Local Oxford band Pinebox plays the very first show at Second Home on May 17. Photo courtesy: Walter Lyle
Standing by itself on the side of a dangerous curve, 124 County Road 149 is exactly what you would expect a college student’s house to look like. Video game and music posters decorate the walls, the smell of burnt frozen pizza fills the kitchen and a garage serves as storage for a slew of Grove tents.
However, with only about an hour’s work, the humble abode becomes a welcoming venue for traveling musicians.
It’s called Second Home.
“I love a huge variety of music and really enjoy hosting people,” Peyton Dixon, owner of the house, said. “I love being able to call it Second Home, because that is exactly what I want it to be for our guests.”
Before each show, all the living room furniture is moved to the back patio, allowing for a type of green room for the bands. The TV is replaced by a drum set, with giant amps and bass cabs covering up the walls. Bands set up merch tables in the kitchen to sell T-shirts and CDs. And no one is sure why, but a life-sized cardboard cutout of Ronald Reagan is nailed onto the wall, presiding over everyone inside.
California metalcore band Mothersound plays to a packed house at Second Home on July 3. Photo courtesy: Walter Lyle
Then the lights turn off, and it gets loud. The windows shake as guitar riffs mixed with crashing drums and screamed vocals fill the living room. As many as 30 people stand shoulder to shoulder, spilling into the hallway and kitchen as everyone enjoys the music in this tiny house. Second Home has had five shows since it opened as a venue over this past summer.
“Playing at Second Home was really warm and inviting,” Pinebox drummer Jon Michael Walton said. “I was really shocked because there were a ton of people crammed in a place with no prior show history. I think that night initiated good turnouts for following shows because the crowd was so diverse.”
Second Home’s next two shows were metal bands, including Mothersound, a metalcore outfit from Los Angeles.
California metalcore band Mothersound. Photo courtesy: Walter Lyle
“Coming all the way from across the country, you never really know what to expect,” Alo Ruiz, vocalist of Mothersound, said. “As a musician, all you can ever hope for is a slight welcome and some sort of response as you perform. Playing in Oxford felt better than a second home. It felt like I was home.”
Most recently, local solo act Ben Ricketts came through with acoustic musician Drew Danburry for a much more quiet and intimate show, where most everyone, including the musicians, lounged and listened on the floor. Watching Danburry play was Ole Miss student Lucy Burnam. It was her first experience at Second Home.
“Not only was the experience different from what I usually attend,” Burnam said. “But it somehow felt more real.”
Bands and music lovers alike find a safe space at Second Home, and it’s sure to stick around Oxford for a while.
Second Home’s next show is Nov. 18, and Oxonians are invited to bring a friend, take a seat and enjoy the music.
