Thoughts On Dusk’s Impact on Providence’s Music Scene & The Venue’s Future
When a music venue is in business for a long time, it becomes more than just a business or a place with a bar or an establishment with a stage for musicians to perform in. It becomes an institution, a hub for a community, a location where memories are made and for some folks even a second home. We’re fortunate enough in Providence that there are a few venues who’ve had this kind of impact, and Dusk on 301 Harris Avenue is definitely one of them. For over a decade, Rick Sunderland and his crew have catered to a variety of acts within the punk, folk, funk, hip hop and metal styles among others. Their Summer Fest, formerly known as Revival Fest, which took place around the 4th of July was something that people around “The Creative Capital” looked forward to, and the same could be said for the biannual Burlesque n’ Roll and the yearly October Fest as well.
There are a wide range of reasons why it was sad, and still is, when it was announced that the building that houses this fantastic establishment was being sold by the end of January of next year. For me personally, Rick Sunderland always made me feel like I was welcome from literally the first night I stepped into Dusk, which is an experience I’ll never forget. I was writing for another online publication at the time that doesn’t need to be named and I was looking to review a show at the place. A friend introduced me to him via Facebook and when we met in person, we really hit it off, especially after a few Narragansetts. I now consider Sunderland to be a very good friend, which I always viewed as an honor and a privilege. I also consider current and former employees including Danielle Tellier, Dan Baldwin, Dan St. Jacques, Amanda Salemi, Amy Bee Spielman, Aaron Bressler, Sammy D’Ambruoso, Vinnie Bellows and Tom West to be good friends of mine as well and I always looked forward to seeing them when I stopped by.
When I was going through rough times, Dusk was one of the places of refuge for me. I could just put my worries on the back burner and enjoy myself for a bit. These days, my times have gotten exceedingly better and every time I came through Dusk, I was always shown love and appreciation. I also have to mention that the place hosted the best dance night in the city with Soul Power and when MadCap was there on Monday nights, it was a fun experience as well. As you can tell, there’s a lot going through my mind when it comes to Dusk’s future, and I have some substantial concern. The good thing is that Dusk as a business has no plans of ceasing anytime soon, the bad thing is that nobody has any idea if someone who cares about live music and nightlife is going to buy the location on 301 Harris Avenue or if it’s going to be bought by some money-grubbing real estate conglomerate.
The uncertainty is simultaneously disturbing and depressing for obvious reasons. If you’ve ever been to Dusk, then you know exactly why I feel this way. In the meantime, make an effort to check out a show at the venue until they have to close their doors on January 31. I genuinely hope this isn’t the last few weeks of this great establishment. If it is, then all I have to say is thanks for everything and I hope to see the fine folks who work there at some point down the road.
