July 30, 2013
Potluck at 7 p.m.
Show at 8 p.m.
115 Division Avenue South
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
The DAAC at 115 S. Division Avenue /Ryan Collins
The Wealthy Orphans perform at the DAAC in 2012 /Eric Tank
Exile or Death at the DAAC for Michigan Meltdown 10 /John Cates
On July 23, the DAAC made a statement on their website discussing the immediate closing of its venue and community space. The collective has been told to vacate by July 31.
“I think there’s a trend in the country that the inner core cities are growing again and as that happens…the places that the artists…have had their control of, they’re being forced out by the business developers,” says Herm Baker owner of Vertigo Music and long time supporter of the DAAC. “That’s just the way it is, unfortunately.”
An offer to buy the space was made at the beginning of this month. Subsequently, the purchaser, Bob Dykstra, and the owner, Jessie Beveridge, negotiated via attorneys until the middle of the month, when a deal was finally reached, says Mike Wolf, one of the coordinators for the DAAC.
“There was a lot of miscommunication between our landlord and our group,” Wolf says. “I guess, technically, we could fight to stay [for] 30 days from the closing of the deal, but that would cost our landlord thousands more in legal fees. So to save that hassle we're just going to leave on the 31st of this month.”
The DAAC is the longest running all-ages music venue in Grand Rapids and hosts art exhibits. It has been a staple in the Grand Rapids art and music community for nearly 10 years.
“With every venue in town being a bar it makes it hard for kids to access local art and music,” says Wolf. “The DAAC was the place for kids who feel shut out of mainstream culture to be a part of something positive and productive, and meet new friends.”
The collective will remain intact over the next few months and begin working toward obtaining a new space.
“We're going to have to take a break for a month or two or three, put our heads together and decide what we want out of a new space. In the words of Dr. Leo Marvin ‘baby steps,’” explains Wolf.
The DAAC will also be hosting one final show on July 30 at 8 p.m., preceded by a potluck at 7 p.m. The majority of the proceeds will go towards helping the DAAC find a new space over the coming months. The lineup includes:
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