I have to say that the music scene in this city is as bad as it has ever been. Terrible really. I am not interested in listening to some pretentious indy jam band do “originals” nor am I interested in going to downtown bars to hear another crappy cover band play Brown Eyed Girl or Sweet Caroline. I was in Montreal in August and in one night, saw a great jazz 3 piece, an alt-country band (doing a great combo of originals and covers), and a cover band rousing the crowd with everything from Mumford and Sons to Bon Jovi. Oh, and lets look at some of the upcoming concerts, the Irish Rovers and Chicago. Really??? I blame mostly the bar owners who take zero chances on anything different. Same musicians at the same venues every weekend. Pathetic —Need Good Music Variety
This article appears in Oct 3-9, 2013.
I especially love it when some band does Barrets Privateers and then someone yells ‘socialable’ and then we all drink a lot.
Hey, can someone tell me how/when this ‘socialble’ thing started? I’ve been going downtown for years and then all of sudden it was this ‘tradition’ thing that we’ve done for years. Like wearing sou-westers and puffin watching.
There’s tons of diversity in the Halifax music scene, you’re probably just not looking hard enough. A few of the genres represented on any given weekend include: folky/indie hipster music, metal, rap/hip hop, electronica (which I’m using a blanket term), etc.
OB is probably a CFA… ignore it and it will die…
‘Matron is quite correct. It’s as it has ever been, the little, out of the way venues are where the truly innovative and exciting music is being made:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUtkGkpw4k4
I guess you could always go back to Montreal if it bothers you that bad, Bon Jovi? really?
Let’s not forget the God awful Stan Rogers shite, heave away boys, then there’s the Celtic eardrum busting Cape Breton fiddle dirge.
I miss Max Bygraves.
Matthew Good is at the Rebecca Cohn this month? Perhaps you need to venture out beyond the DT core to hit up some local scenes or talk check out the coast to see what’s coming up. There are a lot of options out there once you get beyond Hollis/Barrington
You’re clearly not part of the scene you so admire op. We’re having your kinds of parties all the time.
If you haven’t noticed by now, bar owners are cheap. Most don’t have entertainment and those that do either don’t advertise or charge outrageous cover charges. And they pay cheap wages to the entertainers.
Way to compare oranges to Worther’s Original, OB.
Eh, you get what you pay for.
Years ago you could make some decent coin playing the local music scene (my dad played in a band around Halifax for years and made madddd cash working Thursday night, Friday night, Saturday matinee and Saturday night). Then bar owners realized karaoke and DJs were cheaper and now you can hardly get $100 out of a gig.
So that’s why the local music scene is shit. It’s just not worth it anymore.
I just want to see Stinkin Rich and Poppa Grand at Cafe Ole.
We have something in common PK, my dad played saxophone for over 35 years, what instrument was your dad’s forte?
op seriously you need to throw more parties. Most of this city is useless when it comes to music so you have to seek out what you want to find. And if you can’t find it, throw a party and don’t let anyone else touch the music.
Mmm hmmm agree – sweet caroline n brown eyed girl = played out! And That celtic shit gotzta GO. The last of the byrons privateers… I think that’s how it goes DITCH…expecially that one!
The scene is there OB. You just have to find it. Its like when I want a Coyote Shivers CD. You’re not gonna find that at HMV, gotta go digging.
I recommend you read what is posted on all lamp posts you pass by. Careful of the show dates, they may have passed.
OB … are you kidding me? It appears your idea of ‘the scene’ needs modification. You want good jazz … go to the Shoe on a Monday night … every Monday night … and it’s free. Halifax Pop Explosion is coming up. And there’s always, oh … Seahorse, Carleton, CoHo, Marquee, Michael’s, Gus’, etc. A world does exist outside of the Lower Deck, Dome, Toothy and Alehouse.
Dude! here are a few problems with this argument: A, there is tons of music in the city, you just need to know where to find it and to maybe leave the comfort of downtown Halifax once in a while. Ever hear of the open mic house? Monte’s? Michael’s? Gus pub alone has showed me genres I never even knew existed. B, it’s difficult for bar owners to pay musicians because they have to abide by stupid laws ie, closing at 2, issues with noise (remember that Gus’ Pub thing a few years back?), licensing etc. That is why Tribeca, the Paragon/Marquee, and many other places have shut down or moved away from live music. It’s too risky for them. C, ever notice that Montreal is, oh, 10x the size of Halifax? Let’s be real, here.
Um, as a local musician who both gigs regularly and goes to as many other gigs as humanly possible any given week, I can tell you, you clearly don’t have the slightest clue where to go to see a live band. The Coast has a list, you know…
I haven’t heard a cover of Brown Eyed Girl or Sweet Caroline played by a band in the last year. I *have* heard them played by acoustic acts at the occasional downtown “hotspot” (and by “hotspot” I mean places where tourists and university students go to try to get laid).