Local artists seeking a friendly environment to showcase their work need to look no further then Canoga Park’s own Guitar Merchant. In addition to being a store and a venue, Guitar Merchant also serves as a music school where anyone can come and learn to play, and even share the stage with other students in a culminating showcase.
The stores’ owner, Phil St. Germain, knew from the time he opened Guitar Merchant what his ultimate vision was. He pictured a store, school and venue at one central location.
“Ideally, this is a place a person can buy a guitar, learn how to play it and perform in front of an audience all in one,” St. Germain said. The venue is certainly a unique one; it originally was opened as a guitar store over four years ago, and after a successful year of business, it was expanded to create a venue within the store called “The Verity Room.” As of today, “The Verity Room” title has been dropped in favor of just using “Guitar Merchant” to encompass everything.
The front of the store is the retail portion, and it’s decorated with tons of classic rock posters and stocked with enough guitars to satisfy any personal preference of style. The venue is the real attraction; built to seat 80-125 people, it comes complete with house drums, amps and a piano. To fully appreciate the intimacy of the room though, it must be seen in person. It’s the perfect place for up-and-comers to hone their skills and demo new songs in an artist-friendly environment, free of criticism.
Anyone looking to book a show should do so at least three to four weeks in advance, to give ample time to promote your show. Part of the agreement to play is a guarantee that each artist will bring at least 15 people in to see them perform. Any act that brings in more then 15 people will see some sort of profit.
Moorpark student Justin LaTorre, 19, writing and music major, has been performing shows under the moniker “Becoming Avalon” for almost two years, and has yet to have had any problems booking. “I’ve had very positive experiences there,” LaTorre said.”The staff actually cares about their artists and shows and does their best to accommodate everyone’s needs.”
LaTorre encourages young artists to play at Guitar Merchant to help them to get used to performing.”I recommend it as a great place to get started and play some chill shows,” he said. “It’s definitely a great place if you’re playing your first shows.”
The schedule for Guitar Merchant is usually the same each week; Mondays and Tuesdays are usually reserved for lessons and band jams, Wednesdays offer “Open Mic Night,” which allows anyone the chance to play two songs in front of an audience. The rest of the week is available for booking to anyone looking to play.
For anyone looking for an affordable activity (tickets usually cost $8) the Guitar Merchant on Topanga Canyon offers a wide variety of acts to anyone looking for good vibes and creativity.
For more info or to book a show, visit www.guitarmerchant.com or simply call (818) 884-5905.
