Megan Hayes | Editor-in-Chief
Pop punk band "Cabin Fever" playing at the Dog Pound. / Bianca Allotey, UCONN Student and Photographer, (@ministarchives) on Instagram (2025)
The moment you step through the house’s threshold, the pulse of live music reverberates through the floor and straight into your spine. With each descending step down to the basement, the music intensifies – and as you reach the ground floor, its magnetic pull is irresistible, drawing you into the heart of a tightly packed, electrified crowd. The energy can be described as nothing other than exhilarating. Welcome to the Dog P0und – a hidden gem in the heart of northeastern Connecticut, assisting to keep the underground music scene alive and thriving.
The queer-owned venue, located in Storrs-Mansfield, Connecticut, is right down the road from two well-known institutions in the area: University of Connecticut and Eastern Connecticut State University. This allows for a wide breadth of the Dog Pound’s attendees to be of the local population, although both bands and audience members alike come from all over New England and beyond. Since August of 2024, the Dog P0und has been hosting local and regional bands of all styles – their first event hosted under the venue’s name was “Cat Coffee Kickoff - Acoustic Sets” on August 24th of 2024. Ever since then, both the attention and the support of the venue has continued to grow. I had the amazing opportunity to speak to three of the hosts at the house – Alexa Udell, Eric Drozdzowski, and Esha Allay – and here’s what they had to say.
Alexa, who has been hosting events since her sophomore year of college, spoke to me about her experience with hosting at this location. Through Alexa’s years at UCONN as an undergraduate student, there was a music scene in which she got involved, and she states that “when I was there, I felt really comfortable expressing myself, dressing the way that I wanted to – being queer in the space. It was somewhere that I felt I really resonated with, and other people at the shows also felt that way.” Following the shows in the area shutting down due to noise complaints, Udell felt there was a void of the space that was once filled with music, and she wanted to do something about it. This motivated her, alongside the other hosts, to begin inviting music back into Storrs and sharing it with others.
Eric also echoed this sentiment, saying that a large motivator for hosting was the lack of an active house in the area. Alongside this, Eric’s passion for sound system management as well as DIY culture (encouraging individuals into making and creating things they want to see) encouraged him to get involved with the Dog P0und, where he now works as the sound system technician. Alongside this, a prominent issue seen within the music community is venues that do not favor the good of the musicians – meaning not having the right gear or personnel to help with sound, which may lead to the meaning of the music getting lost in translation if those in the audience cannot hear. This inspires Drozdzowski to practice his skills, becoming better and better over time with each show he works, and ensure the message of the music stays clear. Eric’s primary goal with the Dog P0und is to create a safe space where people can get together, celebrate music and enjoy themselves. Eric states that “the impacts are bigger than what we do here”.
Esha spoke on the importance of the community formed within the music scene, especially between the bands, hosts, and crowds at the Storrs venue. “It’s really nice to have a community that really enjoys what we’re doing – there are people that have so much hype in the crowd, and also the bands, they’re always so enthusiastic and always so kind with building lineups and promoting. These bands are super nice but also people in the community who enjoy music supporting artists are really nice.” They also pointed out how important mutual respect is for those attending shows at the venue, as it makes the space more welcoming and fun for everyone.
At the Dog Pound, there are no guidelines for genre. Enter Cat Crash, a three-piece New York/Connecticut Riot Grrrl band who is “knocking your socks off” with every beat of their music. Riot Grrrl, a genre that originated in the 1990’s, is built upon a foundation of feminism and designing spaces for self-expression while rejecting social norms and what “should be” in music. As a genre, it opens up the ground for so much more than representation within the music scene – it is activism through art and music, breaking boundaries within punk and bringing to attention female and queer voices. Cat Crash directly embodies the spirit of Riot Grrrl, breaking ground and bringing a new sound to the Connecticut music scene.
Formed originally in 2022 and named after a misspelling of “car crash” on Reddit, the band is currently composed of three artists – Cecil Yang, Brett Cornball and Briar Patch. Formed initially between Cecil and a prior band member, Brett and Briar source the emergence of the band towards Cecil's creation. Since the two new members joined, it is said that there is a "marked different era of Cat Crash". From Fairfield, Connecticut, Brett found the group through Instagram, and when she auditioned to join the group as the drummer, she was instead pointed to the role of guitarist. Having gone to the same school, with no other punk bands coming out of Fairfield, this is what pushed Brett and Cecil to meet. Briar then joined as the drummer, and the three have been making new waves ever since. The group is currently on tour across the northeast and more, spreading the message of their music and entertaining audiences across states.
When asked about the most iconic moment of being in the band, the three members shared...
