A Paducah bike repair shop put the pedal to a different kind of metal this week, welcoming touring and local musicians into their garage space for an all ages concert.
More than 100 concertgoers turned out Wednesday evening at the 13th Street Bike Shop. The evening’s soundtrack supplied by the bands included Murray’s A.D. Survival with their spare, ambient electronica accompanied by singing bowls, a heaping helping of abrasive “dream sludge” industrial rock supplied by Ohio’s Disposal Unit, the churning hardcore of Paducah’s YoKy and the party punk stylings of western Kentucky's The Wish You Weres, complete with singalong vocals.
The crowd spilled out of the garage space as the bands performed in front of walls decked out with dozens of bikes, chains and tires, turning a small local business into a community arts space.
Travis Russell – the local musician who planned and booked the show – said that the idea started as a joke between him and the shop’s owner/operator John Spurlin, but it got his wheels turning.
“Whenever touring bands are wanting to come through town, they usually have to either try and do it on a weekend or just bypass us,” Russell said. “So I think having shows like this kind of helps put our name on the map for touring acts, because there's a whole underground scene of acts that love playing small towns like Paducah.”
Russell said the shop – which he described as serving a diverse customer base and “community nexus” – seemed like “a perfect place to have a show.”
Spurlin has operated the 13th Street Bike Shop since 2020, doing custom repair jobs on local riders’ bikes and selling some bikes second hand. He said, when talking with Russell about the prospect of the show, that it seemed like “a great way to expand the presence of the bike shop and provide a space for the local scene.”
“The band playing right now, they've never been to Paducah,” Spurlin said Wednesday night, referring to the touring act from Ohio. “This is what they think of when they think of Paducah and it's a really warm welcome. I think that's really cool.”
An early start and finish time, free water on hand and only a suggested cover to help pay the touring band at the end of the night helped bring out a diverse crowd that included scene stalwarts, parents with young children and area high school students.
Olivia Larkin, a senior at Marshall County High School, said it was nice to be able to go to a local punk show with her friends and feel secure.
“I think it's a very safe space, honestly, for people our age, surprisingly,” she said. “The space is very welcoming.”
Murray High School senior Reed Fallwell said spaces that hold shows open to all ages are vital in a scene.
“It's like mandatory. We need this,” Fallwell said. “If you drop your wallet on the ground, someone will pick it up or hand it to you. They'll help you up if you fall in the mosh pit. [It’s] like [a] very, very good community.”
Luke Tompkins, a classmate of Fallwell’s, said the 13th Street Bike Shop allowing young people like himself to attend a show there is encouraging.
“As an 18-year-old boy, not many people trust us,” he said. “They always think we're up to no good. So having a place where we can go, it's pretty dope.”
Cleon “OneCleon” Tharpe, a local rapper and part of the 2710 Records artist collective, said he came out to support friends’ musical projects, something he considers “crucial” in a good, tight-knit scene.
“It's groundbreaking because stuff like this didn't happen a lot around here so it's really good to just have it and for people to come out and listen to good music and hear good artists,” Tharpe said.
Dani Loyd, a 23-year-old Paducahan, said concerts like this can help the local scene to grow.
“I (saw) a lot of new fresh faces (that night) that I haven't seen before at any shows,” she said. “So it's great to see that word is spreading and new, younger crowds are coming out.”
Nathan Brown, a local musician and business owner who said he’s planned similar shows for more than three decades, rode his bike to the show. He said shows like this are important to the community, and showcase the region’s growing music scene.
“It's important to our town to have traveling musicians to come through – and not just music, either, all kinds of the arts,” Brown said. “This is a microcosm of what you're doing when you eat at a locally owned restaurant or even if you go to the Carson Center and see a Broadway show. Those are scenes, so to be a part of a scene is an important thing. Everybody here recognizes one another and, the next time we gather together, they'll see each other again.”
Brown added that the value of a music scene like the one in far western Kentucky – which he said “might be having a renaissance right now” – being able to show up and support touring acts like Disposal Unit is what will help bring more touring artists to the area.
Early during the touring band’s set, lead singer Matthew Reis of Dayton, Ohio, complimented the local scene for showing up.
“I expected there to be like six people. Good on y’all,” Reis said. “Paducah rules!”
Afterward, he added that he and his bandmates plan on spreading the word about the music community in western Kentucky and encouraging them to book a gig in the region.
When asked about the possibility of hosting more shows at the 13th Street Bike Shop, Spurlin said this could be just the beginning.
“As long as this is good for the community, good for my neighbors,” he said. “I'm not trying to impinge on anyone but, if this is good for them, I think there's interest in something like this happening again.”
