House venue Como Backdoor is returning from its summer hiatus on Sept. 28 for its first show under new owner Iris Bolton.
Bolton is a senior studying electrical engineering at the University of Minnesota. She attended many shows at the venue before she saw previous owner Henry Meyer’s Instagram story asking for someone to take over.
Along with a naturally outgoing personality, Bolton said part of what drew her to this opportunity was the previous shows she attended at the venue. Some of her favorite memories from the past year took place at Como Backdoor.
She applied not expecting to get the role, but said she was 100% ready to take on the responsibility when she did.
“It turns out that the reason that he gave it to me is he thought I had a good vision for it,” Bolton said.
She said doesn’t want to create a whole new vibe and aesthetic for the venue, but Bolton does plan on taking the place in a slightly more femme direction in terms of aesthetic. Bolton also has plans to try and prioritize bands that are fronted by queer and femme people.
The lineup for the first show consists of Gramma, Anita Velveeta, Slut Intent and RiGBY, most of which fit the description Bolton gave.
RiGBY bassist and singer Maude Lorr has played and attended many shows at Como Backdoor and said they are excited to see what the venue will be like now.
Lorr described Como Backdoor as a place where Twin Cities artists can be together, enjoy music and connect with each other, especially when bands are waiting between sets.
While Lorr does not have many complaints about this specific venue, they hope to see more BIPOC and Native voices being represented in the scene as a whole. They think Como Backdoor has the potential to make that happen.
“I want us, as artists that are already in it, to be doing what we can to kind of hone a space that feels safe and uplifting to those voices,” Lorr said.
Karsten Mink, a frequent attendee of Como Backdoor’s shows and who played many shows there, echoed Lorr’s thoughts about the venue being a place where people could feel safe and have fun.
“The crowds were always pretty good and people were respectful,” Mink said. “I felt safe.”
Mink appreciated how well Como Backdoor was run. They said problems were rare, dealt with swiftly and without major disruptions.
Even with a change of tenants due to leases ending, Mink thinks the fact that Como Backdoor has been able to continue as long as it has is a testament to its credibility.
Both Lorr and Mink hope that the sense of comfortability and community Como Backdoor has developed continues to be strong even with a transition of leadership.
Bolton said it is a high priority that people feel safe at the venue. She plans on having specific people at shows to keep an eye on the crowd for any problematic or dangerous behaviors.
“There are a lot of people (in the DIY scene) who are getting called out for being abusive and icky,” Bolton said. “And it’s really really important to me that it doesn’t come anywhere close to the Como Backdoor.”
Additionally, Bolton plans on promoting shows farther out in advance, so if someone on the lineup has allegations of abuse or misconduct there will be time for the venue to be notified and possibly change the bill accordingly.
Currently, Como Backdoor is almost fully booked until the end of the semester.
Bolton does not want Como Backdoor to become just another house venue that puts on punk shows. She wants to balance the punk influences with her own personal aesthetic, which has not been completely set in stone.
“If you’ve been to the venue before, I want the vibe to stay the same. I want that same feel, that same culture to still be there,” Bolton said. “But it is my goal to sort of take it in a direction that is decidedly more queer and femme.”
