Calling all creatives: VibeHouse405 reopens with newly renovated artistic hub

This Saturday, Feb. 29 from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m., VibeHouse405 will be hosting its reopening and invites all artists, creatives and cultural enthusiasts to come find their people.

The event is centered around new experiences, whether it is listening to live music you’ve never heard before, trying Jamaican cuisine you’ve never tried or viewing artwork you’ve never seen, said Kevin “Kaze” Thomas, co-owner and creative director at VibeHouse405.

“VibeHouse is like that outlet for that person who is looking for a place to start," Thomas said. "For that person that loves music, art, culture, who wants to be around that vibe and that energy and that frequency that we’ve created." 

The night will begin with performances from a range of artists such as Alo Ver, a UNC student musician, and Sonny Miles, an artist from Raleigh who was named number 29 on INDY Week’s “50 Local Albums and Songs We Loved in 2019” and was featured on Obama’s year-end list.

Later in the night, UNC artists K.A.L and Z will perform, as well as some other surprise artists.

“VibeHouse has been gone for so long," said Cassidy Goff, who performs under the name Alo Ver. "It only just started to establish itself as a really cool creative hub, bringing the arts to Chapel Hill and providing a lot of different outlets for people who want to be creative and have visions."

Thomas, a former UNC student, realized while he was in college that he wanted to pursue music seriously, but found a lack of mentorship in the community. 

“It’s very challenging to be in your senior year when everybody’s getting jobs and internships and you’re saying 'I’m about to go drop my album and figure out how to be a music star,'" Thomas said. "That is a very high wire risk. My parents were totally in revolt. My family looked at me like I was an idiot."

After traveling across the country for music, Thomas returned to Chapel Hill to bring back the vibrant music scene that once existed. He also wanted to use his knowledge about the industry to help current UNC student musicians, he said. 

“Being a creative, we’re all kind of on our own island," Thomas said. "It was something I needed and I thought the community needed, if I need it I'm not the only one."

Thomas has since mentored and worked with student-artists like K.A.L, Z, Alo Ver and other musicians.

“It’s hard to find other (artists) who are talented in Chapel Hill without just stumbling on them. Kaze is a great person to know,” said Kal Caviness, who performs under the name K.A.L.

The new look of VibeHouse405 is trendy, Thomas said.

VibeHouse405 underwent renovations for 8 months to make it into an approximately 2,200 square foot space, and now features exposed wood beams, exposed brick, an outdoor patio, a bar for events and a recording studio.  

The owners of VibeHouse405 hope that the new space will be unlike any other in Chapel Hill — a place to host release parties, formal events, art galleries and programs for singer-songwriters, producers and rappers.

VibeHouse405 also hopes to start a membership program for frequent visitors. 

“You can become a member to get access to all the programs that VibeHouse will host,” Thomas said. 

Thomas said VibeHouse405 is focused on including all types of people, regardless of their skin color, political views or otherwise in their movement.

Tickets to VibeHouse405’s reopening are $10. VibeHouse405 is located at at 405 W. Franklin St. in Chapel Hill.

“We want to show the town of Chapel Hill we’re coming back," said Stephen Kay, co-owner of VibeHouse405. "We want to show the town what we can do for them. We want to make a little splash, make some noise, and provide a new area for people to get together, to get all types of people together.”

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