By Jenny Cressman
Eclectic roster of musicians have all played at Hideway or former Jay T’s
"He was sitting in the lounge of the Empire Hotel
He was drinking for diversion
He was thinking for himself
A little money riding on the Maple Leafs...."
When Joni Mitchell wrote the classic song Raised on Robbery, some say she was referring to Huntsville’s Empire Hotel, which was ravaged by fire on Oct. 8.
Lyrical links aside, the local building, built in 1947, is a classic. Owner Dave Keay’s patient and passionate work to restore the Empire block in recent years has been a wonderful inspiration to many in the community. At the time of the fire, the historic structure was home to about 75 people, over half a dozen businesses and a long-time entertainment venue that featured many diverse musicians and musical genres, as well as a variety of literary events and improv performances.
The plight of the Empire and its occupants has struck a chord in the hearts of Huntsville residents. The community has rallied in numerous ways, from donating clothing, food and funds to organizing a benefit concert at the Algonquin Theatre. Set for Thursday, Nov. 5, the event will feature performers who’ve played at the Hideaway, or Jay T’s, as the bar was known in a previous incarnation.
TRAGIC EVENT: The Empire Hotel fire on Oct. 8 left many of the building’s residents looking for a place to live with scarce, if any, personal belongings.
Entitled The Empire Strikes a Chord, the show will begin at 7:30 p.m. and tickets will be $20. Patrons will also be given the opportunity to purchase a ticket for an Empire resident, for which they will receive a tax receipt from the Huntsville Festival of the Arts. Tickets will be available through the Algonquin Theatre box office: 789-4975 or www.algonquintheatre.ca. Organizers of the event encourage those who can afford it to buy extra tickets to cover the cost of seats being set aside for the Empire residents, who will be guests for the evening.
Cash donations can also be made at the theatre on Nov. 5 and all proceeds will go into a trust fund that has been set up at the local CIBC branch; these will be disbursed among Empire residents who did not have fire insurance.
Those wishing to donate online can do so via PayPal by visiting www.empirefire.ca. Huntsville radio station Moose FM will also be running a Pledge-A-Thon on Thursday, Nov. 5, from 6 a.m. until noon. There will be comments from residents and artists participating in the evening concert, and an opportunity for people to phone in pledges.
Cogeco TV has offered to telecast the concert and there will also be opportunities to phone in pledges during the concert.
The Huntsville Art Society (HAS) will be hosting a silent art auction in Partners Hall, in conjunction with The Empire Strikes a Chord stage show. Proceeds from this event will go into the trust fund as well. HAS members will be generously donating their artwork for this purpose, just as the on-stage performers will be providing their time and talent free of charge and the Town of Huntsville is covering the theatre cost. Auction items will be on display Wednesday, and bidding will be possible on Wednesday and Thursday for those unable to attend the concert.
So far, the evening’s highly entertaining line-up includes (alphabetically): Doug Banwell and the Muskoka Jazz Guys, Cabin Fever, Ruth Cassie, Jamie Hassard, Linda and Andy McLean, Jeff Nicholson, Tobin Spring, Bill Stewart, Tina Turley, Wyatt Williamson, the Woodshed Improv Collective and, possibly, James Gordon, a folk musician who wrote a song about another historic Huntsville fire. He performed recently at the Hideaway during one of Linda McLean’s monthly Muskoka Song Nights.
The eclectic roster of musicians set to perform as part of The Empire Strikes a Chord is indicative of the Hideaway’s evolution over the past decade. In addition to the building’s rich heritage, the Empire was home to a third-generation barber named Wayne Baker, who amassed a phenomenal collection of historic photos. Some of these will be displayed during the upcoming Algonquin Theatre event.
Besides photography, art and music, there will be an opportunity to participate in a raffle during the Nov. 5 show. Following intermission, tickets will be drawn for prizes such as a Les Stroud (Survivorman) gift bag valued at $100 and a pair of tickets for any show in the upcoming season of the Huntsville Festival of the Arts.
The Empire Strikes a Chord is being presented by the HFA, organized by board members and other volunteers – Doug Banwell, Linda McLean, Eric Johnson and Tina Turley. This is truly a community event, with costs being graciously donated from start to finish. For more information, please contact Rob Saunders, HFA general manager: 788-2787 or info@huntsvillefestival.on.ca.
Even if Joni Mitchell isn’t truly part of local Empire Hotel legacy and has never graced the local stage, organizers say they will waive that self-imposed criteria, if she wishes to perform in Huntsville Nov. 5 on behalf of the fire victims.
