The TANK Center For Sonic Arts

In the small, remote town of Rangely, Colorado, there is a large, rusty, metal water storage tank.

Never used for its intended purpose, it has found a new purpose as a concert hall. Friends of the Tank, a group of musicians and music lovers who are entranced by the ethereal, haunting music and effects the Tank creates, like to say it’s one of the greatest concert halls in existence. Incredible effects, soaring vocals, and raucous cacophony result when anyone crawls through the eighteen-inch-wide porthole and starts experimenting with any kind of sound, as even the smallest noise will bounce around for half a minute or more.

Any noise made in the Tank reverberates repeatedly, making even mediocre singing heavenly (and presumably, rude noises even more hilarious and vuvuzelas even more annoying). You have to hear it to believe it. 

Bruce Odland, also responsible for The Harmonic Bridge, was introduced to the Tank in 1976 during a tour with 60 other artists. He was invited (or maybe kidnapped) by some unknown folks in a large truck, told to get in, and taken to the Tank. Since then, he’s been introducing others to the Tank, many of whom have had experiences in the Tank ranging from extraordinary, to sublime, to surreal.

A recent Kickstarter campaign by Odland has reached its goal, which will allow Friends of the Tank to preserve and maintain the tank so others can enjoy it for years to come. Who knows…maybe they’ll even put in a door so you don’t have to find a way to crawl through the porthole without losing your dignity.

If you wish to see the Tank, please remember it is on private property and be respectful.

The Atlas Obscura Podcast is a short, daily celebration of all the world’s strange and wondrous places. Check out this episode about the TANK Center For Sonic Arts.