Secret Headquarters to Change Into, um, Something Else

Just saw this post on Denton Rock City and thought I'd share it with you. Don't have time to analyze it at the moment, so for now I'll just repost it and tell you that we'll be sad to see the current incarnation of SHQ go (and remind you that DL has posted a new Violent Squid record review below):

We’ll start with a hearty THANK YOU. To you. To your friends. To your bands. To your blogs. To your dogs. To the locals that have helped us survive and promoted our dump. The list is long and you know who you are. Thank you all.(deep breath)

When we started this… thing… on June 1, 2006, well… We just had no clue what the hell we were doing. And frankly, some things never change. The SHQ experiment has been one of stress, insecurity, blind devotion, financial crisis, roller coaster morale, copious quantities of warm beer, getting stomped at HALO 2, and many other things. There are a lot more gray hairs these days. I mean, an ever-changing group of people who can’t even get a library book turned in on time trying to keep a place of “business” open?

Jeez… How the hell did we last this long? We have lost a shit ton of money. Hell, a lot of YOU have thrown WAY more money into this than what was probably reasonable. It’s been worth every penny to us. It has been worth the stress.Totally.Hopefully to you as well.It really has been the hardest thing we’ve ever been involved with in some ways. Trying to keep everybody happy and casual was the easy part. You folks turned the spot into something fun… We just unlocked the door.It has been a blast. We’ve made so many friends, seen the true spirit of community, hosted some damn fine musicians from all over the world, and got our stupid faces in the newspaper, which my mom thought was pretty cool.It is always a surprise when someone expresses their love and support to us. We never spent too much time trying to figure out what everything “meant”, we just tried to get there on time on a Friday night after working the 9 to 5.For a fake club run by drunks and known criminals, we did pretty solid. Solidish.

And now… everything is about to change for the better. Be advised… You have until December 31, 2007 to enjoy Secret Headquarters as she stands now. That’s three months of quality weekend shows… Plus a few extra here and there… That’s plenty of time to have a blast, plenty of time to use your new SHQ Buy 2 Get 2 Free Cards that a lot of you bought… We’re going to fill the calendar up and make sure that YOU realize just how much we love you and desire to properly thank you. And you KNOW we’re gonna throw a huge party at the last minute. A party of epic scope to go out in style.But, again, as of January 1, everything is going to be different… Except, that everything is sort of going to be the same. I know that doesn’t make any sense, but neither does SHQ.

Things to take into account as we let you know the “SHQ Era of Chaotic Late Loud Drunken Punk Shows” has to end:
1. Our landlords are WAY sick of us not paying rent on time. They have been so great with us, really, and fair is fair. They are not in the Hipster/Scenester/Beardo Charity business.
2. Construction has already started on the fancy expensive town-homes that will rise to block out the sun literally 10 feet from our noisy backdoor… In that field where you puke and piss? Yeah, right there.
3. Since we opened, several members of the, ahem, staff have had children and gotten day job promotions, and some of our bands are getting busy, and it’s true what they say about there not being enough hours in the day.We are now faced with the inevitable need and desire to either improve the spot or shut it down… And maaaaaaan were we close to just shutting it down. It felt like there was no choice.

Enter The Clandestine Project. Google it. Chris Lewellyn… The man with the plan. We went in with a loose vision. Chris is coming in with passion, a great heart, a dream, an actual plan, business sense, and ambition. Plus, he’s just a sweetheart. He’s been in the rock business for a long time, and has always been DIY/punk about it, and you probably have one of the shirts he’s made in your closet right now. Dude’s been around. Plus, he’s an animal lover, which is the most important shit in the world. He owns goats for fucks sake. Including a couple of those crazy Fainting Goats! We’ll tell you more about him later. For now, I’ll tell you what has been set in motion with us, the landlord, the city, and you. The strangest part about all of this is: It’s actually going to happen, and we’re already in motion. I’ll give you a couple of short versions for now, and flesh it out in the weeks ahead.

SHORTEST VERSION: Counter-culture mini-mall

SHORT VERSION: First of all, we’re gonna get a sign. I know. Crazy. We’re gutting the building. Walk in the Front Door that faces the street. On one side, a cool coffee bar. On the other side, an artisan shop with Texas goods. Past that, local vendors… Hair dressers, craft folks, tattoo artists… All local indie folks pursuing their vision. And it could be YOU. More than ever, with a little structure in place finally, we will be able to offer you a path to your “thing”. Holler at us, ya know? We’ll work it out. Past that, sound-proof rehearsal spots for your band. Contact us if you are interested. There are not too many of them, but they will be solid, cheap, and yours. The venue? Smaller in some ways. But more available to you. We’re gonna spiff it up a bit, and dampen the sound a bit, and you can do your art show, your play, your screening, your show… A real community space for the people of Denton to see the people of Denton. The shows will be fewer but the quality will rise. We’re fixing up the bathroom and moving the door. Hell, we may even throw a lock on that badboy! Good news for the pee-shy, right?A lot of the stuff in the front of the building will be good to go way before the end of the year. Some of the improvements will take some time. Some will wait until 2008. We’ll keep you posted.

So as we turn the corner/turn the page/float the keg, please know that SHQ isn’t going anywhere. A lot of the same people will be there to hold your hand through the transition. We are arriving at Phase II. Phase II is going to rule. There will be more for you. The spirit of Secret Headquarters will grow even stronger. It just won’t bleed money anymore. It will still be the perfect place to sample what Denton is about, and a compliment to our neighborhood, the East Denton Entertainment District… Dan’s Silverleaf, the new Rubber Gloves location, Eisley’s Hookah Lounge, Fuzzy Taco, Hailey’s and the Square just steps away. We are proud of what we have done. We are excited about the promise of the future. And we can’t wait to share it all with you.Thank you.