Music Notes: The Search for Trunk Space

Shamika Moore remembers her first visit to Trunk Space back when it was located along Grand Avenue. “There was art everywhere, everyone was cool and the musicians were really good,” recalls the singer-songwriter.

Moore, now the nonprofit venue’s board president, says her devotion to the Trunk Space was born from such moments. She, like many of the 10 other board members, has also performed at the venue, which was founded by artists Steph Carrico and JRC in 2004.

Despite its lofty reputation – indie stars Mac DeMarco and Joyce Manor performed at the all-ages venue early in their careers, in addition to Valley music legends such as AJJ, Diners and Playboy Manbaby – Trunk Space is once again homeless. In 2016, the nonprofit spent five months in limbo after leaving its original home on Grand Avenue due to rising operation costs. And it vacated its most recent location at Downtown’s Grace Lutheran Church this past May due to a rent increase. 

The hunt for a more permanent space that can host events like the Indie 500, a legendary two-day marathon music event, and other boundary-pushing performance art performances, is still underway. “I’m amazed we’ve just managed to keep trucking, and I think it’s because we are so passionate,” Moore says.

Moore’s goal is to find a permanent location for Trunk Space by the end of 2026. In the meantime, she and the team are booking shows for its monthly residency at Hello Lincoln, a performance space at Hello Merch, located at 850 W. Lincoln St.

And while a few interested parties are helping Trunk Space financially with its search, it will still take a tremendous amount of money to get whatever site they find up to code. The venue is accepting donations on its website (thetrunkspace.com).

“I think as we bring in each generation of artists, hopefully Trunk Space can extend far past our timeline.”

– Jason Keil