Good vibes: More music, investment opportunities at Voodoo

Apr. 1—An unmistakable vibe was evident in the upstairs performance space at Voodoo Brewing Company's original Arch Street pub during a recent Sunday afternoon concert featuring sets by four bands from around the region.

But in case visitors couldn't quite place the precise nature of the energy — visitors born this century, for instance — Branden Eger's tracksuit was there to provide a shining beacon that anchored the vibe squarely in the 1980s. Blue, with scarlet and purple accents, the outfit was so shiny that anyone eager to challenge Eger to a break dance competition would likely have reconsidered or at least donned some amber-tinted glasses like the ones Eger wore below his wide pink headband.

Not quite as shiny, but still very much in the spirit, Eger was joined by Matthew McCray, sporting neon pink stripes on his shirt and neon green shoes on his feet, and Jason Shaner, whose black T-shirt from the Erie hardcore band Sinking Sun didn't date back to the 1980s, but nonetheless honored music of the past.

The three men are on a mission to bring back a vibe they recall from their youth, when they recall live music performances in the Meadville area being more prevalent, more accessible, and more influential on people like them.

"All three of us are kind of an unlikely ragtag group of people and we are coming together because we have a vision for making this into a thing here," McCray said as the three men checked the final setup before the first band took the stage. "We all loved music back in the day. It's been a huge part of our lives and what we're really trying to do is just give that back to Meadville."

With Eger spearheading the effort, McCray's Idlestar Productions handling promotions and Shaner providing equipment and assistance as needed, the trio over recent months has been breathing life back into the upstairs lounge at Voodoo. Bands have come from Pittsburgh, Cleveland, from farther and much closer, with various shows themed around genres — punk and metal shows were held before the recent '80s show.

All the music is original: Voodoo is not licensed for events featuring cover bands playing music for which they don't possess performance rights. So while the music performed at the '80s show on March 23 was not conceived in the actual 1980s, it was crafted very much in the spirit of those halcyon days.

The Pittsburgh-based band Take Me With You, for instance, drew inspiration from bands like New Order and Depeche Mode, bass player Jessie Farine explained before the group took the stage.

For their first time performing in Meadville, Farine said audience members should expect "throwback vibes — back to the era of 'The Breakfast Club,' so modernized John Hughes vibes with a little bit of gothic flair." The 1985 Hughes-directed coming of age story about a group of teens stuck in Saturday morning detention still airs frequently on cable TV and was coincidentally set on March 24, 2024 — one day shy of 40 years before the Voodoo show took place.

Kismet like that is welcome, of course, as the bar continues its post-COVID recovery.

"The upstairs at Arch Street was always designed to host live music and used to be a great space for shows, but that side of Arch Street was put on hold due to the pandemic," Thomas Guzick, the Voodoo's chief marketing officer, said in an email. "Over the past two or so years, post-pandemic, we have been slowly building the space back up as a venue for live music."

After a few intermittent shows, a Thursday night open mic night was added with Eger hosting, and since October the shows have become more frequent. Next up is Armed for Apocalypse on April 12, then several shows in May, including stop.drop.rewind, an Indiana band whose videos have amassed millions of views and likes on Tiktok. In early June, Voodoo will be the second stop on the Digital Bloom tour featuring Greylotus and Sarah Longfield.

"There is an immense amount of amazing local and regional artists," Guzick said, "and we want them to have a place to showcase their talents, as well as giving the community something enjoyable to do."

The recommitment to music at the brewery's original location comes at a time when supporters of the Meadville-based brewery have a chance to show their support by doing more than just buying beer. The company last month announced an investment opportunity via Honeycomb Credit, a Pittsburgh-based platform that coordinates crowdfunded investments in a variety of small businesses that have been vetted by the company.

"We're thrilled to offer our community the opportunity to join us on this exciting venture," Voodoo CEO Matthew Rachocki said in an announcement of the Honeycomb launch. "By investing in Voodoo, our supporters become more than just customers; they become partners in our mission to craft exceptional beer and build vibrant community spaces."

Unlike donations collected through a GoFundMe campaign, Honeycomb offers the possibility of equity on investments made through the platform — while also noting that no return is guaranteed and that "investing in small businesses is inherently risky." The Voodoo funding round, which continues through late April, values the company at $10 million and allows investors to purchase shares at $20.74 each with a minimum $100 investment.

In just a few weeks, 183 people have invested more than $310,000, according to the Voodoo page at invest.honeycombcredit.com. With a goal of up to $1 million, half of funds raised will go to working capital with the rest divided between marketing, equipment and hiring. The ultimate goal is expansion at a national level: With 80 franchises awarded through 2023, the company has plans to sell 200.

A secondary benefit for such investments is to allow supporters to show their enthusiasm for a company. Eger, McCray and Shaner were similarly optimistic that their promotion efforts would fuel more of a buzz for the Meadville music scene — even if it means ordering a garish outfit for some '80s cosplay.

"Anytime we have a theme, I try to get in the spirit to show that it's a fun place," Eger said just before the music started. "Everybody needs to have fun."

Mike Crowley can be reached at (814) 724-6370 or by email at mcrowley@meadvilletribune.com.