THUNDER BAY – The lights may be dimmed at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium, but the music will never stop.
Not only does the facility plan to post living room concerts being posted online by artists who have performed at the Auditorium over the past three-and-a-half decades, they’re encouraging local artists to post there too and share some of the spotlight.
“Our goal is to create a one-stop place that people can visit to continue to experience extraordinary live performances,” said the Auditorium’s Trevor Hurtig in the Facebook post.
“The physical Auditorium might not be open, but we aren’t going to let that stop us from continuing our mandate of presenting you with world-class entertainment – even if it has to be through the power of social media for the time being.”
Hurtig said the arts have always been there to lift people’s spirits during dark days, adding the idea came to light as artists began sharing concerts and songs online as the COVID-19 pandemic began to take hold and concert venues began shutting down to weather the outbreak storm.
“We have been inspired by several of our alumni entertainers to have taken to social media to continue to entertain us and lift our spirits from our living room and home studios,” Hurtig said.
“People like Sheryl Crow, Burton Cummings, Jann Arden, Colin James, Tim Hicks and Brett Kissel to name just a few. Over the coming days we will be reposting and sharing these videos, along with others, to our Auditorium Facebook Page.”
Hurtig went on to say the Auditorium staff have always marveled at the incredible talent found in the city and throughout the region and want to shine a spotlight on their work too.
“We feel that many of these artists stack up very well against national and international touring acts. We see this time and time again when local acts open shows at the Auditorium, and we continually see it at Blues Fest,” he said.
“So we are also encouraging local and regional artists to post your performance videos to our Facebook page and get your share of the spotlight.”
Music isn't the only performance being courted. Hurtig said comedy, magic and dance, among others, are also welcome.
Hurtig said they will be reviewing each post to make sure they are suitable for all ages and audiences.
“Please keep your videos clean, while also practicing safe health measures,” he said, “if you want them to be approved.”
