Karen Ponzio Photos
Pangalactic.
“I see some friendly faces out there,” said bassist Dave Gilbertson of Approaching the Silence, the opening act of a three-band bill last Thursday night at The Cellar on Treadwell — the two-month-old bar and music venue in Hamden located in the building that formerly held The Space and more recently The Rough Draft.
According to owner Pete Mould, the venue — which opened its doors on May 31 — is now open every day except Sunday, “because I need a day of rest.” But Mould is working hard to fill those days with as much entertainment as he can. Weekly events, such as Trivia with Digital Tracks Entertainment on Mondays and Taco Tuesdays with half-price margaritas and Coronas, have already been well attended, and Mould is adding a Cellar Dweller Comedy Competition for a cash prize on the first Friday of each month beginning Aug. 2.
He is also aiming for live music Tuesdays through Saturday. These last two weeks were the first to have music each day, and the shows included both local and out of state acts “of every genre,” Mould said.
“It was great,” he added. “I’m loving it and looking forward to booking more.” He has a host of acts and events booked into the rest of 2019 including Punxmas IV, an annual punk event held near the holidays and this year happening on Dec. 14th at this venue.
Mould is looking to meld the new and the familiar.
“Ninety percent of the people who come here used to go to the Outer Space,” said Mould, referring to the former venue across the parking lot that is now the Space Ballroom. Mould was a regular there and many of his employees and patrons also worked at and frequented it.
A few selections from The Cellar’s food menu
In homage to his old hangout, Mould has one of the larger old Outer Space signs hanging on the building outside, on The Cellar’s new patio. Other memorabilia and signs from the former bar and venue also hang up on the fence out there. Many patrons were at the patio tables on Thursday before the show eating from The Cellar’s new menu, developed by chef Andre Mack, who has previously worked at a variety of restaurants on the shoreline. The kitchen is open until 9 p.m. on weekdays and 10 p.m. on weekends and offers specials daily.
The Cellar also offers 10 percent off food for anyone who shows a ticket stub or wristband on the night of a show at the Space Ballroom. “We have a great relationship with them,” Mould said.
Mould also cited bar manager Matt Sigs for his hard work and patience in helping Mould learn the ropes behind the bar. “I never intended on being a bartender. It just happened. I love meeting new people,” he said.
The vibes increased in both friendliness and amplitude as the bands took the stage for a night of prog rock-influenced jams from three local bands. First to the stage was the aforementioned Approaching the Silence, a trio — Bob Geiser on vocals, guitar and synth, Gilbertson on bass and backup vocals, and Joe Mignosa on drums — that played numerous tunes from their latest release On These Shores. The trio brought a Rush-type vibe to the room with their riff-heavy but melodic jams that got the crowd energized, so much so that there were screams for “one more” after their final number. They obliged, but not after kindly asking the next band if it was okay to do so.
Mignosa returned to play drums during the next set with the band Floating Lanterns, which included Jeff Cedrone on vocals, guitar, and synth, John C. Miller on synths and electronics, and Chris Serapiglia on bass.
“We’re Floating Lanterns and we’re gonna make some noise,” Cedrone announced at the beginning of a set that was heavy on guitar, thick with layered bass and back beats, and just enough noise to make the entire set experimental and experiential. With barely a break between songs, Miller’s electric soundscapes blended it all together, with Cedrone joining in at his keyboard to create ethereal but often guttural segues. Cedrone and Serapiglia also provided a wealth of pedal board manipulation, making a cacophony that was steeped in psychedelia and nods to the avant-garde that the audience cheered on. Cedrone told me afterward that Serapiglia was a recent addition to the band, and that most of the songs were new and hopefully being recorded soon.
For the final set, it was Serapiglia’s turn to remain on stage as Pangalactic’s bassist. He was joined by Spencer O’Doy on guitar and Bob Breychak on drums and keyboards. I last saw this band across the parking lot at the Space Ballroom in 2018 opening for Acid Mothers Temple and Yoo Doo Right. Since then the band has released an album, Outer Groove, and has continued to play shows — which the band members often refer to on social media as a “journey” — regularly throughout the New Haven area. “Journey” is truly the best way to describe a Pangalactic set, as you often feel yourself being carried away sonically when experiencing one. Each is comprised of a series of pieces that are threaded together, building and waning in intensity but never losing hold of their progression, carrying the listener with them, spanning the range from low and slow to fast and feverish, and even settling in here and there for a more traditional prog rock sound that then becomes more and more masterfully manipulated through O’Doy and Serapiglia’s pedal work, while the ever indefatigable Breychak keeps the beat. The crowd had thinned out a bit by the time the set was over, but the remaining audience members responded wildly, the room holding the vibration of yet another night of a shared love of live music between friends, fans, and fellow musicians.
“This building, this complex, has a legacy,” said Mould, and he is hoping The Cellar adds to it.
More information about The Cellar on Treadwell’s events including booking information can be found on the venue’s Facebook page.