Broken City is been a hub for all things musically cool in Calgary’s underground entertainment scene. A staple venue for the city’s live, independent music circuit, the intimate room also presents DJ nights and a weekly stand-up comedy evening.
Of Broken City’s storied history, perhaps the strangest tale is how Zak Pashak, also the founder of the Sled Island Music and Arts Festival, opened the nightclub in 2004 after receiving a large sum of money in a court settlement over the ownership of a dog (no joke). A fierce supporter of indie music, he maintained it as a venue for local and touring bands. Even more remarkable is that Broken City has persisted and remained true to its original indie-music vision in a notoriously fickle entertainment market.
“My favourite thing about Broken City is how open it is to everybody. I always thought it was a home for subculture, mainstream rejects,” says Andrew Brassard with a laugh. With Charlie Hinton and Alan Lindsay, the three took over ownership of the club in 2011 and vowed to stay true to Pashak’s vision.
Underground rock fans have attended the club to get and earful of bands such as Mudhoney, Sparta and Har Mar Superstar and fostered local favourites such as The Dudes and Viet Cong. The nightclub also pulls in big crowds for its Saturday Natural Selection Hip Hop DJ night and its monthly Reset house-and-techno dance night geared towards the LGBT community.
“We’re all longtime Calgarians,” elaborates Brassard. “Broken City really captures the spirit of Calgarians in that it's diverse and welcoming. It’s the true people, not a corporate place.”
