Dog House Music Studio 

Putting diversity and rhythm into Boulder County’s music scene

By Christopher C. Wuensch  »  Photos by Matt Maenpaa

Two days prior to the 3rd Annual Boulder County Jingle Jam it was a frigid mid-December evening and the bluegrass was literally spilling out of Dog House Music Studios. Space came at a premium as more than 30 singers, pickers and upright-bassists packed the quaint Lafayette studio to warm up for the big weekend show. It began with the five-piece quintet laying down a jam in the tight entrance way—in the aptly dubbed “vibe-stibule.” Visitors must navigate their way past the musicians upon entry.

Inside, the hallways rattled with a different sound emanating from behind each door. In the studio down a narrow hallway was a collaboration of local artists, including Brandywine and the Mighty Fines, as they scorched out a version of “All I Want for Christmas” that would make even Mariah Carey blush.

Since its most recent reincarnation in 2018, Dog House Music Studios, located near U.S. 287 and South Boulder Road, has become a diverse hub for artists of Boulder County and beyond.

“I wanted this to feel like a community,” said Dog House Music Studio co-founder Liz Vasko, “a place that can be a beginning-to-end point for local artists.”

Today Dog House Music boasts 23 sound-isolated studios along with two fully equipped practice studios. Among those is an entire wing—featuring live and control rooms and a pair of isolation booths—that also doubles as The End Lafayette, Dog House’s 70-person live music venue. All of which is tied together utilizing a mile’s worth of cables.

This cozy room is replete with plenty of instruments and nostalgic charms, such as the Hammond organ with the pizza stain on it from Elvis Costello. Ani DiFranco and her large entourage made the room their home during their stint in Colorado, and most recently members of the String Cheese Incident camped out on its couches.

These days, Dog House is a cross-pollination of 75 regular musicians and welcomes between 600 and 700 artists passing through the “vibe-stibule” every year. All of which can, at times, contribute to a college dorm-like atmosphere and feel.

“Metal to mariachi,” laughs Dog House co-founder Kenny Vasko of the studio’s community that’s as eclectic as it is diverse.

In just a few short years, Dog House—a member of The Recording Academy—has produced more than 200 releases and another 100 live shows. It’s a testament to the work and community built by Liz and Kenny Vasko, who left behind careers as respectively a city planner and a tax accountant to open Dog House alongside engineers John Remington and Krista Braaten. Lest we forget Babs, the furry, free-ranging, music-loving mutt for which the studio is named.

At Dog House Studios, artists have the option to do it all, from writing and recording, to rehearsing, performing, and even production and video shoots. “Every musician has a different definition of success,” Kenny Vasko says. “We want to help them reach that level of success.”

And nothing hits a sweeter note than when it all comes together. “It’s those ‘aha’ moments that make it all worth it,” Kenny Vasko says.

Dog House hosts regular events such as songwriter meetups, open mic nights and women’s jams, to name a few.

It’s safe to say that the former fax-machine-repair-shop-turned-music-studio has come a long way since its days as a cold, concrete slab playing host to punk rock and Grateful Dead cover band concerts. And while the big names are great, a main focus of Dog House centers around lifting up local artists, particularly among those of historically marginalized social groups like Native Americans, the LGBTQ+ community and others.

In fact, seeing a lack of diversity in the local music scene, the Vaskos founded Rock for the People, a local organization designed to foster inclusivity and equitability to traditionally underrepresented groups by removing barriers. In addition to live shows and free community events, Rock for the People also awards local scholarships for recording, rehearsal and more. 

Get more information and see how you can donate at rockforthepeople.org.

Dog House Studios will once again serve as a stage for the 4th annual Lafayette Music Festival, slated for Oct. 4, 2025, at The End Lafayette, 525 Courtney Way. But don’t wait until then to check out a live show. View the full slate of upcoming Dog House shows by visiting doghousemusic.com.

And discover your own “aha” moment.