A young year in show biz for Domo and The Center

Dominic “Domo” Jersak as a Domino’s employee.

In high school, there aren’t any real commitments or responsibilities. If you didn’t get pregnant or avoided dying at a party, congratulations. You essentially have a blank canvas aside from the possible STIs and liver damage.

Levity aside, there’s always something better than being destructive. In Abbotsford, when youth’s lack of real commitments parallels youth’s lack of things to do, local shows are good places to be.

In Abbotsford 2008 and 2009, it felt like everyone was in a band. There were shows all the time; if there wasn’t one at a farmhouse or a community hall, there was one in a dingy punk-basement or at someone’s house. High school bands were everywhere, and hell, it was fun. There were always familiar faces in the crowd, and familiar faces onstage. Being a minor could never be better. All those good times were testimony to local shows being true third places – places for wholesome community life. It was like church without the church.

But inevitably, seasoned bands and die-hard fans started to break up, grow up or move on.

New, young Abbotsford bands became hard to find. Some asked if high school kids were interested in bands and live music anymore. More plausibly, however, maybe there were new bands but they were all just having trouble getting started.

Dominic “Domo” Jersak, a 17-year-old living in Abbotsford since 2003, wanted to help new bands by providing them a starting place. So Jersak created a venue called “The Center,” and it’s situated in a big, concrete space where his parents run a church.

The Center is supposed to be an entry point for new bands. Smaller bands get the opportunity to play with bigger names, multiplying their fan-base – if they’re any good. And the venue is a safe place for youth to congregate, unlike crowded basements flooded with alcohol.

With the help of his parents and others with show organizing expertise, Jersak has been able to hold monthly shows since October 2012. His goal is to maintain The Center as long as possible.

Jersak has family ties in notable Abbotsford bands like the late indie-rock band Fun 100 and the punks from B-Lines. His own music projects include the unclassifiable Yes Men Jr., a band known for extremely fucked up unorthodox performances.

Jersak, who has been going to shows since he was a child, has been raised around live music all his life, particularly punk music.

“I’ve been going to shows ever since I could,” said Jersak.

Jersak always had trouble fitting in with people, and changing to catering to people he spent time with was frustrating. At local shows, Jersak didn’t feel the need for acceptance and neither did anyone else. This is where Jersak could fit in on his own terms.

“I really like the social aspects – whether it’s playing [music] with other people, seeing people in the audience, being in the audience – I really like the connections people make with each other,” said Jersak.

A crude image of The Center before a show.

According to Jersak, an all-ages venues like The Center are a way for Abbotsford youth to see the invisible good in the city: there are still things for youth to do all-year round. Vancouver doesn’t need to be the first alternative when looking for something to do, and neither does smoking a joint.

“Giving up on Abbotsford isn’t the answer that’s going to help Abbotsford,” Jersak said.

The challenges include the gradual loss of bands able to draw crowds, but it’s not stopping shows at The Center. Though he admits these gradual losses have slowed progress, Jersak is still driven to keep fostering a youth culture that celebrates expression and that keeps making music.

So far, the largest number of people The Center has drawn is about 100 people, and that particular night was important for the venue.

“It was really encouraging to see that there is still an audience, and there’s still that many people willing to support the community if the right people are doing things,” Jersak said.