Brookside Mall and The Capital Complex announce The Lottery II, a weekly summer showcase of new music, May 31 to August 30.
Matt Carter
The Capital Complex and local trio Brookside Mall will breathe new life into an old idea starting this month with the return of The Lottery, a full-band open mic style event aimed at offering both local and touring acts a chance to perform and possibly win a few prizes.
The original Lottery was curated by members of the Shifty Bits Cult, a highly influential artist collective that sparked a number of creative endeavors during its hay day, and was inspired in part by Rockin’ 4 Dollar$, the long-running weekly event in Halifax credited for providing several locals acts with their first live performance opportunities.
“The original Lottery was a sporadic and wonderful event curated by Motherhood in those Shifty hay days,” said co-organizer Brendan MaGee. “Essentially, Zach Atkinson of The Capital Complex has offered up the bar on Thursdays this summer, in hopes that we can showcase new artists, unique acts, and bands touring through who need a place to play. There is also a Price Is Right/Spin The Wheel component for both bands and the audience, with a weekly cash prize and some smaller ins and outs.”
While MaGee and his band Brookside Mall will acts as The Lottery II’s house band, he’s quick to stress that the event is primarily focused towards showcasing new acts or bands who have not yet played The Capital stage.
Musicians can sign-up HERE
“Brookside Mall will act as the house band, in the same way that G.E. Smith & company popped up in every SNL episode,” he said. “This event is more focused on the newcomers and new projects. We haven’t seen too many new bands in Fredericton lately. It’s natural to have ups and downs, but we can all admit that there are plenty of barriers of entry for new artists. Getting your band booked can be super daunting, especially if you don’t have a budget or the ability to have good quality recordings, promo photos, and the like.
“Playing live for the first few times is also a very intimidating experience,” said MaGee. “We’re going to offer a supportive, inclusive place for artists and bands to play at the premiere venue in town every Thursday night from May 31-August 30.”
MaGee hopes the return of this weekly event will help spark new projects while also offering a warm welcome to bands passing through the province.
“We’re really excited to breathe life back into this event and take the reins,” he said. “A sort of Next Generation storyline. Hopefully The Lottery adheres to Degrassi rules, and they still stop by and hang and play!”
The Lottery II will run Thursday nights at The Capital Complex during the summer beginning May 31. View event
