About 10 blocks from campus, tucked away on Orr Street, sits Columbia’s own DIY music venue, the Hair Hole. This basement-sized space allows bands from around the U.S. to rehearse and perform somewhere other than the typical commercial venues.

As you approach the Hair Hole, it is clear by the covered windows and homemade posters that the space belongs to a group of dedicated, underground musicians. But for all the Hair Hole has in character, it lacks in funds.

This lack of funds is where (drum roll please) the First Annual CoMo Jams BBQ comes in to play.

The Hair Hole will host an outdoor benefit showcasing the bands Gran Mal, Coward, Dark Blue Dark Green and New Tongues, who came together to coordinate the event.

“I think more shows and events like this should happen in Columbia,” New Tongues member Justin Nardy says in an email. “We have a lot of musicians and artists here that sometimes go unnoticed. By putting this on outdoors, hopefully more people will see and hear what’s going on and come be a part of something fun.”

The event will feature a potluck-style barbecue and a guest disc jockey, Zac Early, who will spin tracks in between performances. Everyone is asked to bring a donation of $5 as well as any food they would like to share.

“We are also doing a CoMo record swap in conjunction with the show and BBQ,” Nardy says. “The CoMo record swap is basically a swap/meet where people can buy/trade/sell records.”

All funds made from the event will be allocated for the upkeep and maintenance of the building as well to ensure the future of the space.

“We feel like this is an integral part of the musical community,” New Tongues guitarist Shane Johnson says. “We want to make sure that it becomes something we can sustain for a while.”

Nardy also says sustaining venues such as the Hair Hole is vital to the music scene.

“A lot of times when we do shows, the turnout is poor because people are afraid of the space or think it’s something it isn’t,” Nardy says. “Because of poor turnouts, we can’t always pay the touring bands, and we want to be able to do that. Not only so those bands can survive on the road, but also because we want them to come back.”

The event hopes to rally support for local and independent music so DIY music and art will continue to have a place to be performed and enjoyed.

“Most college towns have venues like this,” Coward keyboardist Nathan Driskill says. “They were certainly very popular back in the ’80s and ’90s and they’ve kind of fallen by the wayside. So we think it’s really important to have a place like the Hair Hole. This event is really to try to raise money in support of that.”

The CoMo Jams BBQ is open to people of all ages and starts at 3 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 25, at 100 Orr St.