Closed for a time, the lounge at Surrey’s landmark Turf Hotel reopened in October under new management focused on live music.
Lisa Macaulay now runs the 70-capacity Turf Lounge, on the southeast corner of the hotel property.
“We have karaoke, bands, all kinds of music,” Macaulay reported. “Next month we have alternative rock, a band from Kelowna coming down, a single guy with a guitar — just Fridays and Saturdays at the moment.
“We’re trying something different,” she added. “Music is dying, and we want to bring it back, at least try and be open to anything right now.”
Business is picking up, she said, mostly through word-of-mouth right now.
“We’re calling it the Turf Lounge, which used to be called The White Horse and other names,” Macaulay noted. “There’s a lot of history here at this hotel, and I’d love to put photos on the wall of all the old Surrey lounges, to remind people of what was here before.”
The lounge was closed for a year or two, she figures. “We did some cleaning, wiring, painting, and we’re still working to bring it back to life.”
Bands looking to perform at Turf Lounge can call Macaulay on 604-580-1811.
Located on the opposite side of the building is the 200-capacity Mojito’s Pub, opened in September 2021 as a live-music venue focused on mostly Latin rhythms, in the space where the hotel’s strip club once operated.
GREEN DAY ROCKS AGAIN
Last time I saw Green Day in concert was at Cloverdale Fairgrounds during the 1994 Lollapalooza festival — wow, 29 years ago! I interviewed singer/guitarist Billie Joe Armstong backstage, took a photo of him eating a sandwich (odd moment), heard The Beastie Boys jam in a trailer nearby (a highlight of my day), suffered through The Smashing Pumpkins’ set and wondered what if Nirvana had headlined instead, as originally planned (RIP Kurt Cobain).
• PHOTOS: The day 28,000 Lollapalooza-goers rocked Cloverdale in 1994.
Anyhow, Green Day sure rocked the Grey Cup halftime show Nov. 19 with four songs starting with a new one, “The American Dream Is Killing Me,” first single and opening track on the band’s 14th studio album, Saviors, set for Jan. 19 release.
Green Day debuted new songs, including “Look Ma, No Brains!,” during their recent Las Vegas takeover, involving a surprise show at the 800-capacity Fremont and headlining performances at When We Were Young Festival.
A video for “The American Dream is Killing Me” was directed by Brendan Walter and Ryan Baxley. The song was one of the last tracks written and recorded for Saviors, recorded by Rob Cavallo, who worked on 1994’s Dookie and 2004’s American Idiot.
“As soon we cut it, we said, ‘Okay, that’s going first,’” says Armstrong who describes the new song as “a look at the way the traditional American Dream doesn’t work for a lot of people — in fact, it’s hurting a lot of people.”
Here’s hoping Green Day tours to Vancouver in 2024 because I’ll be there for another sandwich photo-op, if Armstrong’s willing.
BILLY IDOL’S ‘STATE LINE’ FILM
Who knew Billy Idol was such a water-conservation activist?
Now streaming on veeps.com is “State Line,” a concert film focused on Idol’s April concert at Hoover Dam, reportedly the first ever performed by anyone at the Nevada/Arizona border site.
Part docu-concert, part live performance, the movie highlights the history and significance of Hoover Dam and includes two sets of Idol’s hits (full band at sunset, acoustic duo on the powerhouse roof), with guitarist Steve Stevens.
Drought conditions in the Colorado River Basin inspired Idol’s efforts to promote the importance of water conservation, including a series of PSAs for the U.S. Department of the Interior.
“The drought conditions prevalent in the American West are severe and impossible to ignore,” Idol says in a news release. “It takes all of us conserving water in whatever ways we can to preserve the future of our natural resources for our grandkids and beyond. I’m proud to help amplify this issue in whatever way I can.”
Of note, Nov. 10 marked the 40th anniversary of Idol’s “Rebel Yell.” Of course, several hits from the landmark album were played during Idol’s sold-out show at the PNE Fair last summer. And yeah, he still sounds great for a guy his age (he turns 68 on Thursday, Nov. 30).