Benefit for Bijou to be held at the Bunker Performance Lounge and Café

Many will know by now that the Bijou Restaurant suffered a devastating fire Oct. 19 resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage. A collective shiver was felt among the other downtown merchants as they heard the news.

One such person is John Crawford of the Bunker Performance Lounge and Café, another Wellington Street business that specializes in live, often-local music.

“I felt concern for the staff for sure. We know some of the staff down there so of course we wanted details like what happened, was it after hours and finally, what now?” said Crawford.

What now? Those two small words together make one big question. Crawford was inspired to do a benefit concert for Bijou as his part to help in the recovery.

“I think because there is a number of places that do live music on Wellington and knowing now that there is one short; there’s several artists that I know that regularly play Bijou but I don’t think they’ve done the Bunker yet. So, I thought that would be a neat opportunity to give the artists a chance to help out their usual venue,” Crawford said.

The four artists playing the benefit are passionate about Bijou and were willing to donate their time and talent to the fundraiser. Look forward to appearances by Steph Martin, Dan Walsh, Unheard Of and Luke Robertson.

It is Crawford’s goal to help out Bijou and let them know that Stratford is here for them. It gives the artists a chance to say thanks to Bijou for letting them play there so often and gives them the opportunity to play for the community one more time.

The performance will be a pay-what-you-can model to raise funds at the door. All of the proceeds made at the door will go to Bijou. Donations are also being accepted online from those who cannot attend. It is not a ticketed event, but people can reserve a table in advance by visiting www.bunkerstratford.com/event-details/bijou-benefit-night.

“We are hoping for some turnover, too. That’s why we are having four artists while for a Saturday it would be one, maybe two artists. For the Bijou night, we are doing four, so we are hoping people will drop in for an hour or two, have some drinks and donate, and then free up some space for those that want to come at a later hour,” Crawford said.

Crawford feels a comradery with Bijou. The businesses are similar in that they both offer opportunities for local musicians to perform for the community. While the Bijou business model is primarily as a restaurant and Crawford’s is more an after-dinner performance lounge, the two don’t feel competition. Rather, they both enhance the cultural backdrop for an evening out with local music.

The benefit event is Saturday, Nov. 23. Doors open at 6 p.m. and music will start at 8 p.m. The Bunker Performance Lounge and Café is located at 104 Wellington St. in Stratford.