Quote:
Originally Posted by eastcoastal
I don't think the art gallery includes a performance space of this type.
Cohn is nice acoustically, but there are limits to the types of theatrical performances that can be hosted due to limited wings and no flye towers. I understand that Neptune has these things, but that it's pretty small.
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I believe I was remembering a news blurb introducing the idea of a waterfront arts centre from several years ago - a concert hall/performance venue was part of the concept at the time. It's too bad it didn't make it into the final cut.
I've seen mostly musical acts (and some comedy/variety shows) at the Cohn, and have always been happy with its layout and acoustics - there doesn't seem to be a bad seat in the house. I've also seen some theatre at Neptune and have also been impressed with the layout (not that I'm enough of a theatre buff to be able to discern a good one from a bad one), but yes, it's somewhat small.
There are other good, smaller places to see musical acts in the city, one of the best being the Carleton, in terms of quality of act and service, plus they put quite a lot of effort into the sound system. Being located in a building that was constructed in 1760 gives it a nice ambience, but also seems to have limiting factors in terms of layout, which is a little tight (in non-covid times), but OK.
There are other venues, like the Marquee, that are OK if you like standing in the middle of a group of drunk people for the entire act (in non-covid times...lol), but I'm enjoying this configuration less and less these days. The Casino NS basically uses a room that could just as easily host a convention or wedding reception for its concerts, which is far less than ideal.
Scotiabank Centre will hold concerts in 1/4 or 1/2 of the arena, which is OK, but the acoustics have never been good there - the old joke used to be that the music stopped about 10 minutes after the band finished playing...
So really, aside from not having a good medium sized music venue (or a good large-sized one, for that matter) between the size of the Cohn and the SC, there are very few really good smaller venues in Halifax as well (IMHO), unless I'm forgetting something. That said, a waterfront facility wouldn't really have the space for a venue of that size, nor would it likely be able to accommodate parking for such an event. However, if I'm reading your comment correctly, it sounds like there is a need for a good medium sized venue for theatre.
Perhaps it's not as much as a factor nowadays, since the music industry changed (when people started getting music for free over the internet vs paying for it in a record/cd shop), as there doesn't seem to be as many musical acts touring to smaller venues, as compared to say, the 1980s, when every week there would be a new upcoming band paying their dues by travelling the country and appearing in venues like the Misty Moon, or some similar small stage to get the word out that they were worth listening to (and buying their albums... lol).
Of course, now being over a year into all of this having gone away seems to make it feel a little more poignant...