The Roadhouse celebrates its first birthday

Marking a year of music and culture, The Roadhouse, a community performance space sponsored by the Sound Transit Art Program (STart) at the Angle Lake Station garage, will host a birthday celebration and concert Sat., Oct. 19 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. featuring the Kwetu Band. 

Register for the event here.

Over the past year, The Roadhouse has showcased music and cultural programing focused on South King County and the communities surrounding the Federal Way Link Extension (FWLE). The Roadhouse has presented over 25 events, with more than 1,200 attendees.

In addition to STart programmed events, the space is available for rent by community organizations or groups. Inquiries should be sent to roadhouse@showbrazil.com.

The venue name, “The Roadhouse,” is a nod to the musical history in this area. In the 1930s through the 1960s a number of dance halls were located in South King County, midway between the urban centers of Seattle and Tacoma. The most well-known was the Spanish Castle, which featured local musicians and national acts, as well as the first on-stage appearance of a young Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix’s song “Spanish Castle Magic” was inspired by the Spanish Castle.

STart utilizes one percent of construction budgets, as identified in each voter-approved capital initiative, to bring a human scale and thoughtful detail to the large transportation infrastructure projects that Sound Transit builds. The Roadhouse’s funding is associated with the FWLE and is meant to feature artists, celebrate culture in the FWLE service area in South King County and connect with and inform community members about the transit system in development.