“Gross but beautiful” is how one Facebooking ex-Calgarian describes the Republik nightclub, once the mainstay of the city’s indie rock and alternative music scene. In 2000, the Republik shut its doors after almost 13 years and hundreds of shows by acts like The Jesus Lizard, Pavement and Wilco, as well as locals like Chixdiggit and Huevos Rancheros.
Seven years later, the once-beloved club is re-opening this month across the street and one block west of its old location on 17th Ave. S.W. The Republik’s Facebook page is loaded with memories of the old club — ranging from the “horrible” bathrooms to the cheap beer — and expectations for the new one. “It’s like a dream come true!” enthuses one former patron. Yet among today’s club-goers, expectations for the new club are more measured.
“It’s kind of a weird thing, because they closed down before I was even 18,” says Myke Atkinson, 24, who plays in alt-pop band Azeda Booth. “So for me, that legacy — I just hear about it.” The same is true for many other young club-goers in Calgary. The new Republik faces the challenge of attracting a generation of people who weren’t of legal drinking age when the old club closed down.
“The people that support live music are your crowd that’s under 30,” says Atkinson. “And of your crowd that’s under 30, you’ve only got five years worth that had the opportunity to go to the Republik. For the most part, the people that you hear really raving about it are people who have made that jump into a realm where they don’t go see live bands as often.”
Those who were of legal age in 2000 are happy to see the club’s return. “It’s nice to see it back, but I’m not expecting all of these great acts of yesteryear to suddenly re-form and start playing there,” says Craig Evans, who plays with local punk rockers Forbidden Dimension and is a talent buyer for Broken City, the city’s current indie mainstay. “Good luck to them, because booking live acts — it’s not easy.”
Dave Zan, who did sound at the Republik for about 10 years, says the Republik had its “heyday” in the mid-’90s, when alternative rock was at its peak. “The university crowd that they can grab [today] is definitely different than 15 years ago,” says Zan, adding the club’s biggest challenge will be attracting a diverse twentysomething audience. “It has to be something somewhat different. It can never be the same again.”
The new club, at 306 17th Ave. S.W. (the space formerly occupied by Victoria’s), is divided into two parts: a live room with a capacity for about 200, and an indie dance space called Stylofone, which will be similar to The Deluxe Lounge that was above the Republik in the old building. Co-owner Victor Choy says that, while the club will still book some of the “older alternative rock” bands, the focus will be on indie rock, including younger “up-and-coming” acts. “Timing-wise, it’s good,” says Choy. “The whole indie rock scene has just grown and blossomed.” Choy says that ever since the club closed, he’s had people constantly asking him when he was going to reopen it.
Atkinson says he hopes people don’t have unreasonable expectations of a club that was “sainted” when it closed. “What I would hope is that people just look at it for what it is,” he says. “It’s another new venue in town. Hopefully it will turn into another great staple, just like the old Republik was.”
