In a city starving for live music venues, the opening of The Working Class on Tuesday could prove to be a turning point for the local arts community.
Entrepreneurs John Cayen and Krys Saudino decided to act very quickly over the last two months to open up their new licensed establishment at 180 Second Avenue, near Cedar Street.
“We had never really ever thought of acquiring a location, but an opportunity presented itself and we jumped on it. It was due to a lot of people helping us out that allowed this to line up as it has. It's a collective work of bunch of people in the community who actually want to see something happen,” said Cayen.
Cayen is well known in Timmins for his Pink Bomb promotions company which has been bringing live bands to Timmins for the last 10 years.
“Coming out of high school, we were doing shows anywhere we could. Our parents basements, community centres, church basements, anywhere that would have us. We got older and started doing shows in bars and they took off quite well. We built up a loyal fan base with a very dedicated scene of people consistently coming out to shows which has allowed us to make the decision that its time to get our own spot,” he said.
Cayen says the venue provides something that Timmins was lacking.
“I think its incredibly important for any community to have a hub where they can go and listen to music or enjoy the arts, and that's an area of Timmins that isn't really available to people right now.”
Having their own venue offers a lot more flexibility for hosting live music. They will no longer run into double booking scenarios which have occurred at other establishments, which could lead to an increase of concerts in Timmins.
“Not to discredit any of the previous locations we've done shows at, they've all been incredibly helpful and cooperative. They're a huge part in allowing us to get to this point. With that being said, by us having our own place, now we're in control. We're holding the cards.”
He elaborated on how they came up with the name.
“The Working Class is just an extension of the community that we live in. We're a blue collar community and we only thought it was appropriate to reflect where we're from,” said Cayen.
The venue's opening drew a large crowd. It served as a meet and greet and allowed the partners to address the gathering and give thanks to everyone who has helped in making The Working Class a reality.
Some of those in attendance shared their thoughts with TimminsToday about what this means for the city.
Audio technician Ritchie Caron is excited for the doors which may now open.
“It's great. We get exposed to all the different available acts in Canada. They have an option to play here in town and it's great that people can be exposed to high quality entertainment” he said.
Paul Mascaro, owner of Skoser Clothing and Custom Printing, offered his support of the venue and describes what he likes about it.
“Just the uniqueness of it. It's something different. It's somewhere for many different generations to experience good live music. There's nowhere else like it in Timmins. Hopefully everything goes well and the community takes a liking to it,” said Mascaro.
Dale Yungwirth, from the local punk rock band Head Down, is excited for the community.
“It opens up a lot more options for having bands play here. It's great for the music scene in Timmins,” he said.
Cayen and Saudino are proud to add to a growing arts community in Timmins.
“Its a resource to the community because its accessible, we want it to be accessible to everybody, so if you are into live music this will be a place for you,” said Cayen.
He's holding his cards close to his chest in regards to upcoming musical guests and events, but did mention the first live show will be on July 11 featuring local band The Payoff and Sudbury's own Lightmares.
The building is familiar to many area residents who associate it with billiards.
That tradition will continue, but not until later in the summer.
“Right now we're aiming for an August opening of the pool room, just to get things going for the pool league which will begin again in September,” said Cayen.
Local musicians are encouraged to contact Pink Bomb or The Working Class on Facebook if they are interested in performing.
“We're always interested in new bands and we certainly want to develop and help nurture the scene,” added Cayen.
The Working Class' hours of operation are Monday to Thursday, 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday 2 p.m. to 2 a.m.
