“My grandfather found a violin in the bottom of a bomb crater.” For Paul Prier, the story of Peter Prier & Sons Violins begins long before the beloved Salt Lake City shop opened its doors. It begins in Germany in 1942, when his father, Peter Paul Prier, was born into a world marked by war, hunger, loss, and uncertainty. Peter’s father was killed during World War II, and he was raised by his mother and grandfather in a family that had very little.

“The address was 666 South State Street. I said, ‘Let’s go first thing in the morning.’ That’s too good to pass up.” When Andrew Earley stumbled upon this space, it was the address that first grabbed him. The tongue-in-cheek name, Mark of the Beastro, followed soon after, a nod to the playful spirit he wanted to cultivate - one part punk rock, one part art haven. A full-service vegan restaurant in 2019 transformed into a cozy and welcoming café - one that shared its walls, and soul, with a vibrant performance venue known as The Beehive. Sadly, in the summer of 2026, however, Andrew made the difficult decision to close Mark of the Beastro and focus fully on organizing meaningful events.

“This has been in my head for thirty years. I just didn’t know I was already in the building I needed.” Charles Thorpe has always been about building things: stages, spaces, and opportunities. A stage manager by trade with a lifelong love of music and the people who make it, Charles has spent decades behind the scenes, ensuring the lights came up and the show went on. But what he truly dreamed of was something bigger - a place where creativity in all its forms could thrive under one roof. That dream became Space & Faders.