| Despite the ever-increasing number of big shows being held at MacEwan Hall (remember The Pixies?), Alex Vyskocil feels that live music has had more of a home off-campus than on for the last few years.
"When I go to shows, I see a whole bunch of students who go to venues such as the Night Gallery, Bamboo and Broken City," the vice-president events for the University of Calgary students’ union explains. "I know that there are many people (on campus) who dig Calgary’s local scene."
That’s why Vyskocil has turned the old student copy centre into That Empty Space, an intimate, once-a-week live performance venue adjacent to the MacEwan Hall food court. Since the beginning of September, the room has hosted such local performers as former Reverie Sound Revuers Lisa Lobsinger and Pat Walls, as well as touring acts such as Carolyn Mark.
But at a time when some classes are being held in trailers, is a performance venue a worthwhile use of campus space?
"Hell, yeah!" Vyskocil says. "I think that the campus needs to have more spaces that try to provide culture and a great social atmosphere…. It also needs a place that doesn’t have to make money or have a particular mandate.
"At the Students’ Union, we are trying to maximize the space that we have for students to use."
That Empty Space may not be empty forever – Vyskocil admits that it will likely be incorporated into any food-court expansions that happen in the future. But until then, he hopes that Interfaith thrift-store couches, cheap drinks and live music will encourage students – many of whom are commuters – to stick around campus on Friday afternoons.
"Back in the day," Vyskocil says, "there were tons of activities on Fridays, such as the ski club having a boozefest or just the Blue Banana Lounge where you could see artists such as Ron Sexsmith for free. That feeling of ‘school is over, let’s go have a drink’ is still around, but we need to bring back that live music element that has been missing." |
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