C
CULTURE
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february 16, 2023 5
Vibrant vendors The Syracuse house show scene welcomes vendors, music enthusiasts and a vibrant community to enjoy live performances By Cassandra Roshu asst. photo editor
O
n show nights at The Harrington, the typical loud and electric energy fills the air as people dance and sing to the live music. But on the floor above, the environment is different. Past the herds of people and bathroom lines sits a room full of vendors, art enthusiasts and unexpectedly interesting conversation. The Pits Vintage, run by Paul Sausville and his girlfriend Hailey Ballard, is one of these vendors. Sausville started the business during the winter of 2017 after his dad started pressuring him to clean out the clothes that he had been collecting since middle school. Though Sausville’s business fizzled out when he got to college, he restarted it halfway through his sophomore year with Ballard when they noticed vintage clothing was popular with students their age.
Guests take a break to shop for vintage clothing.cassandra roshu asst. photo editor
Since then, Sausville said that selling at shows has been a large factor of his success. Sausville was introduced to The Harrington when he ran into Sam Stehle — the venue’s co-founder — in an ESF building and complimented his shirt. Sausville then started a pop-up in The Harrington, which soon became a staple attraction
Once you have some sort of shared medium that you can interact with, I think it allows people to talk to each other. Will Harrington
co - founder of the harrington
“I think music brings really good people together and really interesting people together,” Sausville said. “This whole thing with my business and it being so intertwined with the music scene, I just couldn’t be happier because it’s something that I’ve always wanted to be involved with.” The relationship between The Harrington and its vendors is a mutually beneficial one, Stehle said. The relationships that they have developed with the people who sell in their house has led to a partnership that is more centered around boosting the vendors, rather than having their space filled. The Harrington also welcomes artists who want to share their work and concert photographers who want to get better at their craft. At the “Valentines at The Harrington” show, Sausville invited a friend, Nicole Byrnes, to share his table to sell her crochet pieces. Redgate, another house show venue, viewed The Harrington as their model when they implemented their own business strategies. Like The Harrington, Redgate’s biggest priority is to utilize its space as efficiently as possible. But it’s started to limit vendors to make room for more guests. “We are more prioritizing getting as many (guests) in and not turning away any people at see vendors page 3
from the studio
Guests bump and bustle in between floors in the house. cassandra roshu asst. photo editor
beyond the hill
Theresa Chen has made her Even in winter, CNY Regional career through her love of jazz Market offers fresh goods By Evelyn Kelley
asst. culture editor
A fter Theresa Chen’s parents bought her a small Casio keyboard when she was 4 years old, her love and curiosity for music began to flourish. Chen can still recall her infatuation with the sound of a classmate playing jazz piano during a class break in middle school “The harmony was so fancy and so groovy. I did not
know until my first year as a freshman that it was so called ‘jazz,’ but I was just fascinated by the sound and since then I was trying to copy the way he did it on the piano,” Chen said. Now, Chen has made music her career, not just through playing, but also through teaching. Chen is a professor of applied jazz piano, songwriting and the history of jazz at Syracuse University. She also came out with her first
album in 2021, “Whispering to God,” which combines “sacred” music with religious themes and jazz, both integral parts of her life. Chen was also nominated for the 2022 People’s Choice section of the Syracuse Area Music Awards, or the SAMMYs. Although Chen didn’t make it to the top four nominees, the nomination in general was a pleasant surprise
see pianist page 3
By Rose Boehm
contributing writer
Even in the harsh Syracuse winters, the Central New York Regional Market continues to offer fresh, local produce to the community. Vendors like Joe Willis are just happy to still sell their goods. “In the winter, for probably the last 30 years, I’ve brought the truck inside, so I don’t have to worry about freezing things,” said Willis, who owns a poultry farm. “I don’t have to worry about the empties (empty egg cartons) blowing around the market.”
Every Saturday, the market hosts local vendors and farmers from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Once November hits, the markets close their sheds to keep the market warm as they get through the winter. Between snow, rain or even below zero temperatures, staff members are equipped to open up the markets all year for those willing to bundle up and brave the elements, said Amanda Vitale, executive director of the market. The market operates around two winter seasons: one from November to December, centered around the holidays, and another lasting from January to April focused on pro see market page 3