Space 101

It started as a dream. Five men, from as close as Bloomington and as far as Louisville, each of them skate shop owners. Their vision was to give artists a performance outlet and to give skateboarders a place to enjoy themselves.\nSpace 101 is one such venue that supports the indie music scene. Located atop the Blimpie's downtown, its faded green door is an entrance to a little-known world of entertainment. Along with Space 101's musical events, the venue functions as an art gallery and a dance studio. Bands also practice there, and IU students have done art installations there.\nLast weekend, Space hosted Swarm, which included various types of music such as progressive house, techno and jungle and for the show was transformed from a studio to a stage, featuring musicians Neal Blue, Mystik and Pollen.\nBordering the enormous wooden floor are old, comfortable couches and chairs. Several audience members sunk into the cushions while listening to the powerful pulse of the music, eyes transfixed to the giant screen that hung on the far back wall and flashed computer-generated images.\nAt midnight -- early in the evening for Swarm, as musicians played until 5 a.m. -- other audience members congregated in small groups, each taking turns dancing, legs and arms twisting to the steady beat, bodies illuminated by the flash of a strobe light. Atop a large skate ramp a woman stood at a computer, controlling the images on the screen. Beneath her, a single man controlled the music that brought everyone together. \n"It's a 'whatever' space," says Rick Olsen, the owner of Tru Skate Shop and one of Space 101's partners. "There is no limit on music. We have punk and hardcore to experimental jazz to electronic music. We're open to anything."\nDave Herr, another Space 101 partner, agrees. "We've even had a couple raves," he says.\n"We're pretty much jacks of all trades," says Dave Britts, who owns a record store next to Tru Skate Shop and does the booking for Space 101.\nSpace 101 has only been open since June. Olsen says it took a long time for all of them to get the lease. The five partners split the cost of rent and utilities and use money from the shows to help fund it.\nTurnout is usually about 75 to 100 people for each show, Herr says. There are between three and 10 shows per month.\n"This month there's less quantity, but the shows will draw more people than shows usually do," Britts says.\nOlsen says underground venues are successful for artists that are lesser known, especially in Bloomington. \n"As far as a regular venue, it's a good place to have for kids who can't get into the bars to see shows," Olsen says.\nOlsen also feels that the venue is good for bands to form networks with each other. \n"We'd have a show at the old shop where a big city band would start to network with smaller bands," Olsen adds. "(We) try to get people to meet each other which will get them in somewhere else."\nOriginally, Tru Skate Shop was on Kirkwood Avenue. Herr says they held music shows in that location. But when Tru Skate Shop moved to Sixth Street, across from Space 101, less limitations were placed upon the shop.\n"It's a lot easier to do the shows (at Space 101) because we don't have to tear apart the shop to do it," Herr says.\nTo book shows, people can call either Britts or Olsen, because the owners don't want mass advertising. They typically send out fliers or use the Indiana Shows list to announce upcoming shows. Last weekend's Swarm was their biggest event yet -- the show was an "electronic music event," according to the 5,000 fliers printed. \nBritts and Olsen then get together and discuss how they think the show will go and the resources they have. They also work with that show's promoters.\nSpace 101 is an all-ages venue. The cover charge varies per show because the partners want to make at least $50 for each event.\n"So far it's not (self-sufficient), but we're working on it," Olsen says.\nBritts says the goal of Space 101 is to get people out who would otherwise be sitting at home on a weekend.\n"There are tons of things to do -- people just don't know about them," Britts says.\nAbove all, Olsen enjoys what Space 101 offers. For him, the most rewarding aspect of managing a place like Space is the gratitude he feels knowing he has provided underground bands with an opportunity to reach an audience.\n"There is a real sense of pride in it," Olsen says. "We're able to give people a place to have an awesome time"