This might be news to you.
To others, this is old hat.
For the past 7 or 8 weeks, we at Phog had an epiphany. An ongoing epiphany.
We have been holding all of our weekday shows (any show where MOST people likely have to get up early the next day for work or school) nice and early. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday shows have been starting at 9pm. This starting point is regardless of whether there are two or three bands on the bill.
This adjustment was made due to the increasing requests from people who want to come to shows, but cannot because of their inability to leave a show and get to bed at a reasonable hour.
We listened.
So you can take this info, and put it somewhere memorable.
Shows on weekdays will begin at 9pm. Simple. You come on time, you see the show.
And believe me, it has been incredible to see so many people at weekday shows! It seems that those who begged for earlier shows are actually making it a priority to reward the early showa with their presence, attention, and good cheer. So thanks everyone for responding so heartily to the new schedule developments.
We felt it would offer more time for the bands to mingle after their shows, fraternize with the locals, making more opportunities for other events to form out of those interactions, such as future shows or after-hours fun.
Also, many of the weekday shows, when appropriate, have been ALL AGES. And this has been better-than-hoped. It's great to have people who appreciate the music in the building, rather than sequestering them in their homes, only to watch the Phog Live Stream.
So from now on, the listings will list clearly the start times of all the shows, and whether or not it's an ALL AGES show. So keep your eyes on the listings for show details.
We'll see you at some weekday shows!
If I have any advice for venue owners out-of-town...it seems like the touring bands LOVE the earlier shows. I hear them say things like, "I wish we had earlier shows back home. They start SO LATE."
I understand the apprehensiveness to do this. But we were catering to a group of people, for the longest time, who were trying to time their attendance with the "hopefully" eradicated cover charge by coming later and later. And the "cool factor" of being late was also at play. But we don't care about who wants to be cool. We care about who wants to patronize the Canadian music scene. And by taking care of THEM, everything else has fallen into place.
We just kept holding the show off longer and longer...and pretty soon, people who work the next day never come to shows, and the cover-avoiders just avoid the building altogether.
So we end up waiting for customers who really don't have their hearts set on a show.
Changing to earlier starts, the music fans, who make sure they're on time are making every show worthwhile for the bands by getting there early. It has been a wonderful two months.
