Urban Lounge

Urban Lounge was a historic live music venue in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Urban Lounge
Urban Lounge in 2008
General information
TypeBar, live music venue
LocationEdmonton, Alberta
Address8111 105 St (1996-2005)
10544 82 Ave (2005-2012)
Coordinates53.518371°N 113.502378°W / 53.518371; -113.502378
Opened1996
Relocated 2005
OwnerTim Fuhr[1]
Other information
Seating capacity600

Background

Urban Lounge first opened at 8111 105 St in 1996. Beginning in the late 1990s, Urban Lounge became a prominent music venue in Edmonton with a weekly open mic and one of the largest stages for the city's local music scene.[2][3][4] The venue was owned by Edmonton entrepreneur Tim Fuhr.[5]

Construction and specs

The initial 8111 105 St building was a standalone west-facing structure with a patio. In 2005, Urban Lounge relocated to the second floor of Old Strathcona's 10544 82 Avenue building.

The venue's original location was not as well-equipped for live music as the second location.[6] For example, in December 2000, Canadian band Our Lady Peace was scheduled to perform at Urban Lounge as part of a "small club tour" promoting their album Spiritual Machines; several days before the concert however, the Edmonton Journal wrote that "according to Sony, the Urban Lounge was too small to accommodate the band's equipment and stage gear," so the concert changed venues.[6]

The 10544 82 Avenue building was made of reinforced concrete and had four tenant businesses on the main floor. In March 2007, the roof of Urban Lounge collapsed requiring extensive repair and renovation.[7] When Urban Lounge reopened in 2007 following renovations, owner Tim Fuhr stated "we brought in a $300,000 sound-and-light show. It's all state-of-the-art production. It'll probably be the best live room of its size in Western Canada, if not all of Canada."[8]

Concert history

In the late 1990s, Urban Lounge hosted performances by Alannah Myles, Lawrence Gowan of Styx, and Alfie Zappacosta amongst others.[9] The early 2000s saw performances from artists such as Joel Plaskett, Wide Mouth Mason, Nick Walsh, Rich Hope, Ann Vriend, Robin Black, Thornley, and Mocking Shadows.[10]

Following the roof decay in March 2007, the venue hosted a grand reopening in October 2007.[8] For the grand reopening, the venue booked a week of concerts featuring Danko Jones, Marianas Trench, Sloan, Default, and Ten Second Epic.[8] In 2008, Maceo Parker closed the Edmonton International Jazz Festival at Urban Lounge.[11]

From 1998-2008, Urban Lounge was a venue at Edmonton International Fringe Festival.[12][13] In 1999, the Edmonton Journal ranked Urban Lounge as one of the "worst venues" at the Edmonton Fringe because "bar noise distracted from the productions.[14] In 2005, the Edmonton Journal rated Urban Lounge Edmonton's "best place for loud, live music."[15] In November 2005, the venue was fined $4000 CAD for overcrowding.[16]

Partnerships

Throughout the early 2000s, Calgary's CJAY-FM party bus regularly took patrons to Urban Lounge.[17]

Notable patrons

Aftermath

The Old Strathcona Rack (2012 - 2017)

In 2012, Urban Lounge was sold and renamed The Old Strathcona Rack, under the management of Oil City Hospitality Group.[20][21]

Beercade (2017 - present)

As of 2017, the establishment has been rebranded as Beercade.[22] Unlike Urban Lounge, Beercade follows the barcade format and features many arcade games.[23]

References
  1. Gold, Marta (July 15, 2001). "Bouncers Work Hard At Reshaping Their Image". The Victoria Times-Colonist. p. B10.
  2. Sperounes, Sandra (March 28, 1999). "So, You Wanna Be A Rock Star: Pick A Stage, Any Stage". The Edmonton Journal. p. A1.
  3. Sperounes, Sandra (March 28, 1999). "See The (Aspiring) Star In The Spotlight". The Edmonton Journal. p. C1.
  4. Thorkelson, Erika (October 8, 2005). "Live Venues". The Edmonton Journal. p. 10.
  5. Faulder, Liane (April 24, 1999). "Brawling Bylaw Not The End-All, Be-All To Boozy Business". The Edmonton Journal. p. B1.
  6. "Our Lady Peace Switches To Dinwoodie For Sunday Gig". The Edmonton Journal. November 28, 2000. p. C3.
  7. "Nightclub's Roof Collapses". The Red Deer Advocate. March 10, 2007. p. A8.
  8. Sperounes, Sandra (October 17, 2007). "Urban Lounge Rises Again". The Edmonton Journal.
  9. For Lawrence Gowan, see Sperounes, Sandra (March 4, 1999). "Gowan Needn't Worry: It Really Is Happening". The Edmonton Journal. p. C4.
  10. For Joel Plaskett, see Sperounes, Sandra (October 10, 2001). "Gigs On The Go". The Edmonton Journal. p. C4.
  11. Levesque, Roger (June 29, 2008). "Final Day at Jazz Fest". The Edmonton Journal. p. B5.
  12. Sperounes, Sandra (August 21, 1999). "Getting Slightly Bent And Resting My Head". The Edmonton Journal. p. C2.
  13. Remington, Robert (August 21, 2002). "Trying to Paint the Town Red on Whyte Avenue". The National Post. p. AL5.
  14. Sperounes, Sandra (August 21, 1999). "Getting Slightly Bent And Resting My Head". The Edmonton Journal. p. C2.
  15. "Best of Summer". The Edmonton Journal. June 4, 2005. p. 6.
  16. "Night Club Fined $4000 For Overcrowding". The Edmonton Journal. November 10, 2005. p. B5.
  17. McCoy, Heath (March 10, 2002). "Dope, Booze, Heavy Metal". The Calgary Herald. p. C2.
  18. Cudmore, James (July 3, 2001). "It's A Riot. I Don't Have Time To Talk". The National Post. p. A4.
  19. Lees, Nick (April 3, 2004). "You're Never Too Old To Rock". The Edmonton Journal. p. B5.
  20. Sperounes, Sandra (June 10, 2012). "It Takes Much More Than A Liquor License To Be Successful". The Edmonton Journal. p. C6.
  21. "Whoopin' It Up On Whyte". The Edmonton Journal. June 10, 2012. p. C7.
  22. "Fashion and Beauty Show". The Edmonton Journal. October 11, 2018. p. B3.
  23. Huculak, Chad (May 4, 2018). "Alberta Aviation Museum To Host Pinball Wizards". The Edmonton Journal. p. A7.
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