What's Happening in London, ON…

A historic concert venue in London, Ontario, is holding a series of weekly concerts to help raise money to renovate its stage. The shows will feature local artists and an intimate setting.

The venue hasn’t gone into detail about the proposed stage repairs, but describes them as ‘much needed’. That’s not surprising considering the building’s age. Aeolian Hall was originally constructed as part of the town hall for the town of East London in 1884, and served various purposes over the next century, ranging from a court house to a public library to a radio store.

It became a music venue in 1969, and now includes a music school and is the home base of the London Youth Symphony and London Concert Orchestra. The larger structure has been designated as a heritage building.

The concerts will focus on London-area musicians with a tie to the venue. The series kicks off with Clark Bryan, an award-winning concert pianist and the founder of the Aeolian Performing Arts Centre. Future events include a sold-out show by local favourite Sarah Smith and a concert with rising star Sarina Haggarty. Local music events like these often use flyer printing to get the word out.

The Save Our Stage series will take place on Wednesdays throughout the month of August, beginning with Bryan’s concert on the 7th.