THE CELLAR ON TREADWELL AND PETE MOULD
Pete Mould is a family man in more ways than one. Not only is he raising his children as a single parent but he has adopted the cast and crew of The Cellar On Treadwell as his second kin.
Mould is the current owner of The Cellar On Treadwell. It was not always called The Cellar. Its history goes back quite a bit. It all started with Steve Rodgers who opened The Space, The Outer Space and The Ballroom at the Outer Space in two buildings in a industrial complex in Hamden, Ct. about 18 years ago.
The Space (originally an all age juice bar) and the other two entities became prominent Ct. concert venues for local original bands and upstart touring artists. As usual while the local bars and saloons were catering to cover and tribute bands Rodgers gave a voice to new and exciting young bands and songwriters allowing them to express their creative juices and assisting them in building a following.
Recently Rodgers ran into some difficulties and had to relinquish ownership of the empire he had built. The Outer Space and The Ballroom at the Outer Space became The Space Ballroom and is now being managed by Keith Mahler of Premier Concerts. The Space which resides in its own building became The Rough Draft. The Rough Draft owners Chris Scionti and Karen Robinson ( both high school teachers and Robinson an ex-employee of the Space) opened in June of 2018 keeping all but one of The Space’s former employees. Scionti and Robinson ran into their own problems and had to shut down the Rough Draft in April of 2019. According to Claire Dignan of the New Haven Register, Robinson said of the closing “We are so lucky to have had this opportunity to hear such talented musicians and meet so many amazing people”.
That was the past now to the present. I spent some time with Pete Mould discussing the mechanics of running The Cellar On Treadwell but first I’ll like to talk about the man. Mould came off as a down to earth genuine guy. A earnest blue collar construction worker who got injured on the job. He also worked at the Outer Space and Ballroom doing stage security for Steve Rodgers . He was part of a close knit group of “Space” employees that always watched out for each other. He also played in a metal band , Vicious Cirkill, for many years. I can tell he knows his way around a stage. He was a major advocate for the passage of medical marijuana in the state also heading up a chapter of Norml for a time. Mould is the kind of person that’s going to give it his all to make things work.
The following are a few questions I asked about The Cellar On Treadwell.
AMP: What’s it going to take to make The Cellar On Treadwll succeed?
MOULD: The first thing is the vibe. The vibe has been incredible. People enjoy being here. We’ve made major renovations to enhance the atmosphere. Our patio was the front entrance to the club. You had to come in behind the stage. We moved the entrance to the other side and created our outdoor veranda. We also rearranged the tables and upgraded the bar to further enhance the positive feel. The stage got new acoustics and the sound system got a boost. Also our food and new chef are a plus. As opposed to the other venues in the area we are open everyday. They only open the days of shows.
AMP: Who books your shows?
MOULD: For the first few months I did but now my sound man Mike Krische is handling the duties. Not only does Mike handle our sound but he also plays in a great band, Gvrden. It’s all about the music here at The Cellar. In fact we are already booked into October with some amazing talent.
AMP: Your staff seems to be really cool.
MOULD: Like I said we are mostly alumni of the “Spaces”. We know each other a long time. When I realized that they were going to lose their jobs for a second time in less than a year it bothered me. I know it’s a business but it’s a family. Matt Sigs, my bar manager, is a great guy and my accountant/p.r. assistant Shari (Vickmanis) is amazing. She keeps it real.
AMP: What have been some of your favorite shows so far?
MOULD: Wow! Too many to count. Dood from Florida were awesome. A great stage show. Disobedience, Unbroken out of Brooklyn, Distinguished Order and the show you saw with Just A Pipe Dream were all favorites. I know I’m leaving out of bunch. The music has been impressive.
On a final note. I hope The Cellar On Treadwell flourishes. It’s a marvelous space with an owner and staff that really care about the music and their patrons. Catch a show. Let’s keep original music alive in Ct.
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