The independent venue was small and standing room only – but had a reputation for being a cornerstone in the careers of many prominent bands. But it was never able to fully recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, said John Criswick, who ran it as a nonprofit and announced its closure late last week. “It’s an extremely complex business,” Criswick said Sunday, adding that it wasn’t just a bar, but a “social business” that gave the community a place to gather. “Someone has to take the reins, not necessarily there. But the city definitely needs it [something like it].”
“It always had an atmosphere”
Over the past two decades, the ByWard Market Square venue has hosted live bands, poetry events, plays, multiplayer Halo nights, and even weddings. In his Facebook post, Criswick said Mercury Lounge had “basically” closed after the first COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020, with the news now becoming official. Poet and singer-songwriter Mehdi Cayenne said his closure left him “speechless”. Cayenne, who played several shows there, said that’s where the Capital Slam poetry series — one of Canada’s longest-running spoken word competitions and one that has spawned several national champion slam poets — took shape. “It was a very unique space in a unique location that looked unique,” Cayenne said. “It always had an atmosphere.”
JUNOS Fifty Fifty: Mercury Lounge
We take a look at some of the most iconic musical spots in Ottawa’s history from the perspective of the artists. Dominique Labelle, co-chair of the ByWard Market BIA, says the loss of the Mercury Lounge was a “hard blow.” The venue holds many positive memories for many Ottawans, Labelle said. “There’s a place for a business like this in Ottawa and I hope someone out there has dreams of reviving it or reviving this kind of music venue,” he said. The venue’s closure also underscores how much the music industry needs help from all levels of government as it recovers from COVID-19, said Erin Benjamin, president and CEO of the Canadian Live Music Association. “We can’t afford to lose more live music venues,” Benjamin said. “They are critical cornerstones of culture in every city and town across Canada.”
