I first met Alina Misra in March of 2005. She and friend Megan Wurster were making waves in the all-ages scene by booking shows, writing a zine, basically planning to take over the world via all-ages indie-rock shows. They operated under the name Skinny Productions. Alina giggled a lot—her enthusiasm was undeniable as she raved about various local bands. It was clear she wasn't going to pull the plug on her ventures anytime soon. Skinny Productions (which is now just Alina, since Megan left the project in 2005), is celebrating its two-year anniversary this weekend (Dec 2) with a stellar show at the Paradox that features new Barsuk stars Menomena, plus 31 Knots and Evangelicals.
The show is one of the last at the Paradox for a while. Back in October, Mars Hill Church, which owns the venue but allowed it to be booked and run by secular volunteers, decided to reclaim control of the venue to bring it "closer to the church." The current managers, Alicia Blake and Liz Martin, have since announced their departure from the venue. Their last show at the Paradox will be December 16, and it'll be quite the event, with Speaker Speaker, BOAT, Shorthand for Epic, Patience Please, and Ghosts & Liars (featuring members of Some by Sea) all on the bill. Tickets are already on sale for $6 (it'll cost you $8 to buy them at the door)—visit www.theparadox.org to get 'em.
And while the future of the Paradox sans Blake and Martin has been in question since the shakeup, it appears that now, with Blake and Martin's last show, might also come the end of the Paradox completely. According to a MySpace bulletin posted over the weekend via the venue's account, the Paradox is in danger of being shut down.
"Mars Hill Church is deciding whether to keep the venue running after the programming staff leaves in December," writes Rebecca Selle, the volunteer coordinator at the venue. "One of the main reasons they are considering closing it down is that they feel like there are plenty of all-ages clubs now and that people do not care very much about volunteering or coming to shows at the Paradox anymore with so many other options."
Due to its ties to Mars Hill, the venue is still in the midst of controversy (there's a protest planned for later this week. See page 13 for details). Many are questioning whether or not they'll continue to support the Paradox once it falls completely into the hands of the controversial church, but Selle is still interested in keeping the venue active despite the new leadership.
"It is important to try and keep the Paradox going so that the Paradox can continue to offer great live music experiences to everyone," she writes.
The bulletin went out Sunday night. I couldn't reach anyone at Mars Hill for a comment before the paper went to press Monday night, but be sure to check The Stranger's music blog, Line Out (www.thestranger.com/lineout), for updates. I'll follow up and post more information as it comes in.
