Julien St-Jean
Fort Coulonge July 17, 2021
Patrons of Café Downtown in Fort Coulonge got to enjoy their meal along with live music on Saturday night.
The restaurant saw performances from locally-raised musician Ashley Bérubé and local band, A Certain Class, who have been playing for over 50 years.
According to owner Remi Bertrand, the café has had live music for the last month and it’s made a big difference in the atmosphere with customers staying longer to watch performances.
“The vibe is totally different,” said co-owner Jessica Nilsson. “People tend to stay longer when there’s music, so it’s better for us.
The café has live music every Saturday and on some Fridays. Bertrand says they’ve brought in a variety of local musicians with a variety of different styles.
“We’re not stuck to one genre,” said Bertrand. “It could be jazz or rock or whatever.”
Bérubé, who is visiting Fort Coulonge for the first time in three years, performed songs she wrote herself or with her band, Happy Failure. She said she was happy to perform while surrounded by familiar faces.
“It’s my first gig coming back from the pandemic,” said Bérubé. “It’s nice to come here with a full house of support. I’ve missed it so much.”
Café Downtown has a list of upcoming performers available on their Facebook page.
