DEAD VENUES - NTT Films
DEAD VENUES
An exploration of the history of six of Edmonton's shuttered music venues and the communities that grew and evolved around them.
Funded in part by the Edmonton Heritage Council.
City landscapes are littered with fallen music venues of every shape and size. Some old buildings still stand tall, bricks cracking, paint peeling more with every year, while others are marked only by the condos that cover their graves. Dead Venues explores the history of several of Edmonton’s shuttered venues and the communities that grew and evolved around them.
Dead Venues was produced by NTT Films, a production company founded by Mike Siek and Eden Munro. With a background in multimedia journalism, Mike and Eden are focused on documenting culture and providing context on various topics using film, photography and sound.
FULL FEATURE
DISCOVER DEAD VENUES
AMBO
The Ambassador Hotel was located just off Jasper Avenue, with the bar located at the bottom of the stairwell leading into the hotel's basement. Once a blues club, the Ambo shifted towards punk and metal in the '80s.
Who played there? Annihilator, Dayglo Abortions, Doughboys, DRI, The Forgotten Rebels, Idyl Tea, Jawbreaker, Jr Gone Wild, The Melvins, The Smalls, SNFU, Upchuck, Urge Overkill
BRONX & the REV
The Salvation Army Citadel downtown later became the original home of Edmonton's Citadel Theatre before the founding of the Bronx. The club later shifted from a dark underground vibe to rock and dance and was rechristened the Rev. Today the Starlite Room and River City Revival House remain in that space.
Who played there? Exene Cervenka, Disciples of Power, Dream Warriors, Nirvana, NoMeansNo, Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet, Shonen Knife, Upchuck
POWER PLANT
The Power Plant was appropriately located in the old power plant on the University of Alberta campus.
Who played there? Geoff Berner, Headstones, Greg Keelor, Carolyn Mark, Margo & the Nuclear So & So's, The Pursuit of Happiness, The Sheepdogs, The Uncas
SIDETRACK
The Sidetrack Café built a reputation as one of Canada's premiere live-music venues. For much of its life the club was known as a place for folk and roots, but it also saw many rock and punk shows within its walls.
Who played there? Elliott Brood, Emm Gryner, The Frosted Tipz, Heavy Trash, Corb Lund, Mad Bomber Society, The Rheostatics, The Sadies, Chad VanGaalen, The Weakerthans
REBAR & STARS
Rebar was a fixture on Whyte Ave in the '90s, later becoming Stars in the next decade. The Pawn Shop kept that space alive as a live music venue until it was also closed not long after Dead Venues was completed.
Who played there? Art Bergman, Gob, Hookahman, Maximum RNR, Molly's Reach, Nickelback, Propagandhi, UK Subs, Wednesday Night Heroes, The Wolfnote
NEW CITY
New City was a family-owned club that was much loved in three very different locations, travelling from the edge of downtown to a larger space on Jasper Avenue and finally back to a smaller location just off Whyte Avenue.
Who played there? Bad Brains, The Mahones, Murder By Death, James T Kirks, Pointed Sticks, Michael Rault, The Supersuckers, Whitey Houston, The Von Zippers