One Impromptu DIY Show. Now They Can't Stop.

On a typical afternoon, Mama Tried Vintage and i&i Skateshop looks like any carefully curated retail space — racks of vintage tees, skate decks against the wall, and the quiet hum of shoppers flipping through denim. But after hours, the can lights stay on, the furniture gets pushed aside, and a family heirloom kitchen table becomes the soundboard for Stillwater's most vibrant underground music scene.

What started as a casual offer has become something neither co-owner Isa Edge nor Ivan Serrano ever planned: a home for local bands.

"We had no intention of becoming a venue," Edge said. "But after our first Garden Ants show, which was very impromptu, we knew we had to keep going."

That first show came together in about a week. They met the band, mentioned the idea, and when no other acts could join the bill, Garden Ants played alone anyway. No stage lights — just aggressive overhead cans. Sound equipment balanced on Edge's great-grandma's kitchen table. Low ceilings that would later see crowd surfers anyway.

"People showed up and Garden Ants put on an unforgettable performance," Edge said. "In a way, every show we have done has gone unexpectedly right. We never anticipated this many people coming."

Since then, bands started reaching out on their own. Edge and Serrano give them free rein: bands choose the lineup, handle sound, even decide where to set up inside the store.

"From the first show we could see how important this scene is to the Stillwater community," Edge said. "We're just excited to be a part of it."

Turning a vintage shop into a venue sounds complicated. For them, it's a routine born from years of hosting markets. They close early on show nights, shift skate racks and clothing racks aside, and let the bands take over. A stage is in the works, but the current setup hasn't slowed anyone down.

"It takes us under an hour to move everything into our back office," Edge said. "When we tell people we host shows inside, they're always surprised."

Advertisement

Exterior paint protects your home's wood, trim, and siding from Oklahoma's extremes. Spring — before temps climb — is the ideal window to roll on a fresh coat. Paint adheres better in moderate temps, and the results last longer. Stillwater Building Center carries premium exterior paints and stains for every surface. 📞 405-372-5959

Visit The Color Bar

Noise complaints, liability, cleanup — hosting shows isn't the easy path for a retail business. Edge and Serrano aren't making money off the music, either. Everything from the door goes directly to the bands.

"Every time we hear a positive response to our shows and our space, I feel like it's worth it," Edge said. "It's somewhere everyone is welcome, but definitely caters to the alternative scene, which isn't the norm around here. I want it to be a place that I would have been excited to be at when I was younger, but also a space that I want to hang out in now."

"The bands put so much into it, and are the reason people come out," Edge said. "They deserve every cent."

Edge and Serrano have watched bands play their very first shows in the shop — nervous kids who later get encored so many times they have to replay songs. New bands keep forming, and while they see that as a product of the scene itself, they're grateful those bands choose their floor. Edge is quick to credit the bands' own DIY spirit.

"For a DIY scene, the bands are really organized when it comes to bringing their own sound equipment, making fliers, and picking line-ups," Edge said. "We may lend some scissors, some rugs or bring water, but they do a lot of the leg work."

That level of organization, she said, points to something bigger taking shape.

"It would be great to see a local label launch with the amount of talented bands here," Edge said.

A message from Visit Stillwater

While you’re in town for Graduation, the Special Olympics Oklahoma Summer Games, or one of the many events at the Payne County Expo Center, be sure to explore Stillwater’s one-of-a-kind boutiques, local restaurants, and must-see attractions in America’s Friendliest College Town!

When asked what was missing from local venues before they started, Edge rejects the premise entirely.

"I don't think anything was missing, I think we just added to something that was already built," Edge said. "It's pretty beautiful to see so much collaboration and support, versus competition and exclusion. Every venue in the scene has its own energy, and the more the merrier."

That ethos extends to their neighbors. Their shop isn't in a busy retail corridor, so they see late-night shows as bringing traffic to surrounding businesses too. Daytime events and markets with other local shops are already in the works.

If they could manifest one change for local music? A full-time venue where bands could play more often, practice, and record.

"We would love to work with the other venue owners and bands to make a co-op style venue possible in the future," Edge said.

For now, though, they're happy to be the spot where a kid buys a vintage tee, stays for a show, and leaves with a new favorite local band. You might even see them gripping a skateboard between sets — or more likely, distracted at the door, talking with everyone outside, watching the scene they accidentally helped grow.

"We make some sales in between sets, but it's not the focus," Edge said. "I get to see people wearing the vintage they buy from us, which is crazy. I love everyone's personal style and how they make it their own."

That, right there, might be the real reward: not just a venue, but a community that keeps coming back.