HMV record store trying to reinvent itself as a concert venue

/TORONTO/ A report from blogto.com says that the HMV record store at 333 Yonge Street is set to reinvent itself as a “concert space” by opening a basement-level live music room this weekend.

The first event in the 140-seat space, to be known as HMV Underground, is to take place on Saturday, May 3 featuring Classical guitar player Michael Holk, the report says.

The company’s hmv.ca website makes no announcement per se and makes no mention of the Holk concert but pushes a May 7 show by Universal Music artist Brody Dalle and contains a link to an HMV Facebook page that says the first 140 people to purchase her new Diploid Love cd at the store will get a wristband to a meet-and-greet autograph session with the artist at 5 p.m. prior to her show.

Visits to Dalle’s website and Facebook page reveal no background information on this artist, whom I’ve never heard of, nor any tracks to sample or description of her music beyond saying she was “Born to Slay demons”. She is playing shows in Germany tonight and tomorrow, is in New York Sunday and also appears May 7 at Horseshoe Tavern, presumably after her HMV set.

Neither the company’s website nor Facebook page give any indications as to who is booking the room or whether the space, at Gould St. near where the now-legendary Sam The Record Man store presided over an area that used to be a hotbed of local Rock and Indie music, will be featuring local acts or big label touring artists who have product the chain wants to move. I would guess the latter but would love to be proven wrong.-Gary 17, www.torontomoon.ca