"Definitely the November 17th show. That was a show I hosted at Trans-Pecos in New York City. There was so much planning put into that, and I was really worried that not enough people would show up, and then twice the amount of people I needed showed up... it was a really successful event. We kind of blew up online a little bit, and it was just a lot of our fans gathered in one place, and everyone knew the words for everything." -Cecil
"Oh man. Probably, like, our very recent show at the Dog P0und. Like, with each show this band has been growing so much and so quickly, over the year we've been doing things, it seems like every single show is bigger than the next. Our pretty most recent one at the Dog P0und had such a great atmosphere, and I think it really solidified our community in Connecticut -- because Alexa, who runs the Dog P0und, is an absolutely wonderful person. We have so much to thank Alexa for, especially in the last half year or so since we've been playing there." -Brett
"We recently went on a tour going across a bunch of cities towards the Midwest. In particular, not only the tour but just like, on the way we played a show in Philly in this really tiny communist bookshop store in the basement and yet we still had so many wonderful fans turn up. We're from Connecticut -- it's like two states over -- so many people showed up, they knew all of the lyrics, were shouting it back at us, and that was something really special. I think it's different when you can experience the actual impact we've had on people." -Briar
Similar to many bands, Cat Crash has run into some struggles while becoming a bigger name in the scene. Cecil shared that transphobia has unfortunately been showing it's ugly head, especially within the hardcore genre. They have also experienced pushback when Cat Crash is placed on a hardcore bill, by some who do not believe their music is "punk" enough (despite Riot Grrrl being at the heart of the punk movement). These people may call those at shows "posers"... a term that is unfortunately thrown around in the music world to mock and undermine others. Additionally, staying motivated and continuing to push forward was a challenge named by Briar and Brett. Especially during the bleak winter months, sometimes it is hard for anyone to push forward, especially when recording and producing music. Figuring out details was another challenge named, especially for the tour that Cat Crash is on currently. Finding places to stay, where the amps and other equipment is going to come from, and what venues to play at tends to sometimes be tricky for artists looking to expand.
Now that Cat Crash is touring, there are big dreams for the future ahead! Aside from pursuing their own music career, Cat Crash also has a side project which they are all enthusiastic about, Bubble Tea Grunge (@bubbleteagrunge on Instagram). This project handles booking and promotion as well as zine making for other bands in the punk, Queercore, and Riot Grrrl scenes. Brett and Briar describe the work of Cecil and Bubble Tea Grunge as "talent that nobody has seen from any other booker in Connecticut". Their dream is to play at Warped Tour, a traveling rock music festival which tours across the United States and Canada.
| "We're here to knock your socks off!"
At Cat Crash's show, the hosts at the Dog P0und shared a little bit about how they are committed to making the best possible experience for those coming to see their shows, despite challenges. Navigating these obstacles with resilience really speaks for the motivation and heart of the venue, and shows dedication to keeping their performers, vendors and audience safe. At the time of the interview, one of the main challenges was fighting the weather -- ensuring everyone was safe coming into the venue due to the ice in the driveway from the frigid February conditions. Additionally, ensuring attendees were being respectful to everyone is another one of the main goals of the venue. Esha shared a little bit about the Dog P0und's experience dealing with problematic people, especially online. Sometimes, it can be bands, attendees or anyone with social media access that doesn't quite find everything to be perfect -- and they voice those concerns. With so many different opinions, perspectives, and even accusations being thrown around, sometimes things get difficult to dodge for the hosts. However, they continue to handle these situations with grace.
Maintaining the house was another one of the challenges faced, as shows and attendees, granted, can sometimes get a little rowdy. Maintaining safety with events that may have mosh pits is at the forefront of the host's minds, especially when it comes to both safety of the attendees and performers and also longevity of the house. There is a lot of work that goes into active hosting, like ensuring the guests have everything needed (water, soap, toilet paper, etc.) and allowing the home to be opened up to all. However, a concern voiced by Eric is that there is not always staff to help after events, and sometimes small issues tend to snowball, so it is important that prompt work can be done to still ensure a safe environment for all. Volunteers are also always welcomed at the venue... follow @thedogp0und on Instagram to get involved.
There is no near end in sight for the bumping music and lively spirit that this venue holds. The hosts express their love for keeping the venue up and running, and are currently searching for a new venue to continue inviting more into the underground music scene, whether commercially leased or a similar house-type venue. Alexa spoke on what she finds to be most motivating to continue hosting, with creative expression of both those who perform as well as those who attend being one of her main reasons. Many bands started their careers at the Dog P0und, with many debut shows having been in the books. Alexa states that it is thrilling to see the fanbases, artists and energy grow with each show they perform. It allows her to connect with the local music scene more and connect with all different types of people -- which especially allows formation of connections like photographers, vendors, videographers, and more.
When asked what their message to the viewers of this interview would be, the hosts shared some closing thoughts...
"Come as you are. There is really no 'should be' or 'have to be', besides like, you know, being respectful to other people and being kind. But you can really come any type of way... because I only transitioned two years ago, when I was first going out to like FunkHaus and Mud House, I would just dress up... and it was a really good place for me to feel comfortable dressing how I wanted, doing my makeup how I wanted, the way that I wanted to express myself. That's the main thing I want people to know, is that you should feel comfortable, you know, coming as you are." - Alexa
"We're mostly in it for the music -- that is what we really care about. A lot of the musicians we have met through here are great people, and they have a really great message, and we feel that that's important. It's hard as a musician to make music, or any kind of art, and not feel like you're just casting hard work into the void. People can look at a song and come up with a million reasons to dislike it... even with Spotify now not paying artists. We pay them a fair share of what we made through the night, and make that as big as we can, even with our vendors here. It's just awesome, you know? We want to uplift as many people from as many different artistical standpoints as we can. If you're respectful here, this is a perfectly safe space for you." - Eric
"We're just a bunch of chill people trying to just host music. We're a DIY venue, and we're just regular people who started a venue to see their favorite bands play. Sometimes, we need more grace... we're all just human! We love to talk to people and love to make friends... but we're just people existing and being fangirls, honestly. It's so cool!" - Esha
To show support to this venue, first follow them on Instagram, @thedogp0und. Flyers, calls for volunteers to staff, and updates are all posted there. When you attend, remember: pick each other up if someone falls, have fun and be kind.
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