An Open Letter to Our 6th Ward Neighborhood

Greetings Lower-Deck neighbors!

Over the past year, you may have noticed an increase in activity coming from the once-abandoned storefront at 148 River Street. This activity comes from The Redemption Movement, a nondenominational Christian church, being up and running. In addition to our weekly church gatherings on Fridays, we make the building available throughout the week as a community center for groups and artists that would like to use it. Last summer, it was our pleasure to host a Narcotics Anonymous group and we are open to using the space to bless even more groups. There was a time when the little green building was the hub of the neighborhood; we would like to see this be the case once again.

One group in particular that has accepted our offer is local and regional rock bands. We are thrilled to be able to provide a place where artists and fans can enjoy the music they love without being charged money to use the space--all the other venues in town charge money for space rental*, making it impossible for artists to profit from small shows. We acknowledge that some of the music we’ve hosted has been rather loud, and the crowds may even look suspicious. I’m writing to you today to inform you what’s going on with the music, as well as to make myself available for any questions or concerns.

Addressing the Noise 

I want to assure you that we are doing everything we can do to minimize the noise level, and we are making improvements as we go. One precaution that we have taken is to cover the front windows with extra-thick sheet rock and foam mattresses for each show. We have also installed an additional layer of sheetrock and sound-dampening insulation on the ceiling and walls during the remodeling process, and we’ve established a 9PM curfew for amplified music. Additionally, we make available free ear plugs for concert attendees.

For our upcoming shows we are trying something new. We will be covering the exterior doors with thick moving blankets and we will enforce a new rule of keeping the South and West doors shut during the playing of music. The only door we will use during the playing of live music will be the back door that does not directly face a residence. If these new noise-proofing measures still do not dampen the sound enough, then we have additional sound-proofing measures that we can try.

Addressing the Crowds 

The fans of the music may look rough with their tattoos and piercings, but I assure you that they are some of the nicest, most appreciative, and even respectful people that you will meet. The shows we host are open to all age groups. There is no alcohol, no drugs, and no fighting. In fact, even the musicians make it a point to not swear during their performance and the bands help clean up the property after the show is over.

For young people, it is a safe environment to make positive decisions. You will find that one big difference between the music at RM and the nightclub environment where music like this is typically performed, is that we’re an artist-friendly venue off the beaten path. The advantage to this is that the people in attendance are not there to drink, they come to enjoy the music. This means that we’re not likely to have people stumble in drunk from a bar next door because a showgoer must make an effort to travel down River St, and few party-goers drink before 9PM.

Building Community 

One goal I have with these shows is to bring the Oneonta community together with all of its wonderful diversity. Therefore, I invite you to stop in for any activity at “The Ol’ Storefront” and take time to meet some of these great people for yourself. In fact, as a neighbor, I want to give you and your family free admission to any show that we host. You can find links on our church webpage (missiononeonta.blogspot.com/p/shows.html) to preview the music that will be played, I would even be happy to work with you to bring your favorite musicians to perform next door.

Not all of the music we host is rock. We’ve been known to host folk music too. Basically, we’re open minded with our music and dislike turning away an artist based on their musical style. This open-minded attitude and artist-friendly setup has attracted talented bands from as far away as California, Texas, and Florida. These are professional and nationally-known musicians that put on very enjoyable shows and attract fans from out of town, as well as out of state.

Communication is Key 

I am available for any questions or concerns that you may have about any activities that we host. You can reach me on my cell at 607.434.2564, email me: kalerandlaura@yahoo.com, or you can just knock on my door. I promise to respond to any concerns with a friendly and cooperative attitude, and I am willing to make adjustments to how we do things to better suit the neighborhood. Also, if you’ve not yet seen the inside of Kay’s old place, I invite you to pop in sometime. We’ve done extensive remodeling on the inside and we have plans to upgrade the frontage this summer.

Thank you for your understanding,
 -Kaler Carpenter
Pastor of The Redemption Movement

Stop by for a visit any time. We'll even bake some cookies for ya!

*There are a few local bars that do not charge bands to play. However, they are selective in only booking bands that will bring in customers. Additionally, they serve alcohol, which poses a problem for young bands and their underage fans.