Local Music Showcase
Where: Gossip Corner Cafe, 5680 198 St.
When: Jan. 20 at 7 p.m.
Admission: Free, all ages are welcome
Roster: Nigel Briggs, Star Attraction, Dear Father, Atlas to Earth
Anthony Teeuwen is not entirely sure how his family came into possession of the Gossip Corner sign, but what he does know is this: It is somewhere between 70 and 80 years old, it marked the corner where residents would get their mail on Gabriola Island, a small Gulf Island off of Nanaimo, and it now serves as the namesake and main art piece inside a small cafe, nestled between a tire shop and an auto-wrecker in Langley City.
“About 100 years ago there was an old trading post on Gabriola Island. It was like a post office, it was the only store on the island. And it was called Gossip Corner, because that’s where everyone would go, and they would gossip and get their mail and do their little shopping,” Teeuwen explained.
“There was that sign and that’s the original sign that stood on the tree in front. So I ended up getting the sign through my family, because my family is one of the originals on the island.”
That sign also seemed like a perfect fit for the former Production Cafe & Grill on 198 Street and 56 Avenue, which Teeuwen’s fiancée, Gloria Iuliano, took over in 2016.
And so, for the past year, the Gossip Corner sign has welcomed guests inside the new Gossip Corner Cafe — and it has lived up to its name.
“The older guys here, they gossip just as much as the girls, honestly. They’re here for an hour and a half over a coffee just talking,” Iuliano said with a laugh.
The cafe is run entirely by Iuliano — a former chef at executive hotels including the Fairmont Lake Louise in Banff, Alta. and Fairmont Pacific Rim and Sylvia Hotel in Vancouver — and one server. Together, they look after their regular breakfast and lunch diners Monday to Friday from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Specializing in gourmet rolls, loaded burgers, pies and a to-die-for hedgehog cake, Iuliano hopes that eventually her little spot will be known as a “hidden gem” in Langley.
“I did work at a cafe similar to this style, Anna-Marie’s cafe on Enterprise Way and 192 Street. I was there for about three years and I really liked the atmosphere of that cafe. Really family oriented, you really get to know your customers. Everyone becomes family, so I decided that’s what I wanted to do.”
With that goal in mind, next Friday evening (Jan. 20) Iuliano and Teeuwen are starting a local music showcase where bands can come and play, and audiences can enjoy beer, wine and a special menu prepared by Iuliano.
Spearheaded by their friend, musician Nigel Briggs, the trio hope to host local performers on a monthly basis.
“They were saying that they are only open during the week, so I was thinking that we could do this on a Friday night and expand the hours and sort of turn it into Gossip Corner Cabaret,” Briggs explained.
“From a musician perspective, I like the idea of supporting local musicians and getting some local talent some exposure. I think it’s a good idea, a lot of artists — especially younger artists just getting started — they don’t know where to play or how to book shows. They don’t get opportunities.”
Joining Briggs that evening will be Star Attraction, a hard rock metal band who will do their own twist on an acoustic duo; Dear Father, an indie-folk soloist; and Atlas to Earth, an experimental indie rock band.
Briggs — who has played drums, bass and guitar on tour with five bands in the last five years, including an indie band in L.A. last year, and a progressive metal band the year before — plans on performing an acoustic set at the showcase.
“My style is pop-rock, John Mayer, Foo Fighters kind of thing,” he said.
“Some of my stuff is a little more on the acoustic, pop-y side. I started to write so many different styles that I had to split it up. I have country songs, which I keep for a separate project and I have hard rock stuff that I keep for other projects.”
Having worked in the music industry for several years, Briggs believes that hosting small, local events can give new bands the opportunity to get their feet wet.
“I’ve played a few shows in Vancouver where they book a bunch of bands and you have to sell tickets, and the bands don’t really make any money.
“So its weird for the bands that are trying to get a start. Then you’ve got to basically pressure your families and friends to buy their tickets. But if you have something like this (Gossip Corner Cafe), that is a good avenue. I think it would just be a good way to get some indie music going.”
On a personal level, Briggs is also excited to begin playing as a solo artist again.
“Now that I’ve got more experience under my belt I’m trying to pass it on. As competitive as the music business is, we still have to support each other. I’m trying to approach it from that perspective,” he said.
“And then it’s also good for me — because I’ve been doing other band projects — it’s good for me to dust off my solo material. It’s a totally different experience to just sit in front of a group of people with an acoustic guitar and play, as opposed to playing with a band at some big show in Hollywood. It’s a totally different vibe and I haven’t done it for a long time.”
