Cigarettes, pasta and sweat -- "it's a pretty great smell, it's one of my favorite smells in the world," said musician Noah Judge of the Anchorage band Pole Smortum.
That's the smell of Punk Monday at Pasta Avanti in downtown Anchorage. The Italian eatery has been hosting an all-ages music night for about a year.
Tap Root hosted the punk show for several years, but after a change in ownership there, Punk Monday needed a new venue. Concert promoter Ryan Vukson of Tazlina, who started Alaska Punx United in 2014, pitched Punk Monday to businesses in downtown Anchorage, and Pasta Avanti said yes.
Admission is either $5 or the price of a bowl of pasta. While it's called a "punk" night, current organizer and promoter Michael Rivera books all sorts of bands. Psychedelic, doom metal, indie rock and thrash bands are all welcome at Punk Monday.
The shortage of Anchorage venues for all-ages shows makes Pasta Avanti one of the few places for musicians under 21 to play on a consistent basis.
"I really want all-ages shows to be happening frequently enough to where everyone gets a chance to play them," says Rivera.