Every week after a well-liked mid-sized music venue shut its doorways in downtown Edmonton, people who find themselves lively within the metropolis’s arts group say there must be extra consciousness concerning the challenges confronted by locales the place live shows happen.
“I’d say that the state of reside music in Edmonton is grim at greatest,” Clint Frazier, a promoter for a downtown venue known as 99ten, advised International Information earlier this week, including there “hasn’t been a whole lot of follow-up with the venues” since they had been compelled to briefly shut earlier through the COVID-19 pandemic.
READ MORE: Canadians use social media to shine mild on reside music business left in darkish by COVID-19
Frazier added that he believes the difficulty isn’t just about challenges dealing with small companies, however concerning the well being of town as an entire.
“If we wish to get critical about fixing the downtown, which it positively wants, we have now to have a look at companies which might be bringing individuals downtown and we have now to offer them the assist, particularly after COVID — and particularly (now with)… the rising prices of touring artists,” he stated.
“It’s an actual massive downside and I want town would have addressed it sooner and I hope that that is the wake-up name they should handle it proper now.”
READ MORE: Metropolis launches technique to convey life again to Edmonton’s downtown
The “wake-up name” Frazier was referring to was the Feb. 3 announcement on social media by Station on Jasper that it might be closing its doorways.
A notice seems on the entrance of Station on Jasper, a downtown Edmonton music venue, taken on Feb. 10, 2023.
Nicole Stillger/International Information
“After 5 years, Station on Jasper has hung up its microphone,” reads a part of a put up on the venue’s Fb web page. “We have now had many excellent reveals and unbelievable nights to recollect… a whole lot of wonderful musicians shared their abilities on our phases with a whole lot of Edmontonians — and we’re proud to have been a part of that.
“We labored laborious to reopen after all of the COVID closures, but it surely was a troublesome trip.”
Brian Fauteux, an affiliate professor on the College of Alberta’s music division, stated whereas music venues usually face an uphill problem to remain open for a very long time, he was considerably stunned by the information the Jasper Avenue bar was closing.
READ MORE: Closed Edmonton music venue to reopen underneath new possession
“I used to be simply there for the Winterruption (YEG) festitval and it was packed, and folks had been having a good time,” he recalled. “It form of felt prefer it had been a bit of little bit of time after the pandemic (well being measures had been lifted) and folks had been out testing reside music once more.
“On the identical time, I wasn’t stunned given what number of venues we noticed shut over the pandemic.”
Fauteux famous except for the traditional challenges confronted by small companies, small- or mid-sized music venues additionally address points involving business insurance coverage and noise bylaws. And with the monetary burden positioned on them by the pandemic, many music spots are seemingly dealing with points associated to debt even when they’re attracting audiences.
Frazier stated he understands that venues are usually privately run companies, however he nonetheless believes governments might take a look at providing further monetary assist to assist them get better, and in addition to allow them to spend money on bringing extra well-known performers to town, which he believes would have optimistic ripple results.
“The extra of those (venues) that we lose, the much less that folks come downtown, which everyone knows has develop into a giant downside for Edmonton,” he stated. “(Station on Jasper’s closure) implies that the downtown — that’s already struggling and struggling, and develop into very unsafe for the reason that pandemic — loses one other asset that would convey 500 individuals downtown on a Wednesday or Thursday evening, which additionally helps the eating places and different companies across the venue.
“It’s actually about having a dialog.”
Edmonton is ready to host the 2023 Juno Awards subsequent month. Except for the music awards present itself, which is able to happen inside Rogers Place, the occasion brings with it and attracts many performances and occasions held in smaller venues.
READ MORE: Actor Simu Liu to host 2023 Juno Awards in Edmonton
Frazier stated Station on Jasper’s closure means some occasions have needed to be moved and his venue is taking over extra occasions because of this.
“Our workforce is engaged on discovering properties for future reveals,” reads a put up on Station on Jasper’s Fb web page, addressing impacted reveals extra broadly. “Sadly, some could also be cancelled by which there shall be ticket refunds issued.”
Whereas Frazier stated Station on Jasper’s closure is a “disgrace,” he acknowledged the closure of music venues is one thing that has “been occurring for 20 years.”
“It’s occurring in every single place,” Fauteux stated. “I lived in Toronto earlier than coming right here and it was one venue after the opposite, and sometimes occasions it might be resulting from new developments or locations that had a tough time assembly their lease.”
READ MORE: Edmonton arts venue compelled to shut its doorways
He added that mid-sized venues like Station on Jasper play an essential function in any metropolis’s reside music ecosystem as a result of they supply alternatives for native musicians to additional their careers by opening for touring performers.
“Having plenty of individuals with completely different visions for the way reside music is sustained in a metropolis is essential,” Fauteux stated, including that you will need to recognize what reside music venues can supply and what it might take to assist them flourish.
“It may be an financial driver, but it surely additionally provides us one thing pleasurable to take part in, and I feel it’s a must to take into consideration the place venues are positioned and what their partIcular wants are, particularly after they’re coping with kind of a unstable sector like reside music… It’s a dialog that has to contain individuals with an understanding of reside music (in addition to) artists… (and) policymakers at numerous ranges.”
A photograph of the entrance of Station on Jasper, a downtown Edmonton music venue, taken on Feb. 10, 2023.
Nicole Stillger/International Information
Fauteux stated regardless of Station on Jasper’s closure, he’s optimistic a brand new locale will emerge within the metropolis’s core.
“I feel one thing will,” he stated. “You usually see as venues shut, new ones open up.”
He added that he has observed there are as soon as once more a number of music lovers going to venues for performances and that Edmonton continues to have “a number of nice bands.”
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