‘I didn’t do this to make money. You don’t make money at this level,’ Karl Hall owner A.J. Jump says from a stool in the basement venue known as Karl Hall in downtown Wilkes-Barre. ‘It’s a passion thing. But it needs to be here. It has to be here. Every area needs to have a place like this.’
Ryan Evans | Times Leader
Karl Hall fighting through pandemic slowdown to keep local shows going
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Karl Hall has only seen one indoor show throughout the duration of the ongoing pandemic, although there were a number of outdoor shows, presented by the ‘Outback at Karl Hall’ series, as well as an ‘at-home’ series that featured many acts going acoustic. Currently, there’s two all-ages shows scheduled for Jan. 25 and 28, however, A.J. Jump is all about the acts. If they’re willing to play and expect to see a turnout, he’s willing to host.
Ryan Evans | Times Leader
Karl Hall is a place founded by a zeal for sounds, not fueled by dreams of dollar signs, but instead by a love of good live tunes, regardless of genres or sub-genres. With its intimate setting and eclectic mix of performers from, quite literally, all genres, it’s easy to see what the hype has been about. Owner A.J. Jump hopes to see that hype come back soon, and with it the support of other locals who simply love music.
Ryan Evans | Times Leader
WILKES-BARRE — A.J. Jump is adamant about the importance of small venues.
As a professional musician, he’s no stranger to what it takes for an act to “make it.”
Even the largest, international touring acts started out playing garages, basements, house parties, small clubs and bars, backyard birthday parties, and whatever other gig might be available to the up-and-comer.
Karl Hall is something of an amalgamation of the aforementioned venues. Moreover, it’s a place founded by a zeal for sounds, not fueled by dreams of dollar signs, but instead by a love of good live tunes, regardless of genres or subgenres.
“I didn’t do this to make money. You don’t make money at this level,” Jump says from a stool in the empty basement venue. “It’s a passion thing. But it needs to be here. It has to be here. Every area needs to have a place like this.”
Opened in 2017, Karl Hall, named for late local musician Kevin Karl, saw initial success with its intimate setting, vast and varied bills and lineups, and the B.Y.O.B. policy, of course. Since 2020, however, the downtown all-ages spot has seen just one show played within its walls.
“It’s like Groundhog Day,” Jump says, reflecting on the uncertainty and monotony of getting through the pandemic. “We tried some things. We did some outdoor shows. And those were wildly successful and people really enjoyed them and it was great. We did eight total shows outside,” although one show saw thunderstorms threatening and led to the only indoor show.
Jump and Karl Hall also partnered with some other local entities for an “at-home” concert series that saw many acts play pre-recorded acoustic sets, which Jump says were awesome.
And while many acts turned to livestream concerts throughout the pandemic, Jump says the cost of production that goes into such things is just something that isn’t financially feasible. “Unless you do it on a grand scale, with production and you have the fastest internet – but the production cost to do something like that is super expensive and people don’t realize that.”
He points to television production as an example. “TV’s been produced for years, so how do you try to do something on a shoestring budget when everybody has been watching the Super Bowl halftime show and the Grammy’s?”
He says unless you can match that level of production, it makes no sense to go that route.
Jump has worked with downtown organizations like the Diamond City Partnership, although those collaborations saw him helping to book different events. “They’re awesome,” Jump says of the DCP. “I love them and I try to help them when I can and they’ve definitely offered a helping hand with anything. It’s just we haven’t been able to get on anything because I require groups of people, you know? I can’t do takeout shows.”
A.J. is far from “doom and gloom,” though. There’s two shows scheduled for the end this month — Jan. 25 and Jan. 28 — and Jump is happy to host if the acts are willing to play. Other than that, he says you just can’t plan too far ahead, which hinders things a bit.
“You need to be consistent, you need to plan ahead and the pandemic took those things away. You cannot be consistent, you cannot plan ahead, which means you can’t promote. So, you just kinda have to be fly-by-night, be able to do things within 10 days to two weeks and just hope that people come and support.”
In the meantime, you can follow the 57B N. Main Street venue on Facebook at Karl Hall and on Instagram at karlhall_wb. Jump has plans for a massive comeback, including a mascot reveal months in the making and to continue his vision of a “Micro Madison Square Garden” right here in downtown Wilkes-Barre.
“I can’t wait to be back in here,” he says with conviction, looking out across the space. “People are chomping at the bit, but it’ll come back eventually.”
