On Friday night, The A Hole, a local Ames basement music venue, hosted three indie rock bands to commemorate their last show of the year— the environment was nothing short of electric. The bands included Cal in Red from Michigan, Kibble from Ames and Whitehall from South Carolina.
The headlining band of the evening, Whitehall, is made up of four musicians from South Carolina who met during their freshman year at the College of Charleston and decided to make music together. The band is currently based in Brooklyn, New York, and is embarking on their Midwest tour, consisting of 15 stops.
“We’re on the road and we just knew it’s a great stop [Ames],” Whitehall’s lead singer and guitarist, Paddy Mckiernan, said. “People have a great time here and we’re just stoked to be back.”
Whitehall has played in Ames a total of five times now at various venues and events around the city. They make it a point to come to Ames whenever they can.
“The people that run everything here are super sweet, very good at what they do and have just been really good to us,” Mckiernan said.
The A Hole is a basement venue in Ames that was created in the fall of 2022 and is co-owned by Sine Rife and Cole Hildebrand. Rife studied electrical engineering at Iowa State and previously worked at the M-Shop during his time at Iowa State.
“We execute at a pretty high level,” Rife said.
The A Hole strives for consistency, quality and high energy experiences for everyone who attends their shows. They pack in max capacity in the basement, serving a vibrant atmosphere, ideal for jamming to the blaring tunes.
“People don’t understand how much time and effort goes into these shows,” Liam Brennan, a video collaborator for the venue, said. “It’s less of a throw and go than you think.”
Quality over quantity is a core value at The A Hole. Rife, Brennan and the team spend hours preparing for each show and often have to take time off work to get things ready and ensure a smooth night.
The A Hole is recognized in Ames for its high vibes and unique atmosphere.
“Normally, it’s just a lot of people moshing around, having fun, playing punk rock,” Dawson Westfall, a regular attendee at The A Hole said. “I love the music first of all, but also the culture, it’s just very welcoming— everyone loves each other and is just very kind to each other.”
If you’re looking for live music and a good time, keep your eye out for upcoming concerts at The A Hole next year.
