Volunteers with the Dream Cafe are hoping to keep live music thriving in their unique venue with a little help from the community.
After successfully surviving the dire impact of COVID, where live music venues were one of the hardest hit, the Dream Cafe has recently been impacted by wildfires and the temporary closure of Highway 97 resulting in the cancellation of weeks of programming and weaker attendance at other events.
The Dream Cafe collective has decided to pivot and put together an online auction called Keep the Dream Alive that began at the beginning of October, featuring everything from musicians offering to play in people’s homes and original paintings to curated wine collections and season tickets to the Dream Cafe. The month-long online auction will culminate with a live auction event at the Dream Cafe this Saturday, Nov. 4.
Tickets for the live event are $75 and include appetizers from the new Dream Chef and complimentary beverages from supporting wineries and breweries.
“The online auction is going very well, raising over 70 per cent of their $20,000 goal so far,” said Maya Querido, marketing and promotions for the Dream Cafe collective. “We just had an anonymous donor purchase our $6,000 year long ticket package and then donate the tickets right back to the Dream! This means we still have that package available.”
Many artists have said the Dream Cafe is the dream venue.
“There are not many rooms left like this. Superb sound, dedicated and beautiful staff with a whole lot of soul. Folks, please go support this fabulous venue bringing quality shows to south B.C. It is truly a treasure. Viva La Dream,” said the Blue Moon Marquee band who played in October.
“The Dream Cafe feels like a snug nest for musicians to come back to; time and time again filling our hearts with warmth and community. It’s become one of our favourite stops on tour and we look forward to our next visit,” said Laura Mina of Carmanah.
The Dream Cafe has hosted varied entertainment from around the world from throat singers from Nunavut to recent sold-out shows of the Great Lake Swimmers, Good Lovelies and Wil, I break strings.
To see the auction items click here.
About The Dream Cafe
Founded in 2001, they’ve developed a reputation, among artists and audiences alike, as a premium live entertainment venue across Canada and further afield.
It’s a listening room, which is a rare gem to find. As an audience member, the experience is without parallel, providing an incredibly intimate and unique opportunity to see top talent from Canada, and around the world.
A wide range of musical styles can be seen on the Dream stage. Expect to see Jazz, blues, indie, R&B, folk, punk, spoken word, reggae, rock, country, comedy, and more.