| In the past few months, you would be hard-pressed to find a music fan in this city whose appetite for live music hasn’t been sated. On top of the increased number of touring acts, the popularity of homegrown acts continues to rise.
It’s precisely this thirst for local music that has caused the number of places for our city’s musicians to ply their wares to increase. Fast Forward decided to look at three venues that have endeavoured to meet this increasing need in the past year. Rather than bandwagon jumping, however, it’s notable that each of these bars embarked on this path with both the noble goal of building community, and offering something unique in a scene largely housed in pubs.
A BAR NAMED SUE
(A-1410 4 St. S.W.)
Name: Sam Masterson: bartender/cook/waiter
Capacity: 75
Opened: 13 months ago
Most popular drink: Traditional Ale
Favourite feature: Bullwhips
Describe the bar in five words or less: "Comfortable, intimate, eclectic, quaint."
Shows: Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday
When A Bar Named Sue opened its doors just over a year ago, it was taking up residence in a location that had seen a number of failed attempts to establish a venue. Between the cow skull hanging over the front door, the roughshod sign spelling the name in old wood, and the eclectic interior, it’s safe to say its success has defied more than a handful of Beltline locals’ opening day predictions.
One year in it serves a diverse clientele – young and old, hipster and cowboy share small tables under the gaze of a near lifesize portrait of Johnny Cash that is endearing in that it may be either an amateur artist’s work of love or a giant paint-by-number.
"It’s all about creating a sense of community," explains Masterson. "(Owner) Brad Bianchi loves local music, and has completely committed to creating a sense of community in a big city."
And indeed, A Bar Named Sue has done just that. My companion that night was reminded of her time spent serving at a small-town bar in southern Alberta, and we watched as Masterson moved from bartending duties to steel guitar when he was invited to join the performers onstage that night.
"It’s great!" Masterson exclaims. "Anytime we want to get up and play, we can."
Perhaps most appealing is that this is real, honest country – homespun, grassroots and largely ego free. A couple of brothers and friends spend a night performing country classics back-to-back with Snoop Dogg covers, touring singer-songwriters drop in for intimate performances and it isn’t rare to see Tim Hus holding court, as he should in a Johnny Cash inspired room. Well worth a trip for an after work bevvie, but better yet to satisfy a hankering for live country that seems straight out of some Southern joint in one of the centres of country and western.
THE DISTILLERY
(180-839 5 Ave. S.W.)
Name: Matt Yuzwa
Capacity: 300
Opened: 2003
Most popular drink: Kokanee Bottles ("They’re cheap every Saturday night!")
Favourite feature: Shows
Describe in (approx) five words or less: "Fucking kick-ass good time all the time."
Shows: Every Friday or Saturday; Thursday night shows start in July
When you first enter the Distillery, it looks pretty much as you would expect a bar and restaurant that has to cater to both the lunchtime business crowd and the residents of the surrounding high rises in the evening. Nothing too hip and nothing too edgy – some pool tables, a few TVs, a jukebox and a lot of tables for four.
But the raised and lengthy bar, with a huge mirror behind it catches the eye. So does the sound booth to your right, or more specifically the small but growing collection of band stickers affixed to its back wall, including one for local hardcore heroes BDFM.
That sticker isn’t a surprise if you’ve paid attention to how the Distillery has been welcoming the local hardcore and metal community to its stage for the past year, and full credit to Matt Yuzwa for that. As the bassist for BDFM he’s intimately connected to his peers, but he has also helped to support and nurture a scene that is often overlooked by the mainstay venues in town.
"I’m here because of the bands. I know a lot of people in that scene," explains Yuzwa, "and they love playing this room because it’s so huge."
With nearly a year of presenting successful shows that catered to the heavy music crowd, Yuzwa is expanding the bar’s repertoire. Del tha Funkee Homosapien played two shows recently, and Yuzwa is excited about the upcoming indie rock shows they will be hosting on Thursday nights.
PALOMINO SMOKEHOUSE AND BAR
(109 7 Ave S.W.)
Name: Brianne
Capacity: 175 upstairs, 175 downstairs
Opened: July 6, 2005
Most popular drink: Jack Daniel’s
Favourite feature: Basement bar
Describe in five words or less: "Honkytonk good time"
The air is thick with BBQ when you walk into Palomino from 7th Avenue, and there’s usually a buzz of conversation from patrons sitting at the bar that rounds the middle of the room. It’s a familiar sensation for many music fans who have walked through the welcoming room’s doors and made their way downstairs to the basement performance room. A stage at one end and a circular bar at the other define one of the more unique venues Calgary has ever seen. With Ronnie Hayward appearing regularly upstairs, both floors serve as stages for locals to enjoy everything from country to indie rock.
The contribution the venue has made (aside from its amazing barbecue) to the music community in welcoming bands of all stripes (albeit with a discerning eye to quality) while moving the focal point of Calgary’s music scene away from the tried and true is undeniable and admirable.
While the well-known rooms are thriving, Palomino, along with the Distillery, is bringing music fans out of their familiar cloisters and into the downtown core. It’s a new part of the Calgary live music experience that’s worth the short trek from the downtown’s main nightlife strip. |
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