Until now.

Taking a cue from the very groups it's trying to reach out to, the city of Sunnyvale has gotten into the "do-it-yourself" music venue business, and so far, it's reportedly defying expectations--and filling several much-needed niches at the same time.

"We're looking to get the word out that there are things for teens to do in the Bay Area, things they can do to relax, and it doesn't have to just be mini-golf or movies," said Teen Advisory Committee President Justin Reginato, 16, a junior at Saint Francis High School. "Teens like to go to concerts, so we're trying to give them someplace local to go."

Under-18 music clubs are hard to find in any area, and with high school performing arts programs falling under budget cuts, entertainment for teens in the area is going faster than your average punk album.

"Anything for teens, especially music like this or any kind of art, is good for them," said Sonic Orange guitarist Adam Gonzalez, 23, who performed last in the concert. "They don't even have a performing arts program at my high school anymore."

On Sept. 25, three bands--including Sonic Orange--joined two dozen Sunnyvale-area high school students for the year's first show at The Crash, held in the Fair Oaks Park building. Admission was only $5 for nonresidents and $3 for residents, but everyone had to have a valid ASB card from one of the area's high schools.

The last Saturday of each month during the school year, the Fair Oaks Park building will transform into The Crash, with a snack bar, PlayStation 2 and--of course--concert room.

Members of the Teen Advisory Committee and their adviser, Sunnyvale provisional teen coordinator Staci Wolfe, put the event together. City staff trained students to operate the lights and mixing boards for the bands, making the place more concert-friendly. According to some of the bands that played, the curtains and blankets put on the wall to hide the boring walls of the building actually improved the acoustics of the room.

The Crash is the next generation of The Fishbowl, the Saturday night hangout that used to be held at Le Boulanger.

"The No. 1 priority is to provide a place for high school teens to go, and music is a big part of their lives," Wolfe said. "But there is not a whole lot of opportunities for students under 18 to socialize; there's very few venues in the Bay Area that cater to their age group. That's why we're calling it The Crash, because they're crashing with their friends and listening to music."

While attendees were limited to students with valid high school identification, the bands were established staples of the Bay Area's local rock scene, many of which frequent clubs inaccessible to high school students.

The headliner of the night was Sonic Orange, a regular at downtown San Jose 21-and-over venues. The band had to obey a strict code of conduct or forfeit the $75 it would earn from the night.

"We typically say more adult-oriented things onstage, but we don't need to cuss to have fun--just some groovy people," Gonzalez said. "And there were plenty of groovy kids out there."

Most of those "groovy kids" were 14- and 15-year-old girls, who spent much of the night on the club's various beanbags and chairs but got up to dance in the latter half of the show. Many of them stuck around afterward to meet the band.

Fremont High School sophomore Elizabeth Thomas, Teen Advisory Committee historian, said she was surprised how well it went and loved that she got to see bands normally out of reach for people her age.

She and fellow committee member Michele LaPointe, 14, said advertising is the last thing they need to take care of if The Crash is going to take off.

"I think it's really great, and I want to get my friends out here," Michele--a freshman at Homestead High School--said. "We need to promote like crazy now."

Justin said he was surprised because he had not gotten to hear any of the demos sent in by the bands who played.

"I didn't know what to expect, but they were awesome," Justin said.

Wolfe said that while she had no doubt that teens would show up to opening night, she was surprised by the quality of bands that performed. The organizers are already listening to demos from bands for their next few shows.

"I thought the music was great. We had three great bands, and the people there seemed to be having a good time," Wolfe said. "With it being our first time, I think it can only get better from here."

For more information on The Crash, visit www.thecrashinsunnyvale.com or call Staci Wolfe at 408.730.7741.