Garland Theater broadens focus from film to live music and comedy

Few buildings have as much meaning to the North Side as the Garland Theater. From the classic feel of a theater opened in 1945 to the neon sign that can’t be missed as cars meander down the street it’s named after, little has changed in the nearly 80 years since opening night. But in the continued quest to build upon the sense of community surrounding the Spokane institution, live music and comedy have been added to the Garland’s repertoire.

Jasmine Barnes, theater co-owner and general manager, has spent more than a decade building a relationship with the building. She initially worked concessions in 2014 before climbing the ladder to an ownership position about a year ago.

Now, she is helping spearhead the growth into other aspects of entertainment for many reasons, including keeping the Garland affordable for all audiences.

“We never want to be a theater that doesn’t have consistent showings, but we need to do other events to diversify our lineup to make sure that we have enough people coming through our doors on a regular basis,” Barnes said. “We’re trying to institute as many supplementary events as possible to maintain a low ticket price for general showings.”

While comedy isn’t exactly “new” at the Garland and the theater has been used for this purpose for a few years, it has become a much more consistent part of the theater’s business.

The first Thursday of every month is dedicated to stand-up comedy in the form of “Funny Funny Funny Joke Joke Joke.” The event is produced and hosted by local comedian Josiah Carlson. It features other local comedians and out-of-towners.

The concert side of this equation, on the other hand, is a very fresh addition. In fact, the theater has only had two live music events so far (with another on the way next month).

One of those shows was Sonic Solstice, a festival-type event put on by 2-2-1 Press that featured several local punk rock bands and musicians. They will also be producing a similar event at the Garland in the form of the Spring Reverb Bash on March 28 and 29.

For Sonic Solstice, a temporary stage (about 16 feet by 8 feet) was used and the first three rows of seats were removed for standing-room purposes. Improvements are looking to be made in the future, including a higher quality stage as well as better lighting and sound systems.

Nonetheless, the event set the tone for the potential the Garland has as a music venue.

“It definitely had the vibe of ‘Oh, this is an actual concert we’re doing here, this is cool,’ ” Barnes said.

The musicians also enjoyed the experience of bringing local punk rock to such an iconic building. The evening’s headliner, Hayes Noble, is one of those examples.

“Being such a historic building, it feels like the perfect place to bring people together to experience live music,” Noble said. “It was super cool to have the opportunity to be a part of something so spectacular.”

Meanwhile, local concertgoers in the crowd found the evening to be a special experience.

“It was a great night for people getting into the scene and people that have been in it,” said Xander Luft, a media content creator and junior at Shadle Park High School. “So awesome to see people come together for music at such a historical landmark of Spokane.”

From being in such a distinctly artistic neighborhood to being an all-ages venue and from the sheer size and seating capabilities of the building, the building has the potential to book nationally touring artists.

“There’s not a venue that can accommodate, or has shown interest in supporting, local all-ages shows drawing larger crowds,” said Brett Noble, the owner of 2-2-1 Press. “The Garland Theater has the potential to be that much-needed space that can host the occasional larger event or touring act that is going to draw more than our regular venues can handle.”

No matter how comedy and music at the Garland grow, one of the primary reasons for bringing new entertainment to the building is to continue to grow existing partnerships, foster new ones and further embrace the community.

“We’re always looking for people that want to bring their events to us,” Barnes said. “We want to make sure that we remain a fixture in the community that always supports artists.”