New venue in Ottawa; anybody been?

[bradm]

I found a reference to what looks like a new venue in Ottawa: LiVE Lounge 88.5 is being run by the LiVE 88.5 radio station at 126 1/2 York St. (which makes me think it's connected to/with The Capital Music Hall, which is at 128 York St.). Their Thursday night events look interesting:

Every band that appears in the Thursday Night Indie Series will be featured in a huge advertising and promotional campaign on LiVE 88.5 designed to build recognition for YOUR band!

This includes:

- promotional ads on LiVE 88.5 leading up to your show. Each announcement will feature your band and the others headlining the bill that night

- promotional announcements on LiVE 88.5. LiVE jocks will be heavily promoting the show during the week

- LiVE 88.5 will dedicate a prominent section on www.livelifelive.fm to talk about the Thursday Night Indie Series. It'll include a listing of your band, a link to your website/MySpace page and a downloadable MP3 of one of your songs!

- a LiVE multi-tracked recording of your performance at the LiVE Lounge. We'll provide you with the digital tracks of the recording for your own uses. And, who knows... if you have a killer show, one of the tracks could end up getting played on LiVE 88.5

- AND when a major recording act has a Friday night gig, opening acts for the show will be selected exclusively from bands who have played in the Thursday Night Indie Series!

Next Thursday, Feb. 1, they have Donkey Punch, Sojourn, and Eppiphane, which makes me think they're aiming to cover a fairly wide range of musical styles (as opposed to restricting themselves to dance/R&B, say).

I'm not sure it's open (the Feb. 1 gig is listed as the kick-off to the Lounge part of the venue); has anybody been to it yet?

Aloha,

Brad

[AD]

Lynn Saxberg, The Ottawa Citizen

Published: Tuesday, January 30, 2007

If you were among the throngs rocking out at the grand opening of Live 88.5's new Live Lounge on Saturday, you probably had a great time with DJ Noah -- unless you happened to bump into one of the inconveniently placed pillars flanking the dance floor.

More than $100,000 went into transforming the York Street bar from a student watering hole (the Thirsty Scholar) into a state-of-the-art live-music venue with radio-broadcasting capabilities. Unfortunately, the load-bearing poles had to stay. (Sound familiar? It was the same situation with the pole in the middle of the old Capital Music Hall).

This time, we've discovered some history on the offending poles. For years, the building at 126 York Street housed another radio station, CHEZ 106 FM. Up on the fifth floor, a hard-working young producer found it impossible to do his job properly because of the music thumping from the bar downstairs. He kicked up such a fuss that soundproofing material was installed by the tonne, requiring extra reinforcement of the building. Load-bearing pillars were put in place.

Dan Youngs, take a bow. Fifteen years later, the poles are still there and our young producer is now program director of the alt-rock station that launched the new club. A veteran of the Ottawa radio industry, Youngs has been with the year-old station since its inception, but moved up after the original director, Kneale Mann, was let go last month.

Although the first year of business was not as successful as hoped, the station has been coming up with some ideas that the radio industry should be watching. The first thing that got people talking was their talent-development campaign/band-war contest, the Big Money Shot, which awarded huge amounts of funding to local bands. Grand-prize winner Tim's Myth has $350,000 to invest in its career, and there's a similar purse this year.

The money is part of Live 88.5's innovative talent-development pledge to the CRTC. The station is committed to spending $6 million over seven years on developing Canadian talent, and it's doing it in the community.

The club idea is also intriguing. Live's director of Canadian talent development, Lee Wagner, says it's happening because of the great response to Big Money Shot.

Dozens of bands participated, and each round attracted a sold-out audience at the host clubs, Thirsty Scholar and the new Capital Music Hall, both owned by York Street Entertainment.

Under the new arrangement, York still owns and manages the Live Lounge, but the station is responsible for programming and marketing. York co-owner Steve Monuk describes it as a "win-win-win situation" that creates a clientele for the bar, a promotional tool and meeting place for the radio station and its listeners and a decent venue for bands and music fans.

Preliminary rounds of this year's Big Money Shot competition will take place at the Live Lounge, starting March 16. The deadline for band entries is Feb. 23 (see www.livelifelive.fm to download an entry form).

Regular Live Lounge events will include the live-to-air broadcast of DJ Noah's Hard Drive on Saturdays ($5 cover) and, starting this week, a Thursday-night showcase of independent Ottawa-area bands. Performances will be recorded for the band to use as a demo, or for the radio station to broadcast. Donkeypunch, Sojourn and Eppiphane play the first Indie Sessions on Thursday ($5 cover).

The club will also be available for outside promoters to book touring acts.

[mattm]

I haven't been there since it became the lounge but these guys are dishing out tonnes of cash for music so it will probably be pretty good. I'm pretty sure not to many folks on here like the Big Money Shot thing (I thought it was a great idea and a way better way for a radio station to throw money away then all inclusive vacations and such). I bet it's pretty pricey though.

[SaggyBalls]

I hope the bar/radio station will create a discerning audience rather than merely cater to an easily consuming one.

Loads of potential to put Ottawa on the map for something other than being a capital city or having the world's longest (potential, now) skating rink.

[RobL]

I am going to the show this thursday to check it out. im bringing my friend "molly" and a few of her friends.. try to get the crowd going haha.. should be coo my friends tim's myth got the cash from these cats.. i hope they stick to their scene and make by brothers into the band I know they can be.. see you cats thursday if anyone shows up.. ciao