Ramona's Basement: Harrisburg's Best Kept Secret Says Goodbye
May 10th, 2026
For the better part of the last 3-5 years, our neighbor/trading card guy has been inviting us to his house shows where local and indie bands he’s befriended over the years take over his basement. Last night, we finally accepted the invitation for the final show. Oh, what we have been missing…
If you’ve ever been to a house show in your youth, you know the scene: a small sea of people whose relationship with music runs a little deeper than your average concertgoer. Maybe they prefer a smaller crowd. Maybe they’re supporting a local musician friend. Maybe they heard the noise down the street and decided to explore. Either way, the electricity is palpable, moving in waves throughout the night as each band takes the stage.
Before the sun goes down, we (my husband/local morning show host, Nipsey, and my best friend of 26 years, Eryn Spangler) enter through the chain link fence side door into the backyard and immediately recognize faces from around town: the woman who sold her hand painted planters across from us at a Christmas pop-up, the guy who works at Midtown Cinema and sold us a CRT TV that one time, the gal with the coolest hairdo about to open her first salon, the local lead singer of Brazilian Vibes and her husband who bought our vintage skateboard at the original shop. And of course, Eric Hoffman, the uptown homeowner and host of Ramona’s Basement since 2000.
Hugs are exchanged before he offers us a beer from a stacked fridge in his vintage kitchen. Immediately, I respect him more. Not for the beverage, but for keeping the original details of the house intact. Eryn, who saw the space the last time The After Hours played there, takes us on a tour through Eric’s unique home, revealing with each turn more and more features you won’t see in new builds: a massive front sunroom previously filled to the brim with plants, retro formica countertops and original hardwood floors, and my personal favorite, the untouched midcentury maroon and cream bathroom with original half-wall square tiles and frosted swan shower doors. The home is vacant and dark but you know it was well-loved. Just as I’m attempting the mental math on how we can buy this place, we enter Ramona’s Basement.
The warm glow of string lights, disco balls, colorful area rugs, and music memorabilia fills the low-ceiling oasis. Half of the room is a stage featuring a black and white poster of the Misfits, huge Ramones & Bouncing Souls tapestries, a portrait of Elvis Presley, and previous basement show posters, the other half, a lounge where couches line the walls and a graphic t-shirt of Eric’s late dog (the mascot of Ramona’s Basement) hangs in the bar beside a photo collage of memories. David Bowie watches over us from the southeast corner while people file in from the back to see The After Hours.
I’ve been meaning to see our friend Elena (vocals, bass, keyboard, percussion for The After Hours) perform for a while and honestly, an underground house show might be the perfect setting. Each song is an original, and as we start to sway and I gaze around the room, I see a lot of lips singing along. This is special. It’s essentially a private show for friends who love music and want to experience it together, far away from the general public. They end the ethereal indie surf rock set with a cover of “Can’t Hardly Wait” by The Replacements and we take a break in the backyard as Nipsey makes an Irish exit.
Next up, Timmy’s Creepshow takes the stage as I slowly realize the guitarist/singer is married to Beth, who makes the hand painted planters. He talked with my husband at the Christmas pop-up about his work in production and music, and here he is in Eric’s basement playing a tight set of creepy grunge rock that feels like a 1950s Halloween party if it were to exist in 2026, after decades of harder rock influences. About halfway through, a grey pitbull, brought by a couple who met at one of Eric’s many house shows, steals the show (and our hearts) as he sifts through the crowd for free pets.
Sometime between 10-10:30pm, The Super High-Tech Jet Fighters start the final set in Ramona’s Basement, taking us by the hand and leading us through a high energy power pop filled hour and a half. After a blend of original songs and covers, the lead singer (who I believe spent the first two hours filming on a vintage 16mm camera) thanks Eric for having them at his last show, then presents us with two trivia questions, starting with “What year did Eric buy his house?” Remembering a conversation I had with Eric at his yard sale the previous Saturday, I scream “2000!!!!!!” through a silent room, and make my way to the stage for my vinyl record prize. No idea what the second question was. They play “Don’t Change” by INXS and we dance all over the room.
For someone who occasionally feels social anxiety, four hours passes in no time at all. With zero pressure from a host who effortlessly floats around the room, never making the night about him or this haven he’s created, each guest is able to relax into themselves.
The music stops and everyone funnels into the backyard once more to cool off. When we find ourselves back downstairs, there are whispers of another jam. We chat with the host behind the bar before Elena asks Eryn, who also happens to be a local singer/guitarist, to sing the next song, “Maps” by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Dancing beside Eric, I elbow him and laugh. “This is the best!!!” he says as he films a video on his iPhone of our friends making magic.
We finish our beers before giving heartfelt goodbyes and walking back up the street. I hug Eryn, walk inside, watch the episode of All In The Family when the Jeffersons first move into the neighborhood, and go to bed with a smile on my face.
Written by Krista Harper of The Rummagers
