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Out
BCCA on the brink
BY WILL SPITZ
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The hardcore kids, punks, and metal-heads who showed up for the December 19 show at the Brookline Community Center for the Arts might’ve been a little confused when they walked into the building, tucked away on Green Street near Coolidge Corner, and saw a room of folks doing the samba. But if they followed the faint buzz of more-raucous music downstairs, into a small maze of hallways, and through a single door, they were hit by the familiar wave of heat, b.o., and distorted guitars. The disparity of the two simultaneous events highlights the significance of the BCCA, which hosts everything from Jewish yoga and Chinese "submission fighting" lessons to Swedish hardcore bands and hip-hop shows. Unfortunately, the BCCA’s future is in serious jeopardy. In order to avoid eviction, the center needs to raise $50,000 before January 1 to move forward with the purchase of its building. (By the time you read this, the center will either have raised the necessary money or be on the verge of extinction.) In the weeks leading up to the end of 2004, the BCCA — with a lot of help from private parties and community members — has been furiously raising funds in order to preserve the space. "We’ve raised $15,000 in the past two weeks," says co-founder and artistic director Dan Yonah Marshall. "That’s pretty phenomenal . . . I’m very hopeful." However, the reality of the situation — the possibility of hundreds of staff members and instructors finding themselves out of work, thousands of students looking for new classes, and countless artists losing an environment in which they can create, perform, and communicate — is never far from Marshall’s mind. He calls that prospect "a monumental disaster." It’s also somewhat of a disaster for the local rock scene, since all-ages shows at suitable, easily accessible venues are all too scare, despite a smattering of events at places such as All Asia Café in Central Square; the Jackson-Mann Community Center and the ICC Church, both in Allston; and the Middle East, with its on-again, off-again afternoon matinees. About five months ago, Jonah Livingston of local hardcore band As Long As We’re All Living We’re All Dying teamed up with the BCCA to try to change that. "I’ve been booking shows around Boston for about a year or so, and those that book shows are always looking for new venues," explained Livingston. "I work across the street, at the Coolidge Corner Theatre, and one day I just walked into the BCCA and asked for information on renting their space. Since day one, they have been nothing but supportive of me and what I’m trying to do." Livingston, who was recently hired to be the part-time events manager for the center, stressed the impact that its fate will have on the local rock scene. "If the BCCA stays open, there will be tons more shows. They are essentially going to pay me to book and manage my shows, as well as run and organize many other types of shows and events." Livingston, whom Marshall called a "lifesaver," organized the December 19 show as part of the fundraising effort. Rochester’s underground math-metal heroes PsyOpus were scheduled to play, but had to cancel at the last minute due to illness. "We put together a set of our metalest songs because we thought we were playing with PsyOpus," lamented Livingston, ALAWALWAD’s singer/guitarist. Local punks Disaster Strikes were late additions to the show, as were local metal favorites Shallow and Flats, who had not played together in 14 months. "I basically cornered them and tried to convince them to reunite for the show," Livingston said. "They thought I was kidding around, but by Sunday morning Josh was making phone calls and rallying the troops. They had band practice Sunday at four o’clock and drove straight from the practice space to the show." Organizers hope that enough people followed suit, and helped contribute to the vital but ever-underfunded arts community. If the money has been raised to save the center, ALAWALWAD will be play their CD release show there on Friday, January 7. Will Spitz can be reached at wspitz[a]phx.com.
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