Exclaim’s sober-spaces feature shows hardcore growing up without losing the edge

Exclaim’s 29 June feature on sober spaces in heavy music is one of those scene stories that matters because it is about infrastructure, not just sound. The piece follows young DIY organizers and musicians building alcohol-free hardcore spaces, including Chris Stickel, who plays in multiple bands, books free shows and helps create rooms where local music, alternative arts and political advocacy can exist without the default bar economy. That is a major shift for heavy music culture, especially for younger fans who want intensity, community and release without being pushed into drinking environments. Hardcore has always claimed to be about community, but rooms decide whether that claim is real. Sober shows can make the next generation feel safer, more present and more included. The edge is not lost. It is redirected into the music, where it belonged anyway.

Source: https://exclaim.ca/music/article/it-s-become-less-edgy-and-more-about-community-sober-spaces-allow-the-next-generation-of-heavy-music-to-thrive