From the Basement to the Hall

Erin Phillips

Local long-standing all-ages venue Basement Transmissions has new owners and a new name. Bob Jensen has passed the torch to former bandmate Jason Lavery and his wife Nicole, both close friends. The spot will be renamed Centennial Hall.

Over the years there have been venues that have created a haven for artists and musicians to share their talents with others; whether it's been the Continental Ballroom, the Beer Mug, or Forward Hall, there has always been a place for the Erie outsiders. The latest venue to shut its doors is Basement Transmissions, which started as a physical venue along State Street in 2011, eventually moving to the old Roadhouse Theatre only a few years later. Basement Transmissions hosted many regional and national acts over the years and gave artists a place to hone their crafts with practice spaces and the weekly BT Art Club. However, as the old adage goes, when one door closes, another opens – and with the sale of Basement Transmissions comes the birth of Centennial Hall.

The club was purchased by neighbors and local entrepreneurs Jason and Nikki Lavery (40 Under 40 classes of 2013 and 2016, respectively), who own Lavery Brewing Company. Bob Jensen (40 Under 40 Class of 2014), owner of Basement Transmissions (BT) said, "I've had a blast helping so many people get their start in music and art. I've made a ton of friends and I'm so happy to pass the torch to the Laverys. This was a great deal for us all and I'm very, very excited to see what they are going to do with the space."

Jensen and Jason Lavery have a long history together, as they were both members of the local band Pegasus Unicorn and signed to the early 2000s indie collective label Basement Transmissions, which also featured acts like Black Rose Diary, Telefonics, and The Trashed. Jason may have hung up his bass to focus on opening the brewery in 2009, but Basement Transmissions never really left him. He has a BT tattoo on his arm and has been their neighbor for as long as the venue has been there.

Regarding the transition, Nikki Lavery said, "Jason was a part of BT before it was even a place. We have seen it grow from the beginning, and now we are a part of it again." Jason hopes to keep the mission of BT alive: "Everybody needs a third place – you go home, you go to work, and go to your third place. Being in the brewing community, I know that breweries tend to be third places for people. So I think this was the third place for the local art community. They could come here and hang out and do art club or go to a show, or be part of a band in the basement. So I think it means a lot to a lot of people. And we hope that we don't disappoint anybody."

The Laverys are no stranger to hosting live events. Outside of their annual St. Patrick's Day performances from The Mulligans, they have dubbed the building behind their brewery as The Bunker, hosting local and national bands in the raw space. Jason told us how they were in the process of seeing what it would take to convert the Bunker into a venue when Basement Transmissions went up for sale: "We were about to pull loans to renovate the Bunker and turn it into an events space and music hall. The price tag was escalating because there was no water, no sewer, and we would have to build everything from scratch." But with serendipitous timing, BT went on the market as a much more feasible option. Beyond practicality, Jason was also compelled by principle: "There is an obligation to keep [it]. When there is a building two doors down in our neighborhood that was a live music venue, rather than see someone buy it and turn it into an office building, or worse tear it down and turn it into a parking lot, you do everything you can to keep this going and put our spin on it and make sure the community still has this great resource." The spin that Lavery is referring to is a name change – Centennial Hall – and some much needed renovations to the building.

Owners of Lavery Brewing Company Nicole and Jason Lavery have plans to hold onto the spirit and purpose of the former Basement Transmissions while renovating the building and expanding the venue's offerings. (Photo: Jessica Hunter)

The name Centennial Hall is meaningful to the Lavery's because the Centennial hop is the main hop used in their Dulachan beer, their flagship brew. The usage of the word hall is in homage to Forward Hall, which was a huge part of the Laverys' lives.

With a considerable amount of renovations needed, Centennial Hall will remain open through the beginning of fall when the updates are scheduled to start taking place, still honoring shows that were already booked at Basement Transmissions, with a few more in the works.

Some noticeable early changes will be new lighting, curtains, and reupholstered seating. Nikki also expressed a need to replace the ceiling and bring the room back to its traditional form. "The original ceiling is an arched ceiling, from when the building was a church, so I would really love to keep that look of open ceiling, for historical and acoustical purposes." Along with aesthetics, they plan on updating the stage with multiple curtains for theater use and a drop-down screen for showing films.

Once renovations are complete, Erie will have an up-to-date, multi-functional space similar in size to the Grog Shop in nearby Cleveland, a place where creativity can thrive. "I am hoping that it can be really eclectic. I want new local bands, comedy shows, film and dinner shows, actors looking for a theater space, as well as weddings and receptions, and business meetings. A community space where everyone feels welcome, not one particular community over another," states Nikki.

While they have contacted every local promotion company and even some from neighboring cities, there is an understanding that it's going to take time for everything to fall into place. "It's going to take years to build trust; nothing is going to happen overnight. Once bands come here and see what a great venue and bar there is, we can start bringing in bigger name bands and have [more] affordable ticket pricing," explains Jason (alcohol sales help offset the admission costs needed to make a show profitable).

The venue plans on having food available and being stocked with your favorite Lavery brews, local wine, spirits, beer, non-alcoholic beer, sodas, and water. Centennial Hall will feel right at home behind Lavery's Brewing Company and The Bunker (where they can also still host shows, as needed), but there's still a lot of work ahead until the vision becomes clear.

Larry Wheaton was a member of the Basement Transmissions community, playing trombone with the Telefonics. He is also an avid fan of Lavery Brewing Company. His favorite beer is the Ulster Breakfast Stout (or the Devil Bird if it's in season). He can be reached at wheaton1138@gmail.com.