A vacant lot with an artistic personality will soon ring with music and downtown camaraderie.
Concerts will pop up every Wednesday at the Third Avenue location all summer long, starting on July 30 with popular local musician Raghu Lokanathan doing the honours at the first event. The Aug. 6 edition will feature Britt Meierhofer and her solo project Goodnightmare.
"The idea, with the beautiful summer weather, is to hold on to downtown after work and enjoy ourselves, and great live music before we head on home," said Neil O'Farrell, an organizing member with the Young Professionals of Prince George. They and Downtown Prince George were the genesis of the new concert series.
"Wednesdays on late afternoons are not times usually well-served by live music, so people can socialize, have fun together, appreciate some outstanding talent we have right here within our own crowd, and mingle a bit in the summer," O'Farrell said. "It took some organizing, but we got a tonne of support to get it going. Now we have that opportunity."
The concerts will run from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. each Wednesday. If it rains, the show might go ahead anyway depending on the overall circumstances, or it may be deferred. It will not be lost altogether, because the organizers are committed to the artist and to a sponsor each time.
"The musician is being paid, every time, that's something we just insist on. Professional skills deserve payment. Part of why we are doing this is to help someone's business - the musician," O'Farrell said. "We are also helping business by having a different downtown sponsor each time. The investment is very affordable, and you get recognized for stepping up on the costs of the musicians, rent to the City for use of the space, and the little incidentals. We are asking people for a donation if they enjoyed themselves, even if it's just $5, so we can put that towards future events. It's all about helping each other leverage what we have in the downtown, for a better business climate."
The events are all scheduled for the park space alongside Dale's Wood and Gas Heat. This space has seen considerable attention in recent years to turn it into a pleasant public space. There is a small lawn, a tree, some paving stones, and a major art feature along the top of one wall by famed Prince George painter and mixed media artist Jean-Jacques Gigure. Also, Dale's is an historic building in the downtown, as is the Prudente Building next door and the former Columbus Hotel site across the street. A weekly concert would serve to animate an area already home to popular culture activity lately, situated between the White Goose Bistro and Nancy O's Pub and directly across the street from late-night music venue The Generator.
