I joke with Chad every time we do a show together that “this” show will be the one that falters. That this is the show where the crowd doesn’t show up or nothing sells. That joke got somewhat serious as we were setting up and the full effect of the July summer was felt in Clientele. We don’t have AC yet (it is on my frightening long list of things to accomplish, though), and there was little we could do to make the space bearable. Before the show we ran out and bought some large fans and crossed our fingers that the night would cool down.

The night did cool down, a crowd did show up, and by the end of the night Clientele had its third sellout show in a year. It’s absolutely stunning to see this place continually succeed while we run around like crazy expecting the sky to fall. Maybe it’s because I’m a pessimist when it comes to stuff like this. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best, and keep working. The local naysayers make you believe that the valley couldn’t support a business like this, but you guys keep showing up and it’s truly inspiring.

When I think about the success we have seen so far, I constantly think about all the people attached to Clientele. People who have worked incredibly hard helping with the renovations, running shows, helping with this website, and more or less keeping me together. One person who has influenced the studio immensely has been Chad Fullerton. I don’t think I knew Chad before our first show in October 2018, but he came up to me that night and told me the idea for Deck the Halls. That show was a massive success and was our first sellout show. Shortly afterward he told me about the show that would become Vintage Resurrection. Once again it was a wild success and another sellout. This was his third successful show and third sellout show. Without these successes, it’s hard to picture where we would be right now. Those shows solidified our conviction that Clientele was a place that could survive and was needed in our arts community.

If you don’t know Chad, he is a crazy talented painter and tattoo artist. You can get a tattoo from him at Low Lock Tattoo or buy a piece of his art from one of our shows. I promise you won’t be disappointed in either.

-Will