This article was written by BenitoLink intern Brea Spencer. Lea este artículo en español aquí.
San Juan Bautista’s Vertigo got loud the evening of Sept. 13 as the coffee shop and roastery hosted Punk Night, a local artisans market and a brewery tap-takeover event that had an all punk rock soundtrack.
From first-wave to hardcore, the San Juan Bautista coffee shop boasted a sound that was unclean, alternative, and raw. The event was brought together by Vertigo Coffee Roasters, The Groove San Juan Bautista, Coolship Records, and Other Brother Beer Company to bring community members together over a shared love of all things punk.
“Punk music makes me feel nostalgic,” attendee Matt Torres said.
Torres came to Punk Night wearing a hoodie from the Bay Area band Ceremony to celebrate the event. He said what brought him was “a sense of community.”
“And my love for alternative music and punk rock music,” Torres said.
The occasion was similar to others that Vertigo Coffee has held in the past, such as Metal Night, which hosted local musicians Cody Chavez of DRAIN, and Adrian Oropeza of After The Burial, in early July of this year.
As songs from across the punk spectrum boomed into the garden patio, patrons of the event shopped at tables that hosted small businesses, and tried different brews from Other Brother Beer Company, a craft brewery based in Seaside, which took over the beer taps at Vertigo to showcase some of their offerings.
“The tap takeover is really cool,” Torres said. “I think it’s a cool way for people who can’t make it out to other breweries to try new beers and taste local flavors.”
All of the handmade products being sold were of a gothic, dark aesthetic that went along with the theme of the music and experience of the event.
Stephanie Troiano, creator and owner of Indian Summer Silver, creates silver jewelry using pool balls and dice along with natural stones. She said this was her first event at Vertigo, but that she felt well represented by the other businesses that shared the space with her.
“I feel like all of the stuff here goes together really well,” Troiano said.
Troiano started her silver jewelry business about a year ago, and has tabled with The Groove in San Juan Bautista for four different events from Fruition Brewery in Watsonville to Posada De San Juan, a local hotel.
The Groove is a collaborative of local makers, artisans and crafters who make jewelry and art pieces in the San Juan Bautista area that come together to hold markets and fairs.
Monica Shearer, the main organizer of The Groove and owner of Mexican Gothic, said that she hand curates the makers that she works with for events like these.
“I get makers, makers only,” she said. “They already have to know someone who is doing the market and vibe.”
Shearer organizes these events every few months, and the next one coming up on Oct. 25 at Posada De San Juan. It will host 20 makers and will be themed around Halloween.
Shearer’s table held stickers alongside bigger pieces of art. She says that her work is an amalgamation of her Mexican cultural heritage and pop culture.
Arianna Lara, owner and creator of Black Cat Clay, which sells handmade clay earrings, said that she appreciates the space that Vertigo provides to the community.
“Coffee is my life, and earrings are also my life,” she said. “It’s a good combo.”
Her designs capture the varied aesthetics of the area from monarch butterflies to cowboy boots, and even jellyfish.
For the Vertigo event, Lara had a few bat designs on display, and she was wearing her own black snake earring design. Lara’s business is based in Aromas, but she does pop-up events at Vertigo every third Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the sense of community.
“I really enjoy Vertigo, it’s a place that makes me feel happy, and all of the baristas have become like friends to me,” said Lara.
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