Kids in the North End take note, there's a new all-ages venue in town! While it's only been around for a few months, and is only able to host shows every Saturday night, the Kaz-Ba has already gained momentum in the community, with the booking calendar filling up fast—upcoming shows feature Boat, Bang Sugar Bang, We Wrote the Book on Connectors, and the Glasses.

Created by the kids of the Jeremiah Center, the Kaz-Ba, is a student-run all-ages club in Edmonds that hosts free shows every Saturday night. "There's nothing to do in Edmonds, and that's where the Jeremiah Center comes from," says Natasha Norton, a volunteer at the Kaz-Ba. The Jeremiah Center, which founded the Kaz-Ba, "is a nonprofit, secular center for local youth." Wanting to start a venue, the kids at the Jeremiah Center decided the best way to do it was to keep things free and/or cheap, and function on only volunteer staff. "The Kaz-Ba is completely funded by donations and fundraisers," Natasha continues. "There is no cover and the drinks and food we sell only cost as much as it does to replace them. We have just started applying for grants, but most of the money comes from donation. A lot of the students involved also do fundraisers."

Now that it's been put in place, the Kaz-Ba's steady growth since first opening in October has proven that the music fans up north were aching for an all-ages venue of their own. "Teenagers are really flocking to the Kaz-Ba because it is one of the only places of its kind around here," says Natasha. "We average somewhere around 150 a night."

Right now, the folks at the Kaz-Ba are excited and satisfied with the results and direction of their new project, but they already have some even bigger plans coming up for the future, including expanding the programming they offer later this summer.

"We want to have the Kaz-Ba be a place where kids can express themselves artistically. We are planning on having a film festival during the summer and trying to display more visual art created by students. My favorite part of the Kaz-Ba is seeing the community that has been built here," Natasha continues. "So many kids go every Saturday, myself included. It really has become a home away from home, almost like a family. That's really the main goal, to create a place where teenagers can come and feel accepted, free of judgment."

You can get more information, including directions, show info, and volunteer opportunities, at www.thekaz-ba.net.