Warehouse Concert Hall keeps the show going

The doors may be locked, but the music hasn’t stopped at the Warehouse Concert Hall.

The St. Catharines club on Geneva Street, which celebrated its third anniversary in April, is opening up the stage to local bands who still want to perform for fans during the pandemic but don’t want to do it from their living rooms.

The club’s Night Shift Sessions livestream series kicked off May 24 with a 20-minute set by James Blonde. Utilizing the club’s audio and lighting, the trio performed — with social distancing — much like they would a regular show at the club.

Warehouse owner Erik Dickson says the series brings a more polished, professional approach to the livestreams many artists are doing during the pandemic.

“Most of them are sort of solo or acoustic performances without the band, doing them out of their bedrooms,” he says. “On a webcam or even an Instagram Live on a camera phone. So one of the things we wanted to do was add a level of production value.

“Multiple cameras with the in-house sound system, we were able to do something a little higher quality. It more closely resembles an actual concert performance.”

Like all public performance halls, The Warehouse was forced to close in March because of COVID-19. The club sat dark for weeks, but recently one of the staff members — who is also in a band — approached Dickson about using the venue to rehearse. He was then urged to offer the space to other artists in the region, even as a recording space.

“Obviously, there are a large number of local artists who are still trying to stay engaged and active even though they can’t perform at shows,” says Dickson. “Now is a highvolume writing time (for artists) … but studios aren’t open and recording’s not easy. So, we had that space to offer.”

Niagara bands Jin and The Mandevilles are expected to perform next for the Night Shift Sessions in early June. Dickson is exploring options for a paywall which would benefit both the artist and the club.

Music clubs have been hit especially hard during the pandemic, with high-profile venues like The Hideout in Toronto and Hamilton’s This Ain’t Hollywood closing permanently.

“There’s varying levels of stress when it comes to how long they can really go before they’re having to announce a full closure,” says Dickson.

“One thing I’ve heard a few times is that venues were the first things to close and will be the last things to reopen.”