The closing of the Boiler Room seemed another step in the vicious cycle of the Birmingham music scene; each new club that opened seemed fated to close shortly after due to lack of funds or interest. So, when I heard that a new DIY venue was set to open on Magnolia Avenue just east of 5 Points South in the heart of Southside, I figured it was the next in line to follow the others before it. And yet, to this day, that club has remained open, and the support and interest in it have not waned.
Cave 9: “We’ve Got Too Much Heart”
Located next to Alabama Art Supply, Cave 9 was the work of founders Aaron Hamilton and Angelica Hankins, two seasoned scenesters who were anxious to have a place in Birmingham for all ages to enjoy the local independent music scene as they had in their youth. Employing the DIY example set by Unity 1605 and Big Dan’s Fantastic Planet, Aaron and Angelica were joined by many members of the scene who wanted to help create the new setting for Birmingham’s musicians. These volunteers became a permanent part of Cave 9’s crew, which welcomed everyone who came forward to help. Whether it was picking up trash from the sidewalk and street, sweeping the floors inside after a show, taking money at the door and marking hands, or selling bottled water, anyone could participate at Cave 9. Often, those who helped were rewarded with free or discounted entry to these shows, but many were happy to pay full price anyway just to ensure the club stayed afloat. Their slogan, which comes from a Pine Hill Haints song, is “We’ve Got Too Much Heart”; you can see why when you think about how much people put into this place, and in turn to Birmingham.
Cave 9 has hosted countless legendary acts; to name even half of them would be quite a chore (and would probably break the page, much to Chris’s chagrin). But the venue’s legendary status did not come about because of these big name acts; Cave 9 provided a strong backbone for the local music scene and fostered a true variety of acts that had rarely been seen before. Gone were the days of genre self-segregation (in which punk bands played with other punk bands, hardcore bands with other hardcore bands, etc.), and for the first time, Birmingham’s punk-leaning independent scene welcomed and shared the stage with electronic acts, folk bands, hip-hip, and more.
With the new club came a new crop of local acts; among these were The Haunted Stepdaughters (Dead Milkmen-style comedy punk rock), This Day Will Burn (young Christian metalheads paying tribute to Underoath; one of their guitarists would later join Maylene and the Sons of Disaster with former Underoath frontman Dallas Taylor), The Payoff (Seaweed and Afghan Whigs inspired grunge/punk), Gainer (melodic punk/pop), Fratelli (not to be confused with “The Fratellis”; these guys played melodic emo/post-hardcore), Comrade, Capsized (ex-members of Blue Eyed Boy Mister Death and Molehill), The Cleansing Power of Fire (ex-NBB political punk), Burned Over Time, Fire Next Time (ex-members of Dredge playing Botch-style metal), Vesper (melodic indie rock with male-female harmonies), The Ackleys (a sister act + two indie rockers on Cave 9′s label House of Love Records), 900 Dix (a one-man dance party/joke act), Kudante (Aphex Twin-style IDM; a one-man heavy metal laptop show), The Humans (featuring a member of The Polyphonic Spree!), and my own former band Linear High (electro-shoegaze).
Cave 9’s support for the local scene went beyond just playing host to their shows, though; during the second Furnace Fest at Sloss, Cave 9 opened its doors for locals to play since Furnace Fest was requiring local bands to pay a fee in order to play in their own backyard. Originally called “The Fuck Furnace Fest”, “Awesomefest” managed to pull in more than just locals; bands on tour hoping to catch a glimpse of the huge acts at Furnace Fest hopped on to the bill at Awesomefest, and fans from all across the globe packed out Cave 9 to watch our music scene in action.
Another aspect of Cave 9 that set it apart from other venues before it was its commitment to the culture of independent music. It was in this spirit that Cave 9 hosted film screenings, book trades, arts and crafts classes and shows, potluck lunches, punk rock prom night, and even a flea market. A wedding ceremony was even conducted there, in which Sean and Kay Herman were wed by Joey Mansfield (of 900 Dix fame); an amazing vegan wedding cake was served for all of the guests.
A sad chapter came for the club when the IRS pursued them for back-taxes not paid during a period in which Cave 9 was under the impression they were operating as non-profit. The IRS was appeased when Cave 9 filed the appropriate paperwork to become a 501(c)3 non-profit; however, they were still in hot water with the state of Alabama for state taxes. A payment plan has since been put into place, and Cave 9 is still paying back-taxes to the state to keep its doors open. The venue periodically hosts fundraiser shows which predominantly feature local acts that are willing to forgo door money to help keep Cave 9 going.
Recently, the spate of crimes in the area surrounding the venue’s location has led founder Aaron Hamilton to consider moving Cave 9 to a new location. As of right now, it appears that Greencup Books will host Cave 9 in its upstairs portion, which works to the advantage of Cave 9 as it will have the freedom to put on shows any day of the week (they are currently restricted to weekends-only at the Magnolia Avenue address, since Alabama Art Supply uses the space during the week for workshops). This will be Cave 9’s seventh year of operation, and the choice to move rather than close is truly a relief. I believe that Birmingham’s vicious cycle has been broken, and Cave 9 will continue to live on as long as the scene’s heart allows.
P.S. This entry will be the last offical entry in this series. There are some gaps in memory, as well as some shows and bands that I just never saw. Also, there are some venues that were mentioned in passing (e.g. Barnstormer’s Pizza); others worth noting, if only briefly, include The Bomb Shelter (Southside), Safari Cup (Downtown), Friends Coffee Shop (Montevallo), The Commune (Southside home for house shows/parties/vegan potlucks), Room 213/1213 Rock Shows (Anniston DIY club), and more. While these venues supported locals and contributed to the music scene, it is hard to attribute the same historic presence to these places as the ones I’ve mentioned. I feel like my journey fairly accurately describes the major movements from 1998 to 2005, but then, this was never meant to be an objective history; this is how I saw Birmingham’s independent music scene evolve from the time I was first introduced up to the time that I moved out of state. If I’ve left something important to you out of any of these posts, feel free to comment; looking back has been a great opportunity for me to get back to my roots and rediscover some memories and music, so let’s keep this conversation going.
Tags: 900 dix, ackleys, awesomefest, barnstormer's pizza, big dan's, burned over time, capsized, cave9, cleansing power of fire, comrade, diy, fire next time, fratelli, gainer, greencup books, haunted stepdaughters, house of love records, humans, kudante, linear high, maylene & the sons of disaster, payoff, this day will burn, unity 1605, vesper
At Cave 9, there was a recent stop on a crimethinc tour. An anarchist punk/metal tour. I talked to several members of the band From the Depths about the juxtaposition of my belief in changing the system from the inside, versus their direct action route. I actually registered 10 people to vote at that show, much to my surprise. In short, Cave 9 is great, and I love the diversity and acceptance there.