Six chicken strips and a side dish for $2.99 is not the only
deal available to students at the Cooperage. Unknown to most
concertgoers, the Coop offers a night of free live music about
every other week.
The likelihood of randomly finding a student who frequents shows
at the Coop is only a few percentage points higher than finding the
UCLA campus not under construction.
“I was dragged to one show last year,” third-year
English and psychology student Brian Hsieh said. “I
appreciate the school’s effort, but I don’t see myself
going to any shows in the future.”
Hsieh admitted his indifference for indie bands, which is
problematic because the Coop is geared toward the indie scene.
While its cousin, Westwood Plaza, features the higher priced and
higher exposure acts, the Coop has spotlighted more experimental
artists such as stage eccentric Jason Webley and discordant San
Diego noise rockers Dropscience.
“The more experimental artists often have only 40 people
show up,” Campus Events staff member Eric Palgon said.
“That’s including the bands, their friends, me and
everyone else. The Velvet Teen, however, drew well over 100 fans.
Trembling Blue Stars, who are performing Thursday, should attract a
lot of fans because they’re well known.”
Palgon, universally known among the Campus Events clique as
“the Coop Guy,” is in charge of booking bands for the
Coop shows. A third-year art student, Palgon aims to return the
Coop to its glory days of the ’80s when a little band called
Guns N’ Roses defied all laws of physical nature and actually
showed up.
Increased promotion during the past two years has rescued the
Coop from its coma, but Palgon is hardly finished rehabilitating
the ailing venue.
“I (hand out) flyers on Bruin Walk, which is pretty
lonely,” Palgon said. “I do secret dorm runs where I
shove flyers under people’s doors. You do as much as you can.
(But) my job can only go so far in letting people know about it.
The best way is word of mouth. You can have a million flyers on
Bruin Walk, and it doesn’t matter.”
Steve Araiza, a third-year history and business economics
student, concurs with the need for more word of mouth, but he
blames the location of the venue for his lack of participation
points.
“I think the Coop’s problem is that it doesn’t
offer enough reasons for people to come all the way back to campus
that late,” Araiza said. “Even if they have a blues
artist I like along with plenty of promotions, I still might not
go. It has to be worth my while, and the Coop just
isn’t.”
The Coop is not exactly the Troubadour, but what gives the
students’ Coopaphophia?
“I personally like it, but I heard a lot of people
don’t like the Coop because of the kitchen-cafeteria
aspect,” Palgon said. “I just look at it like The Max
from “˜Saved By the Bell.'”
As the Cooperage senior staff member responsible for setting up
the venue, Eddie Rivera, a fourth- year Spanish literature student,
lacks the ability to perform magic tricks like The Max owner, but
is supportive of the concerts.
“As long as everything is cleaned up at the end of the
show, I’m cool with it,” Rivera said.
Pollstar.com lists the Coop in its venue directory, but under
“Cooperidge.” More people pass through the Coop during
lunchtime every weekday than they do for a free concert one night a
week. But with bands Aberdeen, The One AM Radio and Trembling Blue
Stars, and a bunch of fliers, Palgon is doing his best to strive
for legitimacy.