This article has been updated to correct a name spelling.
A small group of musicians and show runners are preparing to open a new performance venue in Richmond in January, a 120-capacity all ages club called The Planetarium.
While the venue’s founders have a background in the punk and indie rock scenes and plan to host such genres often, they also want to offer a diverse array of events, including film screenings, stand-up comedy, open mics, and other art performances.
Kirk Pearson, one of The Planetarium’s founders, is a composer and instrument inventor who lives in Berkeley. In an interview with Richmondside, they said they plan to host performance artists alongside musicians, and they think punks will be into it.
“I’m excited to have a place that can cater to out-there stuff,” Pearson said. “I also think punks are incredibly omnivorous people who can deal with a lot of interesting transgressive stuff.”
Pearson said they plan to host a monthly variety show called Cosmik Debris on the 16th of each month starting in January. The first one will feature puppeteer Risa Lenore, sideshow artist Reggie Bugmucher and local bands Sad Sack and Adventure Playground, both of whom incorporate performance art into their shows.
The Planetarium
What: New all-ages music venue
Where: 5327 Jacuzzi St., Richmond
Details: Opens Fri. Jan. 2 with shows by Brand New Companion, Tony Horses, The Secretary, and John Turkey’s Nightmare. See their calendar for details.
“I’ve been swimming in email requests from performance artists,” Pearson said. “So my hope is every month the lineup gets more surprising.”
Those interested in performing at The Planetarium can contact the booking organization Ragtag Shows through its Instagram page. Pearson runs Ragtag Shows with fellow Planetarium founders Alex Botkin, an Oakland-based musician who’s in the band awakebutstillinbed, and Lexi, who’s in the process of changing her last name so Richmondside opted to refer to her by her first name, lives in Oakland, runs sound for concerts, and works as an educator at a school in Berkeley.
Botkin said he wants The Planetarium to be geared toward smaller touring bands and local bands that are just starting out and finding their footing.
At a recent dry-run show, more than 80 people came to see local bands Losing Streak, Founders Day, Valentina Bludgeoned and the Southern California-based Pop Free and Stereobliss. So far about 35 bands are scheduled to play at 10 events on its January calendar. Pearson expects several more shows will be listed soon, as Ragtag awaits final confirmation and publicity materials.
Botkin said it’s been easy to fill up the calendar because he’s had deep connections to the local punk and DIY (or do-it-yourself) scenes since he was a teen 15 years ago.
While there are always new bands emerging, there’s also a dearth of small all-ages venues in the East Bay that cater to lesser-known musical acts. That can leave bands that might not yet be popular with nowhere to perform, Botkin said.
Since Burnt Ramen, a DIY venue in Richmond, closed after failing a city inspection in 2016, Pearson, Botkin and Lexi said there are few venues in the East Bay that host novice bands, save for places such as Stay Gold Cafe and Tamarack, which are in Oakland, and 924 Gilman in Berkeley.
“It’s almost like we don’t really even have to try,” Botkin said, referring to the interest. “We’ve been getting a bunch of messages.”
As the founders prepare to open The Planetarium, they are working on renovating the venue. They’re also attempting to raise $5,000 for those costs and for sound gear and electrical repairs.
When the space officially opens, The Planetarium’s founders say that they plan to, at a minimum, share 50% of the ticket sales with performers. If people want to host free events, they can contact Ragtag to discuss sliding-scale rental fees.
Lexi said she’s excited to make space for young people to perform and she’s also interested in hosting sober dance and goth nights for youths.
“As you get older you make space for the younger kids who have energy,” Lexi said. “I think the way to connect with kids is just to give them space to be kids.”
Since The Planetarium is an all-ages venue, it won’t serve alcohol. Lexi said she’s excited to have a space where alcohol isn’t a factor, not just because it will be welcoming to those who don’t drink but because it will attract attentive audience members who are “not just there for the beer.”
The Planetarium’s founders said they were surprised at how smoothly it’s been to get started. The space, a former karaoke studio, already had noise permitting and much of the infrastructure a concert venue needs, such as colorful LED lighting and beautiful wallpaper in the hallways with stars and planets. The spacey aesthetic, which also now includes walls plastered with shiny black acrylic, helped inspire the name.
The founders say the rent is reasonable as well, likely because their landlords, musicians who are part of the local band Middle Aged Queers, are excited about the project.
For better or worse, there is one thing The Planetarium probably won’t be able to rely on: foot traffic. Nestled in a small shopping center between the 80 and 580 freeways, it’s off the beaten path and not adjacent to other art venues. Nearby occupants include hot tub, flooring and fabric stores and a martial arts studio. On the other hand, it has a parking lot and is about a mile from the El Cerrito Plaza BART station. Overall, Pearson likes the location.
“You have to put a little intention into coming here,” he said. “There’s a little mystique that comes along with that.”
The Planetarium’s founders say they could face challenges, namely, being able to sustain an arts place long term in an expensive area. Botkin has recent personal experience with that. He worked at The Golden Bull, a bar and music venue in Oakland, until it shut down due to financial struggles in late 2024.
“This might not be something for the longest term,” Botkin said. “But in the DIY show space realm, I think it’s always important to just try to make a space as good as it can be right now. If it’s around in five years I’d be happy. But we’re just taking it as it goes.”
