The new National Music Centre isn’t slated to be open to the public for a while yet; the beautiful design images that they have shown the city are still, as of yet, just pictures. But on Friday, the first guitar-shaped shovel will hit the hard packed earth on the corner of 9 Ave and 4 St SE, and the first steps towards a huge addition to the Calgary music community will be taken.
The new, 16,000 sq ft. centre will feature five floors full of exhibition space for music exhibits showcasing the rich and diverse audio history of the entire country. The building is expected to be completed within four years.
The NMC offers a number of different programs and collections, based out of their current space in the Customs Building, but the new space will allow them to expand their reach. Sections of the new Centre will include a recording studio, radio station, and museum, with room for pop-up performances all throughout the building, and even offer a space for musicians to showcase their talents. There will be a performance space capable of hosting 300 people, but without removing that one iconic Calgary musical landmark that currently occupies part the space – The King Eddy Hotel.
The Eddy – Calgary’s self-proclaimed but universally accepted “Home of the Blues” – was built over a hundred years ago, but has been closed to the public since 2004. A colourful historical building, it was part of the infamous “Whisky Row” that housed and served railway passengers, and was one of the first bars in town who would serve all races of people in the same room. Never known as the classiest joint in town, it was nevertheless a place where you could get a cheap beer and a room for the night. It’s local sandstone exterior stood through rough times, and found a new prosperity in the 80’s as a home to amazing rhythm & blues. Longtime Calgarians usually have a story to tell you about a night spent at the Eddy – for me, the highlight was a dirt-cheap performance by an aging but timeless Pinetop Perkins that packed the joint, and turned me into a blues fan. Others can talk of performances ranging from BB King to Bryan Adams. The Eddy is part of the plans for the new Centre, and music lovers may be able to gather there again as early as this summer. The new building will hold the Eddy in a warm embrace, new protecting old.
To commemorate the event, the NMC Groundbreaker Shaker will be hosted at The Golden Age Club on Friday, with the doors opening at 6:30pm. Tunes will be provided by The Bobby Kork Orchestra, The High Kicks, Matt Masters and The Gentlemen of the Rodeo, The King Eddy Blues All-Stars with John Rutherford, Bill Dowey, Mike Watson and friends; there are even rumours of appearances by Canadian music legend Anne Murray and politicos like Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi and Alberta Premier Allison Redford. Tickets are free, but they ask that you please RSVP to groundbreaking@nmc.ca.
