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Josh Gaba, the lead singer of the New York City-based band One Way Out, performed at Redgate on Saturday. He was welcomed by a huge, red Japanese Torii gate outside of the Syracuse house show venue.

“I feel like anything is acceptable there,” Gaba said. “So many different types of groups go in and out of there. Everyone there is going to enjoy everything because there’s that energy of positivity and acceptance.”

In fall 2022, five Syracuse University students started Redgate, a live venue that aims to bring together music lovers and bands alike. Over the past months, its organizers have tried to highlight local groups but also bring exposure to musicians from outside the Syracuse community. For co-founder Dylan Fox, the group’s main goal has always been to make sure attendees have a great time.

“It all circles back to if everyone’s having a good time, then we’re doing it right,” Fox said. “If the artists are having a good time performing, we’re doing it right.”

Baked Alaska played its first house show venue as a band at Redgate on Saturday. Lead singer Joe Sdao is transferring schools next semester, so the group and its friends made the most out of the night.

Fox said the group started to give bands like Baked Alaska a chance to perform and gain exposure. All the founders have been friends since freshman year, Fox said, and were inspired by other house venues like The Harrington to start their own.

The red Torii gate stands in the house’s front lawn. Jared Rowland, another co-founder, said the gate, which the founders’ landlord installed as a homage to his Japanese wife, is the namesake for the venue.

Each founder has been able to find passion in other aspects of the business, Fox said. Henry Brennen, who used his interest in film to make promotional videos for the venue, said his involvement has given him a larger appreciation for what goes into the production of music festivals and events.

Redgate acts as a space for the co-founders to explore their professional and musical interests, but to also indulge in memorable banter. “It was a business for us, but it also became a source of so many good conversations where we would just get around the table and just talk,” Jesse Herman, co-founder of Redgate, said. Cassandra Roshu | Asst. Photo Editor

In spring 2022, three of the co-founders — Fox, Rowland and Jesse Herman — hosted Southdaze, a music festival featuring student bands, clothing swaps and food. A year later, the group is planning its first official festival — Walnut Palooza. The festival will fundraise for the Children’s Miracle Network, Fox said, and will host local musicians and the indie rock band Laundry Day.

Rowland, who’s majoring in television, radio and film, said the venue has piqued his interest in the music business, something that was not previously on his radar.

“The live music and being a part of the scene, playing in bands, has really opened my eyes to a whole new world,” Rowland said. “It’s opened my eyes to writing about music, doing performance reviews and working with artists in a studio.”

For Fox, music has always been a part of his household. He credits his music interest to his father, who played in college bands and eventually had a one-man acoustic act.

“This was really the first time that I’ve ever done this by myself in a way,” Fox said. “I’ve always done musical stuff and this is the first time I’ve ever really been in a business role in music.”

The group has valued the connections and friendships it’s been able to make with its regular attendees, bands and other venues, Herman said.

“We all go to each other’s shows and we support each other. It’s just one big community that wants to see the next person succeed,” Fox said.

Every venue hosts shows because of its passion and love for music, Brennen said. Different venues will lend each other equipment and are ultimately all interested in making sure that each venue strives for as long as they can, he said.

Some of the group’s most memorable moments come from interactions with eccentric attendees, Rowland said. One night, he met an attendee who wore a Pikachu hat, a Cheeto shirt and a Spongebob backpack, held a hand bongo drum and brought his own collapsible chair.

“I see him with his hat on and he just makes eye contact with me, smiles and whips out this collapsible seat and sets it down and then just takes a seat,” Brennen said. “And I’m like, this is the best patron I have ever had. He was a frequent visitor. He didn’t do the seat every time but that was still just amazing. I’m so lucky to serve him.”

One night, Rowland said multiple musicians started playing “So What” by John Coltrane. An attendee came up to the sound booth in tears and said it was his favorite song.

“That’s some of my favorite parts about Redgate — the small conversations and small friendships that you have every week,” Rowland said.

Rowland said the group’s ability to bring in artists from outside the Syracuse area is a source of pride. He said bringing artists like One Way Out introduces a variety of new sounds to the community.

“We got there and they took really good care of us as the artists. We’ve played at a lot of venues where that is not the case at all,” Gaba said.

At the professional venues that One Way Out plays in New York City, the band feels like it has to do things in a structured and rigid way, Gaba said. At Redgate, he experienced a positive and welcoming energy.

“It felt like when we were there, people wanted to hear us for who we are, which was a really cool feeling,” Gaba said.

Next year, Redgate will try and host even more shows, Rowland said. The group feels lucky its goals and passions have manifested themselves, Herman said.

“As a musician, those are the kind of people you want to work with,” Gaba said. “They take it seriously, but they also know that the goal is to have fun and they’re always just very selfless people who want to make the show good, so that everyone has a good time.”

Published on April 13, 2023 at 12:38 am