photo by echo park now

The Echo Curio's booker/manager Grant Capes gave us a few words regarding the closure of the boutique and the curio's new show in Eagle Rock - The Remain Curious monthly show.

Smashed Chair: This monthly show at the Eagle Rock Arts Center sounds great – Does this mean that you’re sort of a kingdom without a home right now? The Curio still lives?

Grant Capes: We would prefer to not be in this situation.. .I think part of the Echo Curio's charm was it's location and interesting relationship with the neighborhood.. That being said, we have friends and supporters
that we would like to see entertained, and also given a top notch venue to play their awesome music... so when Eagle Rock offered, it seemed like a great limited time relationship.

SC: What did you learn from booking shows at the Echo Curio? Is it still just you doing the booking?

Grant: Still me booking, I learned that artists and musicians know more about all of this than I do... I may have an idea of what I want to see at a show, but communication with the participants will draw out
an even more intense and interesting performance line-up, in my opinion.  I have learned to not deal with certain people due to drama but that just comes with the territory.

SC: What about Eagle Rock drew your attention?

Grant: I like the space. Our friends had a wedding there. I think it can be used really well and still be a viable all ages and basically free event.

SC: What was the first show you went too? Was it an all ages event?

Grant: My first show was Men at Work when I was 13 - My mom took me... it was pretty rad. It was a big show at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Maryland. First independent show was Jawbox and Holy Rollers at some space in Baltimore, many years later.

SC: Could you go over how the last venue closed down and what led to the close?

Grant: Echo Curio closed due to some evidently long-standing conflicts with the neighborhood that were never really brought to our attention until the cops started showing up… the first issue was our BYOB policy regarding alcohol. We didn't ever want to be a bar, so we just made everyone responsible for themselves… which is unfortunately not legal… We went to court, cleaned up our act, and the charges were dropped... Next up was our lack of an entertainment license.. When we went to get it, we found the building was not zoned correctly and did not have prior use as a food space, which is a stipulation of the entertainment law (a much needed update could correct this assumption that only bars and restaurants have music performances - what about book stores, record stores, and art galleries?)  So we made the decision to end our over 3-year run and call it quits in that space.

SC: I’m not trying to be a wet blanket, but I was at a show at the Eagle Rock Arts Center and the management killed the power due to curfew restrictions – have you been told anything like this?

Grant: We are aware of curfew and are scheduling to stay on time... It is a necessary evil and we don't want to force anybody to make questionable moves in response to us... We have been really open with The Eagle Rock Center for the Arts and they have responded thusly.

SC: Is a new art space in the near future?

Grant: Time will tell... It would require more support from our friends, and another considerable investment of our time... but I am running out of other things to do with my time!

 

words by nathan solis/photo via echo park now