Live music could be heard more often at Cloverdale Fairgrounds venues in a new venture launched by former operators of Whalley’s Flamingo Hotel.
A “Cloverdale Concerts” page on Facebook touts Shannon Hall as “perfect for mid-size shows and other events, with 7000 sq ft of beautiful hardwood floors, bar and kitchen areas, and banquet seating for up to 480 or theatre seating for 550.”
The post notes the hall has staged some big-name talent over the years, including Buck Owens, Ritchie Valens, Roy Orbison and Nickleback (“before they were big”).
David Geertz, who booked bands into The Flamingo’s three showrooms for a year before the building was closed for good last month, is a principal of Cloverdale Concerts, which aims to book “small and mid-size shows” at the fairgrounds.
He envisions live music at Shannon Hall once or twice a week, on weekends, with a focus on rock, metal, blues and country bands.
The Agriplex arena is another possible venue for Cloverdale Concerts, Geertz said Wednesday.
To start, Shannon Hall is the focus.
“There’s a real need to bring a venue of that size to Surrey,” he said of the hall. “We need our own version of the Commodore Ballroom, and something like the Bell (Performing Arts Centre) doesn’t do that.”
Geertz said the venture will also involve bingo nights at Shannon Hall, in addition to one already held at White Rock’s Star of the Sea hall.
“We’re planning to subsidize our own shows by running bingo events, with some of the women who were involved in the old bingo hall in Newton,” Geertz said. “So those events, those revenues we generate will help subsidize shows.”
Geertz added: “This is a revenue-share with the (Cloverdale Rodeo & Exhibition Association), not a rental, a straight-up partnership that will allow us to take some risks without the possibility of losing our shirts.”
The first Cloverdale Concerts event at Shannon Hall could happen as early as the third week of April, Geertz said, following a planned “industry event” to showcase the venue to agents, musicians and others in the local live-music community.
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‘Flamingo Bingo’ didn’t happen at Surrey venue, so games will be played at White Rock hall.
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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