MONTREAL (CelebrityAccess) — Cultural events company Louis-Armand Bombardier (LABE) announced the acquisition of the famed Montreal concert venue Club Soda.
According to LABE, business at the club will continue as usual, hosting performances by both local and international touring artists, as well as conferences, special events and festivals, and even film shoots.
The current staff at the club will continue in their current roles and not be affected by the transition, LABE said.
The addition of the 900-capacity Club Soda expands LABE’s existing Montreal venue portfolio, which includes Le Ministère on Saint Laurent Boulevard.
The Club Soda, which was originally opened in 1982 by Joseph Martellino, Guy Gosselin, André Gagnon and Martin Després, was originally located at 5240 Park Avenue, where Montreal’s Théâtre Fairmount is currently situated but closed in 1999.
The club re-opened at its current location on Saint Laurent Boulevard in 2000, following extensive renovations. Performers who have graced the venue’s stages include PJ Harvey, Fine Young Cannibals, Ben Harper, Amy Winehouse, Rufus Wainwright, Counting Crows, Melissa Etheridge, Jay Leno, Soundgarden, and Chris Isaak, among others.
“I’d like to thank Michel Sabourin and Rubin Fogel, the founders of Club Soda, for their confidence. It’s a great honour for me and my team to ensure that this institution, which has remained independent all these years, continues to exist. We hope to actively contribute to the stability of our magnificent industry, with the current players, and those to come, so that artists emerge even more impressive. Welcome to Club Soda, welcome home,” said Louis-Armand Bombardier, LABE’s founding President.
“It’s with a twinge of sadness that we decided to part company with an iconic venue that has become a Montréal institution after a marriage that has lasted nearly forty years. Forty years in the life of Club Soda represents nearly 10,000 performances and some four million spectators. That’s a lot of joyful moments, but also a lot of work. After so many years, we take for granted that the continuing existence of this venue, which has become a part of the landscape, is a fait accompli. Nothing could be further from the truth. The day-to-day challenges of succeeding in a privately-owned venue like ours, attracting the ticket buying, artistically curious public are complex, but that has been our raison d’être. It is now up to the group headed by Louis-Armand Bombardier to ensure its future while maintaining its mission of remaining a place of discovery, where a diversity of genres and disciplines can express themselves. We are more than happy that a Quebec company, that shares our values and is growing rapidly, has accepted this challenge,” said Michel Sabourin and Rubin Fogel, Club Soda co-founders and former owners.
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