By Devin Holt
Viracocha, the Valencia St. antique store with a secret basement venue (where The Bold Italic once hosted a speakeasy-themed party) has been closed for remodeling since June. It’s set to reopen soon, and to go legit with its performances. Its founder, Jonathan Siegel, and his business partner Norah Hoover used the time off to upgrade the beautiful, wood-paneled basement into a legally permitted performance space. An opening party is scheduled for July 15, with a show by funk/soul outfit Con Brio.
Siegel said the cozy downstairs venue would look more or less the same, except for a few changes to comply with the building code. Where coffee cans used to decorate lights that shined on the stage, there are now professionally installed LED light fixtures. To keep the esthetic feel of the space, Siegel had an artist draw the evacuation plan posted on the wall. It is too cute for words, written in calligraphy with hand drawings of the space and emergency exit.
Siegel and Hoover both stressed that their recently-approved Place of Entertainment permit was conditional. This means a few city agencies still need to sign off on plumbing, electrical, or other building work. Because of this, they’re hosting the Con Brio show as a private affair. It’s free, but requires a mandatory RSVP.
They plan to reopen the store as soon as possible but haven’t set a date yet. After the remodel, they said it will feel less like a crowded antique shop and more like an artist community store. The bands, theater companies, and other groups who use the venue will be encouraged to sell their art upstairs. So a writer who comes to a storytelling series might leave some copies of their book to sell, or pick up a literary magazine. The antiques will gradually shift into the background as decorations.
“Before it was much more reminiscent of a house, with many different nooks and crannies,” Siegel said of Viracocha. “Because we’re going to focus more on the performance and the renting aspects, we don’t have to clutter up the space.”
Things were still pretty cluttered during our recent visit. Saws and construction tools filled the front of the ground floor, while ladders and laptops rested on the new bar in the back. The store’s famed typewriter collection sat on the stage in the basement. They will eventually decorate the performers’ green room. Asha, Viracocha’s beloved cat, moved to Oakland. We’ve been assured she is happy there.
Siegel and Hoover were both anxious to set the record straight about why the venue closed. They said it wasn’t because they were shut down by the city. They just needed time to focus on legalizing the space. “There’s never been a single complaint, never any calls from the police department,” Siegel told us. City employees confirmed this.
Viracocha will start hosting public events again as soon as they get the final approvals for their permit. Hoover said she couldn’t give away too many details about what’s planned yet, but said for now they’ll be “keeping it in the family” with local artists. Touring acts and groups with a larger following who want to do secret shows could be welcomed in 2015. Capacity for the space will be 49 people per floor.
“So it’s going to stay intimate, but I think that’s what makes it special,” Hoover said.
Photos courtesy of Viracocha.
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