In show business, you either exit stage left or exit stage right but in Prince George lately it is the stages doing the exiting. Three venues frequented by live entertainers have recently experienced turbulence and it's causing questions about where audiences can go to get their entertainment fill and where musicians can go to get some audience attention.
The Black Donkey in the heart of downtown closed its doors. It was a hotspot for electronic music, small live acts, and other forms of entertainment. It's small physical size was offset by ambition and owner Chris Blackier's own musical skills.
The Oakroom Grill provided a stage with a constant schedule of live musicians. They paid the entertainers who enlivened the room with music, giving the effect of dinner music and light concert at the same time. This establishment remains open but unproven allegations of inappropriate gender-based behaviour caused some local musicians to voluntarily withhold their services pending a full investigation.
The most significant loss of stage was the closure of Shiraz Cafe in Parkwood Mall, where live music was on the menu every Friday and Saturday (sometimes other days as well) for more than five years. It was a staple spotlight for local musicians from beginners to expert and it was also a stopping point for many touring music stars in need of a P.G. gig. Owner Reza Akbari equated live music with a valuable addition to his customers' dining experience.
"Yeah it's quite a bit to lose all of those venues around the same time," said Danny Bell, an active local musician, former member of Black Spruce Bog, and one of the city's most active concert promoters under his Mad Loon Entertainment umbrella. He was familiar with all three of these venues.
"The musicians will keep making music like they always have, but might feel less encouragement from the community due to the lack of space for them to showcase their work," Bell explained. "That gratitude and validation from an audience is what motivates many to keep working at it."
Local singer-songwriter and music teacher Erika Callewaert said the lost of Shiraz in particular represents her primary training ground in her formative years getting out in front of roomfuls of strangers to present songs. There is no way to get that experience except to screw up the courage and sally forth. Few places allowed musicians to do that, she said, and now there are fewer still.
"There are still a few places in town that have asked me to play like Nancy O's, the Legion, Cafe Voltaire as well as Coldsnap Music Festival," said Callewart. "They give great opportunities for musicians but definitely if any more of them close it would have a huge impact as the town isn't that big. As a music teacher in town I can also add that these venues provide opportunities for younger musicians to get started and without them their performing opportunities are more limited."
"Yes, Shiraz was a great venue for the musicians but for me it was home," said recording artist Neda Jalali, leader of the Persian-fusion band Navaz. She was indisputably the most frequent singer on the Shiraz stage, since it was a Persian-fusion restaurant. "For me Shiraz was much more than just a venue to perform. Reza introduced the Persian culture - hospitality - in the most effective and positive way to Canadians in Prince George. I was proud to take my friends there and give them a taste of Iran that I love and miss. I went there whenever I felt homesick and knew that Reza and his family would be there with open arms. A home away from home, where I could speak Farsi and enjoy the great tastes of home. I was in tears when I found out that they are moving away."
Akbari told The Citizen that, for the public record, it wasn't the live entertainment that ended the Shiraz business, it was a rental agreement that made any business case unsustainable for him.
"Shiraz gave young and inexperienced performers a chance to perform in front of an audience for their first time," said Earl Krushelnicki, who recently moved from the city as well but was, for years, one of the busiest concert promoters in the northern region. "Reza was great at giving them a chance. He sometimes commented that he could see them grow as performers as they learned their craft. So performers who were too young or to inexperienced to perform at some other local venues were welcomed at Shiraz."
There has been some recent growth as well in the local live music scene. Sonar is primarily a comedy hotspot, but there are future options inside those walls for live music as well. And the Omineca Arts Centre is primarily an art gallery but it has also added live performances to its repertoire. Bell has used it for some of his evening music ventures, but he encouraged people with space in their restaurants and commercial locations (one of Nashville's most famous hipster honky-tonks, Robert's Western World, is a shoe store by day, with the racks on wheels to make way for the mingling and dancing) to think about adding a live music element.
"I don't think it's necessarily on the musicians to create those spaces," said Bell. "I think it's the responsibility of the venues to act on this void we're feeling right now. I see it as an opportunity for other restaurants and pubs to fill that gap. People love live music, and food and music are a powerful pairing. It's a full body experience. I also realize the margins in the restaurant business can be difficult for a business owner, but the other key component is paying musicians fairly so that it's sustainable from a performer's standpoint. It also shows recognition of the value that live music can bring to an experience. As a promoter and musician myself, I've been working to find a new venue to host weekly performances and am hoping someone will take it on."
Anyone with a venue idea can reach out to Bell for a discussion. He can be contacted at [email protected].
In several venues around the downtown and across the city, live music still remains. Now, more than a week ago, it is important to those musicians on the stage that people come buy to register their support by giving the gift of your presence.
