Lexington, KY - Lexington's most innovative new music venue didn't invest in an expensive sound system. There's no sound guy, no fancy lights or curtains, and certainly no cocktail waitresses.
In fact, it doesn't have cocktails at all, let alone what most would probably consider a "stage."
What C.P.R. (short for Cultural Preservation Resources) does offer is a locale for a variety of local and lesser-known touring bands that might not otherwise have a place to play in Lexington. While trumping many tenets of the notion of "the music business as a for-profit venture," it also provides Lexington with an extremely diverse lineup of music you've likely never heard - - not to mention a variety of used records and locally-made clothes, art, jewelry, stuffed animals and other odds and ins, all for sale on consignment.
C.P.R. owner and 15-year Lexington resident Darin King's involvement with promoting and hosting what he calls "DIY shows" - for bands that 'do it themselves,' without labels or managers - came in response to what he has long considered a void in places for bands to play in Lexington.
"The places that are existing are places that center around alcohol, and nothing gets going until 11 or midnight," King said in an interview at his Oldham Court residence, which functioned as a DIY music venue in its own right as "The Shrieking Shack," sometimes hosting three or four shows a week until C.P.R. opened in October. "Having kids it makes it especially hard to make it out to any kind of show," he added.
C.P.R., located directly behind Al's Bar on the corner of Sixth and North Limestone, tackles all of the above issues. No alcohol is sold at the venue; shows are all-ages, kid-friendly (though often loud) and generally get started around 7 p.m. Bands know that there is no guarantee - they get a majority of the revenue brought in at the door, but that may not be a lot. Most of them are familiar with these aspects of the DIY circuit, however, and are happy just to add another stop on their tour, or play to a crowd that otherwise might not ever have heard of them.
"[The DIY circuit] is definitely something that's going on all over the place," King said. "There's a movement across the country, and a lot of the bands have been in this movement and they know all about it. They're appreciative and supportive of having a place to play like C.P.R."
King, who hosts the eclectic weekly radio show "Killing the Week" (WRFL, 88.1FM, Sundays 10 p.m. - midnight), has no particular preference for genre: "We've had everything from straight-up folk, to folk-punk, to bluegrass, to psychedelic noise, metal, harsh noise, melodic hardcore ... and some crazy performance art that you couldn't even really call music."
As a booking agent, King's job is fairly easy; he established a lot of contacts while booking and promoting bands for The Shrieking Shack - albeit through online social media networks that he calls "necessary evils." However conflicting your views are about using mainstream, corporately-owned MySpace or Facebook to promote independent, DIY music, their efficiency and value as networking resources cannot be ignored.
"Within a month or two of setting up a MySpace page for [the Shrieking Shack], it just took off," King said. "We had hundreds of bands messaging us."
Utilizing resources is a major aspect of C.P.R.'s theme, after all. To embrace the concept of "cultural preservation resources" is to consider local art, music and homemade goods - all products that C.P.R. offers - as valuable cultural resources.
King will tell you that while everyone is welcome at C.P.R., it might not be for everyone - the space is small; chairs are sparse and tend to fill up quickly. He had a group one night that came for a show that was quite crowded after a plug that appeared in the Herald-Leader's Weekender edition. This particular group was so flustered by the lack of seating and amenities that they demanded their money back ("I gave it to them," he said, shrugging).
Consider that a disclaimer. In spite of, if not because of, its differences from your run-of-the-mill venue, C.P.R. is among the most valuable resources that Lexington's all-ages, independent music scene has seen in years - perhaps ever.
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/cultpres.