Hiding in plain sight for more than five decades, the Blue Bird Theatre, now called the Olde Towne Theatre, is being discovered all over again.
But this time instead of the buzz being about talkies like it was when it opened in the 1940s, the buzz is much more real, flesh and blood. It’s live this time.
A series of summer concerts at the grand old, but often overlooked theatre in Burk’s Falls is aiming to establish the quiet village as a beach head on the Canadian, or at least Ontario, touring scene; establishing it as a great venue.
The starting point for the series came two years ago and has evolved slowly, but not forcefully. You could, if so inclined, call it organic.
Local musician, songwriter and performer Glen Reid had a new album he was releasing and found himself in need of a venue for a hometown concert/launch party. A conversation or two with the village secured him a great price in a central location and, well, the rest is history. Or it would have been if not for the attendance of multi-Juno award winner and hometown kid Hawksley Workman taking a moment to check out the evening.
“Everything started with Glen Reid. That’s why he’s the opening act this year as a nod to him getting this ball rolling,” said series producer Lewis Hodgson.
Hawksley was impressed with what he heard that night, not just by Reid’s singing and strumming, but the acoustics and great feel the old theatre had.
“It wasn’t until after I had done the concert that I realized there was pretty good acoustics in there and what a great venue it could be,” said Reid.
It took a few months before anything happened, then a chance meeting on the street between Workman and Hodgson ended with a handshake, sealing an agreement for a three night stand last August.
“He said shouldn’t we set up some meetings and try and coordinate stuff. I said ‘Nah. Just give me some dates and I’ll make it happen.’ He gave me the dates and I said ‘Great! Done!’ ” said Hodgson.
The snap decision must have been the right one as Workman performed the three night stand to sold out crowds of 220 people, drawing in fans from Norway, Australia, Calgary and Vancouver just to check out their audio hero.
“Lots of people were thrilled that something like that had gone on in the old theatre. The concerts really created a buzz in the town. Someone called the village office in the morning wondering what had happened. Some people ran home to get their camera to get a picture of the line up outside the theatre. It had just been so many years since they had seen something like that in town,” said Hodgson of the Workman concerts.
But if the town was buzzing at the scene outside the theatre, inside the fans were absolutely swooning at seeing an international recording star in a 220-seat venue – a space that complemented each note to perfection.
Opening up the Workman stand was rising singer songwriter Justin Rutledge playing a simple acoustic set of his somber, stripped-bare country blues. From the first note, the audience sat in hushed silence as every creak in his voice and bend in his guitar strings sweetly resonated through the hall.
“Whoever built that theatre knew what the heck they were doing. From the shape of the walls and baffles to the high ceiling, it just sounds great. You wouldn’t think a concrete building could sound that good, but for whatever reason the place takes the sound and wraps it around the room without overbearing it,” said Hodgson.
Reid is excited about taking the opening bow in the brand new concert series that is aiming at bringing something for everyone to town.
“I think is it great. The old Blue Bird Theatre is used way to sparsely and I’m so excited to be part of turning it into viable venue,” said Reid.
Reid takes the stage on July 4 with his quiet folk ballads, and old time country songs that have been favourites for years amongst local music lovers.
Two weeks later (the concert series runs every other Saturday from July 4 on) things get a little faster in tempo when Searson, a group composed of three sisters who fuse traditional Celtic music with the modern pop music.
“There’s going to be a lot of fiddling; a lot of step-dancing and also some more contemporary stuff,” promises Hodgson.
On Aug. 1 the gears get a complete revamp with three electronica acts: Between Laugh Out Loud, Ivan Blackbird (the band’s name not the artist’s), and Colin Mohr and the Fallen Angels. Hodgson says the sound is going to be different.
“They’re going to have a lot of costumes, a of beats and a lot of energy. It is going to be quite the theatrical piece.”
Hodgson himself takes the stage on Aug. 15 with his band Big Sweet Lou. The performance will be a fundraiser for the Vic Fell Memorial Royal Canadian Legion in Burk’s Falls with all proceeds going to the institution.
“My band is a pretty straight-ahead rock and roll act and I’m not sure if we would fit with any of the other acts that are coming yet,” said Hodgson. He says he’s still looking for an opening act.
The appearance will be the first of two Hodgson will make during the summer.
What is firm is that Katherine Wheatley will close out the series on Sept. 5.
“She’s one of my favourite songwriters and she’s actually asked me if I would open up for her,” said Hodgson. Hodgson doesn’t think Big Sweet Lou would be a good match for Wheatley’s folk style, so he’s decided to take to the stage by himself that night.
To that end, he’s currently putting pen to paper writing new material he thinks would do an evening with a girl from Parry Sound justice.
“It’s an exciting process for me,” said Hodgson. “I’m venturing into territory I haven’t been to in a long time.”
Which seems appropriate considering the venue is a place no one else had been into for a long time.
There remains a hole in Hodgson’s schedule and he’s hoping Workman will consider making a return to the venue he helped to build.
“Nothing is set in stone. The door hasn’t been shut on him making another appearance this year.”
Rediscovering the Blue Bird Theatre
Melissa McClelland and Luke Doucet.
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