WADZILLA: MORE THAN JUST A BASEMENT SHOW

You could walk down Wadsworth St. and never know that there is such a place. In the back end of Allston, set against the train tracks, lies an ordinary house. You stroll down the driveway and arrive at a very ordinary basement door. But once that door is opened, you’re instantly ushered into the heart and soul of Boston’s underground music scene, overwhelmed by muraled walls and eager crowds. However, a couple days ago, the best-kept secret in Allston Rock City became a secret no more.

For the past year, Wadzilla Mansion was a safe haven and a beacon of hope for up-and-coming bands, while establishing itself as the premier DIY venue in the city.

Residents Socrates Cruz, Karen Reddy, Justin Marchetti, and Elias Bouquillion run the house like a rock club, booking local and touring acts, sometimes months in advance, and then form grassroots promotional campaigns for every show by making posters featuring Justin’s original artwork, utilizing social networking events, and using probably the most underrated of mediums: good old fashioned word-of-mouth hype.

During their shows, the once dormant home erupts into the swirl of activity that surrounds a fully functioning club. It is never out of place to see Justin sitting up front stamping hands and greeting people, or Socrates working the mixing board and adding a personal touch to the sound of all his beloved bands, or Karen attentively recording and photographing all the performances all while a throng of excited 20-somethings look toward each other with an unspoken, giddy enthusiasm usually reserved for secrets and inside jokes.

As a member of the Boston music scene, I play in a band (Vending Machetes) and I had the privilege of performing at the Wadz a few months ago. We’ve played a handful of shows around Boston in the past year, but the Wadzilla gig was our best turnout and one of the most affecting performances of my life. There is nothing to describe what it feels like to make a hundred sweaty kids smile and dance their asses off in an electrified basement. The performance environment is incredible, but pales in comparison to the accommodating vibe displayed by the people who live there and the camaraderie felt by everyone who attends a Wadzilla show.

What gives the place its magic, though, is not only its down-to-earth atmosphere and self-managed operation, but its ability to straddle the line between venue and house party, and to then elevate the experience to something wholly original. Wadzilla bridges the gap between Boston’s club culture and the underground so well that it’s become its own entity, and their regular weekend shows have quickly turned into sought-out events. However, larger than what the venue offers is what it represents. Wadzilla is one of those rare sites where traditions of the past meet the excitement and possibilities of the future.

It’s the epicenter of an entire scene

A back-to-basics location where art, music, and subcultures intertwine to form a cohesive headquarters and to give much needed lifeblood to a culture that’s been supplanted by the Internet.

Unfortunately, the city has shut Wadzilla down until the residents can provide a proper venue permit and could face possible jail time if they fail to comply. However, Socrates and Co. remain hopeful that they can secure the needed documentation to get it up and running again. In a statement made by the Wadzilla crew in response to the violation, they say:

This is not the end of the novel; it is merely the end of chapter 1. We are excited to see what the next chapter holds and would love for all of you to be there with us.

Nobody can deny the impact that Wadzilla Mansion has had on the music scene. According to Socrates, “We were not operating a business; we were trying to nurture a movement.” It’s that selflessness that often gets skewed by the general public when condemning eyes are set upon a contested situation. The Wadsworth crew’s ability to foster a sense of community is unparalleled and will never be forgotten by those who took part.

I will definitely be there if that storied, wooden door reopens, and if it does, there will be an extended family reunited, and a curious city waiting to get a glimpse at the best venue in town.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ANNA IS ANNA AND DEMOZTHENES