For the most part, DIY show spaces often have a laissez-faire way of functioning. The “anything goes” modus operandi has its quirks and perks, but also pitfalls, and as anything goes, in time, so do the places that host the shows.
Alex Tebeleff of Paperhaus knows this all too well. When he moved to DC in 2010, he became a recurring visitor to a string of DIY spaces, sticking around long after events ended to learn more about the spaces and to connect with their hosts. One particular bond he developed was with Luke Stewart and Brandon Moses of Laughing Man. The two of them ran shows out of Red Door, a little nook in the now long-gone Gold Leaf Studios. Witnessing unique, intimate performances as well as obstacles that spaces like Red Door faced gave Tebeleff enough inspiration as well as motivation to try to host shows out of his house.
Naming the space after their band, Paperhaus turned their living room into a stage as well as a reliable, although sometimes rowdy, place for bands to crash post-performance. Each housemate carried out show duties, from collecting donations to managing possible noise problems. Somehow, over the past two years, they were able to take a residential row house and transform it into a prominent DIY venue, having high-profile acts come through, like The Luyas, Julian Lynch, and Father Figures.
