later, Pehrspace received a 60-day notice saying their lease at 325 Glendale Blvd would be ending.
While The Smell is still trudging on, Pehrspace has been forced to closed its doors, reports KPCC. But the venue (and its attendant fans) didn't go out with a whimper; they went out with a bang, and by "bang" we mean a 36-hour marathon of non-stop performances that stretched from Saturday morning to 11:59 p.m. on Sunday (and then some). Check out the stacked schedule:
Playing at @pehrspace tomorrow morning at 9am! #Pehrathon 😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/L2ZRD0Esoq
— Geoff Geis (@GeoffGeis) July 31, 2016
And here are some sights and sounds from "Pehrathon" over the weekend:
Slow Rose starting their 4 hour set at the @pehrspace #Pehrathon pic.twitter.com/f5Z8VBp4da
— Everyshow (@every_show) July 31, 2016
Echo Park music venue @pehrspace closing after 36-hour marathon concert https://t.co/fcfcCrCrV7 #pehrathon pic.twitter.com/1L3xHVNBxA
— 89.3 KPCC (@KPCC) July 31, 2016
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Pehrspace, as noted at KCET, was opened in 2006 as a brick and mortar for a record label named Pehr. The founders of the label, Adam Hervey and Darren King, brought in bands to play on occasion. Eventually, the space transitioned into becoming more of a performance space. A recording studio was also added in 2013. Also, there was a masseuse for a brief while.
Lilly Estenson, then a volunteer coordinator at Pehrspace, told KCET in 2013 that the neighborhood around Pehrspace was changing:
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It's very far gentrified at this point, and we're a little behind because we're south of the freeway. We're in Historic Filipinotown. I moved recently and I can see in the craigslist ads that this area is now being billed as Echo Park and the prices are rising. Even Westlake is being called Echo Park at this point.
Pehrspace organizers have set up a GoFundMe page. And (great news!) it sounds like they're pushing forward with plans to find a a new space. As stated on the GoFundMe page:
We see this as an opportunity to be better, to create a more sustainable and stronger environment to support our community in a new space.
...
The money you donate will go directly to the cost of renting and moving to a comparable-sized new space, renovations, inspections, upgrades to our well-worn sound system, and non-profit registration and legal fees. Any additional donations we receive beyond our goal will ensure that we can keep going even further with our efforts. All amounts are welcome, big or small.
We reached out to Pehrspace manager Pauline Lay for a statement. We will update once we receive word from her.
Could The Smell and Pehrspace ever be truly erased? The crux of the DIY ethos, after all, is about finding ways to exist outside of the established order. So it's hard to think that those venues will ever fully disappear from the cultural landscape in L.A. But, then again, there are certain realities to contend with. Anyway, to end on a brighter note, here's one of the last performances at Pehrspace:
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Last song at @Pehrspace. Matt and Jesse Kivel. Great #Pehrathon weekend to celebrate this amazing place. pic.twitter.com/jwDs0LwL8T
— Everyshow (@every_show) August 1, 2016
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