Last weekend, the residents of 1018 East Street threw a party for those bored of the plain old playlist and aux- cord house party. Paige Oamek ’20, Francess Dunbar ’20, Audrey Boyle ’21, Nate Williams ’20 and Maggie Coleman ’20 hosted a party attended by Laura Les and Dylan Brady of 100 gecs, who performed in Gardner Lounge on Saturday night.
In an interview with The S&B, the East Street residents said that they were still trying to wrap their heads around how they managed to bring professional musicians to their house.
It isn’t just a mutual appreciation for live bands that tied the housemates together, but rather their quirky personalities that made them the right fit, for both each other and the charming 1018.
Even though 1018 is about an eight-minute walk from the HSSC, Oamek has a fondness for its location.
“It’s one of the nicest houses you can rent in Grinnell as a student. I really like East Street too — a lot better than Broad and High Street. It’s very calm and pretty,” said Oamek.
“I’ve been walking through the loggia every day in the winter, so to me it feels like an extension of South campus, which is unlike other off-campus houses,” added Dunbar.
The house members found their own sanctuaries within 1018 — while Williams likes the porch, which is “almost like a greenhouse when it’s warm out,” Oamek revealed that her favorite part of the house is the green-carpeted attic, which she claims is an underrated space.
“I really like the basement because I think it’s fun that we can have parties and not let drunk people wander upstairs. I know other people who have party houses and it can be kind of weird having people go up to your room, so it’s really great that we have a different entrance that keeps the house separate from the parties,” said Boyle.
The friends also shared that the people who lived in 1018 before them left a bunch of different surprises and treats – from three pairs of plastic legs around the house and a meme printed out on the inside of the medicine cabinet, to canisters of hot cocoa powder that have been there even longer than institutional memory lasts.
Last Saturday, Williams was working sound for the 100 gecs concert and invited the musicians over. Thus was the beginning of an unforgettable night.
“We were only hearing stuff that we wanted to hear, just like — silly music. The authority of real DJs trumped the never-ending need for people to play ‘Hips Don’t Lie’ at parties,” Dunbar said.
“They were great DJs. I was like – whoa, this is what it’s like to go to a club. It was almost as if someone had curated the music.”
However, the secret ingredient to most 1018 parties isn’t the basement-turned nightclub, but rather the fact that the housemates always try their best to be attentive hosts and active bystanders who take charge of the room. Besides parties, 1018 hosts other themed gatherings.
“Whether it’s a party or a smaller event, we usually try to do something that’s a little different from your average Grinnell party. … We try to switch things up and host events that would appeal to or a be a fun space for people who normally wouldn’t feel comfortable at other off-campus parties.”
On the note of unusual events, the members of 1018 have hosted several recreational wrestling competitions in their backyard.
“My passion for wrestling runs deep in me. I think that there are tensions on this campus that always need to be aired, and this house is a space collects them,” said Dunbar.
1018 cumulates not only party-goers and wrestlers, but memories and laughs.
“My room is right next to the bathroom, so I hear what everybody listens to in the shower. One of my housemates — I won’t say who — I always know when they’re showering because there’s post-punk music playing – like The Cure or The Smiths,” said Williams.
Whether it be their regular Friday night mac and cheese feasts or Boyle’s standard “Honey, I’m home!” greeting, 1018 really is a house like no other.
