09/15/2026
7 years this week. I remember walking my Restauranteur friend through the construction site. Watching her squinting her eyes at the drawings, wondering how I forgot the kitchen. I explained it's a music venue. Nobody goes to the theatre to eat. And nobody goes to see a band at a restaurant.
We've hosted 100 artists every year since. Minus the dark years, which started 6 months in. But we don't need to talk about that.
Sometimes newbies ask what kind of music we present. I'm proud to say I'm a genre hopping maniac. I'll put a mic in front of your banjo, or plug in your theramin. We listen to the words. We shush the crowd. We don't ask the metal guitar player to turn it down (within reason). We encourage open stagers to play 17 more.
We even have the odd cover band in for parties.
Eastern Ontario has always been a tough region for artists to tour. A new band can bop around Southwestern Ontario for months without repeating a town or city. Our mission is to offer another dot on the map between Kingston and Ottawa, and contribute to the loosely connected network of live music clubs. We're proud to say we've presented tons of out-of-town bands and artists on their travels.
All of them comment on how beautiful Smiths Falls is. And I agree. I love this town. This is the longest I've lived anywhere since Greely growing up.
It's been my life's work developing bands. None of mine ever really broke. But I'm proud to have helped promote a bunch out of obscurity. And I'm grateful to have found a beautiful home in which to keep that up. Arts & Culture are pretty much all I've ever cared about. Until I need stitches. Then Healthcare is tops. Anyway..
Hearing a group bang it out on a small stage, to a small crowd, and wonder where they might go next is a curiosity that never seems to dwindle.
So here's to the musicians, the artists, the performers, the bands that have graced the Hibiscus Stage with a song and a dream.
Cheers to your ears, Smiths Falls! Everyone needs an audience. Thank you for the friendship and generosity over the years. Thanks for coming to the shows, and thanks for listening with intention.
XO Pat
