The Closing of The Royal Albert Arms & The Collective

[Pootkao]

hey guys...

I wanted to weigh in on the Collective/American Apparel and Royal Albert/boutique hotel projects. This has become a big enough post that i've decided to just give it its own thread. And hey, I haven't started a new thread in ... what? at least a year? I'm due.

I'm quite torn on both projects, because they pull directly on my two biggest interests: urban renewal, and our music scene. They are both clubs that I have performed at countless times, seen some incredible acts at, and gotten quite stoicly loaded at.

For local indie bands to lose TWO venues at virtually the same time is incredibly disheartening and frustrating to a lot of musicians, myself included. I imagine most of you on this board have rarely, if ever, been in either place ... but these are the clubs that actually contribute to Winnipeg being a hipper place to live, places where the raw spirit of rock still lives -- unscarred by a corporate music industry slowly falling to ruin. They are the kinds of places where every single one of Winnipeg's most famous musicians has started from. Nevermind that they actually CONTRIBUTE to our otherwise meagre nightlife and pedestrian foot traffic. Sadly, due to economics, they are also some of the most regular casualties of downtown redevelopment.

This leaves us with just Times Change(d), The Cavern and The Pyramid. Slim pickings indeed.

Now, there are perhaps a few silver linings ... the redevelopment of The Albert is a great sign for the Exchange. The family that has owned that hotel for DECADES has steadfastly refused to sell for a long long time. The fact that someone finally made it worth their while is an impressive statement about the solidifying economics of The Exchange. And its a pleasant 'fuck you' to the losers behind the St. Charles plan.

American Apparel is simple yet chic clothing that is union-made in North America (downtown Los Angeles to be exact). It is non-sweatshop and is generally regarded as one of the more ethically run companies. It also is predominantly urban. I don't go to malls, but I do walk the streets of this city and many larger ones and American Apparel has prominent streetfront retail operations on most hip strips on this continent. It would not be investing in Winnipeg if all of the little boutique fashion stores that have popped up in the Village and The Exchange weren't finding success ... so its also a good sign that this fashion-luddite town may slowly (ever-so-slowly) be catching up a bit. (Winnipeg is EASILY five years behind the fashion world, at the best of times.) Its also the first retail 'chain' opening since M.E.C. that hasn't had parking as part of their plans but instead incorporates itself into the urban streetscape.

The hole that will be left by The Albert and The Collective closings, with any karmic fortuitous luck, will be filled by a venue or two that will be broader in scope. Winnipeg has long lacked venues that one goes to just to go. Times Change(d) on Main is the only place that has a built in culture, a built in crowd -- but its also the only real Roots bar in town, and has a happy co-existence with the Windsor.

Calgary has Broken City. Montreal has Casa del Popolo, and The Green Room. Saskatoon has Amigo's. Toronto has a good handful of 'em.

Each of these places have creative MENU'S (gasp! the thought of it!) and are destination spots for local scenesters and music fans at virtually any time of the day. And by golly, it is time that some entrepreneur realized that this is such a no-brainer for Winnipeg. The Blue Note used to thrive on this very model. In fact, if any of you knows someone with $100k just kicking around, I will be more than happy to design, install the soundsystem, advertise, book bands AND do sound for a new club/resto.