Junkyard fills need as all-ages venue

It lives up to its name, at least for now.

The place is called the Junkyard for a reason, as evidenced by the random piles of metal, various power tools and even a backhoe, which fill the large, enclosed concrete back lot a week before it opens to the public.

The new, open-air, all-ages downtown concert venue won't look like this Friday, though, when it hosts its first show, headlined by deathcore favorites Winds of Plague.

The Junkyard's surroundings aren't scenic, it's next to a sheet metal shop, across the way from the Bonneville Transit Center bus terminal, but it will probably register as a thing of unadorned beauty for Vegas' teen concertgoers -- and their parents.

"My friend has owned that lot forever," says Junkyard head Tim Thurtle. "He's a contractor, and basically, he had a bunch of broken down equipment. The yard was just a mess. The city kind of got on him about it. We were talking one day and he was telling me, 'They just gave me a ticket; I've got to clean up this yard.' And I'm like, 'Dude, if we're going to do that, let's have a concert there.' And that's how it started."

Thurtle, along with his wife, Denise, and two sons, Bobby and Jason, formerly ran the popular Area 702 indoor skate park and concert venue in North Las Vegas, which closed in February 2011 after the property owner declined to renew its special events permit. They hoped to open another skate park/concert hall on Oquendo Road and Decatur Avenue but have had trouble with county officials in terms of securing licensing for the music side of things, so they're launching two ventures instead (the skate park's grand opening is set for April 7 in the aforementioned location).

As of now, the Junkyard isn't meant to be a permanent venue -- the lights and the sound equipment will be taken down after every concert. Instead, it will feature a series of "special event" shows in order for Thurtle and Co. to raise funds for a future location as well as demonstrate to the city that they know what they're doing.

"What we wanted to do is let the city get to know us a little. We want to prove ourselves," he says. "They're willing to give us a try. We thought they were very accommodating."

Good vibes are good news in this case, as Vegas is in dire need of all-ages venues such as this. It's a family affair, a labor of love, that, for the Thurtles, requires a love of labor.

"I don't want it to be a sophisticated venue; we just want to be us," Thurtle says. "If we can offer the kids a safe place to listen to music and be themselves, I'm in for it."

Contact reporter Jason Bracelin at jbracelin@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0476.