Live music returns to the Ave…

Park City Music Hall, or PCMH as our family affectionately calls it, opened for business one year ago today following a lengthy renovation of the existing space. The current footprint of Park City encompasses what was formally The Acoustic, as well as the barber shop next door. Acoustic owner Will Vega and my brother John had been in talks about a possible sale of the business since the Fall of 2019, and finally by the end of 2020, John brought the idea to our parents. Rick and Michele Torres have run Harborview Market for nearly 30 years, transforming an old deli into a community staple. With Rick’s knack for construction and Michele’s brilliance with flavors and day-to-day business operations, they were a natural fit to revitalize this space. Plus John is an experienced musician with deep ties to the local music scene spanning the last 20 years. In fact, the Acoustic was the first place he ever played music publicly! After some paperwork was completed, construction began in earnest in the spring of 2021. By March, Tea Leaf Green bassist Eric DiBerardino joined the team and never left, bringing with him years of experience across all areas of the music industry.

Rebuilding the Black Rock music scene

The transformation from the Acoustic into PCMH was incredible. Walls were removed, massive glass garage doors installed. The stage was moved back, a brand new kitchen installed, large bathrooms completed and, true to the musical heritage of John and Eric, an expanded green room was outfitted for our talent. Beautiful paint adorned the walls, installed by the ladies of The Color Shop down the road on Fairfield Avenue. State of the art sound from L-Acoustics and premium lighting was installed. The menu went through several changes but as of this summer, with the hiring of Connor Moen formerly of Little Dumpling House, the menu is special, featuring delectable food items not seen anywhere else in Fairfield County. The space has rapidly become the preeminent small-to-medium sized music venue in Connecticut. Musicians including Bill Frissel, Steve Kimock, DJ Logic, John Medeski, Tea Leaf Green, Papadosio, lespecial, Toubab Krewe, Ike Willis, Dopapod, Mates of State, Daniel Donato, Lucero, and The Kitchen Dwellers. Members of the bands Goose, Lotus, Deep Banana Blackout, Eggy, and so many more.

Special thanks to everyone who helped get us here

Obviously Park City Music Hall has a special place in my heart since it is my family who runs the space. It brings me so much pride to see the doors open 6 days a week over there, knowing the effort that lies behind every aspect of PCMH. Additionally, having photographed a good 80 shows over the past 12 months is in large part what gave me the confidence to pursue photography as my full time job. It’s incredible to consider that it has only been a year, as it feels like we have already been here for so, so long. This post would be incomplete if I did not specifically mention the monumental effort put forward by my parents, Rick and Michele, my brothers John and Michael, my sisters Kait and Gabby, our brother from another mother Eric, lighting master Adam, the whole Black Rock community, and countless other individuals who have helped along the way. Thank you so much and here is to many more years to come!