The Roadhouse — a new performing arts space at Angle Lake Station — debuts Oct. 29

The Roadhouse, a community performance space sponsored by the Sound Transit Art Program (STart) at the Angle Lake Station garage, will open to the public at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 29. The venue’s debut will feature live performances by South King County’s Polynesian dance troupe Huraiti Mana and musicians Seiha and Adobee. (Event registration is available at theroadhouse.art; click on “events.”)

The Roadhouse will feature a music and audio program focused on South King County and the communities surrounding the Federal Way Link Extension (FWLE). The program highlights and celebrates the many cultures and musical styles in the area as well as artists and musicians living and working in South King County, and it connects transit riders with the places they are traveling through.

The venue is being managed by Show Brazil!, led by Eduardo Mendonça. Brazilian born, Kent-based Mendonça is a musician, educator, and event producer who has produced BrasilFest at Seattle Center for 25 years, performed for the Dalai Lama, and worked extensively with young people through music.

The Roadhouse will host four marquee events a year for up to 145 attendees, and up to 12 smaller events between fall 2023 and the end of 2024. These will be ticketed no-cost events for all ages. An advisory committee of South King County community leaders and performance professionals is helping guide the programming for Sound Transit sponsored events.

In addition to STart programmed events, the space will be available for rent by community organizations or groups. Inquiries should be sent to roadhouse@showbrazil.com.

The venue name, “The Roadhouse,” is a nod to the musical history in this area. In the 1930s through the 1960s a number of dance halls were located in South King County, midway between the urban centers of Seattle and Tacoma. The most well-known was the Spanish Castle, which featured local musicians and national acts, as well as the first on-stage appearance of a young Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix’s song “Spanish Castle Magic” was inspired by the Spanish Castle.

STart utilizes 1 percent of construction budgets, as identified in each voter-approved capital initiative, to bring a human scale and thoughtful detail to the large transportation infrastructure projects that Sound Transit builds. The Roadhouse’s funding is associated with the FWLE and is meant to feature artists, celebrate culture in the FWLE service area in South King County, and connect with and inform community members about the transit system in development.