Multi-use music and art complex has opened in this Camden County town
PENNSAUKEN – A “speakeasy stand-up” comedy show has made its way to Pennsauken and will be held in a renovated, “vibey” multi-use music and art complex.
Hosted by South Jersey native Steve Cooper, who had been a touring comic based in Los Angeles for years, the bi-weekly event will be at the SoundPlex Studios at 6713 Rudderow Avenue.
Cooper, a 1982 Cherry Hill East High School and Stockton University graduate, returned to the area about six years ago.
“I’ve lived in LA and San Diego and Vegas, but I’m South Jersey to the bone,” said Cooper, who also separately hosts a podcast called “CooperTalk”, which recently recorded its 1000th episode. “I’ve always had a love for South Jersey and the Philly area.
“When I came back from LA, I had been a touring comic when I was younger, I didn’t feel like paying my dues anymore. I’ll do certain shows here and there. I’ve been doing a lot of private gigs. When I met (SoundPlex Studios owner) George Koch, I said, it’s such a hip venue and South Jersey doesn’t really have places for comedy … I said ‘why don’t I host a show?’ I wanted to get strong acts and bring in the traditional three comic show. I thought this is a perfect place. It’s got a feel …This area of South Jersey, we have so many great comics, musicians and artists, but there’s not a place for them.”
Renovated industrial building was closed for several years
Koch, a Willingboro native, who also grew up in Delran, bought the building decades ago and decided in recent years to turn it into a multi-use music and art complex. It has recording studios, a music stage, “uniquely-themed rooms”, as well as an art gallery area.
Soundplex Studios is a studio complex that offers space to rent for creatives to produce their content, Koch said.
“We’re a full studio complex, so we have audio recording, a very nice recording studio, we do photography, videography, everything we do here is kind of a production so we film everything and are going to be pushing it out on our YouTube page," Koch added.
“The place has a really cool feel. It’s vibey. It’s an old industrial building that I renovated and it’s really kind of special. When you come in here, you’ll know it’s a different kind of place. I decorated it real well. I have a lot of art on the walls from local artists that want to display here. It’s a really cool space with multiple rooms. We’re doing a comedy production here.”
Did Dick Clark have office space in South Jersey?
One of Koch’s previous tenants was Victor Talking Machine Co., which operated under his previous CO. But, during COVID, he said they had to terminate their lease. Koch then began to do renovations, decorated and operated the recording studio. A township inspection, he said, stated they needed to apply for a site plan as it was a change of use. They were closed for two years and not allowed to operate during the construction and renovation process.
“We finally received our certificate of occupancy and now we are officially open as a studio complex,” said Koch, who will have a local food truck operator provide some food and the space will be BYOB, although they will introduce some special mocktails.
Koch was told by two people, including a previous tenant and a neighboring building owner, that Dick Clark had an office in what is now the SoundPlex Studios building. Clark, who died in 2012, hosted “American Bandstand” in the late 1950s and mid-1960s in Philadelphia and later moved the show to Los Angeles.
“I’ve been here all my life,” said Koch, who attended the former Glassboro State (now Rowan University). “I’ve been in healthcare, consulting healthcare, technology. I bought the warehouse about 25 years ago to house medical supplies.
“When I didn’t need that space anymore because I got into software, I started renting it out to tenants and then one thing leads to another and I kind of come up with this music and art complex, which is kind of an innovative spin on what these different tenants brought to the table. I’ve got a lot of people enamored with the space. It’s a great spot.”
Said Cooper, who hosted the first comedy event on May 4: “Conceptually, it’s great. I can get this and this and this all under one roof.”
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This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: A multi-use music and art complex has opened in Pennsauken
