Helm's Deep, Flim Flest and Sarasota's underground nightlife

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elm's Deep — if ever there were an appropriately named space, this is it. For those of you who were cool in high school, allow me to explain the moniker assigned to Sarasota's newest, semi-secretive underground warehouse space.

In J.R. Tolkien's world, Helm's Deep was the location of a supposedly impenetrable fortress used to take refuge during the War of the Rings. Now, metaphorically apply that to Sarasota's underrepresented music scene, and you have Helm's Deep, the space — 1,200 square feet of (hopefully) impermeable refuge; a last bastion of hope for Sarasota's musicians, creative minds and scene lovers. Metaphorically.

As its name implies, this isn't the first attempt at such a space — previous incarnations were shut down for operating as a business. But things will be different this time, says its curator and head of The Harrison Ford Focus Groupe — the group running the events.

"People always talk about how nothing's going on here, but nobody's doing anything about it. This is us doing something. We want to kick the music scene back into gear; to carefully plan these events and make them more of an occasion." — Harrison Ford Focus Groupe

This time, admission to the space is donation-based, drinks are BYOB and the address isn't made publicly available (a little digging will get you directions without much effort. Seriously, just ask around). And the focus isn't on making money — the goal is to provide less frequent, carefully curated showcases of local, regional and national talent.

The space hosted its first event last Sunday, with a bill featuring Little War Twins, Godsnack and MeteorEYES, as well as Chicago-based road dog, Netherfriends. For a Sunday night show, the turnout was impressive, and the atmosphere was hopeful and energetic. If you missed out, don't worry; you won't have to wait much longer.

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aturday, April 12, as the Sarasota Film Festival is wrapping up its festivities, Helm's Deep will be bustling late into the night with its own party, Flim Flest Flourteen. Always searching for unconventional ways to throw a party, Joe Seul, who performs as RaeF, came up with the idea for Flim Flest as a way to provide an alternative outlet during Sarasota's internationally acclaimed film festival.

"The Film Festival is great," says Seul. "They have their parties, and they're renowned and recognized, but it (the film festival) also draws a lot of people from out of town, and I want to be able to show them how we party. If they want to meet the locals and see what Sarasota is like, below the surface, this is the place to do it."

The party will feature Seul, as RaeF, Sons of Hippies and Orlando-based act Thee Wilt Chamberlain. The space is ideal for the event — RaeF plans to perform in the warehouse's loft, projection mapping onto his new signature cube pyramid on the dance floor below.

"I'm a sucker for a warehouse," says Seul. "I performed in a storage unit for years."

With its creative concept and eclectic lineup, Flim Flest Flourteen is a fitting second event for Helm's Deep, and with continued careful curation, the space is set to be the perfect showcase for Sarasota's music and nightlife scene that's always been here, just below the surface. Start digging.

Check it out:

Flim Flest Flourteen at Helm's Deep — takes place at 9:30 p.m. Saturday, April 12. $10 suggested donation. BYOB. The Harrison Ford Focus Groupe requests the venue address not be publicized. For directions, ask any of the local bands on the bill, or email [email protected]