Wonderroot

This place is amazing. I held my auditions down in the basement. The volunteers were friendly. It’s my second home now.

WonderRoot is a house. Apparently they have art gallerys but I just went into the basement to watch Speedy Ortiz play. They also sell $ 1 PBR’s in the basement. $ 1 PBR’s is where I’ll end this review. 5 stars.

A house w/​a lot more going on inside.
Usually when I think of houses with a bunch of strangers coming in/​out, I think that there’s a large horticultural greenhouse in the basement set to sell to highschool kids in baggies. Alas, I was wrong.
Wonderroot is a cool cooperative that engages locals with artwork, photography, and my favorite… Music. Yes, it’s just an old house with a poor parking arrangement, but these folks are doing what they can with what they have. Stretching dollars to get people involved hands-​on, connecting with the community. This alone can be tough, given the surrounding area and the current economic times.
I usually visit Wonderroot for music, so I am commonly found in the basement listening to local acts of the grindcore varietals. I have ventured upstairs a few times and talked about donating canvases, paints, supplies and such to a few people with utmost happiness and willingness to do so. Think artsy without the uppity crap that is usually associated with galleries. I dig it.
I happily support this place in any way I know how. The neighborhood is the only reason I can’t give it five-​stars.

I have not been in WonderRoot for anything but using it as a music venue.
This place is amazing because it is the epitome of a basement show, but with a better PA. This place is super cozy. There are a couple relatively clean bathrooms upstairs and what look like a lot of cool spaces for art.
The booking and sound guys are all super nice and do their best to accommodate bands. Most of the bands and people at shows are also extremely respectful of the venue and do their best to make sure everyone has a good time.
Parking is abundant around the area and rarely are shows attended by over 100 people (in a good way– the shows are more intimate and the room barely fits that many folks).
Go to shows at wonderroot. It’s good for you and it’s BYOB.

As I drove down the familiar area of Memorial in east Atlanta (I’m a frequenter of Home Grown just next door), I thought to myself, that, although I’d lived in this area for almost 3 years, I wasn’t at all familiar with WonderRoot.
I found parking in the parking lot of previously mentioned Home Grown, which was closed anyway, and made my way with my friend to what looked like a house. We followed a couple kids around back, and not only was this a house or something, but the main area was definitely in a basement. Definitely.
No frills, tiny space, castoff couches and chairs as seating just about sums up WR. Mostly hip hop, some soul mixed in.
The show featured some great very new artists. If you have an aversion to profanity or extremely raw-​sounding music, you may want to skip this one. Great cause though, and I’d definitely visit again, just to see what the college kids do on the weekend.

Small and smart art institution with great energy and very genuine aims. Lately, they started an arts fellowship program for emerging artists and also organized an amazing event called the Imaginary Million, art auction and show. I am very excited to see what comes next. They also have facilities for artists such as an exhibition space, multimedia lab, music/​performance space. I am glad to be a member.
I guess the best way to take advantage of programs is to be on the mailing list so you can find out about events and classes.

This is a review of the music venue.
There’s nothing like a good basement show, especially a basement show where they have a door guy and cheap beer for sale. Especially when no one’s mom is upstairs waiting for the show to end.
Now, the area is scary, I’ll admit that. But it turned out the guy who harassed us nearby was a local drunk guy and totally harmless. If you’re coming from Moreland, go past the Wonderroot building and park at the business one street over, despite the sign pointing you back to an unlit street. Most people park at the restaurant and walk through their garden area behind the building to get in.
The cover charge is usually low, which lets new and challenging bands get their friends and fans out in larger numbers. Bring small bills to help them out with change.
The sound was pretty darn good for a basement gig. I know the performers we came to see had a hard time hearing each other on stage, but I can barely remember a gig where I could hear my bandmates. Out in the crowd it sounded fine.
There were a few chairs and couches throughout the venue, but a good band with a crowd of 25 could really start a rock and roll riot down there.
I dig it. I’ll be back, and hopefully play a show there one day!

WonderRoot has so many opportunities to help artists develop their skills. From the workshops in programs like Adobe Photoshop and Final Cut Pro to being able to help with the Loose Change magazine, it is all exceptional. Also, this agency helps out a lot for other causes, as their concerts often raise money for charities and the Women’s Night Workshops are very informative.

I stopped by WonderRoot with the girl I mentor. We decided to spend some time making arts and crafts with the staff.
The place can be easy to pass if you don’t know what you’re looking for. Parking is next door, not behind the building. Other than that, this is a cool, eclectic place to be artsy!
We spent time making bracelets and drawing pictures. I think she had fun… It’s hard to tell with teenagers. The décor inside definitely sparked quite a few conversations. We both loved the wall with the hands and black and red birds. It seems that every inch of the place is covered in art.

