Live music 'not what it used to be, but it's not dead' in Charlottetown

Iconic live music venues are closing down coast-to-coast, but in Charlottetown there is optimism that while the scene is changing the beat will go on.

The Hoxton in Toronto, the Carleton in Halifax, the Railway Club in Vancouver: these are names familiar to music fans across the country, and now consigned to history. Some people in the industry are concerned this is a permanent shift, similar to the change that killed recorded music as a lucrative revenue generator.

Rob Oakie, executive director of Music P.E.I., certainly sees the signs of change in Charlottetown.

"Some of the bars that were traditionally presenting a lot of original music consistently every week are now filling up their nights with trivia, open mics, cover bands," said Oakie.

"The opportunities for original music to be presented have certainly decreased in Charlottetown."

'Not a young person's thing anymore'

One of those venues that has changed its offerings is Baba's Lounge.

Baba's opened in 1991, and has been a mainstay of original, live music since the start. For years it was regularly offering live music seven nights week, but not anymore.

"It's mostly weekends now at Baba's, is where you're going to see live music," said Jamie Crawford, who does the bookings at Baba's.

"Other than that I can't afford to pay the bands and the doorman and the sound guy and all those things and still make money as a bar."

Crawford has been working at Baba's for three years, playing there as a musician for eight, and he has seen a shift in audiences.

"It's not a young person's thing anymore, to do when they go out," he said.

Oakie sees a couple of reasons for that shift. Young people are not exposed to live music as much early on, he said. For example, it is rare for a high school to book a band for a dance these days. Plus, there is a growing number entertainment options that you don't even have to leave your living room for.

"There's so many choices out there, and inexpensive choices," said Oakie.

Support of young bands critical

It may be that it is getting harder to get people out to live shows, but it has never been easy, said Al Douglas, marketing and events manager for Murphy Hospitality Group.

Douglas books the acts for several bars in town as well as the P.E.I. Brewing Company. He started promoting music shows 15 years ago, when he was still a teenager.

"It always is a fight to get people out to see live music," said Douglas.

Douglas agreed with Oakie that is important to develop young audiences, and that means supporting young bands.

"The support really needs to be there for the all-ages music scene, the up and comers," he said.

"They're the ones that are going to get their friends interested in live music … If you don't have that people are just going to go to the Internet."

A change of strategy

Charlottetown's Hunter's Ale House used to regularly book original acts, but that has changed, said owner Steven Barber.

"It is very hard to get people out to live shows. So much so, that we have turned to mostly cover acts," he said.

The same applies to stages Barber runs at The Factory, John Brown, and the Charlottetown Beer Garden.

But he said he has recently been inspired to give original acts another try.

"I am excited to try and get back on top of the game," he said, adding the challenge will be to find the right balance.

"We need a middle class style grouping that aren't too big to play Hunter's and aren't too small that no one knows who they are.

'It makes you work hard'

And Crawford is not giving up on live music at Baba's.

"It's OK. It makes you work hard," he said.

"There's a lot more leg work to make it a good night. "

While Baba's may not present music as many nights a week, some nights it will present more than one show: jazz at 8 p.m. for an older audience, and rock at 11 p.m. for a younger one. And the music can still run close to seven nights a week in the summer.

"The scene isn't what it used to be, but it's not dead," said Crawford.

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