| It’s pitch black, Lyle Bell (a.k.a. Whitey Houston) has awoken from passing out on a couch that he assumes is located in the basement of Calgary’s Rock Central. With his bladder full to bursting, Bell searches in vain, feeling along the wall for an exit, a toilet, anything. After losing all hope, not even sure whether or not he will ever see his loved ones again, he does what any desperate, frightened man would do: "I just kind of let 'er rip into the dark..." With one problem solved and the other still looming, he heard an unfamiliar voice ask "How are we going to get out of here?" Luckily, that disembodied voice had a lighter, and the two men were able to find their way to the stairs and back to the party.
As it turned out, that voice belonged to Zak Pashak (the eventual owner of Broken City), and that urine landed square between the Rock Central washer and the dryer.
A couple of blocks away from the Stampede grounds once stood the house that rock built. For about 12 years, Rock Central housed the bands, the parties, the fans and the stories that made Calgary’s local scene interesting.
Nestled in the warm bosom of the city’s highest density of prostitution and drug abuse, the Victoria Park building had low rent and lots of space. It was a rock ’n’ roll frat house, a regional joke, and in some instances, an international phenomenon.
The house is still widely known for the bands that have lived within it and been affiliated with it. While living there, The Dudes recorded their first pop album "This Guy’s The Limit" in the kitchen. A revolving cast of roommates comprised the first few lineups of Matt Masters and The Gentlemen Of The Rodeo country and western group. Local hip hop/rock legends The A-Team came up with a sound that pre-dated Beck’s "Mellow Gold."
Some of Rock Central’s inhabitants were also interested in film. The A-Team made an obscure low-budget film "Operation Calgary Tower." There was the enormous success of Rock Central off-shoot FUBAR starring former residents Paul Spence (also of The Infernos) and Andy Spiracino (also of Helvis). Former Loose Mooser and RC friend Pat Kelly went on to host a YTV show, act in Second City and star in the movie Intern Academy.
Further fame came from its Annual Stampede Breakfast. Receiving national press from reputable newspapers such as The Globe And Mail, this all-day affair was the perfect celebration for Calgarians looking for an alternative to the family-oriented Stampede activities: bands in the backyard, heaping piles of sausages sitting in the sun and beer kegs in the garden. Each year’s show became more elaborate and messy.
All of this productivity was enough to inspire last year’s The Brothers: Portraits of the Rock Central Family Band by Sam Hester, an art show of portraits and bios of the whole crew.
You may have heard or read about all of these artists, but surely didn’t know that they are all products of Rock Central. The house has been torn down without fanfare, and all of its heroes have grown up and continue to develop what was started within its dirty walls. A perfect ending, coming full circle as a private Calgary joke, if ever there was one. |
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