Ottawa’s new Live Nation venue revealed an uncommonly wide stage, lofty ceilings and a backdrop adorned with the biggest LED video wall in Canada.
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The first thing that struck me about History Ottawa was the location of the stage.
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After strolling through the main doors on Rideau Street, I expected to see the stage situated at the far-off, narrow end of the rectangle-shaped room. To my surprise, it was located on the long wall, the one that backs on Sussex Drive.
Smart choice, I thought. The placement will allow more fans to get closer to the action on stage, and reduce the chances of being stuck in a back corner where you can’t see.
“The concept here is you come in, and you’re no more than 100 feet from your favourite artist,” said Ali Shafaee, Ottawa’s regional vice-president for Live Nation Canada, during a tour of the new space, formerly a Chapters bookstore. “It’s all about being able to see your artist up close and personal, and being able to feel the experience of not only the artist but also the person next to you.”
Two years in the making, the long-awaited new club is a sister venue to History in Toronto, and the first in Live Nation’s long-range plan to expand to other Canadian cities. Hip-hop superstar Drake is a partner in both the Ottawa and Toronto locations.
But when asked if Drake would attend this week’s grand opening, one staffer joked that she was not at liberty to discuss the matter.
In Ottawa, the two-level layout, capital-H branding and sleek, sophisticated aesthetic are similar to Toronto’s History, although the Ottawa building is a little smaller, with capacity pegged at 2,000, about 500 fewer than Toronto.
A few other features set History Ottawa apart, starting with the uncommonly wide, 80-foot stage that looks like it could accommodate a philharmonic orchestra. Then there are the lofty ceilings above it, higher than Toronto, as well as a backdrop adorned with a floor-to-ceiling LED/video wall that Live Nation staff say is the largest in Canada.
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