The Union, Kitchener’s newest music venue at 124 Sydney St. S., opened its doors the weekend of Aug. 16, 2024, with two back-to-back shows booked by local record label No Funeral Records.
In its first month of operation, The Union hosted five shows with a healthy mix of local musicians and artists from further away—including Birds in Row from France, Botfly and Pavel Stroke from Nova Scotia and Swimming from Newfoundland. The Union is beside the music and arts incubator, The JR, which offers monthly and hourly rehearsal rooms for musicians, making 124 Sydney Street South a true hub for local artists.
When co-founder Rich Fenna first moved to the area in 2020 as a musician himself, he found himself asking where the local scene hung out—where musicians went to network, jam and see live music.
“I knew something was missing,” Fenna said.
He took it upon himself to make the like-minded connections needed to get The Union up and running and create a space local musicians could consider their home base to build community.
He quickly connected with founders Martin Thorsmatz, Beau Ferguson, Ella Thorsmatz and Eric Kempmann, and the group got to work getting the space ready.
“I better do this because, if we don’t do it, who else is going to?” Fenna said.
Thorsmatz felt a call to action when Fenna approached him.
“Community is the foundation of this,” Eric Kempmann said. “[B]eing able to offer a place for bands to start.”
In its first month, The Union was the venue for two local bands’ first shows: Underwater Basket Weaving from Cambridge and Body Minus Head from Kitchener.
The Union also grounds itself on being a music-focused venue, not alcohol-focused.
“What we’re really trying to establish here is a place that’s for music,” Fenna said. “Our goal is not to have bands in and bring people in to see bands so they can buy alcohol—the idea is that people come and watch music.”
As an all-ages venue, The Union is a gathering space for individuals of all ages but also a spot for the youngest members of the music scene to get their start. The venue hosts high school-aged bands who cannot play at many venues due to being underage—like local punk band DEW, comprised of students from Eastwood Collegiate Institute, who played at The Union on Sept. 15.
The Union has many shows booked throughout the fall, with some of their October shows already announced on their Instagram @theunionkw. The venue also hopes to host more daytime programming, large-scale events and workshop-based networking opportunities for artists of all experience levels on the music scene.
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