Whether or not we like to admit it, most of us have found ourselves at a party in a Waltham basement at one time or another—mostly at fraternity and sorority parties. There are generally too many people crammed into too small a place. The ceilings are low, and the pipes hang unsafely close to our heads. There is oftentimes a glowing laptop staring up at a disc jockey blasting top-40 hits and techno remixes. In the midst of these carbon-copy basements, there is another, more special cellar. Yes, there are still the low-hanging pipes and that familiar, musty smell, but in place of the 21st-century jukebox, there are live bands. Adam Levitt '12, Chris Defalco '12 and James Bartolacci '12 operate this small basement concert venue on Dartmouth Street, which they call The Frat Cave.

The venue first opened when Defalco's friends, who were in small bands, asked him about performance spaces, and he decided to invite them to his home off campus. The Frat Cave had its first show last September and has had about 13 shows since, each with an average of three different acts. Preparation for the shows is minimal, as is cleanup. The space has gained something of a reputation in its short existence in the local Boston music scene.

"We don't have to contact bands anymore. They do that on their own. When we first started, I emailed people about putting shows together, and [now they know us]," Defalco said in an interview with justArts.

Although many of the musicians that have performed at the Cave hail from the Boston area—such as Abram Taber and Vile Bodies, who were part of the most recent Cave performance—bands have come from as far away as San Francisco.

Levitt explained that the bands from San Francisco, including NEO CONS, were connected to the Cave by the band Foreign Objects, which had previously performed there.

"The fantastic Foreign Objects set up like half of our shows," Defalco added.

Another contact was made through a request Defalco received on an online message board.

The process is pretty informal, and the only time the three seniors have ever set a price for a band or musician was for the multi-instrumentalist Ryan Power. According to Bartolacci, during the shows, he, Defalco and Levitt take donations in a donation bowl, but there is no formal payment to the bands.

"Small, touring bands will take anything they can," Defalco said.

The mission of The Frat Cave, whose name, which was invented by Levitt, is a reference to Batman's secret hideout and the house's location on a street dominated by fraternity houses, seems to be simply about bringing musicians and fans together in a laid-back environment where the songs can be most appreciated.

The energy varies by show because of the range of musical genres the bands the group brings to the Cave play.

"The last show ended with people ripping the crossbeams from the ceiling," Levitt said in reference to their Sept. 8 show that had the self-described hardcore and punk bands, Vile Bodies, Subclinix, Male Nurses and San Fransisco band Neighborhood Brats. "[But] there are shows where there can be a lot of people there and not a lot of noise. … We have everything from like ambient stuff to hard rock," he continued.

With musical diversity comes a diverse audience, mostly from the Boston area and the Waltham community. However, the group wishes that more Brandeis students would come. "We are open to everybody," said Bartolacci, who moved into The Frat Cave house after he was already familiar with the venue. One of his favorite shows at the Cave was Oberhofer, a New York-based band that played at the Cave after a show at Cholmondeley's on April 9 of this year. This show was not just one of his favorites because it was "a great show," but because a lot of Brandeis students were there.

"[The Frat Cave] is really the only place that has house shows in Waltham, so it's kind of special," Levitt said.

The group sees the small basement venue as a "cultural institution" in the community. Bands recognize it as such, too. Lawrence Welks & Our Bear to Cross, one of the most recent bands to play on campus, has performed at the Cave three times. "[Lawrence Welks & Our Bear to Cross] is always awesome, and they're always well-received at our house," said Levitt.

In the future, the group hopes to put together a 12-hour festival called "Frat Cave Fest." While no concrete plans have been made for the festival as of now, there is a planned show Nov. 5, and Defalco frequently receives band requests. The Frat Cave residents create events on Facebook to let people know about upcoming shows, and many hear news of upcoming shows by word of mouth.

Levitt, Bartolacci and Defalco say that they believe support of local musicians and the arts is critical and encourage students to stop by the Cave for a show.

"The Frat Cave is always open," Levitt said.

"We're a warm, welcoming place," added Bartolacci.