From Stage to Stage
- Riley Hope
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
Woodstock meets Burning Man in this groundbreaking up and coming venue
The Auburn Yard has a beginning that is rooted in friendship and communal expression—ideals that have without a doubt persisted as they have expanded above and beyond their wildest dreams. Like all good ideas, the Auburn Yard was first conceived during COVID. Founder Ian Danchenko and one of his close friends, Baaqir—who is now the lead singer of the band Katsu—got the idea in their heads that they wanted to start a band. The proposed band never did fully form, but in the midst of writing songs and surviving a world pandemic, Ian and Baaqir decided they wanted to turn the yard behind the apartment where Ian lives into a venue for musicians. It wasn’t until 2022, however, that the Auburn Yard fully grew legs and hit the ground running with a concert on what they call the VIP section—the original stage before the construction of the new one—that showcased several local bands including Wait, Who’s Who, Time Well Wasted, the aforementioned Katsu, and the list goes on.
Now run by Ian, Jake Dather, and Rebekah Pharr, the Auburn Yard has not only served as a stage for several of Central Arkansas’s bands and musicians to have their very first concerts, but it has now held a whopping 37 events of various types and themes. From local legend YaYa’s Productions holding a wildly successful Fire and Flow event back in April to the upcoming Queer Prom—to be held at the Auburn Yard on May 29th—the team has worked tirelessly to provide the community around them with a laid-back platform for self-expression and art unlike anything seen in the state to date.
Though the team tends to share responsibilities to ensure the smooth operation of the Yard—like building the main stage by hand—they each attend to specific items at each event. Ian, one half of the original mastermind behind the conception of the Auburn Yard, runs the lights and sound system. Jake works as head of vendors, connecting with food trucks, artists, musicians, etc., as well as taking on the intimidating role of MC. Bekah works hard to make sure that the indoor area where the vital bathrooms are located is clean and presentable, as well as contributing heavily to the brainstorming and the laborious task of keeping Jake and Ian in line. Overall, they are eager to share the credit and feel it’s important that each team member be given their due for the hard work they put in, which really reflects the atmosphere they have developed over the years at the venue.
Aside from the hard work they put in themselves, the team is also eager to credit the community that attends each show with the growth they’ve experienced since their first show in 2022. For them, the shared ultimate goal for the space is to provide everyone with a venue to put on whatever crazy, creative show they have in mind. They’ve given over 14 bands the opportunity to have their first show, partnered with local artists to hold markets like the Misfits Makers Market, and even opened the door for people to mingle and get to know one another on an intimate level. No matter the theme, it is unlikely that the Auburn Yard will turn it away because, at the end of the day, it is the community that has these ideas and a need for a unique third-space venue that keeps the team and their dreams alive and well. It also allows them to continue building this space into something spectacular. Above all else, the Auburn Yard doesn’t put any pressure on its attendees; there are no major fees or sky-high drink prices, but rather a sense of encouragement for people to come and really make themselves at home.
While they have a running list of things they would like to do at the Yard—including but not limited to a petting zoo, a comic con, and a renaissance fair—there are a few events that are actually on the books that are worth mentioning. At the end of this month, they’ve got Queer Prom on the 29th, a concert orchestrated by Attack Booking on the 16th, a country folk concert on the 17th, and of course their coveted collaboration with the Loom Art Social where they will be hosting an adult field day on May 31st. Beyond that, there is the second installment of their annual Auburn Fest, Auburn Fest 2, on June 19th and 20th, where there will be 18 local performers and 10 local food trucks set up against the backdrop of a carnival-like festival, as well as a video game competition on June 27th where a 12-foot projector will be utilized for participants to compete in a Smash Bros tournament. If you’d like to know more about the Auburn Yard, you can follow them on Instagram @theauburnyard.
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