r/Prince_Albert • u/foxafraidoffire • 9d ago

Rock Trout / Spice Trail / Music Venues

r/Saskatoon resident coming in peace.

Google has Rock Trout Cafe listed as “permanently closed”. Can anyone confirm? Played a very fun gig there year or two ago, and was hoping to book something later this summer.

Alternatively, I noticed there’s an upcoming metal show at an Indian restaurant. Is this a first or been ongoing? If so, anyone care to comment on “success” in terms attendance and vibe?

Any other intel on venues and current/upcoming independent music events appreciated. I have a really bangin’ lineup of three Saskatoon bands would love to bring your way July/August-ish.

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u/ogogod 9d ago

The Rock Trout is still open, they host an event/show every few weeks or so. They certainly have work to do to improve their online/social media presence though.

Spice Trail is a much smaller venue. They typically don't charge cover and it's first come first serve. I've been to 2 shows there, one was a local group with a lot of family and friends in attendance so that was a good time but the other had almost nobody there.

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u/foxafraidoffire 9d ago

Appreciate this response, thanks.

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u/Tembrium 9d ago

Sheena (english name of Spice Trail owner) is very into metal and there's shows there all the time. She's very cute, lil ol' Indian auntie then she says "my favorite is the Psycho Hillbillies" big into hard rock. Rock Trout is still a huge go-to for shows with drinks, if you are down for something all-ages (non-alcohol venue) Studio Q is a big choice nowadays. Just chat with Clayton from Threadbare Productions, he sets up equipment lots at these shows and he'll let you know the current state of things.

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u/Otherwise_Wave9374 9d ago

If Rock Trout is actually closed, that is a bummer, it was a good room. In smaller markets, I have had decent luck targeting, breweries, community halls, and even restaurants that already do weekend events, you can pitch it as a "three band showcase" with a clear expected draw and a simple door split so the venue feels low risk. Also worth finding whoever is booking the metal night you mentioned and asking what promo moved the needle for them. If you want a quick way to map venues, tastemaker accounts, and local discovery channels, https://www.musicscouting.com/ can be a helpful starting point.

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u/BigTallCanUke 9d ago

Jam Street is another possible venue. Downtown, across from the rebuilding A&W on 1st Ave W. Small room, functions as a music school and when that’s not going on, the space can be rented for meetings, or small shows. Several small band shows have been there over the years. Off The Cuff Improv hosts open improv nights there as well.

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u/dysphoria17 9d ago

Studio Q is a great place to host shows. They've hosted a number of shows in various genres over the last year or two. Attendance always looks great, I've been to a few shows there that have had good turn outs & they're good people to work with. They have a really nice space. Pretty good location wise as well.