Live music takes a chance at the top of the hill.
Uptown Fredericton has never really been known as a place to hear live music, at least not since the 70s and 80s, back when the Hilltop was a regular stop for bands touring the Maritimes. While other venues have tried their hand at establishing a live music audience in the city’s uptown over the last few decades, nothing has really stuck, at least until now.
Since the beginning of the year, Grimross Brewery has been hosting regular performances with both established and emerging artists making their way through the East Coast.
“It’s great and it’s been a lot of fun so far,” said Eddie Young, who has been helping to organize a lot of the recent performances at the brewery through his Roots and Soul Music Promotions. “Sometimes we have five people and sometimes we have 35 people. It all depends on the night.”
Recent performers to play the brewery include Montreal songwriter Johnny Coull, Ken Tizzard (The Watchmen and Thornley) and Vancouver folk group, Red Haven. Word of the brewery stage has been circulating coast to coast as a relaxed, intimate performance venue.
“It’s a different audience and a different kind of music than what you might see downtown,” said Young. “These shows are generally the type where an audience can sit-down and listen to the music. They’re all early shows too and I think that helps.”
Over the past month, another uptown business has begun trying its hand at hosting live music. Ringo’s Bar and Grill have found music to be a nice addition to their customer’s weekend dining experience.
As a promoter, Young believes there are several artists looking for a stage outside of the city’s established downtown venues. So far, things seem to working.
“We’ve had a couple events already where every table was full,” he said. “And it’s the local bands that have been going really well at Ringo’s. It’s a chance for them to invite all their friends and families up for a meal and a show.”
Roots and Soul Music Promotions have a lot of events on the calendar. Visit them online and catch Toronto Rockabilly act, The Greasemarks, performing tonight at Grimross Brewery.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQaS7fwloug
