Rockin' Out at City Hall

If city councillor Jim Larouche has his way, music lovers might have a chance to see the Tragically Hip live in concert, right here in Welland!

Notice I didn't say they'd be live and in person - the city wants to purchase the rights to livestream the band's farewell concert on the controversial $100,000 TV screen on the side of city hall. Admittedly, it sounds like a cool idea - but does it make sense?

For those unfamiliar with the Hip, they are a rock band formed in Kingston, Ontario, and have been active since 1984. They have released 14 albums, 9 of which hit #1 on the Canadian charts, and they've been honored with 14 Juno awards for their work. Earlier this year, they announced that their leader singer, Gord Downie, had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. As a result, they are performing their final tour this summer. The final concert of the tour will be held in their hometown of Kingston.

The show is to be broadcast live and commercial-free on the CBC's television network, radio stations, website, and YouTube channel. It is also being shown at Hamilton's Gage Park, where event organizers say they will charge admission to cover the cost of the event. St. Catharines councillor Mat Siscoe wants it to be shown in Montebello Park, too.

Here in Welland, Councillor Larouche says "everyone from the region" could be invited to watch the concert on the big screen. He even came up with the (excellent) idea to collect donations to research the brain cancer Downie was diagnosed with. Whether admission would be collected is uncertain - none of the councillors seem to have commented on that. It seems unlikely that charging for admission would work, given the location, but I can't say for sure.

So, to examine the facts: this will be an additional expense on top of the $100,000 the city already spent on the screen. It will already be available in St. Catharines and Hamilton for a fee, and theirs will be in beautiful parks, not on the sides of their city halls. And the concert will also be shown for free on television, so we can all watch it in the comfort of our own homes, free to sing along without disrupting anyone.

But at the same time, it's a great way to get Welland's downtown buzzing with activity. It's a purpose for the giant screen that doesn't involve advertising - instead, it's something people actually want to see. And it could be an awesome way to attract people from neighboring communities, like Port Colborne and Niagara Falls, to come and spend time here. 

So despite the obvious drawback, I'll freely admit that I'm in favour of the idea. I think it's great to see the city trying something like this, and I really believe it might get us some attention from outsiders, where so many other attempts have failed. The fundraising idea is just the cherry on top, at least for me. 

What are your opinions on this idea? Feel free to leave a comment here (or on the Facebook post if that's how you got here) and let me know how you feel about it. Until next time...