🔒Q&A: Cannery Music Hall in Southbridge rocks on

For seven years, The Cannery Music Hall in Southbridge sat dormant until husband-and-wife team Josh and Julie Fitzgerald saw its potential as a welcoming space that could attract music acts from across the region. While searching for a new location for Julie’s dance studio, Fitzgerald Performing Arts, the couple envisioned something bigger: a venue where music, entertainment, and community could come together. The Cannery’s grand opening and first performance on Oct. 3 marked an exciting new chapter in the venue’s storied history.

Why revive Cannery Music Hall?

My wife has a dance studio, and we were looking for a new location. Somebody reached out to us about how they were thinking about reopening the Cannery. We thought that sounded like a fun idea, because we were interested in hosting plays somewhere but could not find the right spot. We reached out to the Cannery, looked at the space, and both of us said that this is exactly what we want to do. We saw what this place could be. So many ideas came to us, and we want to give back to the community as well. We want to do music, comedy shows, plays, things like that.

What type of performances will you host?

Most of it will be tribute bands such as Kiss or Elton John. We have the LoVe SeXy band, which is a tribute to Prince. Just a lot of great tribute rock bands from New England and New York. We are planning on having a comedy show in a few months, and we're going to have one jazz night a month. My wife’s dance studio is on the upper floor, and her Broadway Jazz troupe called Sparkling Diamonds has their opener on Oct. 4. She will use the Cannery for her performances, recitals, and plays that she does.

What makes the Cannery different from other live music venues?

The acoustics. They spared no expense for the acoustics that we have. The sound quality is just top notch. The hall was actually designed by someone who worked with the band Boston. It really is incredible.

There's a lot of places around here that are bars with a stage, but the acoustics aren't the same. The acoustics here are perfect. It was designed to be a true music hall.

Why is accessible live music important for the community?

People in the community are already excited and have been reaching out to us. It is something to do. My wife and I are big about going out and seeing bands, but we kept running into the problem of having nothing near us. We would either have to go to Worcester or Springfield. I know a 45-minute drive isn't bad, but wouldn't it be nice to be able to go 15 minutes down the street, see a great tribute band, and have some food and good drinks? So, we have made the Cannery local and very accessible.

How are you going to attract people to the Cannery?

By trying to have music that people like and focusing on variety. From rock to jazz and reggae, we have so many bands lined up that we're looking forward to. We are even looking at attracting off Broadway plays. Get out of the house, enjoy yourselves and relax. It's got a really great vibe where it's not just some big open hall with a stage. It's an intimate setting. We have a bar inside the Cannery, and we will serve food from the Dark Horse Tavern.

What are the biggest obstacles you have faced so far?

There haven’t been any big obstacles yet. The biggest obstacle will be: Are the people coming? We are interested in seeing how much support we receive from the community.

What is in store for the future?

One day I would love to draw in big names like Bret Michaels from Poison, or Geoff Tate, the singer of Queensrÿche. We are dedicated to supporting local artists and helping them on their journey. Our goal for the Cannery is honestly to be the go-to place for music in New England. This interview was conducted and edited for length and clarity by WBJ Correspondent Sloane M. Perron.