Best DIY Music Venue
The Trunk Space stands apart from every other music venue in the Valley. First, the DIY spot is purely a nonprofit venture run by volunteers, overseen by a seven-person board, and largely features shows by local indie promoters. It’s also located on the grounds of a historic house of worship (specifically, Grace Lutheran Church) whose staff and clergy are cool enough to let it do its own thing. And at The Trunk Space, that thing is usually a bit unusual. Since debuting in 2004, the venue has fostered the sort of outsider art, experimental performances, noise artistry, and musical oddities that can’t be seen elsewhere. “We enjoy things that are definitely strange and outsider,” says Trunk Space co-founder Steph Carrico. “There are plenty of places to play if you’re a rock band, but not that many places to play if you tape contact mics onto a table and drag it around on a floor.” In addition to all the weirdness, the Trunk Space also hosts gigs by local and touring indie acts on the regular. In an age when DIY venues frequently go defunct, the Trunk Space has survived for 15-plus years. Here’s hoping it sticks around for decades to come.