Victoria Levesque invited strangers to her home, The.Victoria.House, for intimate concerts 24 times.
“I’m just a Victorian citizen who loves live music and was looking for a way to help support artists by providing a small space,” Levesque said. “I created my own home performance venue. It was a really fun experience, but it did take work.”
Around 20 people gathered at The.Victoria.House for an indoor performance, with up to 40 tickets sold for some outdoor concerts in Levesque’s courtyard and gardens.
“That’s my current comfort zone, and I want people to be comfortable.”
Levesque wants more live music spaces in Victoria and believes home concerts are one way to help bridge that gap.
“Having a show allows you to have a direct connection with an artist. It makes our community stronger and more vibrant. You can help impact an artist’s career. I will continue to do shows, but I can only do a certain amount. Some It costs a lot of money to rent a venue.”
This next concert Levesque has been scheduled for April 16 at 2pm in her garden, with Toronto singer-songwriter Shawna Caspi in attendance.
“She was a folk artist,” Levesque said. “I’m really looking forward to it. I think she’s a great fit.”
Every performance of The.Victoria.House is through side Door. Side Door is an online platform that connects artists with other venue spaces.
Laura Simpson and Dan Mangan founded the company in 2017, and more than 700 artists and bands have used the platform to book shows.
“We use technology to make things more efficient, more transparent and more accessible,” Simson said.
Side Door appears on Thursday’s episode of Dragons’ Den, where Simpson and Mangan strike a deal with Arlene Dickinson. Dickinson offered them $500,000 in convertible notes.
“We really wanted to find Arlene,” Simson added. “This funding will support our efforts to support artists. We are really happy”
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