This new ‘safe, sober,’ all-ages music venue plans to open in Boise. You can donate
The challenge has just begun, but Underdogs already looks like a potential winner.
It could be a game changer for young people in Boise.
Twenty-four hours after launching a GoFundMe campaign, the planned all-ages, alcohol-free music venue had reached over $4,000 of its $10,000 goal.
But don’t just root for Underdogs. They need donations.
A 501(c)(3) non-profit, Underdogs hopes to find a location and open its doors by early 2023, according to a media release. “The primary purpose of the Underdogs venue is to provide a safe, sober location for concerts, educational opportunities, volunteer efforts, and space for other appropriate performing arts,” co-founder Haley Winstead said.
Underdogs has a board of directors. It has an executable plan.
“Underdogs is currently looking for space just outside of the downtown core that can host 200 to 300 people,” Winstead said in a prepared statement. “The GoFundMe is the required first step to take in the initial leasing process. We want to make sure we are able to provide the best space possible in our community for years to come.”
Youth-focused music venues have come and gone in Boise for decades. Some tried to stay afloat by selling beer to the over-21 slice of the audience. Others have been coffee shops.
As long as Idaho kids keep going through adolescence, there will always be a need.
More than a few longtime Boiseans have fond memories of The Venue, a now-defunct all-ages hangout at 5th and Broad streets. Opened in 2003, it became a home away from home for local “scene” kids — bright-eyed, dark-haired teens whose social lives revolved around underground music and punk fashion. It was a special place.
Boise has changed since then. Underdogs won’t be The Venue.
But, to be successful, the project definitely will be a labor of love. And it almost certainly would be a godsend for many Idaho kids.
Want to learn more? Visit underdogsboise.com. Or watch for updates on social media: @UnderdogsBoise.