local club brings the music back to Somersworth

Rochester-based metal band Window Pain will play to a hometown crowd Saturday night when they hit the stage with Hour Past and Recognizer at Station 319 in Somersworth.

“Local band plays local club” doesn’t sound like much of a story? It is when you realize the stagelights have been very dim in the eastern reaches of New Hampshire for quite a while. Station 319’s new owner Boyd Watkins hopes to change that, bringing original live music back to downtown to create a cultural foothold in the community, something akin to the refurbished Stone Church in Newmarket.

Station 319 isn’t the most likely of music club scenes. The railroad-themed, exposed-brick pub is located a stone’s throw from the Maine border (literally), tucked in next to an auto body shop and below a pizza joint. But so far it’s been providing a pretty heavy mix of metal and alternative. Watkins, sole owner of the pub, relies on booking agent Dave Roberge of Transit Media to handle getting the bands, but does have input. “I like every kind of music,” Watkins says, “and we focus on local New Hampshire rock of all kinds. We’ve got some great blues coming in later this year.”

Window Pain vocalist Shawn Fletcher says two members of the band, Jared Streeter (Bass) and John Luther (guitar/vocals), used to be in a band called Lead Pill that was “almost a house band at the old club,” so this is a homecoming of sorts. Together with drummer Scott Murphy, Window Pain has a released a self-titled four-song demo and played the southern New Hampshire circuit for a few years. On Oct. 22, Fletcher promises the three bands will be “talented, original, energetic, fun and heavy.” Recognizer, another group of local guys, is known for having Roadkill of WHEB’s Morning Buzz show playing drums, while Hour Past is almost local, hailing from the southern edge of Maine.

The lineup booked into January includes The Screen, Adria, Preciphist, The Soupbone Throne and the Joe Mazzari Band.  But drawing a crowd to see local bands—heavy, bluesy or anywhere in between—is not always an easy feat. As much as the club gains in promotion and “buzz” by offering live music, they rely on the bands to bring in warm bodies to pay the cover charge and buy drinks and food.

“Bands need to understand,” Fletcher says, “that to a bar owner in this area it’s about ‘How many drinks is your band going to sell for me,’ not ‘How good is your band.’ Know this, and be shameless about the self promotion.” Fletcher and his bandmates  market and promote themselves on MySpace (www.myspace-.com/windowpain), in clubs, at other band’s shows, on the street, anywhere.

“Tell all your friends about your shows and expect them to come. Let them know you’re upset if they don’t come. If your music is the most important thing to you, your friends should support that. If they don’t care about what is most important to you, chances are they don’t really care about you either. Our music is our life. If we didn’t have people who come see us, we would have nowhere to play,” Fletcher says.

And so the dance goes, each side—club and band—trying to keep their end of the bargain for the betterment of both. When the dance works, with packed clubs showcasing recognized bands and smiles all around, it looks easy. Almost effortless. And when the dance stumbles, well, usually there is just a darkened hall and a real estate sign in the window, as the past owners of Station 319 found out.

“When we first opened, it was more of a restaurant,” Watkins says, “but I’m moving it more in the pub direction. We’re probably going to do live comedy, dart and Madden video game tournaments, lots of stuff.” Opening his own pub has been a natural progression and the culmination of a life’s plan for Watkins, who began bartending in Austin, Texas, when he was in college and made his way up the ladder to opening his own place. “But I know it isn’t easy, it takes time. Any new business takes time.” With bands drawing fans and friends and some curious students  from the University of New Hampshire, Watkins sees the business building every month.

“A couple weekends ago we played the Dover Brickhouse,” Fletcher says, “and there were times that they couldn’t let anyone else in because of fire codes. Too many people is never a bad thing.” And no doubt Watkins and his staff want to see the same in Somersworth.

Station 319
2 Main St., Somersworth
603- 692-6060
www.myspace.com/station319
Live music every Saturday night from 9 p.m. to close, $5 cover.

Oct. 22 at 8pm: Window Pain, Hour Past and Recognizer
Oct. 29: Dreamline and Preciphist
Nov 5: Jupiter 2 and Hot Rod Fury
Nov 12:  Adria and The Screen
Nov 19: The Soupbone Throne and Zuni Fetish Experiment
Dec 3: The Fiends
Dec 17: Dreamline and Exit 7
Jan 7: The Joe Mazzari Band