There is no better way to beat the winter blues than with some live music.
Local bands, Dirty Riffs, Bad Omen and Lucky Dog performed at a free live music event at Royal City Studios on Saturday. The event also included an Open Mike showcasing local talent.
“It’s the Winter Blues Day. Right now, there’s really not a lot of Blues happening in Guelph, especially in venues", said Jim Duffield, owner of Royal City Studios.
“A lot of people play Blues, but there’s not a lot of places to perform Blues.”
Royal City Studios offers a ‘Blues Open Mike’ every Wednesday night, something Duffield says has built a lot of interest over the last several months.
“And having a Winter Blues Day is a good opportunity to showcase all of that,” he said.
Duffield opened the studio in 2019, offering musicians a space to rehearse, record and perform, after struggling to find a place for his own band to rehearse.
For Duffield, trying to operate his studio proved to be challenging throughout the pandemic. He received an outpouring of support from the community last summer after launching a fundraising campaign.
“We are still struggling to keep things going in the right direction. But we are doing a lot better than we were in the summer. We are working hard every day, and we have a lot of plans in the works. We are also looking at increasing our capacity limit,” Duffield said.
Duffield is passionate about supporting local talent.
“For people who want to do more with their music, as musicians, Royal City Studios allows them to do that, but it also allows others to be listeners and supporters. The studio enables all of that to happen,” Duffield said.
“If this facility wasn’t here, there really isn’t another place like it in Guelph. We have rehearsal, recording and performing space, all right here. And we also have a record label.”
Royal City Studios is also starting up a non-profit program to engage those in the community who might not have the same access to music.
The Winter Blues event brought out a good crowd who showed their support for local talent and were also able to lose of some of their own ‘winter blues’ through live music.
“Everyone loves to listen to music, “Duffield said.
“It can connect to you to others. Music can change how you think and how you feel.”
For more information about Royal City Studios, visit here.
