King Eddy set to reopen as permanent live music venue after Calgary Stampede

The King Eddy Hotel will once again serve as a pop-up country bar during the Calgary Stampede, running July 6 to 15, before opening as a permanent live music venue, bar and restauranton July 20.

During the 10 days of Stampede, the King Eddy willbe home to the Bell Live Series a honky-tonk in the East Village featuring daytime sets and evening headliner shows.

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King Eddy house band Ghostboy featuring Mark Parsons will perform freeafternoon sets from noon to 3 p.m. daily during Stampede. The headliner acts will include:

• Kingston "newgrass" act The Abrams.
• Edmonton-based country artist Karac Hendriks.
• Calgary country-folk troubadour Tim Hus.
• Powerhouse vocalist and Country 105 Rising Star Lauren Mayell.
• Lethbridge country crooner Trevor Panczak.
• Calgary singer-songwriter Ken Stead.

Advance tickets for evening shows go on sale June 7 at 10 a.m. on the King Eddy website.

"We've provided a taste of the resurrected King Eddy over the past two years by piloting successful live music programs like the Bell Live Series, and we're excited to bring it back with another great lineup," said Andrew Mosker, president and CEO of the National Music Centre.

"Opening the King Eddy as a permanent live music venue, bar and restaurant will allow us to greatly expand our programming mandate, attract new audiences, and continue to build on the Eddy's storied musical legacy."

The Bell Live Series at the King Eddy will run daily during Stampede from 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. Admission is free during the day, and a cover will be in place from 7 p.m. until close for all headliner shows.

The rooftop patio will also be open during Stampede Week, from noon to 11:30 p.m., but will be closed for private events on July 6, July 12 and July 13.

Additional headliner shows will be announced in the coming weeks.

The former hotel and bar first opened in 1905. In the 1980s, it became known as Calgary's Home of the Blues.

Performers such as John Hammond, Buddy Guy and Otis Rush played there over the years.

The building fell into disrepair, however, and was condemned in 2004. Eventually the National Music Centre took it over and refurbished it as a live music venue.

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