Culture & Community | Arts & Culture | Westville | Arts & Anti-racism | Punq Noire | Punk | Third Space
Dayne Bell Photo.
In the dimly lit basement of Third Space New Haven, rap artist Sunshine sat on one of the sofas while his music played, nodding to the beat as others began to enter. Allie Bee stood by the front of the room, setting up an amp for their performance. When all was set, a group gathered on cushions and chairs as the space began to fill with music and vibrant energy.
That sound came to Third Space last Thursday, as Punq Noire partnered with the venue for the third iteration of its “Open Stage Night.” The evening encourages expression through art in an easy going, no-pressure event for all mediums and disciplines.
Third Space is a gaming and arcade lounge, where visitors play a variety of video and board games with a day pass or a membership. Owner and founder Mike Brown also rents space to outside artists for events. This collaboration has been running since April, when Punq Noire Founder Dymin Ellis (a.k.a. rap artist Indigaux The Fae), reached out to Brown and pitched the idea to host open mic nights in the facility.
“We wanted to be able to provide a space for people from all walks of life, across all interests,” Brown said. Ellis added that the 18-and-over event intends to draw in locals and provide them with low-cost ways to be active in the community.
The open mics are hosted monthly, and the show that took place this past Thursday featured performances from seven artists. True to the curators' intent, the performances of music and poetry ranged greatly in genre and style.
The opening artist for this night was Aly (they asked to share only their first name) of Angel Piss, who shared beautifully haunting and eerie tunes on their guitar. Among their songs was “Fox Wives,” a slightly gory, horror-inspired tune. Their performance of their songs included yips, groans, and other forms of speak-singing, a feature that is present in other work by Angel Piss. Aly’s guitar work and vocals emulated the eerie, gothic energy of the music produced by the full band, layered with dissonance and musical effects that made the listener uneasy.
Allie Bee followed, playing bass guitar over instrumental backings they produced. While a listener could identify influences including funk and jazz , their songs were woven with elements of many genres across time, including (but not limited to) psychedelic rock and EDM.
“It’s a mix of so many genres that I feel like it’s its own thing. I think that’s what I love about it, it’s unique to me,” they said.
Daweed came next, sharing spoken word inspired by his lived experiences and various elements of life. In one piece, he spoke of love and the way it changes a person. In in another, he told a story of the school-to-prison pipeline. In it, he commented on street violence and its relationship to growing up in a disadvantaged community.
He later said that he started writing poetry in first grade because he “wasn’t a good writer.” A teacher who encouraged him changed that.
“One thing I learned is that everybody has a piece of your story, but not the whole thing,” he said. “It feels better to tell your own story than allow other people to tell it for you.”
He recalled being interested in poetry at an early age from reading works by Robert Frost, John Steinbeck, and Langston Hughes—but it wasn’t until he was introduced to spoken word after high school that he realized he could tell stories with the art.
Shay Alyse, another singer-songwriter, brought both poetry and bittersweet tunes to the space for a soulful vibe. Performing a cappella on pieces such as her song “Release,” she admitted that she wanted attendees to hear her lyrics without music to encourage them to digest the meaning behind them.
The style of her work is inspired by people’s reactions to what she puts forth, she said. She observes the way others move and respond, taking notice of both the positive and not-so-positive reactions she may spark. Her music aligns closely with soul and R&B, but like others that performed, she believes it transcends any one specific genre.
Shay Alyse also shared what she calls “mind letters,” a poetry form unique to her, inspired by her songwriting.
“It’s just me speaking from the inside, sometimes the outside, words I don’t get to say,” she said.
The open mic nights mark an expansion of Ellis’ work in New Haven. Two years ago, Punq Noire began in the summer of 2022 as a free 18-and-over festival centering and celebrating queer and transgender People of Color in punk and alternative subcultures.
“I define ‘punk’ as anyone who uses their art to motivate change,” Ellis said.
While that continues to be their focus, they have since branched out to other punk-centered community events, including fundraisers, dance parties, and now, open mics.
Their next performance and partnership, at New Haven's now-annual Seeing Sounds Fest, will take place on July 6 at Edgewood Skatepark. This event will feature vendors and live music on two stages from both local and traveling artists.
In addition, Third Space is proud to open its space to other creatives and artists. For instance, the venue hosts an “Artist of the Month” series to help local artists circulate their pieces.
“We open up our walls to display and sell their work … and we give them the opportunity to host an event at no charge,” he said. And if the artist does donate work to Third Space, they use them as prizes in giveaways and game tournaments.
“Some people have everything they need [to work] except the space to do it, so we want to be able to genuinely provide a space to do it.”
Third Space does all that and more. The venue hosted one of its pop-up video game spaces at “Nerdvana” Family Fun Day last weekend at New England Brewing Company, and a "Phase 10" card tournament that same evening at Third Space. The next big event will be a Sip-n-Paint on Sunday June 30,; Brown is also are planning a celebration for Third Space’s One-Year Anniversary on July 1.
Punq Noire and Third Space will host “Open Stage Night” every third Thursday of each month from 6 p.m. -9 p.m. at 410 Blake St.Street. Entry is $10$, but the first few arrivals will get the chance to earn back some cash with a short game of trivia before the show starts.