By Andrea MacDonald
A new era has begun at 200 Rideau St.
The days of dirt-cheap drinks have ended, the dance music DJ’s are gone, and the interior has been completely redecorated.
Formerly R.J.’s Boom Boom Saloon, and most recently the Liquor Dome—both popular nightclubs for young partygoers— the building is set to become a venue that the city hopes will make Ottawa a major player in the live music scene.
The Capital Music Hall, which opened its doors last weekend, is owned by York Entertainment, the company that also owns Byward Market hotspots On Tap and The Cabin.
Steve Portt, general manager of the Capital Music Hall, says the club will fill a void in Ottawa.
“We have Barrymore’s, which holds 500 people, and we have the NAC, which holds about 2,000,” he says. “At a capacity of 1,000, we’re looking at being the mid-sized venue.”
Until now, Barrymore’s Music Hall has been Ottawa’s biggest and, arguably, most popular live music club.
If successful, the Capital Music Hall could offer it serious competition.
But Marielle Varhelyi, Barrymore’s entertainment director, says she does not see the new club as a threat.
“There’s room for everybody,” she says. “There will always be a need for a venue the size of Barrymore’s. There’s always going to be bands that need a place to play, so I don’t think it will make a difference.”
And having another live music venue will benefit the city, adds Varhelyi.
“I think it’s great publicity and it’s exactly what we needed. It’s great for the industry in the city, the bands in the city and the people in the city,” she says.
“Hopefully more bands will come through, including the ones that usually skip Ottawa.”
Karen Wood, a Capital Music Hall publicist, agrees that the new club will benefit several sectors in Ottawa, including tourism.
“It will pull people in from outside communities, such as Cornwall, who will make a night or a weekend out of it, who will come into town and grab dinner and see a show.”
Live music fans in Ottawa are also happy that they may no longer have to leave town to see their favourite bands.
“I think the new place is great because I always had to drive to Montreal or Toronto for shows,” says Michael Phillips, a 23-year-old local musician who says he travels out of town at least once a month for concerts. “Now, hopefully, the bands will come to Ottawa.”
Phillips says there are many lesser-known bands from places like England that are often passed by Ottawa because there was nowhere for them to play.
The club is aiming precisely at those acts, says Portt.
“We’re looking for those bands that are going between Toronto and Montreal that have a day off and can stop in Ottawa, put on a good show, and be on their way,” he says.
“Once we establish ourselves as a great venue, agents will start talking about how they’ve got to play this spot, and they’ll make the stop here. I think it’s going to put Ottawa more on the map as a live concert place.”
For now, Wood says the club will feature any act that can sell 1,000 tickets.
She says most are Canadian national touring acts, and adds that there may be opportunities for local bands to become opening acts for bigger names, which would boost the local music scene.
Bands The New Deal and The Mars Volta have already played at the Capital Music Hall, and shows by David Usher and Sloan will finish off the month. So far, 15 shows are scheduled for November.