By Isabelle Keovongxay | November 13, 2023
Beneath the surface of mainstream music, a haven exists for local artists to gain exposure. That haven happens to be underground DIY concerts. Basement shows, as they are commonly called, serve as the heart of the local music scene in Albany.
The E-Block performing at Greenhouse’s Halloween Show
Photo Credit: Isabelle Keovongxay / The ASP
The Greenhouse is organized by Anthony and his partner Kylie, who recently got into the music scene not too long ago. In three months, the venue has become a prominent presence of the underground Albany music scene.
“It is a safe space for everyone that comes in. Our basement is so big that if you don’t feel comfortable being crowded, you can just step in the back,” Anthony said. “That’s a great option that a lot of basement venues and house shows don’t really have. We really care about being inclusive to everyone because we love music and we want other people to love music.”
Basement shows served as a break from the party life in Albany. As a result, Anthony and Kylie stepped away from Greek life after they were introduced to DIY shows. Anthony said, “Ari, the person who runs Laundromat, [was] in a fraternity and he ran the basement [venue] – The Laundromat – through the frat house… [For] a couple weeks we would go. It just looked like a cool scene.”
Artist Penny Sierra performing at Greenhouse’s Halloween Show
Photo Credit: Isabelle Keovongxay / The ASP
The idea of starting a basement venue entered their minds last year. Still very new to the scene, Anthony and Kylie looked to Laundromat organizer, Ari, for help.
“Me and my partner Kylie both started the Greenhouse,” Anthony said. “It was more of an idea before we even moved into the place… Ari, [took] the initiative to make the whole bill and I spent two weeks cleaning out the basement, making it all work. Kylie’s first weeks were all on social media. All of that stuff promoting [the shows].”
The Greenhouse has become a place of collaboration as other local venues like The Byrdhouse and Ceasar’s Palace have done in the past. Both Caesar’s Palace and Byrdhouse are currently defunct but the organizers, Zeke and Rachel, still remain present in the underground music scene. Along with Ari’s help, Anthony and Kylie also rely on more experienced veterans in the field.
“We don’t know a lot of musicians in the area so we rely on Zeke and Rachel – Zeke runs CZR Entertainment and Rachel runs Byrdhouse – mostly those two people to get bands for us. We basically just host the bands,” Anthony said.
According to Anthony, the toughest part about a show is making the artwork, promotion and keeping up with social media. The promotional work is shared between Anthony and Kylie – with Kylie creating the hand-drawn posters and Anthony creating the digital posters for each show.
Their hard work has not gone to waste. With each show announcement, their popularity on Instagram increased as well as the real life excitement for the venue. Even before their first show, they had 100 followers.
The E-Block performing at Greenhouse
Photo Credit: Isabelle Keovongxay / The ASP
Anthony said, “Oct. 27, that was probably our biggest day of growth on the Instagram because we had E-Block, which is a very good band.”
They amassed a large following on Instagram – gaining more than 500 followers in three months and over 3,000 views on an Instagram reel. With promotion and organizing shows, the Greenhouse helps local bands as much as they can.
“It gives them an opportunity to play whatever they want with a good audience,” Anthony said. “It’s an easy way to get out their music. Like for Vanna, their first released song was Nov. 1 and their first debut show was at the Greenhouse… All proceeds go to artists. We are very adamant about not taking door money.”
For Anthony, running a basement venue has become a passion project for him and Kylie. It becomes a household initiative for every show – with a good amount of people taking part in it.
“It’s so rewarding. When we do things together it just makes me happy and just really fulfilling… To see it all come together like finding people to do door, figuring out how to do sound – when sometimes we don’t know what they’re working with – having DJs come in between sets was completely spontaneous but it was very rewarding,” Anthony said.
Anthony is already pumped for next year’s set of shows. The Greenhouse will continue to run until the end of Spring 2024.