Welcome to No Surf House

No Surf House was founded in 2023, but the idea was planted more than a decade earlier when Jason D. ‘Diesel’ Hamad and Alan Pendergrass created No Surf Music, a journalistic website focused on Americana, alt country, and indie rock. Interviewing independent musicians highlighted the importance of affordable, reliable on-the-road accommodations for the physical, mental, and financial well-being of touring artists. While No Surf Music shuttered during the pandemic, Hamad and Pendergrass realized that post-pandemic touring conditions only heightened the needs of such artists, and the two teamed up again on this new project. They were soon joined on the board by former classmate Jane McMullen, who keeps them mostly in line.

No Surf House believes in art for artists’ sake and that creatives deserve a sustainable living like any other workers. We believe the best way to support art is to support artists. We believe in building a community for artists and integrating it into the local community so that each can support and enrich the other.

No Surf House provides modest-income touring musicians with subsidized lodging through our Home on the Road Program. We also plan to provide early-career local artists with low-cost housing via our Career Kickstart Program beginning in 2026. We also organize unique musical events.

No Surf House recently purchased a facility in Cleveland, Ohio where we can provide our services. We have renovated much of the beautiful three-story house built in 1915 and have begun operations of the Home on the Road Program starting in May 2024. Click here to take a video tour of the building with Executive Director Jason D. ‘Diesel’ Hamad.

The name “No Surf” comes from the Euclid Beach Band’s 1978 regional hit “There’s No Surf in Cleveland,” a metatextual surf rock masterpiece about the lack of North Coast boarding opportunities.

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