Jenkins

Founder of House of Jenk

How long have you been living in Lancaster?

I have lived in Lancaster County for all of almost 25 years, but I never stayed in one place very long so I have seen most of it

Favorite things about the area?

I particularly enjoy the food selections we have in Lancaster and how varied the choices are. Also, the area’s extensive, and that it is a hub of theater and music is pretty cool. 

What are your favorite genre(s)?

I am a lover of all music, but my go tos are punk, funk, and sad girl music 

What motivated you to create House of Jenk?

In July of 2022 I saw Destructo Disk, Maya Lucia, and Dummy Pass at a house venue in philly called The Palace. It blew my mind. I had never been to anything like that before in my 22 years on this earth. I then went back to Philly for many more house shows before deciding that I was going to do it myself.

How long did it take to turn your basement into a rock club?

It took me roughly 3 months to get all the equipment, put up the safety padding, and build the stage. It was just me though so it could probably have taken less time if I had help

When & What was the first House of Jenk show?

The first show at House of Jenk was on January 13th 2023. I booked it with the help of Max from the Closing Time Collective to get  Fragile Like Life After, Dead Love Triangle, and Jet Fuel Soda. I was a ball of nerves and had no idea what to expect, but once the show was over I was ecstatic and couldn't wait for the next one.

Top 3 most memorable moments?

1) At my Rent Strike show (which is also my first folk punk show) I met a person named Bekha through coming to shows they have become one of my friends that I hang out with outside if show settings

2) I was having a show with Shift Meal, Mikie Mayo, and Alex Stanilla, and Shift Meal was running late. I was like "man where are they?" then I got a text from them that said “We just got side swiped on the highway so we are figuring that out, but we will be there shortly.”And that is the most badass thing I have ever heard.

3) The third one is hard to narrow down. When Apes of the state played in my basement that was awesome, but I don't think that's number 3. I think it is the fact I was able to get Tragesty to play a show at my house because they were the first band me and my girlfriend saw together. 

Top 3 lessons learned?

1) Just calm down, I have never once had something happen at a show so big that  it didn't get worked out in minutes

2) Make sure that your neighbors are cool with what you are doing. I had one show during the week on a Wednesday. My neighbors were like hey man please never do that again, I have respected that wish, and they haven't said anything about my shows since

3) It's not about the money, it's for the love of the music. I make next to nothing off of a show, because I pay my bands 75-100% of the money that comes in from a show. I do this because bands are the reason for the show nobody wants to just hang in my basement for 3 hours 

What is your advice for people trying to kickstart a scene by booking bands in their area?

Just reach out to people. I was very surprised at how many people just want to play music. If you are trying to host a show, just be respectful of your surroundings. All you really need to start out is a microphone, a mixer, a couple of speakers, a place, and the ability to not piss off the neighbors. Most bands have everything they need to make noise beyond that. 

What does the Lanc scene mean to you?

It is very very cool to put it simply. I didn't even know that this kind of stuff existed until like 3 years ago. So there being a space for music to thrive and people to have fun and be safe while doing so is so entirely important and awesome and I am happy to be a part of it.