Last weekend, I was cleaning out my junk drawer—you know, that place where you stash things until you can “someday” sort them out. I found my ticket stub from last year's Slayer/Marilyn Manson concert in Phoenix, which I attended with like-minded friends. Afterward, over coffee (in my case, tea) we reminisced about concerts past, music as it was, and other nostalgic things.
 
Two of the group used to be in a speed-metal band that practiced in an older self-storage facility outside of Mesa, Ariz. This was when storage was usually found in the less salubrious parts of town. The facility owner was an old blues player who, in his words, was “good enough to play, not good enough to perform.” So he let the boys practice after hours.

And they were good. They even held a few very large parties at my mini farm to get exposure and develop a fan base. My rodeo-loving neighbors were very tolerant; they never complained when songs such as Metallica’s “Ride the Lightening” thundered across their pastures.
 
In the course of time, the boys grew up and the band dissolved, or maybe it was the other way round. The old bluesman died, and his facility was sold. I wonder if the notes of "storage bands" still echo along its lanes.
 
Renting units for rehearsals is not that uncommon. In February, I read this article about Advantage Self Storage in Woodsboro, Md., where a band called Those Victorious rehearse about three times a week. 
 
How about you? Have you even had a band rent space, maybe one that cut a demo or got a contract? I love hearing these kinds of stories. Leave a comment below or drop me a line at [email protected]. Maybe it will develop into a feature article for ISS mag.