Skrappys
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Skrappys is a youth-oriented music venue, performance space and community hub located in downtown Tucson, Arizona. It is billed as a drug-free, positive environment to encourage expression and youth culture.
Skrappys has existed in some capacity since 1996, when it was founded by current proprietor Kathy Wooldridge. In addition to hosting national bands, a wide variety of local and small bands have played nearly nightly since its inception. Skrappys is owned by Our Family, a community service-based nonprofit.
In 2002, on the brink of closure, Skrappys was temporarily relocated about four miles south of its current location, behind a bread factory in an industrial area of Tucson. In 2003, a public grant allowed the venue to continue its existence at its original location.
In 2005, Skrappys was nearly shut down when a fight broke out after a show, resulting in one person's death along with at least one more injury. City officials were quick to come to the venue's rescue, and another grant allowed it to continue its existence.
As a music venue, Skrappys is an important pillar of Tucson's music scene, and much of the scene's development has been focused around Skrappys, at least from a youth perspective.
Currently, Skrappys is in the middle of a block of downtown under the control of Doug Biggers, who has expressed his intent to relocate Skrappys to fit his vision of a revitalized downtown in equilibrium with Tucson's Rio Nuevo project. Biggers has expressed that he does support Skrappys' mission, and agrees it should be relocated.
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