Time to get a head start on the weekend! The Marquee Room is now proud to host HUMP Wednesday, a night dedicated to the queer community. Just like any other night at the bar, the Marquee Room brings in fantastic DJ’s for a weekly night of drink and dance.
The Marquee Room, located directly above the Uptown Stage and Screen Theatre in downtown Calgary, is an alternative bar that has been operating for two years, showcasing the talent of multi-genre local bands. With an established fan base already, The Marquee Room is looking to add other communities to their diverse crowd.
Jonathan Marshall and Blake O’Brien own the Marquee Room and the Uptown Stage and Screen. They have been active queer community supporters with their consistent showing of queer films in the theatre. Patrick MacEachern, formerly of A Bar Named Sue, and Lorrie Matheson a constant in the Calgary Music Scene are the men in charge of the Marquee Room.
HUMP Wednesday organizer JP Rousseau came to the Marquee Room with the concept. This event originated at a bar in Montreal - “a queer night in a straight bar.” He was a huge fan of the Marquee Room, and extremely frustrated with the current Calgary queer bar scene. This idea had immediate appeal to the Management Team as it promoted the “openness and acceptance this place has always had.”
After a month of scheduling local talent like as CJSW’s Sideshow Sid and DJ Neighbour from Homebreakin’ Records, HUMP Wednesday premiered on October 15th, and was a major hit, and the remaining two Wednesdays in October have continued to draw crowds. Many patrons have been asking why this type of event has not happened before.
Marketing and Development Coordinator Juliet Burgess is very excited about the success of HUMP Wednesday. “The opening night was a big success, with us teetering on room capacity all night. We’ve since hosted an Electro night, and our Halloween event where all the proceeds went to CJSW 90.9FM’s Queer programming. FairyTales Gay & Lesbian Film Festival sponsored the night by decorating and encouraging zombie prom-style attire.”
Burgess also affirms that The Marquee Room “is a versatile space where people can drink, dance, view local art on a monthly rotation, and just relax. We pride ourselves on the creation of HUMP, and hope people respond to it with as much enthusiasm as we here already have.”
The Marquee Room hosts the event every week, and more information is always available online about what is happening or who is playing on any particular night.
The Marquee Room is the first straight bar in Calgary to ever host a queer night. It is a fantastic venue that this team has worked hard to bring us. We owe it to them to check it out – besides, what else do you have to do on a Wednesday night?
HUMP Wednesday
The Marquee Room
612 8 Avenue SW
2nd Floor, Uptown Stage and Screen
(403) 265-0123
www.theuptown.com
