Queenstown’s newest live music venue’s promising to be a haven for jazz and blues lovers, in particular.
Maya Music owners and founders Deo Bohn and Becks Cole will officially open The Cave Blues Bar tonight at their Red Oaks Dr premises, at Remarkables Park.
The independent music store started in Invercargill in 2010 before expanding to Queenstown in ’16.
Along with selling, maintaining and repairing instruments, the team also offers music lessons and instrument and equipment hire.
Bohn says they’d thought about setting up recording studios, but it was going to cost about $500,000 — money they didn’t have.
Instead, the guitarist decided to stop gigging around town himself, and set up his own venue.
The licensed bar, at the back of the premises, includes ‘‘one of the most comfortable stages in town’’, with ‘‘fantastic’’ acoustics and a
rustic ambience.
It’ll provide music-lovers a place to go and get a regular fix of jazz and blues, but, importantly, provide musicians a space to perform
and be paid fairly.
‘‘I’m a musician myself and I know how hard it is to go and play in a pub for $600 a night and maybe have four members in a band, so it’s $150 each, but then you have all your equipment and everything else,’’ he says.
Instead, Bohn’s providing all the instruments for musicians, and the bulk of the proceeds from the $15 cover charge will go to them.
‘‘The musicians have to be recognised.
‘‘If we can get 100 people in here, the band will get a little bit less than $1500, because I have [expenses] to pay.’’
Tonight’s opening features blues band Blue Moon, followed by jazz band Alchemy tomorrow.
Next weekend, Bohn’s booked two more blues bands, to play Friday and Saturday nights, and he’s already locked in a funk band for the following weekend.
In time, they’ll open on Wednesday nights for open mic, he says.
The Cave Blues Bar grand opening, featuring Blue Moon, tonight, 7pm. Tickets $15, via eventbrite
