Sonoma’s teen music club The Shop celebrates ten years with a rocking event

Live music venues can act as the center of the universe for up-and-coming bands and their satellites of fans. San Francisco has the Fillmore, Los Angeles has Whiskey a Go Go, and New York had CBGBs. Sonoma has The Shop, which presents live music by bands both local and global nearly every Saturday night in a converted warehouse. The Shop was launched into orbit ten years ago and will celebrate this stellar anniversary with a blowout on Saturday, April 25.
What makes The Shop shine brighter than other galaxies of live music venues is that it is run entirely by a constellation of young people and provides a safe place where their peers can socialize and enjoy myriad musical acts. The teenagers book the bands, work the door, manage the stage, run the soundboard, and even sell concessions. A board of directors, of mostly teens with a few adults, oversees The Shop by discussing issues, making all decisions, and guiding the venue on their own terms.
“It all started ten years ago when ten kids wanted a permanent place to play music and Operation Youth board director John Randall, along with other Operation Youth board members helped them put together a request to the Sonoma City Council for a teen events center,” said Sarah Berkeley, who serves on Operation Youth’s board and is its PR person. “Business owner Niels Chew stepped up and offered warehouse space, and a generous below-market lease was chiseled out.”
The kids quickly prepared for blast-off. A permanent stage was built, a DJ booth was constructed, lights and sound equipment were found, and the space’s rough walls and even the floor were painted. In the early days, punk rock reigned supreme and mosh pits became of great concern to the adult board members. However, adult involvement is limited. The Shop’s articles of association dictated adults could not make comments, they could only ask questions.
“The Shop has from six to twelve teen board members who meet every week to decide the programming for The Shop’s shows and work through any problems and maintenance issues,” said John Randall, who has been on Operation Youth’s board since its inception 17 years and now serves as its president. “This provides major training for these young entrepreneurs. Few teen clubs are as active or as independent as these kids are. They give out about 200 hours of service to the teen community.”
Operation Youth began as an outreach of Trinity Episcopal Church, which was interested in providing for the physical and emotional needs of the young people living in the Sonoma Valley. The church joined forces with other places of worship and started doing teen-specific outreach, such as dances and after-school programs. The Shop, like Operation Youth’s other programs, provides a place where teens can take responsibility, gain a sense of community, and connect with both peers and adult role models.
“It’s also a very organic way to form trusting relationships with at-risk or alienated kids who may otherwise fall through the cracks,” said Berkeley, who owns a graphic design and creative services business with her husband. “Operation Youth offers two safe and drug-free spaces for kids – The Shop and The No Name Café at Sonoma Valley High School – places that truly belong to them, but places where Operation Youth staff and volunteers can also make those important daily connections.”
Soon after The Shop opened in 1999, a Sonoma High student was seeking a space in which to create and display art projects. The board was happy to accommodate and carved out some space and called it the Studio at The Shop. The Shop’s walls have also become a gallery of sorts and have been adorned with everything from abstract murals to spray-painted graffiti. The Studio at the Shop was such a hit that Sonoma Valley Unified School District joined Operation Youth’s orbit and a few years later No Name Café was born.
No Name Café is Sonoma Valley High School’s multi-purpose center, including a computer lab with 13 computers and Internet connection, for the students to use before, during, and after school in a café setting. It provides programs that help participants develop employment, social, and creative skills. Student art covers its walls. Students benefit through a connection with community resources and are given the opportunity to participate in what they want to do.
“We recently had a group of at-risk students who wanted to start a video game and chess club, so we helped them put it together,” said Cristin Lawrence, who is Operation Youth’s Programs Director and oversees No Name Café’s student employees and volunteers. “The Café is run by a group of 10 to 12 teen staff members who meet each month to discuss problems, set policy, and make the menu. This gives them tremendous job training skills beyond learning the cash register and cleanliness.”
Operation Youth is a non-profit organization that relies on community support, tax-deductible donations, grants, and volunteers to serve Sonoma Valley’s teenagers. Financial support is provided by a number of local businesses, including Sonoma Valley Bank, Speedway Children’s Charities, and by many local service clubs, including the Kiwanis Club, Native Sons, the Rotary Club, and Soroptomist International of Mendocino-Sonoma Coast, as well as many generous philanthropists and individuals.
The Shop’s Tenth Anniversary Show is billed as “a night for all ages” and the community is urged to “come and meet the teens behind The Shop.” BBQ meals, various snacks, and non-alcoholic beverages will be sold, and six local bands will perform, including Viridian City, Jay Walkers, Pet Sounds, and Volume Dealers. The event happens from 6 to 11 p.m. and the live music begins at 7 p.m. Admission is $10 for those older than 18 and $5 for those younger than 18.
“The Shop’s Tenth Anniversary Show is a great chance for people of all ages to come see what The Shop is all about and enjoy a variety of music by some great bands,” said Jake Stern, who is a sophomore at Sonoma Valley High and has been a member of The Shop’s board for three months. “We’re hoping a few hundred people will show up and support us. We’ll use some of the proceeds to replace the equipment that’s pretty old or has come up missing. We’d also like to advertise out-of-town to get people in from other parts of the Bay Area.
The Shop is located at 21600 Eighth St. E., Sonoma; 707.812.3960.
Send donations to support Operation Youth to P O Box 570, Sonoma 95476.