“ So, when I see people get together and enjoy the architecture and entertainment and each other in a common space like Thirty One West, then I know we did the right thing. And I can’t take any credit for it, because it was an idea that happened in 1902.”
In 2005, the site at 1 S. 3rd St. in downtown Newark was in a state of disrepair. The ceiling had collapsed years earlier, and plastic sheeting was all that protected the building from the elements. It was in a prime location, but it was in bad shape. Downtown Newark visitors walked past the spot on the corner every day, ignoring what lay inside.
So there it existed. Dark, quiet, empty. That is, until a 22-year-old Tom Atha decided to shake things up. Downtown Newark residents and workers watched as Atha carried old, damaged pieces out of the building. He would emerge every evening, a fire in his eyes, exhausted after a long day of manual labor. He may have been young, but he was the only one willing to restore the dilapidated building. In went new walls, in went a new ceiling, in went new doors. Then, in went a piano. In went heavy duty recording equipment, and guitars of all shapes and sizes. And soon after, in went musicians, eager to record their work. In went Denison University students, excited to learn about the art of music production. Earthwork Recording Studio opened July 2007. The building that was once quiet save for the drip-drop of rain falling through the collapsed ceiling was now loud with music, passion and life.
At just 4 years old, Atha began taking violin lessons. He moved on to piano, then to guitar at age 10, and that’s when he fell in love. But Atha wasn’t just satisfied with playing others’ music; he wanted to create it, too. The Granville native and a few friends formed a band in high school, Fate Hates Us, and Atha spent most of his free time in a recording studio on the former Clark Motor Company property. In fact, he spent so much of his time there that the recording studio owner gave him a set of keys and invited him to use it whenever.
Earthwork became home to musicians both local and from around the country, and Atha found himself in a predicament; he didn’t know Newark outside of Earthwork’s walls. But he wanted to change that, especially ahead of his new idea: to open a venue that could host his musicians. Atha joined the Downtown Newark Association and started to get to know his neighbors. Eventually, he would become president of the organization. At first, his goal was a small venue. Perhaps a coffee shop with a miniature stage, he thought. But when he looked at existing local venues, especially what was offered nearby in Columbus, he saw a need for medium-sized venues instead. Small coffee shop gigs and huge stadiums were covered. What about the bands that drew 300-person crowds? Again, Atha turned to a vacant building, this time Newark’s former Crystal Ballroom, to create Thirty One West.
“The people here are really remarkable. The way that people are working together to better this place they call home is really stunning to me. And, you know, if I hadn’t dug in, I never would’ve recognized that,” Atha says. “That makes me really proud to be from this place and see all these folks who are all on the same team.” Now, as he brings in acts both to Earthwork and Thirty One West, he’s found himself becoming an ambassador. People who never would have visited Licking County are now coming for the weekend, either to enjoy others’ art at Thirty One West or to produce their own at Earthwork. One particular project Atha is proud of is the Bud Light Platinum Series at Thirty One West. During each performance, house band The Reissues plays a platinum album front to back, from the Dixie Chicks’ Wide Open Spaces to Led Zeppelin’s Led Zeppelin IV.
““Honestly, it’s just an amazing musical endeavor to dig that deep into someone’s catalog and gain an appreciation for. Why the heck was this so popular and is still so popular ... I think it’s amazing. You can put 150 or 200 people in a room who deeply appreciate a record, and I think that kind of musical appreciation has changed.””
Atha has taken an active role in fostering musical appreciation in students, too. As a visiting instructor in studio recording at Denison, Atha hosted students at Earthwork for six years. However, now that the Michael D. Eisner Center for the Performing Arts is open, he and his students will stay on campus. He also helped create the Newark Organization for the Creative Arts, a new non-profit that aims to educate others and support their creative endeavors. Atha may not have imagined himself in the leadership positions he’s in today when he was renovating the Earthwork space in 2005, but he’s become a valuable stitch in Licking County’s arts fabric. Still, he doesn’t take credit for the movement he’s been an integral part of.
“… when I see people get together and enjoy the architecture and entertainment and each other in a common space like Thirty One West, then I know we did the right thing. And I can’t take any credit for it, because it was an idea that happened in 1902.”
