Formlines

·         Where did the name “Fuzz Hut” come from?

·         Where did the idea for Fuzz Hut come from? How did you put it together?

·         Do you feel any of you have sacrificed to make it work?

·         Have you come across any setbacks?

·         Do you feel like Fuzz Hut has a philosophy or an identity that prescribes the kind of art and music you feature? Does it affect the kind of clientele you are looking to attract?

·         How solid is that identity?

·         How much time and energy has/is put in to cultivating that identity.

·         Why so secretive about the location?

·         What are some of the pros and cons of being so small and secretive?

·         Do you feel Fuzz Hut is competitive with its peers? Who would you consider to be your peers?

·         Do you feel that Fuzz Hut is grounded in Manchester? New Hampshire? How do you feel you fit into the larger narrative of the area?

·         Do you think that Manchester artists are more resilient than seacoast artists? It seems like Manchester is less supportive of its creative community? Do you agree and has that affected you or the artists you work with?

·         Do you think what you are doing is meaningful? How important is that to you?

·         Weirdest thing you have ever seen or heard thanks to Fuzz Hut?

·         Are there things or ideas you want to explore but haven’t yet?

·         What inspires you to do more or be better?

·         What was your dream as a child? What would 10 year old think about you and what you are doing here?

·         Do you consider yourself to be ambitious? Has that helped Fuzz Hut? You personally?

·         What makes you feel like you are moving forward? How important is that feeling to you?

·         How important are traditional definitions of fame and success to you?

·         Would you consider yourself/ Fuzz Hut successful?

·         How supportive are your families? Do you feel pressure from them or anyone to seek more traditional routes to success?

·         What do you want to do with Fuzz Hut? What do you want it to become? What do you want to do after?

·         Anything else you would like to tell me or think I should know about Fuzz Hut?

Here is a little experience piece. It is unfinished but that doesn’t really matter. Parts of it might be harvested for the final article:

“This place is creepy.” She’s not wrong. The labyrinthine halls of the old mill building keep making unexpected turns and bringing us to stairs that only lead up. Finally we can hear the music. It feels like its right behind the white door but it won’t open. We hear footsteps coming up the stairs behind us. A boy with messy hair and hazy eyes asks “Fuzz Hut?” We shrug “somewhere.”

He is more adventurous, or more likely more drunk, than us. He starts rattling doors marked with the names of businesses until he finds a one that leads to a side staircase. He turns back to us, grins, and disappears down the stairs. Like Alice following the white rabbit we go barreling after him. At each floor he tries every locked door. The music fades and returns as we move through the levels. It’s a level of sound that creates pressure behind the doors giving them the feeling of being bowed out, like the hinges can barely hold on. The floorboards vibrate in a way that feels unstable, like they might give out under us if the band just plays the right note.

We reach the bottom. It’s an emergency exit. He bounds back up the stairs and before we can meet him all the way at the top he meets back up with us. “We’re locked in...” He pushes through the emergency exit, all of us fully ready to have to start all over again. On the other side of the door is a loading dock full of flannel clad hipsters. They don’t acknowledge the three of us pouring out the door but our guide sees his friends and is immediately off to meet with them.

I see the entrance we had come in originally through thick glass. “Oh,” I say “She said to keep right. I brought us left. My bad.” Glennis is not amused.

From the platform we enter a brightly lit room, or another loading dock. The exact purpose of the room isn’t entirely clear. There are more people standing around here and we see someone come from another doorway. We round the corner and are finally in the main lobby of Fuzz Hut. We have made it. Beyond this little hallway of a lobby I the main galley and performance space. Its dark and the band is playing.

We set up against a side wall, too far back to actually see the band, but with a perfect view of the audience. They are the definition of “alone together.” They all stand a foot and a half away from one another. Some sway or dance a little but mostly they stand still and stare, transfixed as the singer throws herself around from one end of the stage to the other.

Her voice is not human. It is the sound of a soul, like an animal. It’s the sound of wolves howling and bison lowing it’s the sound of winter evenings.