In a time when music venues are closing left, right and centre, a new performance space has announced they will be opening their doors to the Victoria music scene soon.
After many years of lying dormant, the former home of a popular dance club is being revived under a new name, The Downbeat.
The venue located at 1325 Government Street will be intended to be a hub for up-and-coming DJs to take the stage, just as it used to when it was known as Hush.
The Downbeat will also act as a new home for musicians and bands of all scenes who are still reeling from the loss of music venues over the past few years.
In recent memory, Victoria has lost Steamers, Central Bar & Grill, Logan’s Pub, the Copper Owl and the Carlton Club Cabaret, among others.
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This new venue is being launched by Daniel James of Just Beats Inc. along with his business partners Mark Williams and Karim Sayani.
James hails from Toronto, where he was a resident DJ at renowned night clubs for years before relocating to Victoria in 2020, by way of Calgary and Vancouver.
Once open, he hopes to partner with local promoters who work with bands, musicians and DJs of all genres to make The Downbeat a new hub for the music community and show-goers in Victoria.
Being that James himself is an accomplished DJ, he is hoping to meet other DJs of all skill levels in order to allow them to get their chance to perform The Downbeat.
James says he is playing a show on Friday, July 26th and that he is hoping to connect with DJs there in order to start building a roster of performers that can get on stage at The Downbeat once they are open.
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