Welcome Home to Skid Row Garage

Welcome Home to Skid Row Garage: A SPACE FOR EVERYONE

Discover the story behind WeCo’s inclusive, community-supported live music venue

BY JJ SHEFFER | DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY PROGRAMS

“All you old punks, all you hardcore kids, all of you who don’t fit in anywhere else –welcome home.” These were the first words spoken into the microphone on opening night at Skid Row Garage, MC Hyser’s new music venue in Downtown York, before his band, Olde Tigers, launched into their hardcore punk set and a circle pit broke out in front of the stage.

“New” is perhaps a misnomer on several levels; Hyser had hosted bands from all over the world for more than 12 years in his band’s practice space – the Clarke Avenue garage behind Hyser’s home on West Market Street, a few blocks west of the “legit” space that opened on May 12 of this year. The building where he now hosts shows was in a state of disrepair after being vacant for more than eight years. But the community Hyser built over the years stepped up when he asked for help, and together they have created a space for all ages to enjoy live punk, metal, hardcore, alternative rock, and folk punk.

“There was nowhere in York for these bands to have a proper amplified sound experience that is also all ages,” Hyser says. “From day one that was important to us, but especially when we were looking for a spot. We were looking for somewhere we could do all ages.”

The spot turned out to be a former restaurant property (Sam & Tony’s) on West Market Street in the WeCo district. It checked all the boxes: cheap, available, and in the right location. When the city initially encouraged Hyser to create a legitimate venue, he set up a GoFundMe campaign that raised nearly $40,000 in less than a month.

After a second crowd-funding campaign and a benefit show hosted at Central Market, contributions from more than 1,000 donors totaled nearly $60,000 and went toward purchasing the building. Then Hyser got to work and invited the community to pitch in, helping with everything from cleaning up to general construction, hanging drywall, painting, and installing new sinks and toilets.

“We had a lot of people volunteering time and sweat for cleaning up,” Hyser says. “Everything is new. We replaced the roof, flooring, plumbing, and HVAC.”

That DIY ethos got the venue up and running in only 15 months. That first show in May, organized immediately upon getting all permits and occupancy approved, sold out in about eight hours with only 24 hours’ notice. In its first three months, Skid Row Garage hosted at least two shows every weekend, each featuring three or four bands.

Rounding out the community buy-in, Timeline Arcade donated Ms. Pac-Man, and Sevil James from Built to Last Tattoo Shop did some of the stencil art on the walls.

The venue features a built-in merch booth opposite the stage, and those who are 21+ can escape to the bar and deck if they wish. Future improvements include running sound from the stage to the bar and patio in the rear of the building and expanding the schedule with weeknight programming. They’ll soon have hand-held fast-service food available during shows, as well, once kitchen updates are complete.

Skid Row Garage has already hosted community events like the recent Banned Books Read-A-Thon organized by several local school board candidates. Hyser is also planning events that will benefit the community, including a trans rights fundraiser and a Halloween show that will support Planned Parenthood of Central PA.

“We want to be a spot where everyone feels welcome,” he says. The most rewarding outcome of the last couple of years has been “hearing people say that the place feels comfortable, like home, like someplace we’ve already been hanging out.”

Skid Row Garage | 243 West Market Street, York, PA 17401

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