Backyard stage brings live music opportunities to Fort Saskatchewan neighborhood

A Fort Saskatchewan family is looking to create a new live music venue in their community – right in their backyard.

Emmet Van Etten was getting ready Saturday for the first live show at a concert stage he built in his backyard, one he's hoping will bring the community together and breathe some life into the city's live music scene.

Van Etten is a professional drummer and he said he wanted to create a space where his neighbors could come and appreciate live music. It's something he said people are needing after the pandemic.

He said the project was inspired by his touring days, when he would play all sorts of smaller venues, including garages and people's homes.

"It's amazing to be welcomed into somebody's house," Van Etten said. "You meet their neighbors and you meet the community, and it's just a wonderful experience and it really touched me every time.

"There was something just sweet about the intimacy of a backyard concert, and I've always loved it."

Setting up his own backyard stage is an opportunity for him to recreate that experience for other musicians, Van Etten said, giving them a safe place to stop and maybe make a little money and meet the community. He added that he's handed his phone number out around the neighborhood so people can call if there are any questions - or complaints.

"I haven’t had any calls, so we’ll see what happens," he said.

The family-friendly stage is called Van Haven. Shows will play 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., to make sure there's time to get the kids to bed afterwards.

"Bedtimes are very important," he said, as he has two children five and under. "We felt that that is a good time for families to come out and still have time to see the band."

Reily Seddon, one of Van Etten's neighbors, said she's excited by the project. She especially appreciates that the shows are timed in a way that won't disrupt her two-year-old son's naptime, she said, and looks forward to connecting with other parents in the neighborhood.

"We all kind of come home, we go to work, we do our thing and put our kids to bed," Seddon said. "You kind of stay at your place and don’t really have the chance to get out and meet people per se, so I’m really looking forward to it, to be able to connect with everybody in the neighbourhood."

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Amanda Anderson