Rockin’ 4 Dollar$ shows the importance of care and community
Lacey Holowaty, Staff Writer
The spunky, all-ages event that graces the BLOX Arts Centre’s stage every week, Rockin’ 4 Dollar$, continues to rack up a sold-out audience with each show. But a growing audience means newcomers who may not be used to the tight-knit alternative subculture that makes up the crowd each week.
Rockin’ 4 Dollar$ history finds its roots in the Maritimes. BJ Downey, founder and host of the event in Calgary, says the event originated by two of his friends in Halifax. Downey moved to Calgary in 2012, and two years later — with permission from his Nova Scotian friends — brought the event to Cowtown.
Each week, anywhere from six to 10 bands have the opportunity to play a 15-minute set in front of a packed and passionate crowd. After each set, bands have the opportunity to hop off the stage and shake hands with the audience in what Downey likes to call a “hockey lineup.”
After all the bands have played their sets, each band has the opportunity to spin a wheel for prizes like free tattoos, skateboards and cash between $200 and $1,000.
While the event has solidified itself as a weekly staple among Calgary’s young alternative community, Downey’s recent appearance on CBC Radio has made way for an even larger audience. For the past five weeks, the event has sold out within 40 minutes of doors opening.
“It absolutely blew up,” Downey says.
According to Downey, the recent uptick in attendance has caused the event to raise ticket prices from $5 to $8 — its first price increase in seven years — in order to increase event security.
The all-ages nature of the event is one that Downey has fought to maintain. Downey grew up in a small town in New Brunswick and was very involved in the flourishing punk rock scene of the ‘90s and 2000s. He says the scene focused heavily on respect and taking care of community members, which allowed it to thrive.
He compares how there aren’t as many all-ages spaces like the one Rockin’ 4 Dollar$ provides as there were in his time, especially in a city as large as Calgary.
“It’s kind of weird that there’s less spots now, compared to when I was in a small town on the East Coast,” he says.
Rory Overwater, drummer of the local punk band Toxic Fem, has participated in Rockin’ 4 Dollar$ as a performer and audience member many times. Toxic Fem played their first Rockin’ 4 Dollar$ show back in 2024, when the event was being held at Modern Love.
The event moved to the BLOX shortly after, and Overwater says the environment is a great outlet for young adults to safely express themselves.
“Not just physical aggression, but that energy that often comes out in aggression and other ways is then channelled towards jumping up and down, head banging, chanting, moshing,” they say.
Overwater is very passionate about the alternative community, especially when it comes to Calgary’s youth. In particular, Rockin’ 4 Dollar$ has become a safe space for alternative and queer youth to gain experience as members of their audience and community.
They say that, aside from the sensationalised image of the spike-wearing punk rocker, the alternative community consists of people who want better for themselves and the world around them.
“I think alternative culture can be for anyone who has something to say against the status quo,” they say. “We need to really emphasise that alternative culture and shows, and getting loud and rowdy is not synonymous with going off the rails.”
According to Overwater, there are pros and cons to the event’s growing popularity.
“We have that mutually acknowledged code of conduct where everyone understands to take care of each other. This is a safe space, but some people are coming in without that prior culture.”
On the other hand, Overwater says that exposing the alternative community to those with more mainstream interests can be a good thing, but it has to be done with care. They say it should be encouraged, especially among young people, as exposure to different ideologies can allow young people to decide which values they align with.
Overwater is currently in their second year of study in Mount Royal University’s anthropology program. Through classroom discussions and projects in a women’s and gender studies class, they’ve been able to gain a deeper appreciation for alternative and queer youth spaces.
“I think, if we want less inequity and injustice, and we want more acceptance in this world, then we should let these spaces grow,” Overwater says.
Through their own research and anecdotal experience, they’ve found that kids really like unstructured spaces where they don’t feel overwhelmed by parental guidance and expectations. They say that Rockin’ 4 Dollar$ provides a perfect environment for youth to mess around and make mistakes, since the community is great at picking people up and having each other’s backs.
“Are you someone who likes to stand in the front and headbang, or someone who likes to sit outside on the steps and hear the music from outside the venue?”
They’ve decided to look into the BLOX Arts Centre as a model for queer and alternative youth spaces, and are taking a look at what is working well and what could be improved upon either in the future or by the creation of a new, youth-focused arts space.
“I want to be able to take that to a city council meeting or something and say, ‘hey, we have initiatives for investing in youth and LGBTQ initiatives. This is an intersection of all of those things, and here’s why it’s important,’” they say.
However, they’ve found difficulty in gathering research-based data on the impact of these spaces on LGBTQ+ and alternative youth, and how it can positively impact factors including mental health, crime, suicide and addiction rates, as well as overall community engagement.
“I honestly see these kids putting back into their communities what they get out of it by going out and enjoying these spaces,” they say. “I really want to highlight why it’s such a positive thing.”
