konradiical
Active Member
Maybe the blues can will be able to relocate and use some other old building nearby to renovate into a bar?
- Thread starter MichaelS
- Start date
Golfing guy
Active Member
To me it’s just another one of the dozen plus proposals for Inglewood that we’ve seen in the past 5-10 years. Don’t see much else getting built along 9th at the moment. So I’ll just put this with the others and enjoy the music while we can
MichaelS
Senior Member
Inglewood live venue The Blues Can to close for proposed condo, retail development
While timing is uncertain, owner Greg Smith says The Blues Can in Inglewood could close as early as fall to make way for a new development.
calgaryherald.com
konradiical
Active Member
Im happy they are looking into maybe being able to replicate this somewhere else. I only went once, not my thing, but places like this are what make these areas unique, fun and add to the culture of the city
Mountain Man
Senior Member
Would be cool if the new development had a live music venue in it, but that's a hard sell in a wood frame condo building...
pdubs015
New Member
They can just build that same music venue somewhere else. What’s the big deal? Either a new build or a warehouse conversion would do the trick. This is right next to an old warehouse district by the way.
It’s a gentrifying area, this is exactly what I would expect to happen.
It’s a gentrifying area, this is exactly what I would expect to happen.
CBBarnett
Senior Member
I was surprised to learn The Blues Can has only been around since 2010. I thought it was one of those legacy businesses from before Inglewood became in vogue about 2010-2015. In a way, the Blues Can and Ironwood were the first wave of gentrification in the area.
A quick google led to this interesting article that goes back on the history of The Blues Can, Ironwood Bar and Grill, and Inglewood in general. Some trading places between a bunch of different performance venues. A few key dates:
What this shows me is how young these venues are - and how a scene can really be created by cheap rent and dedicated ownership groups. It's a shame we don't have much old (cheap) retail of any density and quality that can double as a performance venue. Old strip malls have some flexibility but often aren't sized or located well to contribute to the local music scene the way that random garages and old theatres on centrally located main streets are.
With some effort you can create a hub in an unconventional building format - Ship and Anchor comes most obvious to mind creating a stellar cultural hub in an unremarkable 1970s era office building. But it takes a lot of luck, a critical mass of activity and population to keep the lights on during slow nights, and an ownership group that is interested/capable of staying relevant as the economy and tastes inevitably shift over time.
A quick google led to this interesting article that goes back on the history of The Blues Can, Ironwood Bar and Grill, and Inglewood in general. Some trading places between a bunch of different performance venues. A few key dates:
- 2003 - Ironwood opens where Blues Can is now.
- 2009 - Ironwood moved to the The Garry Theatre (originally a 1930s era movie theatre). They replaced Loose Moose Theatre group and a bunch of artist programming as the site was a hub for the 1990s fringe festival arts scene.
- 2010 - Blues Can Opens in space vacated by Ironwood.
What this shows me is how young these venues are - and how a scene can really be created by cheap rent and dedicated ownership groups. It's a shame we don't have much old (cheap) retail of any density and quality that can double as a performance venue. Old strip malls have some flexibility but often aren't sized or located well to contribute to the local music scene the way that random garages and old theatres on centrally located main streets are.
With some effort you can create a hub in an unconventional building format - Ship and Anchor comes most obvious to mind creating a stellar cultural hub in an unremarkable 1970s era office building. But it takes a lot of luck, a critical mass of activity and population to keep the lights on during slow nights, and an ownership group that is interested/capable of staying relevant as the economy and tastes inevitably shift over time.
badc0ffee
Active Member
The Loose Moose was at, like, 16 Ave and 19 St NE in the late 90s. So it wasn't at the Garry Theatre for that long either.
In the late 90s, the Nash was where you would watch live music/blues in Inglewood. I didn't care for it at the time, but I did stop in there a couple times to buy offsales (the local liquor store closed early).
Other bars I remember around at the time were the Hose & Hound (still around), Swans (now the Dirty Duck), Henri's (now the Irvine building which has no bar in it), and I think that was it. Dare I say that I think I like Inglewood more now than back then.
In the late 90s, the Nash was where you would watch live music/blues in Inglewood. I didn't care for it at the time, but I did stop in there a couple times to buy offsales (the local liquor store closed early).
Other bars I remember around at the time were the Hose & Hound (still around), Swans (now the Dirty Duck), Henri's (now the Irvine building which has no bar in it), and I think that was it. Dare I say that I think I like Inglewood more now than back then.
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1875
Senior Member
Mikeys lives on