Broken City celebrates 10 years of music

By Conner Sadler, May. 22, 2014 —

From May 22–30, Broken City will host bands from across the country for its week-long 10th anniversary party.

Alan Lindsay, who books events for the venue, is set to celebrate Broken City’s success and the people who helped along the way.

“Broken City has been a big part of Calgary’s music and art scene over the last 10 years,” says Lindsay. “We’ve seen a lot of regulars come and a lot of regulars go. We’ve got different genres of music every night so that everyone will have something they want to listen to.”

Sitting on 11 Ave. S.W., Broken City regularly showcases some of the best indie and local musicians in Canada. They also host some of Calgary’s most unique weekly events, including the “Quiz Shoe” on Tuesdays — a rowdy night of trivia and prizes — and for the gaming crowd, Magic: The Gathering on Wednesdays and Sundays, complete with tournaments and prizes.

Broken City founder Zak Pashak wanted to open a venue where people could be accepted and listen to the music they wanted to hear.

“[We] wanted a spot that a suit could come and enjoy a punk show. At that time there wasn’t a lot of spots that welcomed everyone. There were specific bars that catered to everyone’s personal preference, but going there, if you weren’t dressed right, it could be very unwelcoming,” says Pashak.

Broken City has grown into one of the most diverse venues for local music and arts, and Pashak wants to see more of the same in the future.

“[Broken City] is more or less at the exact point that we’ve been trying to get it at. We’re bringing in good shows. We want to make sure that we don’t have any dud weeks and that we have a good crew of locals that call it home,” says Pashak. “As for the next 10 years, we want to continue to be a community bar that makes sure that every single person feels welcome.”

With a mix of bands playing everything from metal to reggae, the anniversary party is sure to be a landmark event. As a venue that celebrates independent artists and local entertainment, Broken City is worthy of celebration.