1919 Hemphill
1919 Hemphill St.
Fort Worth
628-233-5349
Arguably Fort Worth's most DIY music venue, 1919 Hemphill sits in one of the city's more neglected neighborhoods, which locals call "Near South Side." The warehouse-type space is a success among DFW's artsy co-op venues, and has been since 2002. The two-story building is run by an organization of volunteers who throw shows featuring local musicians and artists, and often Fort Worth punk acts. A large seating area on the first floor holds ratty couches and political reading material, while the walls shout inspirational phrases and 1919 Hemphill's venue rules, which include "no booze, no drugs, no jerks." (Because the venue draws a lot of 18-and-unders, it doesn't serve or permit alcohol.) The venue also features a "free store" for the homeless to gather clothing or shoes, and a small "library" on one side of the building, where people can check out books or play sheet music on the organ in the corner. Upstairs, bands play to people sitting on school bleachers or kids flailing around in a mosh pit. Cupcakes and cookies are dropped off frequently by volunteers or local diners, and the lanky teenagers and twentysomethings happily devour them.
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