Dixon Rock Studio To Go Dark 'Till The Dust Settles'

A crowd of Dixon teens – about 200 strong –  turned out for the "Farewell But Not Forever Concert" at on North Adams Street Friday night. Dixon hardcore and thrash fans were joined by those who traveled from Galt, Woodland and Vacaville to show support for the studio and watch five bands including: There Came A Day, June Breaks Bright, Straight Up Grizzly, Force Of Habit, Enmity and J Swag.

Complaints from some neighbors had brought officers to the rehearsal/performance space, "more than a few times" Portugal explained. Complaints were about the volume of sound emanating from the cinderblock-brick structure, noisy crowds filling the sidewalks along Adams Street, cars gunning their engines and litter.

James Custis, who lives a block north of DRS on Adams Street said he hadn't complained.

“In fact, I appreciated how polite the kids were who came out for the concerts down there,” he said. “They've been good about asking permission to park in the street in front of my house.”

As far as the complaints about noise, Alex, an 18-year-old from Dixon seated in her car across Adams Street while waiting for some friends to show, asked rhetorically, "Well, what did they expect? They have a mosh pit in a rock studio, you know. Gonna be a little noisy." Alex declined to give her last name.

Last year Portugal had given a presentation before the Dixon Planning Commission, outlining his vision for DRS.

"I told them it would be a place for kids to go, their parents too, get together and enjoy music they like,” he said. “Plus, for the bands it would get them out of their garages and away from neighbors who complained about their loud volume."

had given him the go-ahead to open DRS. Before Portugal gave his first concert, he said the Planning Commission had mailed pamphlets to neighbors within the vicinity, explaining that concerts would be held at DRS. After the pamphlets were mailed, Portugal says he received no response from any of his new neighbors.

"Actually, the volume of music isn't that loud," Portugal said, "the cinderblock walls are pretty thick." A visitor on Friday night walked about hundred feet down North Adams Street and the heavy bass of headlining hardcore band Force of Habit faded into the overall general background of traffic noise and crickets.

Robert Kitchen, who lives directly across North Adams Street from DRS, said as far as some neighbors were concerned the biggest problem DRS caused was the litter.

"Some nights after concerts there, I'd go out and pick up glass and aluminum off the street and sidewalks, make a few extra bucks,” Kitchen said. “I had no problem with the kids. Hey, they need somewhere to go, right?"

Kitchen said he had talked to some of his neighbors though, who felt that some nights the crowds along the sidewalks looked a little threatening.

"I saw some kids drinking out in the street sometimes," he said.

Portugal said he was aware in hindsight that he should have had a better, more visible security presence.

"The kids really appreciated having their own place to show off their clothes and things and support their favorite bands,” he said. “But it got to be maybe a bit too much a free-form party scene sometimes. Probably, if I'd hired a couple guys to stand by the doors, watching, the way things went would have been less of an issue for some of the neighbors.”

Portugal said that he plans on, "in a year or so," re-opening DRS in perhaps a more isolated, industrial section of town, "maybe a warehouse or something over by the freeway," where noise won't be an issue.

"I eventually just decided to close down for now, let the dust settle," he said.

The scene Friday night was calm. No alcohol was obviously being consumed, kids stayed on the sidewalks and, once the concerts got underway, inside DRS and in the courtyard to the rear.

Ryan Duch, a fourteen-year-old from Norwich, England, whose family recently relocated to Vacaville, said she was impressed with the quality of the music at DRS.

"Also, in England the security is so tough, you'd never get to be able to talk to members of the bands,” he said. “Here I can just walk right up and say 'Hi' after their show. It's really cool.”

Philip Mendisco, manager of Force of Habit, said he thought it was sad that DRS had to close.

"But we'll always have some great memories from here," he said. "This was our launching pad."

Force of Habit, he said, had made the trip back to Dixon after a recent appearance at The Roxy on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles to appear in the last concert at DRS.

Added June Breaks Bright bassist Kristelle Pliez, "'Roctavio' is the greatest. This place wouldn't exist unless he had such a big heart."

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