We’ve seen far too many all-ages venues go kaput in the past year. The Underground. Ofelia’s. Too many public halls have said no to punk shows. Too many restrictions on noise by different communities have made it hard to keep a scene alive, regardless of genre. I hear the same complaints over and over, as I talk to bands from all over the state.
But one place remains a haven for rock ’n’ roll; loud noises and excited kids be damned. Sure, you’ve got to drive out of town and try not to slip on the ice, but once you’re there, you’re home. The Kave in Bucksport, now in its eighth year of operation, may not have shows every weekend — but when they do, man, do you hear it.
Mike King, resident sound guy for The Kave and guitarist for the band Interrogator — visit at www.myspace.com/interrogatortheband — has been involved with the all-ages venue for years now. His old band, Let ’Em Loose, grew out of the place, as has his current band, which is set to play a big show there this Saturday with See You Next Tuesday, Full Blown Chaos, A Plea For Purging, Grave Valor, A Day to Remember, The Falling Fight, Vail’s Gate, Fight For Blood and This and That Apocalypse.
King remembers coming to The Kave, at first just to hang with his buddies. Kave owner Kathy Findlay, aka the Patron Saint of Hardcore, encouraged Kave-goers to play music with one another, so Let ’Em Loose grew out of the then-fledgling venue.
“Like anyone else, I went where my friends were,” said King. “After a while, I got involved. I tried to help out in any way I could. Lots of [handing out fliers] and physical labor. We built a stage. A lot of the sound equipment that’s in there we kind of put together.”
When Let ’Em Loose fell apart, Findlay brought together King and drummer Tommy Freeman, along with bassist Carter Boyles and vocalist Brent Sheehan, who formed Interrogator. In addition to playing music there, King runs sound and helps out with upkeep on the old building, located on Silver Lake Road just a few miles outside of downtown Bucksport.
King’s band plays traditional New York hardcore, in the vein of Agnostic Front and Sick of It All. But The Kave caters to a lot more than just hardcore and metal — it has hosted punk shows, rockabilly shows and the odd electronic night, as well as renting the space out to local organizations for fundraisers. The Kave has re-mained one of the few constants in an eastern Maine music scene that’s seemingly always on the brink of collapse.
“Places come and go. Something will open, stay open for a few years, and then close for whatever reason,” said King. “I’m proud of the fact that we’ve been around a lot longer than most places. We try to keep everyone happy and keep the kids under control. A lot of venues and halls that people rent will stop letting people have shows as soon as one incident happens, so we really try to keep everyone happy and respectful.”
Along with many others who attend shows at The Kave, King is optimistic about the current state of Maine music.
“I think this year is prime for a big comeback for music. Not just hardcore, either,” said King. “There were so many different places open all at once that it broke up the unity of the scene. I think people are regrouping and feeling a little more like a community. There are younger kids around, who are just getting into it.”
Findlay’s small army of volunteers, musicians and fans are dedicated to keeping The Kave open and active — which is something that’s pretty amazing, whether you’re in Maine or Montana. It’s always kind of comforting to know that sometimes, it really is all about the music.
“It’s a challenge to keep the word out there. We’re so far from the hot spot, since we’re outside of Bangor, that it’s hard to keep people informed about what’s going on,” said King. “We really try to cater to everything. And people like all kinds of music. The bottom line is, people love going to shows.”
The Kave will host a show featuring regional and local bands starting at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, March 7. Admission is $12 in advance, $15 at the door, and the show is chem-free and all-ages. For more information and directions to The Kave, visit www.myspace.com/thekave.
