It's very easy to book Bohemia for your private party, special event, or if you are a local band or promoter who needs a flexible, open minded venue that isn't too big to fill.
Here's how you book a show at Bohemia
1. Check the Event Calendar and pick an available date for your show. Please note that we are closed on Sunday and Mondays, but can be open for private functions on those days by special request.
2. Email Bohemia to let us know about the date you want and the type of event you want to put on. Include a description of the bands/djs/equipment/special needs and a link to their website/music (you can have the bands contact us directly if you want).
3. Check our About Page to make sure the list of equipment we have will fit your needs. If you are planning a larger/complicated musical performance it doesn't hurt to bring extra microphones and/or D.I. boxes if you have them, along with any special gear you think you may require. The best bet is to contact us directly with any questions as well as a list of the gear you intend to bring so we can eliminate redundancies and unneeded extras - we have NO extra storage room, so if you can share your drumkit with the other performers it goes a long way in making the night run smoothly! We have a sound technician on hand to make you sound even more brilliant, but they can only operate when they know everything in advance!
Please note that we have recently added a $50 fee for live events and $100 for electronic events that utilize the full lighting rig, see below for details of what is offered! We als orequire a $100 refundable deposit for weekend shows and new bookings - this money will be returned the night of the show if you have done your due diligence and get a good sized crowd out to the event!
4. Please keep in mind that we are a small venue (capacity is currently 65 patrons which includes the band members) and as such, it is not necessary to bring excessive amounts of amplification with you. We are skilled at making the room sound good at a nice, loud volume, without additional quintuple stack guitar amps or subwoofers, etc.
5. Decide on a door time, and a show time, for your event. Example: Doors at 8, Show at 9. Note: No Minors are allowed in our establishment. Also, you must decide on a ticket price. Regarding ticket prices: $7 to $12 is a general good range for a weekend night – $5-7 during the week works great! Having a cover charge allows musicians to get paid and keeps the crowd respectful.
6. Once you have decided these details, design a poster and Facebook event, and send us links to the event and poster artwork file so we can put it up on our digital/print media channels. Here's what you need on your poster: our address (10217 97 Street), the name/logo Bohemia (here is a EPS file of our logo you can use), the text "18+", the cover charge, and the date/time of your event. You'll need to send us a copy of the poster 2 weeks before the event so you have enough time to print and poster. Postering is the responsibility of the organizers of the event and it makes a MASSIVE difference in attendance. On that note, if you do not send us the poster 2 weeks before the show, we'll allow for another week; if we do not receive a poster 1 week before the event, the show will be cancelled. This may seem harsh, but we need to be able to help you promote your show so everyone can have a good time. If you create a Facebook event, please invite the Facebook user "Barri Kat (Art Bohemians)" to your event and grant us Admin access to the event, so that we may cross-post it and/or correct any errors.
7. Keep in touch with us leading up to the date of the event and keep us in the loop in case of any changes or questions you or others may have to help keep things running smoothly on event night. Join our Facebook Group (the bohemians).
8. ON EVENT NIGHT: Bring someone who can run the door for you, as you will be responsible for running your own door if there is a cover charge. We provide our own security and will check IDs for your door person, and maintain a safe environment for everyone. Also, please be aware that performers cannot store equipment over night in our space - so have a designated driver on hand so your gear can get home safely!
General Guidelines you should keep in mind
We put on a lot of shows and we know what works and what doesn't work for our little venue, so here are some tips that will help make sure that you are going to have a successful, and/or profitable event!
Here is a list of the sound equipment we have available:
Here is a list of the lighting equipment we have available (pricing subject to availability, as this list does change from time to time):
Please note that there is a $50 sound and light fee for live music events (which provides you with a controllable RGBA stage wash and moving heads, a sound and light technician, mics, DIs, PA, cables and a stage manager to run the technical aspects of the event) and a $100 fee for electronic events (which provides you with all of the above listed lighting, a sound and light technician, DIs, PA, cables, an mp3 recording of the event and a stage manager to ensure maximal bass and volume without distortion all night long). This fee is payable the night of the event and constitutes our only charge to use the space.
Weekend bookings (Friday/Saturday) are expected to be larger shows with a minimum expected turnout of 50 people (30 would be the absolute bottom and would better be scheduled on a thursday).
Once you have confirmation of your event, promote it as much as you can! There is a direct correlation between how much footwork you do and how many people end up attending your event. Contact various event listings sources and make sure you're listed (ie, Vue Weekly, Kijiji, Craigslist, Beatroute, Gig City, Bars n' Bands, etc.), bug your friends via social media, and shout it from the rooftops! Sending an invite out on Facebook and doing nothing else will likely result in a poorly attended show where we won’t cover our expenses. In this unlikely and preventable case, part of the door may be applied towards paying staff/materials/etc and you will find less open dates for your bookings – we cannot stress enough how important promotion is!!! If you promote your event, and people show up, you will receive 100% of the door.
We are licensed – all attendees (including performers) must have valid government issued id as per AGLC guidelines and be prepared to show it to any staff member/security upon request.
Every show is as good as the crowd you invite – well attended shows are great when everyone is behaving on their own. If someone needs to be told they’re being a problem, it’s already a huge issue. Try to instill a sense of respect for the venue/building/neighbourhood in the crowd - quality top down is the key to a successful, fun show!
Notes pertaining to our monthly art+muzak shows
The art+muzak events have always been and always will be a FREE entry event. As such, all guest curators are urged to let performers know that their pay is going to be a couple of free drinks each and audience adulation. We know it's a lot to ask a musician to play for free, but we really believe in accessible art and we'd be happy to work with them to set up a paying show outside of our scheduled monthly free shindig!
Please be aware that hanging is done the day of the show, between 6pm and no later than 8pm, unless you email and make other arrangements in advance! There are no hanging fees; we do however take a 20% commission on any sold art. Your art will be on display for a full month at dozens of live music events; and we would love it if the purchaser and yourself would agree to keep any SOLD pieces up until the next show with a big bright SOLD sticker! All art should be picked up the day of the next art show (the last saturday of each month) between 6pm and 8pm unless you email and make other arrangements in advance! Art left behind for more than 60 days past the hanging date (1 month after the end of the show) will be donated to bohemians/charities/random passersby unless prior arrangements have been made! Please don't forget your art, we hate having to give it away but we will - we have NO storage space and you have been informed!!