Help Save The Attic!

For a little over a decade 2852 Wilmington Pike in Kettering has been a club unlike any other. Its 22,000 square foot spacious inner cavernous sanctum can hold 700+ kids, young adults, teenagers, and adults. Whether hitting the dance floor, jumping up and down screaming during a concert or hanging out/relaxing at a bible study the large epicenter of friendly fun and frolic for kids-late teens and on occasion adults has stood proud and unabashed in its mission to give local youth a place to hang, study the word, dance, chill and head-bang while Facebooking, texting or Tweeting when needed and…. it’s in danger of closing its doors after February 7th.This year The Attic finds itself in the worst financial bind in the ten years they’ve been open. A decrease in national tours and less local bands booking shows are contributing factors. Originally they were going to lose their insurance due to a lawsuit filed by parents whose teenage daughter was inadvertently hit in the crowd at a show. Staff and management have always gone out of their way to preach and stress safety and watching out for one another due to the aggressive nature of some shows, going as far as permanently banning the rowdiest of the rowdies and troublemakers. After talking to the parents, the father, a Christian decided to drop the suit as an act of grace, never intending to hurt the venue but was trying to recoup some of his losses. In turn The Attic will hold a huge benefit show on February 1st all proceeds going to the families medical costs. 

Finding affordable insurance is still a major issue as they are a non-profit organization and need to at least break even to continue operations. There will be an all-day music festival held on January 26^th featuring over 15 bands performing to help raise funds. The venues last scheduled event will be a pre-closing booked show on February 7^th featuring The Color Morale.

Closing the venue would mean area start up bands and those who have a following would have to find other places and there aren’t many all age options. The staff has kept eyes and ears on the Dayton scene and teens and their families are their heartbeat. Ideally, they would like to continue serving them in whatever way possible. Although they’re optimistic they’re not sure what the immediate future holds. Area kids would lose a place where they’re always welcome and invited to hang out. The staff has seen lots of teens comment and say that they will lose a “home” and those are the hardest comments to read and hear. They strive to provide a place where everyone feels welcome and loved and they’d hate to think that they would no longer have that sanctuary in their lives. Many kids say they have figured out who they were and where they were going because of the Attic. Their goal is to continue finding ways to serve the kids so hopefully this will only be a short blip in that mission and they will be able to continue serving them or find a way to once again give them a place to belong.

There’s been a huge outpouring of support from local teens and their families to help raise awareness since the January closing was announced. Facebook and YouTube videos and testimonies have been posted supporting the positive impact The Attic has had on area teens.

Since 2002 The Attic has served as a club/meeting spot for area youth. Though visitors have flocked from all parts of the state and some have crossed the border to see shows. The double doors have opened to all manner of social groups who come in and come together to enjoy the music of their generation performed loudly on stage, sometimes by friends, sometimes by national bands and they all want this grand tradition to continue.

Founder Pastor Jim Kilby and Co-manager Elizabeth Kilby Johnson have painstakingly worked to build a good reputation over the years with business neighbors and the community. The Attic hosts a staff of 20-25. Pastor Kilby is a retired Air Force officer. One day the simple word ‘go’ from Jesus’ ‘great commission’ moved him so much that he decided to move from ministering to teens within the walls of the local church and try to reach those outside. As a result, he founded Harvest Youth Ministries, the parent organization of The Attic.

Harvest Youth Ministries is a non-profit organization operating a unique ministry for local teens. Their hope and mission is summed up by “Some place to go!”  Since Harvest Youth was founded in 1998, they’ve worked hard to provide teens a place to have fun, hang out with friends and just be themselves.

The first Harvest Youth center, The Cellar, opened in Dayton in 1998.  Originally located in the back room of a church, The Cellar soon moved to a building of its own in Moraine where it was transformed into a neighborhood skate park. Through God’s grace and provision, their ministry at The Cellar led thousands of teens to accept Jesus Christ as savior and begin an authentic relationship with Him.  Due to economy changes and the popularity of free, outdoor skate parks, The Cellar closed in 2009.  However, many of the teens that attended The Cellar began to attend The Attic, the second Harvest Youth Ministry location.

Lots of big names have played the hallowed Attic Stage including Hawthorne Heights, Staple, Super Chick, Gwen Stacy, Haste the Day, Red, Skillet, Spoken, Between the Buried and Me, The Devil Wears Prada, Brian ‘Head’ Welch, most of the Scream the Prayer Tours, Becoming the Archetype and A Plea for Purging. There’s also a healthy dose of local acts to help polish the future rock stars of tomorrow. The venue has also catered to positive mainstream acts as well.

The club is alcohol, drug and smoke free. There’s a fully stocked drink/food/snack ‘bar’, a few video games, two stages, a family of pool tables and plenty of lounging spots to prop up or plop down on and a generous amount of space up front reserved for the most devoted fans.

The Attic also has available counseling for any alienation, vulnerability, depression, heartache, confusion or other issues today’s youth deal with. Additionally weekly bible studies have been offered for those interested in hearing/learning more about biblical history and The Almighty. The Harvest Christian Fellowship is a grassroots ministry that meets every Sunday in the building and is designed to help teens and families feel more comfortable communicating and participating in a spiritual/religious setting. Thanks to this movement and its fellowship The Attic has had two confirmed miracles within their walls. Two young lives were saved on two different occasions from near suicide just by being there and the staff/entertainment showing the troubled souls that people did care about them. One of which a former bad boy drinker and drug user had planned on OD’ing  after one of the Scream The Prayer Tours but was stopped and saved after the singer from one of the performing bands received a spiritual message and intervened and the young man was baptized at the club and has been a staff member since. His testimonial along with Save The Attic testimonials can be found on The Attic’s sister sites www.harvestdayton.com and www.harvestyouth.org

Other upcoming shows include 1/18-The Rose Hill, IATM and Witness, 1/19- The Paramedic, 1/24-The Almost, All Get Out and Makeshift Prodigy, 1/25-Misery Signals, Corelia.  Support for keeping The Attic open can be sent to Mailing Donations: C/o Harvest Youth Ministries 4004 Woodcliffe Ave Dayton, OH 45420.