A basement show is a punk rock or hardcore punk show that is held in the basement of a residential home, rather than at a traditional venue. Basement shows are normally held for a variety of reasons, chief of which are: Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... Hardcore punk (or hardcore) is a faster and heavier version of punk rock usually characterized by short, loud, and often passionate songs with exceptionally fast tempos and chord changes. ... A basement is a storey or several storeys of a building that are either completely or partially below the ground floor. ... A residential area is a type of land use where the predominant use is residential. ... A Venue is the location of an event, usually a meeting. ...

• lack of a suitable venue in the area;
• convenience and relative ease;
• host can give much back to his local scene and community;
• shows hold important symbolic value to the DIY ethic and punk/hardcore culture;
• shows completely avoid any sort of corporate sponsorship, thereby keeping the event more "pure"; it is therefore considered the antithesis of selling out, and keeping the scene, small and independent; and
• basements are more suitable for smaller bands, with an audience of less than 50 people.

Some bands have even written songs about this, such as "It Sounds Better In The Basement" by The Devil Is Electric. Basement shows can also be much more fun, as they often double up as parties. Many people continue to hang out after the show, and thus, they are great social events and meet-ups, and in some cases, places to drink. DIY stands for do it yourself, as opposed to paying a professional to do it for you. ... Punk culture as it is seen today started in the mid 1970s as a movement or rebellion against some styles of music which existed at the time such as Prog Rock and Heavy Metal whose stars were seen as out of touch with their fans. ... Hardcore punk (or hardcore) is a faster and heavier version of punk rock usually characterized by short, loud, and often passionate songs with exceptionally fast tempos and chord changes. ... A corporation (usually known in the United Kingdom and Ireland as a company) is a legal entity (distinct from a natural person) that often has similar rights in law to those of a Civil law systems may refer to corporations as moral persons; they may also go by the name... Sponsorship can refer to several concepts: A sponsors support of an event, activity, person, or organization. ... Antithesis (Greek for setting opposite, from anti = against and thesis = position) means a direct contrast or exact opposition to something. ... The Devil Is Electric were a DIY political pop-punk band from Bloomington, Indiana. ...

Yet, despite its symbolic value, basement shows have been declining steadily since the '80s. There are several reasons for this: // Events and trends The 1980s marked an abrupt shift towards more conservative lifestyles after the momentous cultural revolutions which took place in the 1960s and 1970s and the definition of the AIDS virus in 1981. ...

• cities have become stricter with enforcing noise regulations and fire codes, making basement shows increasingly more difficult;
• people are becoming less willing to hold them, as often, theft, and vandalism do occur in the house where the show is being held;
• availability of venues are increasing; and
• basement shows cannot hold enough people, as bands get larger.

Nevertheless, basement shows still occur, often to stage local shows as get-togethers for the local kids, and for touring bands that cannot find suitable venues to play. The United States Capitol building, where the first national Noise Control Act was passed in 1972. ... Fire safety is a component of Building Safety. ... A caricature of Gustave Courbet taking down a Morris column, published by Le Père Duchêne illustré magazine Vandalism is the conspicuous defacement or destruction of a structure or symbol against the will of the owner/governing body. ...

(it is however, despite the tone of the writing above, still a thriving and viable means of putting on shows for a large group of punks across the united states who refuse to play "suitable" venues. where one basement door closes, another opens. always.)