The Embassy Live Music Café to resume in-person events
The Embassy Live Music Café, a program of Lionhearts Inc., has announced it will resume live, in-person shows in Kingston next month. This will be the first event for the café since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to a release from Lionhearts, shows will return starting Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023. The upcoming Embassy Live Music Café event will start at 7 p.m. at its new location, The Spire (82 Sydenham St). The first night back will include Embassy veterans Shawn McCullough, Doug van der Horden, and Wade Foster.
“We’re pleased to partner with The Spire to bring back one of Kingston’s favourite live music venues,” said Liam Thomas, Embassy Manager. “We’re thrilled to be welcoming back our artists, our patrons, and our partners for food, fellowship, and an intimate stage that connects them all.”
“The Spire is honoured to serve as the new home for The Embassy Live Music Café and expresses gratitude for our partnership with Lionhearts,” added Sam MacLeod, General Manager of The Spire Arts & Community Hub. “Together, we are committed to providing fully accessible cultural programming that includes fair pay to artists and the promotion of Kingston’s vibrant music scene.”
The Embassy is unlike most other live music venues, according to the release. The Lionhearts Inc. team provides complimentary Embassy tickets to the local agencies that receive food, household goods, and clothing from Lionhearts. These agencies then provide those tickets to their clients who may otherwise not be able to afford them. Tickets for all Embassy events may also be purchased at the door by anyone at a cost of $10 each. Proceeds help pay the artists and defray other program costs.
“When people arrive at The Embassy Live Music Café, there’s no difference between those who can pay and those who couldn’t pay,” said Lionhearts Executive Director and Founder Travis Blackmore. “There’s only great food, great entertainment, and a sense of community that can’t be found at any other live music venue.”
According to the release, in addition to live music, free food and non-alcoholic refreshments are available at The Embassy, which are supplied by Lionhearts partners. Lionhearts said that the Embassy is unique as Kingston’s only dry live music venue.
The Embassy organizers said that there has been “high interest among artists” in performing at The Embassy again since plans were initiated to resume live shows. Birds of a Feather will perform on Saturday, Nov. 18, and Abby Stewart on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023. Three additional shows are planned for December.
Updates on future shows will be published on The Embassy Live Music Café’s Kingston Facebook page.