Summer storms blow business into Edmonton live-music bar - Action News
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Edmonton

Summer storms blow business into Edmonton live-music bar

The Needle Vinyl Tavern in Edmonton has picked up two big-name performers in two weeks after severe weather prompted last-minute cancellations at outdoor festivals.

The Needle Vinyl Tavern scores two last-minute gigs in two weeks after severe weather shutters outdoor venues

Fans lined up on the sidewalk Thursday to catch a glimpse of an impromptu performance by Shakey Graves at the Needle Vinyl Tavern in Edmonton. (Twitter/Serei Jeppesen)

An Edmonton live-music bar has scooped up two big-name performers in as many weeks after severe weather forced outdoor venues to close.

A thunderstorm silenced July Talk's performance at K-DaysJuly 27. Two weeks later, on Aug. 10, concerns about high winds shut down ShakeyGraves at Folk Fest.

Both times, the Needle Vinyl Tavern on Jasper Avenue stepped in last-minuteto host the cancelled performances.

Amanda James, the bar's general manager,said staff scrambled to prepare the bar for Thursday's impromptu Shakey Graves gig.

"I was making savage phone calls to staff to get them all here," she said.

Amanda James is the general manager at the Needle Vinyl Tavern in Edmonton. (Zoe Todd/CBC)

The venue hit capacity within an hour of announcing the concert on Twitter, James said. Hundreds more lined the sidewalk outside.

"ShakeyGraves I don't think we ever would have had here," James said.

"We have the headliners on stage but on nights like that, the fans that are showing up ... they're the headliners," she added."It's so much energy."

Big bands bring in big business

Business volume doubled from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m., raking in thousands of extra dollars as fans flocked to the bar.

Bartender Georgia Coughlansaid she pocketed about one and a half times her usual tips.

She abandoned a dinner with friends to pick up the extra shift Thursday.

"We're going to get killed tonight," Coughlan recalled thinking, as she squeezed past a lineup outside the venue.

And there wasn't any more elbow roomindoors either, she added.

"It was probably about five people deep and along the entire perimeter of the bar," Coughlan said.

The Needle Vinyl Tavern's management hasn't ruled out aformal partnership with Edmonton festivals that host musicians outdoors.

"It's a great option," James said. "It's something we are already reaching towardswith Folk Fest."