Woodbridge neighborhood, Detroit; woodbridgerecords.com
Say you're out one night wandering through Woodbridge — maybe on your way to a pal's house, maybe on your way to Woodbridge Tavern — and your ears spot the sounds of edgy folk-rock or hip-hop-inflected guitar jams rising from an otherwise innocuous tin building at the corner of Merrick and Trumbull. You've wandered into the world of the Shack. Run by the folks behind Woodbridge Records (home of rock-adventurous downtown fixture acts Noman, the Summer Pledge and I, Crime, among others), the Shack is both a label clubhouse as well as a wink-and-a-nod-invite live music venue. The place exudes the kind of DIY spirit and artisanal, skilled trades ethic that has come to define the neighborhood — and the label. The joint just hosted a double record release party by Woodbridge Records' the Anonymous and the Summer Pledge. The lovely garden out front, the label folks' participation in the community and the constant stream of non-coke-head comers and goers in the 'hood make it seem like a true and well-integrated good neighbor.
