Atypical venues bringing back live music
Atypical venues lead the resurgence in live music
It’s 3 p.m. and the first set of the day is about to begin on the patio at the Water St. Cafe in Gastown.
Music fills the popular eatery’s patio seven days a week until 6 p.m. Upstairs at the café, Live at 2nd Floor also showcases music from 7-9 p.m., typically running Thursdays to Monday.
Live music, it seems, is making a comeback in Vancouver.
But rather than clubs and arena concert venues, it’s happening in restaurants, courtyards and patios. With group gatherings locked at a 50-person cap, smaller and more intimate spaces are providing the outlet for music lovers to get their fix of singer-songwriters such as Buckman Coe.
Many of these spaces — Frankie’s Jazz Club, Hastings Mill Brewing Co. at Pat’s Pub, 8East and others — are focusing on jazz music.
Guitarist/bandleader Dave Sikula is one local player who is pleased to be back picking in front of an audience and booking the 2nd Floor Gastown at Water St. Cafe on Sundays and Wednesdays.
“It’s been great to have the opportunity to have a venue that ticks off all of the boxes regarding Worksafebc and Coastal Health to reduce capacity enough, yet still have the space to create the physical distance between musicians and audience members to make it work,” said Sikula. “The space was one of the first to provide that opportunity under reopening. But it didn’t come without challenges.”
Among those challenges is generating revenues for performers with attendance limited to just 50. Either way, Water St. Cafe owner Eli Brennan says bringing music back is a must for his business.
“People desire music and it adds a lot of joy and life to the dining experience,” said Brennan. “That was the reasoning behind opening the 2nd Floor Gastown last year, and reopening, even with only 20 seats, feels so good. We did a multi-show mini festival at the beginning and it sold out every night, although still taking into account that intimate space setting.”
Brennan notes that the City of Vancouver expanding patio spaces sees Gastown operating as “patio town” for the moment. Music is ringing out all around the neighbourhood — and elsewhere.
At Chilliwack’s Tractorgrease Café, the outdoor stage is plugged in again and Fraser Valley music fans have a place to hear everyone from the Vanrays to singer/songwriter WIL. Owner Jeffrey Bonner says it’s good to be back operating after three months of “darkness.”
“I’m fortunate that I had a goodsize outdoor space for the stage that can hold 40 people, reserving the other 10 spots for musicians and staff,” said Bonner. “Given the capacity of the restaurant is about a dozen before distancing, I don’t know what happens when the weather changes. We are noticing that folks are even coming out from Vancouver, so there is definitely demand.”
Enjoying the great outdoors while listening to good music is a perfect pairing. And arts organizations of all shapes and sizes are seizing upon the idea. Vancouver Improvised Arts Society has started putting on pop-up park gigs, and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and the Grouse Mountain Resort recently hosted a chamber music concert on the peak.
The Firehall Arts Centre and Hard Rubber Music just announced a Music in the Courtyard series, running until September and featuring everything from
Brazilian guitar virtuoso Celso Machado (Sunday, 3 p.m.) to the experimental jams of Waxwing (Aug. 29, 7 p.m.).
“We have a really great courtyard and I contacted my dear friend Diane Kadota with the idea and, along with John Korsrud, they reached out to their many contacts,” said Firehall Arts Centre’s Donna Spencer. “Having done events during Dancing on the Edge and over Pride Week, we knew we could do it safely, according to rules and guidelines. People need music, they need that outlet to escape for a time.”
Korsrud, a trumpeter, composer and bandleader, echoes Spencer’s comments. The opportunity to turn the courtyard into a cabaret was a cool one, he says, so Hard Rubber Music is sponsoring the event using monies left over from events cancelled in this year’s season.
Korsrud says he’s pleased to see another venue join “the emerging live entertainment area of Vancouver” of the Downtown Eastside and Gastown.
“At a time when most of us are trying to figure out how to bring live music back to Vancouver, this fantastic courtyard is a perfect place to perform as long as the weather holds,” said Korsrud. “We can do 40 people outside and, if it does rain, have the capacity to take it into the theatre if we further limit the numbers. With everything from string quartets and Middle Eastern, to rockabilly and Gord Grdina, there is a really good selection.”
Not too far from the Firehall Arts Centre, Lana Ryma runs Lanlou’s restaurant and concert space. Ryma, who also holds down the drum seat in local band The Furniture, reopened Lanlou’s on June 1.
“I went from booking Wednesday to Sunday steady to just Friday and Saturday, which is a big drop off,” she said. “I think being able to get out and hear live music, even under these conditions, is a mental health thing for people. Where would we be without music and the arts and the venues that support that? I think governments need to keep that in mind, because this area has a chance to be much better now.”
With table service only and no mingling, Ryma says the experience now is more like a “supper club scene, minus the Elvis impersonator.”
Her previous capacity of 100 has been halved, but feedback from customers has been excellent.
With restaurants, lounges and outdoor spaces leading the charge reopening to live music, the local scene isn’t so thoroughly locked down. But “next level” venues aren’t seeing any action to shore up the bottom line. Opening up to 50 patrons in a place that holds 800 or more is still pointless.
At a time when most of us are trying to figure out how to bring live music back to Vancouver, this fantastic courtyard is a perfect place to perform.