_{By Michael Luce}

After five years of supporting the scene, Orem’s warehouse-turned-soundhouse, The Boardwalk, has closed. The venue hosted its final show on Friday, June 27, after announcing a month earlier that operations would not be continuing. The space was known for being a haven for the heavier, more experimental, and up-and-coming corners of the scene.

Like many of the bands that played there over the years, the venue has been no stranger to scrappy, DIY enthusiasm during its lifetime. The first show was held in 2020, mere days before the COVID lockdowns went into place, and yet it lived on, becoming a lightning rod for many local fans after restrictions were lifted. As live music returned to Utah county, The Boardwalk served as a space for punk, metal, hardcore, and other less-represented genres in the Utah scene.

In 2022, management of The Boardwalk transferred to Brian Cabello, who continued to run the venue as a space for all. “I loved seeing everyone come together to support and collaborate with one another,” Cabello said. “I loved creating a space where anybody and everybody had a chance to play and start and grow their careers as artists.”

Electronic, hip hop, hyperpop, jazz, soul, and many other genres could be heard in addition to the space’s usual rock on any given weekend. The Boardwalk grew into a spot to cut your teeth, try something new (or heavier) as an artist or fan, and experience a non-Velour competitive battle of the bands.

It’s this last point that really accentuates what made The Boardwalk such a special space for the scene. At one point, The Boardwalk’s battle of the bands ended up the same week as Velour’s, meaning there was some potential for competition and bad blood between the two venues. However, instead of splitting the scene and leaning into a rivalry between the similar events, The Boardwalk shifted future battles to spring/fall, giving the local community the chance to enjoy a battle for every season. It was better for the scene and was a shining moment of what can happen when the community works together, communicates, and seeks understanding rather than competition.

_{(Missed out on The Boardwalk’s BotB? You can read all of our recaps here!)}

As is expected with creatives though, nothing stays the same for long, and eventually Cabello made the difficult decision to close the venue. In a bittersweet moment, he announced this past May at Battle of the Bands finals that the venue would not be continuing past June. A series of shows played the venue out, including a genre-hopping finale that included KTH KING, Internet Lover Boys, Misdemeanor, and Cabello’s own Always Her.

“I felt like the vision was captured perfectly,” he said, recalling each of the performances from the night. “Seeing everybody have such a great time through everybody’s sets, from the opening rap set, to indie rock, to pop punk, all the way up to my band, Always Her, was more than I could have ever asked for. That was the mission of The Boardwalk.”

While the closing of such a beloved venue is certainly a sad moment for local music fans, there are always opportunities in a scene as talented and diverse as this one. Like how The Boardwalk stepped up when Muse Music and The Rad Shack closed their doors, there’s undoubtedly another space ready to open its doors to the scene. Be it one of the many community spaces that have already expressed interest in live music – such as ThriftRx, 3Hive, or Provo’s Vintage Groove – or a kickin’ series of house shows, this won’t stop the Provo music scene from growing, coming together, and delivering some killer tunes.

Cabello expressed his appreciation for those who had helped him during his years at The Boardwalk. “I’m grateful to everyone who was ever a part of The Boardwalk team. Sound techs, volunteers, interns, family, and friends. Each one of them, and every band, act, or artist that came through, made every single second worth it.”

Thank you The Boardwalk. We’ll miss you.