The original Dorm Eleven venue opened in July 1997 at 1205 North Wood Ave (7 points) in Florence, Alabama. The “venue” (which was actually an empty retail type space) was "all ages" providing a place for bands to play and young people to gather. Volunteers policed the premises to keep alcohol out and nonsense to a minimum. Many young people are short on cash, so a limited number recieved free entry in exchange for help cleaning after the show. A Florence Police officer befriended the cause and would patrol whenever we had an event, which helped keep the venue on the good side of the city. Other than a few noise complaints, there were no major issues. A "venue" license was not available from the city at that time, and it wasn't a bar or nightclub, so it fell under a "general business" license (although humorously a "dance hall" license was also available for classification).
In fall 1998 Dorm Eleven moved to 1213 North Wood, just a couple doors down. The new building had a better layout for shows and provided two "practice rooms" for local bands. The rent from the rehearsal space provided funding for the venue, and the arrangement worked out well. The venue was a popular pit stop for touring bands traveling through to Nashville, Memphis, Atlanta, Birmingham, and Huntsville. Dorm Eleven at 1213 North Wood closed in the fall of 1999 and shows continued at the "Hermi-House" which was a basement venue in a giant house on Hermitage Drive. 6 guys lived in the house including Willy Cardin (Dorm Eleven founder). Willy recorded several shows in the basement and a compilation 7" record titled "This is Florence" was released on Arkam Records by Jamie Barrier (The Wednesdays, Pine Hill Haints).
Dorm Eleven would not have thrived without the help of many and support of live music. There is no “scene” without support.
Below You will find photos, videos, and recordings from the past and current Dorm Eleven releases.
