A Fringe Bar

So, it’s a  pretty interesting piece of trivia going around recently that the Blue Note is going to be rebranded, ASAP, as the new Fringe Bar. As, in the official bar of the New Zealand Fringe Festival. Thereby creating a year round fringe Presence in Wellington instead of just it’s grizzly spectre of alternative arts, floating, glistening and salivating at you. The name Frigne confures up alternative and bizarre performances, so I hope for more of that burlesque nature coming through but, considering that it is being used as the Comedy Venue for the Fringe, and as one of the key bars in this years Comedy Festival, I’d be betting that comedy has to be a major performance focus for the bar. Conisdering the sheer amount of Improv that’s been hosted at the Blue Note this year, and the fact that the Chit Chat Lounge’s improviser Derek Flores’ name seems to come up again and again when talking about the bar this year, it’s a  pretty safe bet that Improv will stay a mainstay too. I’d like to assume that this is a good thing. And I do so. Good for me.  

It will be interesting to see what happens to the dynamic of the Wellington Comedy scene, if this takes place, considering that currently the only year round venue is the San Fransico Bathhouse, with other rooms like the Green Note (which was totally cool), and  the one that was at Bar Bodega, appearing sporadically. But only the San Fran’s one is weekly as it’s also a premiere venue for live music. When Brian Mollica talks of it being normal for Comedians to gig every night, I goggle a little. It makes sense to do so as Stand Up like many performance mediums, is constantly in a state of active beta release, but to actually get comedy to a point where that volume of performance can be done by people breaks my brain a little.  (And, yes, things like bringer shows in New York are a bit foul, but it is possible.)

Can central Wellington support this? I’m damn hopeful that it can, as I am finally in that amazing position where you have a disposable income, and the time to use it. Yes, I do think that it can be supported, both with audience numbers and with a bevy of available performers.  I pray that we don’t  sully the Fringe Festival’s good name by being lackluster patrons and performers. Well, I don’t actually, literally pray for that, because that would mean having an open dialogue with God, and I’m not entirely sure that I am prepared to take that step in our relationship. You know?