Nataley Davis | staff writer

For many people, seeing an abandoned church in their city might be an eyesore.

But for Post Genre, a music and arts organization started by a group of Pittsburgh-based college students, it was an opportunity to connect Oakland as a unique live music venue.

The space on Atwood Street reopened as Haven just over a month ago, but the project has been years in the making, according to Post Genre co-founders Eli Alfieri, Adam Klenovich and Mark Riggio.

Alfieri said that the journey to creating the venue has not always been an easy one.

“It’s been about a two and a half, three year process from when we started to where we’re at now,” Alfieri said. “The history of Post Genre is just proving to the landlords of this space that there’s a demand for live music.”

Although the neighborhood’s live music scene used to flourish, there has not been a permanent music space in Oakland for two decades, after Club Laga closed its doors in 2004 and was turned into apartments.

Despite the closures, the music scene hasn’t been completely snuffed out over the years.

Many people have continued to connect through music with backyard concerts and house shows.

Klenovich said that creating Haven has been extremely impactful.

He predicts that the addition of a permanent, public space for artists to perform and for people to gather could be a turning point for the arts in Oakland.

“For over 20 years there was nothing. And so now to be able to bring it back and give the community the music that they once had is such a powerful thing and something we take a lot of pride in,” Klenovich said.

Post Genre’s initial success with temporary music venues came from a partnership with the Pittsburgh Innovation District, which allowed the group to run a trial series in the former religious space.

All the shows quickly sold out, showing that Post Genre’s mission to enrich the live music scene was something to be taken seriously.

For Riggio, who also serves as the technical director for Post Genre, this business venture has brought forth new perspectives and inspirations.

He said that learning everyday from his team and the musicians he works with allows him to “grow with the art.”

On Saturday, three local bands came to headline a set at the venue: Scrum Force, Porters and Getaway Drivers.

On the night of the show, the space was decked out with string lights, tapestries and fog machines.

As a project still in its infancy, Haven runs primarily on volunteers who are passionate about the mission.

Chloe Simpson, a volunteer interior designer said that many of the decor pieces displayed are donations from people in the area, which allowed the alternative rock space to come together on a budget.

For Layne Balla, the lead vocalist in Porters, the aesthetic of the location doesn’t matter as much as growing a fan base.

“If you really care about music, the people that are at the live show are the people that you want, because they’re the ones that are gonna support you,” Balla said.

In addition to music lovers, many patrons were also looking to befriend the bands and organizers to bolster their own gig list.

Nathan Feichtel was at the show on Saturday, not only to enjoy live music, but to scope out the scene.

“It’s always good to have a network with people because if they know you they’ll probably be like ‘Oh hey, when we’re thinking about playing a show and we need openers, we could talk to these guys,’” Feichtel said.

Although Haven is still starting out, it has already created significant buzz in Oakland and the surrounding music scene.

Post Genre is already seeing the fruits of their labors come to life onstage and off.

“It’s so important to have physical spaces where people can come and assemble,” Alfieri said.

“The cool part about music is that it’s a language that everyone can speak, and you don’t necessarily have to play an instrument onstage to be able to participate in that conversation.”