With uncertainty surrounding the future of The Royal as a concert venue, Spiritbar may become a more popular destination for live music lovers.
The five-year-old night club in the Hume Hotel has always brought in the occasional live act — a few recent examples include, The Boom Booms, Diamond Rings, and The Born Ruffians — but more often it's electronic producers and DJs that take the stage.
That could change in the coming months. Paul Hinrichs, who currently runs The Royal with business partner Howie Ross, is expected to take over live music bookings for Spiritbar beginning in May.
Hinrichs declined to comment on the arrangement — or anything to do with The Royal — until after April 30 when he's through with the Baker Street venue. But Hume Hotel manager Ryan Martin confirmed his intention to bring on Hinrichs.
"He'll be helping us with booking and continuing to bring quality live acts to town — which is something I certainly don't want to see that come to an end," Martin said.
The owner of The Royal building, Luke Menkes, hopes to see that space turn into a food-primary establishment that brings in live music on the side, maybe 10 nights per month.
Martin said he was pleased to hear The Royal is likely to remain a music venue. He said having more clubs in town helps support the nightlight culture, which in turn benefits his business.
"The Royal is about half the capacity of Spiritbar, and I often direct promoters and booking agents there if they want to bring a band that doesn't have the local fan base to fill Spiritbar," Martin said. "The Royal a great room; I enjoy going there myself. It would be a huge loss to the community if it closed."