Living in Ottawa, a city that’s sandwiched between two of the country’s biggest cultural hubs, has its advantages and disadvantages.
On one hand, a major film festival or concert is only a bus ride away.
On the other, we’re often overlooked by foreign artists because they figure we don’t have the population or venue to accommodate them.
There is some truth in their assumptions, or at least there will be come January, when local building company Claridge Plaza knocks down a slew of buildings on Rideau Street to make room for new condominiums and commercial space (likely big box stores).
One of the main casualties will be Capital Music Hall. This venue has only been around as a concert space for a few years, but since it opened up, it has attracted bands that draw audiences too big for venues like Zaphod Beeblebrox and too small for stadiums.
With a 1,000-person capacity, it filled an obvious void. Bands like Wilco, Rise Against and Thursday included Ottawa in their tour schedules, likely, because they had an optimal venue to perform at.
A Capital employee says there is a demand for a medium-sized venue and they would like to relocate. They’ve been scouting locations, but nothing is official yet.
What will happen if Capital owners decide not to reopen?
One possibility is Centretown venue, Barrymore’s, will see an increase in the number of bands that want to perform there.
Generally the 500-person Vaudeville-theatre-turned-concert-hall showcases local bands who have built up a substantial following. But if out-of-towners want to play the capital, this will be their only viable choice.
Despite its beautiful interior and decades of history, Barrymore’s still can only hold half the people Capital can. Not only does this deter bands, but it’s also disappointing for fans. Groups like the Weakerthans, who sold out two shows in two consecutive nights at Barrymore’s last spring, could have easily attracted double that audience.
Another downside of relying on Barrymore’s as our main mid-size venue is they never hold shows for the underage audiences like Capital does. Without this outlet, music junkie kids might as well be growing up in rural Ontario.
The other, more likely, alternative is the scene will revert to its pre-Capital days and mid-size bands will skip over Ottawa.
There are plenty of amazing local bands who would willingly attempt to fill this void, but it symbolizes a larger problem. If Ottawa continues this tendency of choosing trendy condos over culture, we can never expect artists to treat us as a major art city – like they do Toronto or Montreal – despite the fact that we are the fourth-largest city in Canada.
If we forgo cultural space for commercial gain, future generations of kids will have to resort to begging their parents for a ride to a bigger city where they can get their musical fix. In reality, our numbers should allow us to enjoy these shows here at home.
So when you see the wrecking balls swinging this spring, remember: it’s more than just a building taking a blow, it’s an entire music scene.