Go See This: Rave On in the Lustron with The Straight 8s

As new members of our Chatham County community, Chatham Park is powering our Go See This series this year because art is an integral part of Chatham County’s identity. They join us in inviting you to Go See This . . .

The Straight 8s will rock ODDCO’s circa 1951 Lustron home—number 2144 of only 2500 manufactured steel homes made—one-half mile west of the traffic circle in Pittsboro, with rockabilly, rock, surf, swing, and country. The Straight 8s is a wide-ranging band for an indescribable venue that is part bar, part living room concert venue, part retail store featuring outsider art (some of which you can wear). The Straight 8s will play a set or two for the lucky forty or so folks who can squeeze in to hear them.

• Who and how many artists are participating?
The Straight 8s: Daniel Mebane, Mark Murphy, and Robert Striegler and hosts Cristina Virsida and Tim Lee

• What kind of art does the event feature?
Music! Rockabilly, Rock, Surf, Swing, and Country

• What’s the goal of the event?
To share interesting music with the county and to let folks get a look at the art in the store.

• How many years this event has been held?
ODDCO has only been around since March 2019 and in that time has hosted more than two dozen events and more than ten bands. Four hundred curious folks showed up over the course of three hours for the grand opening. If you can’t make this concert, check out their full schedule of events most Friday and Saturday nights, and some other nights as well. And stay tuned for news about “Monster Drawing” events in which local artists will be asked to draw for an hour, at the end of which time there will be an auction of the newly created works

• What makes this event unique?
The band, the venue, the vibe. The opportunity to connect. ODDCO is built for connection and creativity.

• Is the event appropriate for children?
Yes. Most of the events at ODDCO are fine for children and when they are not, a notice is posted with all listings.

• Is there special parking or shuttle info?
There is an ample parking lot between ODDCO and the building housing New Horizon’s West and The Phoenix Bakery.

• Is the event handicap accessible?
Yes. ODDCO has parking spaces reserved for handicapped patrons and the entire venue is ADA compliant.

• What will readers find surprising?
Host Cristina Virsida describes the event as “experiencing music in a house concert setting—like being invited into someone’s home to hear music and discovering that that person also has a very eclectic art collection and a lot of beer and wine for sale.”

Everything about the creation of ODDCO in Pittsboro has been in some way serendipitous. Cristina Virsida and Tim Lee raised their kids (mostly) in Apex and as the kids started graduating and moving on, Cristina and Tim felt free to follow their dreams to a log cabin in Chatham County and then to search for a place to create art in Pittsboro. Everything was too expensive; the fixer-uppers were terrifying in terms of what would be required to make them ready; everything seemed to end up with a million-dollar price tag. After one of these disappointing searches, they just wanted to be somewhere pleasant and peaceful and came into The Phoenix Bakery to cheer up. As they told the story of their search to the kind folks at The Phoenix Bakery, one thing led to another and they were introduced to Steve Carr, who makes high-end amplifiers at Carr Amps and also happened to own several pieces of Tim Lee’s work. He’s also into salvage. The rest, as they say, is history—or the manifestation of a relocated, mid-century modern structure opposite The Phoenix Bakery and a new outlet for art in Pittsboro.

The Lustron Home, as the building is known, is number 2144 of only 2500 steel buildings made in the 1950s by The Lustron Company, and it was moved across West Street to its current location. The steel was so strong they needed a plasma cutter to install the electrical panel. Broken drill bits abounded; batteries died. Almost everything had to be done by hand, including Tim and Cristine cleaning the steel panels, which had gone black and green, back to their original soft grey luster. The flooring was salvaged from a 70s-era roller skating rink; leftover steel panels form the planters in a little seating area out front; everything that could be retained was reused. The building itself upholds the couple’s concept of Practical Art.

Event Name: Rave-On in the Lustron with The Straight 8s
Event Host: ODDCO (Odd Company)
Event Days, Dates, Times: Friday, July 13, 2019 8-9:30 p.m….(unless the band is really great, in which case, later).
Event Location: 684 West Street, Pittsboro, NC 27312
Cost of Admission: $3.00
For more info: www.realoddstuff.com

Banner photo by Susan Holt Photography