On a chilly September night, about 30 young adult punk rock fans gathered in a basement in Pilsen. Inside, splashes from the bright yellow walls peek through the mass of hundreds of fliers from previous shows, punk rock posters and ironic signs.

A narrow, wooden staircase leads down to a large basement, which is dimly lit by the glow of rainbow-colored Christmas lights set up above the stage. The house vibrates as the headlining Japanese-punk bands Your Pest Band and Sanhose play, supported by Chicago native bands Boilerman, Sick Sad World and Box Sledder. This is just one of many venues where people can come and enjoy the underground music scene that Chicago has to offer with  house shows.

For those new to the DIY scene a house show is a house or the basement of a house that the owners have allowed bands to play for the night. Putting on a show in a house, versus in an actual concert venue, cuts out the middleman and the extra costs associated, such as liquor licenses, management and security.

Many feel this is the ideal concert venue for entry level or beginning bands, as it gives them exposure to their local communities for a low cost.

“House shows are a place where anyone can come and enjoy music while bringing together the surrounding community,” said Mez, co-owner of this particular venue.

House shows are the topic of much controversy, though, and they are essentially illegal because they are operating as a business without a city license. Animal Kingdom, a popular DIY space in Logan Square, was recently closed because of neighbor complaints, among other things. Most of the time, the main issue with house shows is the noise.

“It’s at the point where there are so many law and ordinances, and we could get shut down for so many things like fire safety hazards, underage drinking, and noise violations,” Bert said. For this reason, both Mez and Bert  asked that their last names not be used for this story.

House shows are particularly popular with fans under age 21. They offer a space where people can enjoy music without an age limit, unlike many other clubs and bars in the city that host similar events.

Evie Schenk, a 20-year-old from Skokie, said she loves coming to house shows because of the good music.

“The reason I come to house shows is because it’s a place where music is still genuine, and so are a lot of the people,” Schenk said. “Being in a house also makes for an unconventional and really fun environment to see live music in.”

These kinds of spaces can make a world of a difference to people who don’t have other appropriate or supportive outlets for their creativity.

“All-ages spaces are crucial,” Split Free guitarist Jes Skolnik said. “From my life experience, I absolutely would have died before age 18 without the positive, creative, punk scene.”

Skolnik, who grew up surrounded by music and DIY spaces in Washington, D.C., is also a member of the board of directors for Pure Joy. Pure Joy is a collectively run, nonprofit community center and performance space that offers a free or low-cost community meeting space, as well as hosts shows.

They are currently looking for a space accessible by public transportation, on the first floor entirely, so it is physically accessible and affordable to host such events. Pure Joy hopes to open its doors in Chicago by the end of 2014.

“There aren’t as many all-ages spaces here as there were there when I was growing up, and house shows are basically the only non-bar options at this point,” Skolnik said. “The scene doesn’t just sustain kids. Kids sustain the scene.”

Fumito Yamazaki, the lead singer of Your Pest Band, said he appreciates how much people value America’s underground music scene.

“It is much more popular and appreciated here,” Yamazaki said. “In Japan, underground music doesn’t get much attention.”

Chicago in particular has many great options when it comes to underground music and spaces for art. Though the legality and rights for such shows are still being actively fought for, the shows can offer culture, as well as an important community for underage music fans to express themselves. Without the young community driven spaces like these, many would be lost.

“I’m 35 years old now, but house show lifers like me won’t keep underground music alive by ourselves,” Skolnik said.