It seemed as though Catalina’s on Hunter Street was just beginning to make a name for itself as a music venue when owner Catalina Motta decided to close the shop after 12 years in business.
The bar was an inclusive space and doubled as a vintage shop but the closure marks the third small music venue to shut its doors in 2017.
For Motta, the decision to close was looming in the back of her mind for some time.
“Having a bar and music venue — there are so many different elements that one has to be aware of and keep on top of,” said Motta, a hairstylist by trade. She will continue to operate her salon Union Studio on Water Street which she says was partly funding the music venue.
“I basically kind of jumped into this, baptism by fire,” she said. “Like anything that I do is because of an interest and a desire to find out about it. So I just jump in and do it and unfortunately, I just had to keep playing catch-up.”
For the local music scene, 2017 might represent the year of the lost venue.
The Pig’s Ear, one of the oldest pubs in the province and a welcoming music venue, closed in April, while The Spill coffee bar, known for giving local musicians their break, shut down abruptly in October — Catalina’s is now the third to go.
Around the corner on George Street, Pappas Billiards’ owner Dean Pappas is trying to help fill the musical void.
“We lost three within a block of me,” said Pappas. “This used to be the music block and really, it’s just us and the karaoke bar.”
The Pig’s Ear had a thriving Thursday night open mic. Musician Casey Bax was a regular at the Pig’s Ear open jam, and he approached Pappas about starting a similar tradition at the pool hall.
“I for one, I was looking for a place to go,” said Bax. “I had been playing here at the billiards for awhile and I knew it would work here.”
Pappas says adding a Thursday night open mic was a no-brainer and recognized musicians needed a space to try out their material.
“I think it’s important for artists to have a place to play. They really do need a place where they can come that is warm and inviting and safe to play,” he said. “This gives people an opportunity to play in front of other people but this open mic also has a communal feel to it.”
As a small business owner, Pappas says he understands the fiscal constraints when operating a venue, with overhead costs like rising utility bills making it tough for these small venues.
As for Catalina, she’s going to take some time to reflect on the experience and looks forward to having some more free time.
“I’m not saying I won’t do this again,” she said. “But now that I’ve taken what I learned in the last little while, I’ve learned so much.”
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