The King Eddy has a long history of live music in Calgary – 120 years of history to be precise. Built between 1905 and 1907 as the King Edward Hotel, it provided a home away from home for settlers, railway workers, travellers, and people from all walks of life. It became a cornerstone in the live music community throughout Calgary’s history. It was also the city’s first desegregated bar in 1946.

During its heyday, it was known as “Calgary’s Home of the Blues,” although later on it hosted all kinds of genres. “Blues is one of those foundational music forms,” says Stephanie Hutchinson, Director of Programs at National Music Centre, “It comes out of black music from the southern US. It’s grounded in rhythm and beats and lyrics from lived experience.” It’s the perfect music to entertain guests staying in the King Edward Hotel, especially as they travelled through the area in search of work.

By 2004, the Eddy was in rough shape. The building was condemned and the business was forced to close. By 2008, the National Music Centre (NMC) acquired this historical building and created its new home, encompassing the historic King Edward Hotel. NMC put about $7 million into the building to restore it to its former glory, while keeping in mind modern safety regulations. “They had to restore and reclaim this building, and they rebuilt it brick by brick. The story goes the bricks are placed almost exactly where they were from the original structure. They were very careful in their restoration work to keep the history and legacy of the structure.”

By 2018, King Eddy was once again opened as a music venue. “It’s not the typical, modern, clean lines, venues that you often see,” says Hutchinson, “It feels historic. We still have that original brick and wood. It has a different vibe and feel. It’s a special stage where you can have that intimate experience with singer/songwriters, so you feel like you’re a part of the story.”

Because of the restoration work of NMC, King Eddy is one of the oldest music venues operating in Canada. And to celebrate 120 years of live music history, NMC is hosting Eddy Fest this summer.

“We decided to focus on the legacy of the kind of music that made an impact over 120 years. Focusing on blues and rock and country singer/songwriters.” Each day features different acts with different genres, but they are anchored by notable blues artists and they evening shows typically finish with, “a pretty rockin’ band to close out the night with a big bang.” The live music festival will have the organic feel of multiple acts following one another in specific time blocks, so you can attend for a brunch, an afternoon session, an evening session, or the entire weekend. “It’s a strong discovery mechanism. Maybe you’re coming for one specific artist, but maybe you fall in love with someone who’s playing before or after them as well. It’s a way to encourage those music lovers to find something new.”

One of those anchoring blues artists is Marcus Trummer, who was mentored through the National Music Centre’s after-school Jam Club for teens. “It really is a special full circle moment,” says Hutchinson. “He has gone on to win all kinds of local and national awards. He’s one of the top-level blues artists and he’s so young with such a bright career ahead of him. He is the future of blues in Canada.”

Other artists playing at Eddy Fest include Brother Bicker Band, Ollee Owens, Duke Domino, Jade Elephant, Leo Martinez, Jessie Bird, and so many more. With such a stellar lineup, the ticket prices are quite affordable. At roughly $20 for a session, the audience can get to see some spectacular music for a decent pricepoint. “Affordability for sure is a strong consideration. We have the benefit here of not having to have big expensive outdoor infrastructure, but our constraint is we have 150-person capacity.”

The price of the tickets goes directly to the musicians and staff required to pull of an event like this. “The tickets are meant to cover the costs of the musicians and the technical staff needed to pull this off. We also have a donation from incredible supporters of National Music Centre to help with those costs so we can pay strong fees to the artists. That’s really important for musicians to live work and play here in Calgary and in Alberta.” There’s so much more to a show than just want you see on stage. “For every musician you see on the stage, there’s an army of people behind them who helped get them there. There’s studio time, studio engineers, co-writers, other musicians, and it takes so many hours of perfecting their craft and their art to get to the point where they’re able to display and perform at such a high level. We’re not compensating them for 40 min of their time, we’re compensating them for all of that creative and investment effort that led to them being on stage for 40 minutes.”

With such a great lineup of artists, you’re bound to hear some that you love and discover your new favourites. Come celebrate 120 years of live music at Eddy Fest, happening this summer from August 14-16.

Kate Barker