Interesting spot to be. Last night was my first time there. Wow, it was quite interesting. Wonderroot is the perfect name for this place. This may be the root of where the success lies. Great for up and coming talent, although, I am not one of them. I prefer to be entertained. My good friend Nicole sang such lovely songs dedicated to God while bringing a true country feeling. A few others told stories and the poets were awesome. Great place for Joksters, entertainers, and anyone who wants to be heard once a month at open mic night. Parking proved to be slight challenge as I wore high heels and walked through a lot of gravel to get to the right place and you have to park at least ablock or so away as they do not allow parking there. This place is sort of underground and exotic. Great place to meet new people and get great entertainment. I would recommend checking out their website to see when the next open mic night is and to revel in the many other programs and events they have to offer.

Last night, I hit up the Femme Fatale Show at WonderRoot. After parking in the lot behind Mammy’s Kitchen, finger poised over my pepper spray, my companion and I cautiously made the short stroll to the building. We entered through the basement, hipster haircuts, Christmas lights and a ghetto-​awesome stage set-​up bombarding me with indie goodness. I particularly appreciated the soiled Oriental rug upon which each band performs. With a five-​dollar cover, a five-​band line-​up, cheap drinks and bustling upper-​level art show, I couldn’t believe I hadn’t checked out WonderRoot before.
When one of the performers moped onstage, a wave of hipster depression hit me like a tidal wave, her crazy-​beautiful voice, ukulele strums and pouty expression intensifying her macabre mood. My favorite morose lyrics included «fair weather turns into darker skies/​I could take my own life» and the final words in another song: «Ooooooo…dark clouds.»
Apparently, for a low membership fee, WonderRoot provides access to a photo lab for blossoming artists and a recording space for aspiring musicians. What a wonderful local resource!

Wonder root is a non-​profit community arts center, they provide classes and arts facilities to anyone in Atlanta who is looking for a place for a creative outlet. It is either $ 10 a month or $ 60 for the year and you gain access to an amazing place to grow. They have a recording studio, a computer lab with all the toys you’ll need, a editing suite for all you film kids, dark room, etc. It is also a venue that has amazing Basement shows for artists of all kinds from thrash grindcore bands, to folk indie acoustic rock. They offer open mic nights and have a good thing going on here for the people of Atlanta who want to get plugged into the art and music community on another level. They have portfolio center vibe upstairs with all the art on the wall and the caliber of talent they are rocking here. SCAD kids frequent here when they don’t want to make the drive in and I have to commend WR for the amazing job their doing.

Wonderroot is primarily a non-​profit community arts center, offering classes and arts facilities including a recording studio, digital editing suite, photo lab, etc. I know it as a music venue – a bare-​bones, basement show space with a decent PA and a no-​frills atmosphere (and spacious bathrooms!)
The art they feature on the walls upstairs gives me the impression that the place does attract a good number of young folks looking for a place to express themselves and I gotta give WR props for giving them a place to do that.
Speaking as a musician who’s played there a couple times, Wonderroot is a fun venue run by cool people who genuinely care about the community and their place in it.

Such a great mission! This little artspace on Memorial is whatAtlanta artists or just creatively curious types have been missing.
Wonder Root provides incredibly inexpensive studio space and access to computers loaded with software, a recording studio, ceramics classes, photography darkrooms (only B&W for now) and gallery space.
If you’ve ever looked into taking classes at local arts schools or other independent art studios, they are much higher than the year long membership price of only $ 60 here! Your membership gives you access to all equipment and classes taught by other practicing artists. The ultimate collaborative space.
This is a growing organization and the house, gallery space and limited parking situations aren’t perfect – but I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Wonder Root is a community arts facility right on Memorial off of Moreland. It’s a center where all types of artists across multiple mediums can go and create and give back to the community. For a membership fee that’s currently $ 10/​month or $ 60/​year, members have access to a production and recording studio (with instruments), digital video editing software, Adobe CS3 on some tricked out Macs, a performance space, a darkroom, a ceramic studio, a multimedia presentation room, and a general library/​lounge.
I’m a frustrated creative genius, but at Wonder Root I can write, draw, knit, and do graphic design with no excuses about time, space, or cost. Membership includes workshops, like on Adobe Illustrator or Pro Tools where you learn by doing or sitting in on a session of musicians to see how it’s done. They also do outreach and take programs to the schools and encourage the artists and members of Wonder Root to participate and give back.
It’s a great place to go (wi-​fi enabled) as an alternative to a coffee shop, which requires spending $ and being tempted to leave. Here, you can take a break with a lunch you packed and chat with other creative folk about how you can collaborate and grow your businesses or peruse the art from local geniuses that’s for sale on the walls.
The only caveat I have is the parking situation – verry tricky. You park in a lot that goes up and to the left, which is not the lot that Wonder Root Shares with British in the City Motorcycle shop. Probably you should call for the best directions on how to do that.