BANFF – From a paint canvas to a head of hair to a musical instrument – the boundaries of what constitutes as art are seemingly non-existent and uniqueness is ever more achievable when a special blend of creative minds join forces.
This is something Beatnik Salon in Banff knows all too well and is embracing with an endless stream of ideas, such as live performances from local artists during business hours and impromptu jazz evenings, creating a hub for some of the town’s most creative minds to hang out.
Cassidy Geddes, owner and hair stylist at Beatnik Salon, has used a small space in a shopping mall as innovatively as one can, and said he brings in Bow Valley talents of all calibres and genres.
“We’re pretty good friends with all the clothing people in town, we work with a girl who makes chainmail, we have a videographer and a photographer, make up artists. We do a lot of photo shoots here,” he said.
“We call it our Beatnik Creative Collective and everyone just does it for free.”
Geddes owns the shop with his wife, Pam, and the couple strives to offer up a space where everyone can feel welcome, whether they want to just come hang out or play some music or get their hair done.
“[It’s] awesome. We’re pretty much fully booked. We make these posters of all these people up and coming – like come get your hair cut while so and so plays and [we] have quite a few people that come in and get their hair done on jam-sesh day,” said Geddes.
The couples friend and videographer Bryan White from Bow Media will come in to the shop set up lights and takes videos of the performers at no cost. The performer then has access to that video for promotional purposes.
“When he comes in, he does Music Mondays … He comes in, he sets lights up and he does a one-take video for them to take home,” said Geddes.
“All these people do this stuff for free … We all just come together.”
Pam said they also offer the space up to other local groups, like the Banff Theatre Collective.
“The Banff Theatre Collective uses our space after hours for auditions, or to rehearse,” she said, adding they tried yoga for a while as well.
“Too hairy,” she said through a laugh.
Known local talents such as Sherrie Summit who’s set to perform in early June enjoy the experience because they’re able to both give back to the community and have a chance to perform.
“I love to support local businesses in the Bow Valley as well as any fundraisers or helpful causes here in our community,” Summit told the Outlook.
“The Beatnik Salon approached me with a neat offer to come perform … Pam was really kind and it sounded like a casual and really fun environment to play in.”
Whether those who come to the salon play music professionally or just dabble occasionally or maybe are in the midst of learning their first song, the salon encourages the exploration of talents and creativity so much there’s even a community guitar for anyone to pick up.
“We also have this community guitar, so it just sits there for people while they’re waiting for their hair cuts,” said Geddes.
“People pick it up an play it, we have some people that are learning to play that just come and hang out.”
Geddes said he wants the space to fall in line with the meaning of beatnik, which he explained as “the first art, creative movement.”
“All that hipster fashion is all just regenerated beatnik stuff,” he said with a laugh.
“They were the first ones to be creative, they were really looked down upon and considered idiots … All the people that wanted to just first do something different.”
Geddes said the salon even hosts a speak easy every once in a while as sort of a client appreciation night where they have up to 30 people in the shop, jazz music playing, and an ambience to fit.
“The salon you get your hair cut in is then like a cool jazz bar,” he said.
“We put candles around, some popcorn and stuff. We’re lucky because we have a back door and a bathroom … It’s kind of cool walking through an alley to come to a speak easy. It’s our own little twist – the Beatnik Speak Easy.”
The salon itself has only been open for a year and a half, but since the very beginning, local performers have been utilizing the space.
“We’ve done them since day one, our opening party we had a band in and we’ve just kind of ran with that. We listen to music all day anyway so why not have somebody do it live. We pay them, [we] try to help support local talent,” said Geddes.
“I think everybody wants a little community to be apart of so we like to try to provide that, not just hair.”
To book with Beatnik Salon or find out more about what they do, visit their website www.beatniksalon.com or their Facebook page.
