This morning it was announced that The Velvet Elvis in Oshawa was suddenly closing its doors and that all shows booked there would be canceled. The reasons why are as yet unannounced.
My thoughts are with VE mastermind and hostess Liisa, and I hope all is well with her. When No No Zero played there just last month with Anagram, I was telling her how amazing this space was, and how gratifying it was to see it thriving and surviving years after it had started.
The Velvet Elvis would be an anomaly most anywhere, but in Oshawa it was pretty much a godsend. A natural successor to the Different Drum's mellow mantle, the house-turned-club had lots of hidden nooks and crannies to explore, and a rooftop patio at the back that was always kind of thrilling to me (any higher up & my acrophobia would have been getting really unpleasant). Local art lined the walls, there was a DJ booth & a small stage for bands, and the place had a friendly, easy-going vibe.
I've been in lots of strange clubs over the years, but never one with quite the same casual feel or layout as the Velvet Elvis, and never with anybody as great as Liisa in charge.
This news then comes as a huge bummer - not least because No No Zero was supposed to be returning there to start our little Rough Stuff CD mini-tour next Friday, March 7th. Fortunately for us, the show has been moved to the Atria, with Michal Majewski's art now showing separately down the street at Isabella's Chocolate Cafe.
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