Brooke Leifso
The Haven Social Club was an independent and small act music venue from 2009 to 2013. It was beloved by local small acts, and known for their Jazz and open mic nights that attracted local MacEwan students.
In November 2020, Brooke talked to Jamie Miller about her experiences of the Haven and her Edmonton City as Museum article: The Haven Social Club: Buy Lots, Tip Well.
I remember walking down the stairs to the hazy space below, the music hitting me right in the chest from the musicians on the small raised stage as you walked down those stairs. And, because access to the club was in the basement, friends would yell ‘hellos’ as you walked down the steps before you could even make out who was hollering. There were always friendly faces around.
I also saw a lot of bands perform there who are now getting much bigger: Aiden Knight, Boogie Patrol, The Barr Brothers, local ska bands, etc. It was a great place to catch the up-and-coming acts that came through Edmonton.
I also fondly remember putting on a cabaret at the Haven with a full cast of dancers, musicians – the works! It provided the perfect space for us to stretch our creative muscles, eventually working our way into the Fringe, etc. If I could go back in time, I’d definitely relive that production at the Haven. We had a blast!
Haven provided a wonderful, safe space for everyone to be themselves and try new things. It was a great place to hear live music and the people who frequented the club all had their own uniqueness about them too. It was a magnet for attracting the weird, creative, wonderful people throughout the city’s west side and I enjoyed every moment I had in that place.
— Jamie Asmus
Brooke Leifso is an Edmontonian community-based artist and researcher for the Jasper Place Community History Project
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