Former church chapel to become concert venue in downtown New Kensington
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Three years after moving his record store into a former church and Salvation Army citadel, New Ken Social owner AJ Rassau is adding a second concert venue to the building.
The new venue, which has yet to be named, is in what had been the chapel of a former Presbyterian church at Fifth Avenue and 11th Street. At 6,300 square feet, it’s about triple the size of Preserving Underground, the concert venue in the basement, Rassau said.
It’s across a hall from the record shop, Preserving.
Rassau expects the standing-room-only venue to appeal to younger audiences.
The first concert March 25 with Florida metal band Bodysnatcher is sold out. Another 10 to 12 acts are on the books but not yet announced.
“We’re open to all types of shows,” Rassau said. “I think it really has potential.”
Rassau said he’ll be able to schedule more shows once he gets one on the books so agents can see how it looks and works.
“I think we understand what people are looking for,” he said.
While the audience for Bodysnatcher was capped at 600, Rassau said the space can accommodate more. He has been holding about 10 concerts a month in Preserving Underground, which he said can hold about 300 people.
“Most other venues in this capacity range are not full-blown concert venues. They’re restaurants or they’re night clubs or they’re bowling alleys,” he said. “Our priority is the concert venue. We have all the amenities the bigger venues have.”
For bands, Rassau said, that includes multiple green rooms with “all the things a touring band needs,” including showers and laundry facilities.
New Kensington Mayor Tom Guzzo said the new concert venue is a great idea and will be another boost for the city’s downtown.
“AJ has done an amazing job bringing in so many people to Preserving Underground and with the events he has been consistently putting on,” Guzzo said. “It’s been a really good entertainment option for our downtown.”
Rassau, 37, of New Kensington started his business as Preserving Hardcore in 2018. It was online only, and he worked out of his basement.
In April 2019, he opened in the basement of District Judge Frank J. Pallone Jr.’s building, next to the church on 11th Street. He changed the name to Preserving Underground within six months.
At the end of June 2020, he closed on buying the former church from the New Kensington Salvation Army. The Salvation Army moved to the former Fort Crawford Elementary School on Third Street after buying it from the New Kensington-Arnold School District.
Originally in the basement when it opened in September 2020, the record store moved upstairs in New Ken Social in early 2021.
“Initially it was just going to have a stage for in-store performance-type stuff until the demand for a full-scale venue took precedence because of other clubs either closing or refusing to reopen due to the pandemic,” Rassau said.
While Rassau originally planned on having other businesses in the building, he’s filling it up himself. The building also has a penthouse apartment that can be rented for gatherings.
“I’m struggling for room now,” he said.
Rassau removed but kept the 30 pews that were in the chapel. He tore out the carpeting, along with thousands of staples and nails, and restored the hardwood floor underneath.
The colorful stained-glass windows remain and will be protected behind netting. Rassau said he learned that encasing the stained glass in something solid could damage them from built-up heat.
“It’s important to me we leave everything historical,” he said. “We want to leave it looking nice.”