Big promoter thinks smaller
EVENKO AIMS to operate venues where acts can grow into major players on the Montreal scene
Most spaces along the walls of Jacques Aubé’s office on the upper floors of the Bell Centre are lined with posters and framed accolades of shows and successes. Those that haven’t quite made it on the wall yet include an aerial photo of thousands attending U2’s outdoor show last summer and, by the window, a graphic showing Place Bell, the recently announced Laval stadium.
Evenko played a central role in both projects. As Aubé, the executive vice-president of Evenko, puts it: “We’ve had a big year.”
The growth of Evenko took root well before that.
Over the last decade, the promotions company has become the major player in the Montreal concert scene and grown into Canada’s largest independent producer and promoter, handling many of the big shows for eastern Canada, from U2 to Madonna to Bon Jovi.
With an eye toward continued growth, Evenko is not only placing its bets on promoting major events, but having a hand in running the venues where these live shows will take place. The quick pace of change in the music industry is one of the driving factors.
“We really changed our scope, our objectives,” said Jacques Aubé, who has steered Evenko’s growth since 2005
“We got into club shows, the club scene. Agents that have the Coldplays, have James Blunt, they also have 10 smaller acts that need to grow. That need to be exposed. That need fans.”
Fostering these smaller acts and providing places for them to play is Evenko’s new focus. They took their first step in that direction in their own neighbourhood, taking over management of the Corona Theatre in Little Burgundy, within view of Evenko’s offices.
They have since also become the lead promoter for Laval’s soon to be built Place Bell.
Aubé has nothing but praise for music fans across the city, pointing out it has come a long way over the last few years.
“Montreal is really becoming a market that you shouldn’t pass up” Aubé said. He sees these small to medium-size venues as an opportunity to introduce new talent to Montréal’s passionate audiences.
When it comes to major events, Evenko has already cornered the market. It has exclusive rights to book the Bell Centre and has carved out a place for itself during the festival season with Osheaga and Heavy MTL.
Recently, Evenko has been staging about 850 shows per year, with about 500 in Montreal. Last year 1.5 million people attended its shows. Aubé believes smaller and medium sized acts will become a more important piece of that puzzle.
It’s no secret that downloads and file sharing mean bands are making less on records and are spending more time on the road to make their living. There is also opportunity, as social media give smaller acts a greater forum to build a dedicated fan base.
Aubé said that is changing the game: “We’re going to be seeing something in near years where you’re going to get smaller acts playing 5,000 or 6,000 seat arenas rather than the U2s or the Aerosmiths playing to 20,000.”
That makes venues such as the Corona and the planned project in Laval prime real es- tate for up and coming acts.
For Evenko, this approach is partly about becoming part of the community beyond the Bell Centre.
“It’s going to be one of the most interesting neighbourhoods in the city,” said Nick Farkas, vice-president of concerts and events, of the Corona’s location in Little Burgundy. “We want to be part of it and we want to program an interesting lineup of stuff that is going to be really compelling for people.”
Though still early days, Farkas said events at the venue have been well received so far and it will continue to host a range of shows, “the full gamut, from hip-hop to Hanson.”
That idea of establishing a presence in an area on the rise is also part of the logic with Place Bell in Laval. Aubé points out there were studies about whether to build a stadium in Laval in the 1990s, but the population could not support it. Now, it has become a “stand-alone market” as its population climbs toward one million.
“This business is a very risky business,” Aubé cautions. “You have to make sure you don’t make many mistakes. Your batting average has to be up there.”
As the analogy suggests, Aubé was always more of a sports man, an NHL hopeful in his years playing in the QMJHL. He is an accountant by training. While Evenko does have a hand in some sports and family events, music is its bread and butter.
Aubé admits music is not his true expertise. It’s his team approach that leads Evenko to expand and branch out: “I’m not a music wiz. I enjoy going to shows, I enjoy everything I do, but it’s more about my team, it’s more about the guys and trying to push our ideas.”
Aubé points out he has always been more of an organization type than the accountant type.
As he looks at what is ahead for the Montreal music scene, and Evenko’s place in it, he said the safest best is on live music.
“Live is there to stay forever. There’s nothing like a live show.”