Does Edmonton need The Station?
Earlier this week it was announced that live music would finally be back on stage at the location of the former Needle Vinyl Tavern on Jasper Avenue, but under new owners – led by Greg Scott – and under a new brand – The Station on Jasper.
Given the catastrophic and rapid demise of the old venue in November 2017 due to sexual harassment allegations, first and foremost the new owners have pledged to be on the forward edge in terms of policies and culture for the safety of their staff, musicians, and patrons, partnering with the Sexual Assault Centre of Edmonton, the YWCA, and an HR firm.
There was some Twitter discussion about how much the new venue could distance itself from the past ownership – given they still apparently own the building (James Leder, who was charged with sexual assault following the Needle incident, has reportedly left the owner’s group). Perhaps it’s made even more risky by the decision to change only the branding inside and outside, and very little else. It was a risk the new owners surely considered carefully, versus the cost of re-equipping a brand new location from the ground up. And with absolutely zero say or role in operations from the previous owners, Scott says, one does expect those concerns will quickly erode, though the new owners will still need to be extremely vigilant, as memories can be fairly long.
Serena Ryder will play June 30 at the new Station on Jasper
Scott brought out the typical hyperbole one always sees with these announcements – “best mid-sized music venue in Western Canada” and “The city needs a great music venue in the downtown core.”
How much of that is true? Does the city really need another venue? Another mid-size venue? Another venue downtown?
From all accounts it doesn’t sound like any touring musicians are passing over Edmonton because of lack of venues. Nobody is scrambling to find additional places to play at that level. Concerns such as remoteness and winter weather are heard much, much more frequently as rationale. The city has a number of venues at almost every level to host a show, from the smallest places like Bohemia, to the larger venues like Starlite Room – plus a host of other venues that are trying to put together live music calendars in almost every genre.
Local musicians would likely tell you there’s never enough venues for them to get a chance to play, but at the same time, when seemingly so few people are willing to shell out money for a lower tier or even mid-tier band, instead saving their money for the giant shows at Rogers Place and the like (which often cost 20 times more than a smaller show), how many venues can truly survive longer-term?
And who did the Station on Jasper lean on for their first weekend, to announce to the world the beginning of their quest for domination? Serena Ryder. Yep, Serena Ryder. Now, everyone knows how much Serena Ryder is loved in these parts – and for great reason. But she’s been here twice already this year: the Winspear in February, and last weekend at the Beaumont Blues & Roots Festival. Tickets are still selling very well for her June 30 show at the Station, but that’s a lot of exposure even for a beloved artist to hang their hat onto.
The Watchmen are scheduled to play The Station on July 5.
If we’re talking about new venues, let’s not forget about Marvins Garden, whose owners were trying to raise money on Indiegogo to start their own new venue not far from downtown. Backed by promoter Steve Derpack and a couple of the owners of the Local Omnivore, their lineage alone an interesting combination that could lead to success. However, their campaign only managed to receive 5% of its requested backing, and things have been pretty quiet on that front since.
The possible reasons for the funding failure are too numerous to conceive – but what does that mean to someone putting together another new venue in a city that finds it hard to support a venue in the long term? How many venues have come and gone over the past few years? How many continue to be stable and secure? Can the Station put Needle Vinyl Tavern’s past to rest and prosper for the future in the same location?
Only time will answer these many questions.
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