For anyone tuned into the local music scene, the selection of Southgate House Revival as the LINK nky readers’ choice for best music venue was no surprise. A home base for a wide variety of local bands, the venue is also a destination for top regional and national acts.
When asked why she thought our readers gave Southgate House Revival the honor, owner Morrella Raleigh said it’s as much about the experience as it is the music.
“We try to make people feel at home when they come in. They know they’re in a safe and welcoming environment where they can enjoy music. The music is first and foremost what we’re about. The enjoyment of music does take some work as far as curating a space, promoting that and not other things. So, for instance, we don’t have TVs running while the bands are playing or those kinds of things. That’s all fine in other environments, but not for what we do,” she said.
Raleigh said she feels this is a reason many customers come back again and again. The venue also has built a reputation for amazing talent, she added, and for offering something “new.” Some of the bands that play there may not be household names outside a particular genre, but she said, she and the staff work hard to ensure they select those who are the best at what they do.
“And we’re a local business. We’re not a big corporate entity, and that’s important to us. We value the relationships we have, not only with the artists that come through, but also with our patrons…I like the fact that people will contact me with their ideas that are maybe new or unusual or just if they want to put together a fundraiser for a local person or a charity. I like being a resource in that way,” she said.
History and legacy
The historic building that houses Southgate House Revival was once the Grace Methodist Episcopal Church, built in 1866. Grace Methodist merged with another church in 1986, and the building stood empty and neglected for several years before the music venue moved in.
Ross Raleigh was a well-known and well-respected music venue owner who began in the business in 1976. He purchased the church building and, after about a year of renovations, opened Southgate House Revival with his daughter, Morrella, in October 2012. After her father’s death in 2018, Raleigh has continued his legacy.
With her father’s strong connections to musicians in the community, they were able to start booking acts as soon as the building was ready, Raleigh said. Their first act was the local band, Hogscraper.
“They were a really popular local band way back when, and we convinced them to do a reunion show that was one of our first shows…We had a lot of strong relationships with the local community, and we relied on that heavily when we were first open, as we do now, too…We had great events like Punkfest and Ironfest, carryovers from our old spot…Those folks luckily continued to work with us. Ironfest, for instance, still goes on now,” she said.
Something for everyone
Southgate House Revival caters to a broad range of musical tastes. You could say there’s something for everyone. A recent line up included an open mic night; Bob Dylan and Grateful Dead tribute bands; a singer songwriter; blues, country and folk bands, a goth/industrial dj and a musical fundraiser benefitting Parkinson’s Disease research.
“I always like to say that music fans don’t just like one genre,” said Raleigh. “And we’re a big place. We have three rooms to fill. So we’ve always had in mind that we want to be a place that welcomes all different types of music, artists and bands.”
She added that she is open even to genres with which she is not as familiar.
“I don’t know a lot about jazz, for instance, but that’s not to say we don’t and won’t do jazz. We absolutely will…What we do is a lot of is rock and pop and punk and metal and country and blue grass and folk, a lot of different things.”
In fact, she said, last week she was approached by a local rapper Abiyah.
“She has a DJ business as well where she does really specialized reggae stuff. She came to me and asked ‘Would you ever consider letting me do that here?’ And I said, ‘of course, let’s give it a shot.’ It went really well, and we’re hoping to do it again.”
Bands do approach Raleigh on a regular basis, she said, but she also tries to reach out when she comes across bands she feels would resonate with her patrons. The venue hosts several crowd pleasers who have become favorites and regulars.
“We have quite a few, actually, that come through pretty regularly…We’ve started on Thursday nights to do honky tonk or hillbilly music…bands like The Fall City Boys and the Tin Foil Hat Cowboys… We love working with bands like the Tillers and Buffalo Wabs and the Price Hill Hustle,” she said.
About a year ago she started working with Jared Bowers who puts together an event called the Midwest Friends Fest. From there, he became a contact for the venue for some out-of-town punk and rock-and-roll bands. Since then, Raleigh said, they’ve been able to do more events with Bowers.
“We love doing that. It really is that our business is based on strong relationships that we forge with the artists and folks that like to put shows together,” she added.
The joys of live music
“I would just encourage people to get out and see some live music. It really is an experience that can’t be felt over electronic media, over the internet, or your phone. There’s a camaraderie with people when you’re in a room enjoying music,” said Raleigh.
“And, every band is unique. They all put on a different kind of show. I would just encourage people to get out there and try something new that maybe isn’t on their radar. Most of the time they’re going to be pleasantly surprised.” Southgate House Revival is located at 111 E. 6th Street in Newport. The venue is always open Wednesday through Saturday from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m., but it’s good to check their schedule. They will book occasionally on Mondays and Tuesdays and may also have events on Sundays. Keep an eye on their schedule or sign up for their newsletter at southgatehouse.com.