Capital Current introduces people who have had an impact on the city. 

Who is Geoff Cass?

Geoff Cass is the owner and founder of Red Bird Live, a music venue and school on Bank Street in Old Ottawa South. He opened the space on Feb. 22, 2022, fuelled, he says, by a passion to create a community where all generations could come together for the love of music.

What’s his background?

“I’ve lived in this neighbourhood — well, the adjoining neighbourhood — for about 25 years,” Cass said. “My kids are 17 years old, boy [and] girl twins, and I’ve been really active in the community, coaching, volunteering at the school, driving kids to camps and things like that.”

Cass taught environmental and recreational education for 10 years before overseeing music programming at the Dovercourt Recreation Centre and the Bluesfest Music School of Music & Art, he told City News.

What is he known for?

Cass built Red Bird Live from the ground up, with the help of community volunteers. “When we put this place together, we had 89 individuals at different times who volunteered to paint, to build walls, to build some acoustic panels, to build the bar, to build the sound,” he said. “We built everything in here as a community.” 

Red Bird Live is also home to a music school of about 400 students. It offers private and group lessons for piano, guitar, violin, bass and more.

“The music school runs during the day up until about 7:30 p.m. and then we quickly transition to a music venue,” Cass said. “We try and keep the place busy as much as possible throughout the week.”

Red Bird Live is described on its official website as ” … a great listening space for Americana, folk, singer/songwriter, bluegrass, Celtic, and traditional country music performers.” The atmosphere is a listening room-style venue that prioritizes excellent live sound and intimate interactions between performers and spectators, with 80 seats facing the stage.

What do people say about him?

As a strong member of Old Ottawa South, Cass has touched many musicians and inspired them to be involved. “As soon as I recognized what Geoff was doing, it became one of my top three priorities to support Red Bird in the initial stages,” said longtime music-scene devotee Chris White in an interview with Roots Music Canada.

What’s a lesser-known fact about him?

Before owning the venue, Cass earned a degree in environmental science. That helped him bring eco-friendly practices to Red Bird. As described in The Charlatan, he wanted everything to be sustainably sourced, which includes having products such as County Bounty, an ethically sourced soda, in the venue. 

Cass also has a talent for drawing well-known people to the venue. Red Bird Live has welcomed performers such as Grammy-winning singer Gary Lewis, who has worked with the Dixie Chicks and The Black Crowes and Maria Doyle Kennedy, the Irish singer and actor who appeared in Downton Abbey and the cult movie The Commitments among other programs. 

More Stories