By Teeebone

Back in the Interbay days, one of the first parties I went to was called the Grind. It was held weekly on Thursday nights. The Grind was a dark-themed, BDSM-focused party with dancing that featured Goth, Industrial, and EBM music primarily from the 90s and 00s, and it was very popular. I had fun on the dance floor and in the back room and so did many others. Certain music tracks remain “Grind Classics” in my library. “Non-Stop Violence” by Apoptygma Berzerk, “Military Fashion Show” by And One, “Megalomaniac” by KMFDM, and “The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove” by Dead Can Dance to name a few. Any time I had a free Thursday evening was an opportunity to dance the night away to cool music, watch or participate in a scene, or just simply hang out with folx, all of us dressed in black and getting into the Grind state of mind.

The Grind had its origins in the industrial club scene of the late 1990s, being inspired by Seattle nightclubs like the Catwalk, the Vogue, and Machinewerks. While the music, dancing, and fetish themes were present, BDSM play was limited. Shortly after the Center was opened, the folx who would become the founders of the Grind were approached to create a club night. Keep in mind that they were building this party from the ground up, raising funds, drafting the floor plan, forming a team, and installing the sound and lighting systems in the building. The founders selected Thursday night to hold this party as a weekly event in order to allow for dedicated men’s and women’s parties to be on Fridays. On May 18, 2000 the Grind debuted at the CSPC with an attendance of 48. Such humble beginnings, eh?

After the first year though, the attendance had doubled. By the time of my first attendance to the Grind, (2004-05) the head count was typically breaking 150. The Center was full of energetic dancers and players and the loud music was in a class all its own. As somebody who DJs, I was struck by how unique and one of a kind it was, and it was perfectly fine to dance by yourself! It was an amazing thing to behold. The Grind had cemented its reputation as one of the Center’s go-to parties, especially because orientation was held right before it started, resulting in some new members attending it afterward. 

The days of “peak Grind” would continue until the summer of 2007, when the Center had to raise admission costs, though three months later there would be an early-bird discount implemented. Also in late 2007, the Center acquired the Annex and a new party, the Chill was scheduled opposite the Grind to act as a space to allow attendees to step away from the loud music and have easier conversation. This diluted the party’s crowd even though you only needed one admission to have access to both parties. In early 2008, the Center’s yearly membership rate was increased, which peeled away some more attendees. Staff attrition also took its toll, though the Grind team held together quite well considering its long run. By 2013, the music played by the DJs began to branch out into more contemporary and dance-pop-oriented stuff. At this point, the Grind was more than ten years old and a large chunk of the original audience of members who attended week after week had left because of various “life in general” reasons. Many of the new members were not into Goth, Industrial, or EBM music as much as the older members were.

In May of 2015, the Grind stopped being a weekly party and switched to an irregular schedule, eventually settling on fifth Fridays of the month in January of 2016 and then to fourth Fridays in June. The last Grind at the Interbay location was held on August 26, 2016 and had a packed house. The Grind was the Center’s longest running party, lasting more than eighteen years. Considering that this was a weekly party for most of its existence, that’s a lot a hardcore dedication in volunteer work. I will always be grateful for the Grind team’s effort because I always had fun at that party. There were four more Grinds held at the Gallery, with the last one taking place in March of 2019. At that point, the team decided to shut things down and step away.

Which brings us to the present. This year, the Center will be celebrating its 25th Anniversary and part of that celebration will include bringing back some of the classic parties from the past, like the Grind! A new team is being formed to reboot this party and volunteers will be needed! If this sort of thing fascinates you, then click on this link and join us!

https://thecspc.org/volunteering