During Tuesday night’s Lucero gig at Outback Lodge, I caught up with Andy Gems, the new music manager for the space formerly known as Gravity Lounge (and to be known in the future as…what? Zero Gravity? Anti-Gravity? There’s a pun here…) about his plans for the Downtown Mall venue. Yesterday, Gems walked me through the space and his plans for it—a new soundsystem, consideration for some loyal Gravity Lounge acts and a new perspective on scheduling.
"I definitely don’t like the nonstop cavalcade of events. I think it weakens the better shows; it doesn’t allow them to float up to the top, you know?" said Gems. "Too much clutter."
A bit like the space itself, at the moment, but Gems has a solid vision. Details from the man with the plan after the photos of Gravity’s current state.
On scheduling for the venue: "I definitely want to emphasize quality over quantity. The days of throwing 40 events per month on the calendar are over. [But] the double-headers I like a lot…I love that the space is flexible enough to accomodate a seated, listening room show, then turn right around and accomodate a loud, rowdy rock show."
"I’d like to target roughly 20 days a month. Basically, the Tuesday through Saturday, and then, if a great show comes up on a Sunday or Monday, we take it."
On the need for a new soundsystem: "Gotta have a new PA. Big PA. Too much PA. The thing about that is, it’s not about it being loud. It’s about having enough gear to not have to push the system hard to get a good sound. But, by that token, it makes the rock shows easier to do." [Gems mentioned that he’s talked a bit with Reid Henion, also consulted for sound systems in spaces like The Paramount Theater.]
On keeping close with Gravity’s legacy performers: "I think it’s really important to convey that the types of shows—those aren’t changing. Can you imagine Paul [Curreri] and Devon [Sproule] with a big PA?"
While Gems was careful not to set too rigid an opening date for the venue, he mentioned that the space could start hosting music as early as June or July.
What else would you like to see change about the former Gravity Lounge space before it re-opens?
