Jasmine Budak
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (July 29/02) - Somewhere between now and about five years ago, live music in the capital took a turn for the worse.

Previously hopping band venues like the Gallery and Cave Club have now turned to deejays for musical entertainment. Bar owners and managers have taken the brunt of criticism, accused of not supporting local musicians and an integral community art scene.

"It could be the management that's not being innovative -- because there's a lot of good bands if you can find them," says local musician who calls himself G. "Some people say it's too expensive to bring bands here, but you gotta take a risk."

Along with band fees, bar owners must also pick up the tab for out of town band transportation and accommodations. That leads to much higher costs compared with having a deejay who can provide a popular variety of music and appeal to a diverse age range.

Cost is the big factor

"What it boils down to is the cost factor. It doesn't stem from lack of music or anything," says local musician Eric Banks. Banks has been playing in Yellowknife intermittently since 1996. He currently plays for the Gold Range Hotel's weekly house band.

"What bar owners are offering (financially) has dropped considerably, so then bands can't afford to be out on the road playing because the money's not there and bars compensate by bringing in a deejay," he says.

Banks says he makes about 40 per cent less per week compared with five years ago, but he's willing to take the cut.

He says financial burdens in bars stem from a decline in liquor sales because of higher priced alcohol. As a result, bar owners struggle to cover costs to bring in bands.

Sam Yurkiw, longtime Yellowknife bar owner, hosts the only regular live music show in the city at the Gold Range Hotel. But he says he has no plans to liven up the Gallery or Cave Club, both previously band-friendly locales.

"There's very few bands in the city and it's too expensive to bring them up," says Yurkiw.

He says it costs at least $3,500 to bring in a decent band for a week plus accommodation and transportation fees. He pays only $175 a night for a deejay -- a savings of at least $2,450. Yurkiw says it's not worth the money unless you have a large enough venue and a competent band.

"I need a good band that can perform, that has something going for them."

The Gold Range has always offered live music, mostly country-rock, but its history and loyal clientele keep it alive.

Certain bands do well

Harvey Bourgeois has owned and managed the Monkey Tree bar since 1996. He says bands aren't terribly more expensive than deejays (some charging up to $350 a night), but only certain bands draw a crowd.

"Celtic bands or fiddlers do really well here -- something different than the average," says Bourgeois.

Apart from special concerts, Bourgeois brings in local bands once in awhile to add diversity, but he's reluctant to charge a cover.

"It's not that there aren't excellent artists in town, but I'm not sure people would pay a cover for local bands," he says. "It's not been done much in Yellowknife and the regulars might get pissed off." So Bourgeois opted for a deejay instead.

"Although deejays aren't cheap, they're more adaptable."

Jose Loco's owner Jeff Beier agrees.

"Sure, it's a cheaper and more effective way to get a wider audience."

Beier hosts informal jam sessions and brings in live music now and then, but has no regular performance nights. He acknowledges it's not economically feasible to bring in bands, but he wants to change that.

"We must encourage young musicians, follow them, encourage them to play and give them advice," he says. "People are thirsty for the live. I think we're hitting a point again -- it's been dry for awhile."

Beier helped run both the Gallery and the Cave Club with Lisa Tesar back in 1998 when the live music scene was more robust.

Back in the day

"We had some of the top musical acts from around Canada," says Beier.

Although bands were still expensive five years ago, Tesar says there were fewer bars and some had their own "band houses" to accommodate musicians.

Then, Tesar says that 20- to 30-year-old bar patrons had more of a disposable income.

"Nowadays people have mortgages and toys ... and the cost of living has gone up." Also, Tesar says a lot of the Cave's musicians were personal contacts either of Tesar's or bar staff.

Tesar kept in touch with other local bars to co-ordinate shows and distribute costs more evenly. But even still it's hard.

"People have tried to bring live music in thinking that that's what everyone wants and (patrons) will come in on weekends. But what do you do with bands on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays?" she asks.

Inviting younger local bands to play would be cheaper, but would appeal mostly to a younger crowd with a smaller income, says Tesar.

Stifling local talent

Fewer live venues could very well stifle budding musicians who might feel unsupported and unable to promote their music.

What follows is a vicious cycle of bar owners grumbling that there aren't any bands and bands grumbling that they can't improve because they have nowhere to play.

"It's a harder struggle for new musicians and bands and they won't do it -- if you don't have the proper income, you won't be able to afford the proper equipment and you can't become a better band," says Banks.

Travis Armour has been in the Yellowknife music scene for just under a decade, formerly playing with Scrapegoat and now Anodyne. He says Yellowknife bar owners and patrons have become dangerously complacent about the current live music void.

"Live music is a 'quality of life' thing -- watching people play their own art is a great thing to be supported in this community," he says. "Tapping kegs doesn't define us, our quality of life does and that includes arts."

Being part of the show

What is it about live music that audiences and performers love so much?

"It's happening in front of you, it's a moment you're a part of," says Beier. "Your audience will define you and make your sound better."

"It's the warmth that you get from people on the stage when you're interacting with the musicians and the music. It makes people feel they're part of something and that's something you can't get from a deejay," says Banks.

Despite an interest in reviving the live music scene, there's still much to do.

Armour says Yellowknife bar owners need to take a chance on a few local bands to generate public interest.

"Success will build on success," he says. "Music like all creative art is so important that we, as a community, simply can't afford not to let it breathe."