The Capital Complex In Fredericton Now Owned By Longtime GM Zachary Atkinson
FREDERICTON – The Capital Complex has a new owner. Zachary Atkinson, the longtime general manager, has bought the venue from Wes Ward, who also owns Graystone Brewing.
“I’ve been so involved with it for so long that it’s a great feeling to be able to continue on with it,” said Atkinson in an interview.
“The nice part about it is my experience before owning it has been really positive…we were allowed to work with the arts and culture scene as much as possible and we really felt like it became our niche and a place for anyone that’s interested in [arts and culture] to call home.”
The Capital Complex has been a staple music venue in Fredericton, with bars offering live music, DJ sets, open mic nights and trivia nights. It consists of the Capital, Wilser’s Room and The Phoenix.
The venue is celebrating its 20th year in business and Atkinson has been its manager for 10 of those years. As Ward’s brewery grew, Atkinson said the change of ownership became a topic of conversation between them.
“I’ve been very hands-on with the Capital for a very long time. It’s something that [Ward] and I have talked about for the last few years,” he said. “I have a family here, I’ve no plans in leaving Fredericton. I have all the ambitions to help make it stronger, make [Fredericton] a livable city, a go-to destination,” he added.
If I didn’t take it over, who knows what would happen if someone else bought it – would there be changes? would they do something else? So to me, it was important to keep the business going.”
There will be no major overhauls at the Capital Complex, but there are plans for some new offerings for customers. Atkinson said the Capital has heard what customers want: earlier showtimes, even more local options and a venue that celebrates diversity.
“It’s really just business as usual, where we’re going to continue to support the arts in the city, where we’re a live music venue first,” he said in an interview with Huddle.
“The response from people since we made the announcement is great. I couldn’t be happier that everyone’s so positive about it.”
Atkinson began his career in the music industry in 2003 as a promoter in the all-ages music scene. He’s also a co-organizer of the midwinter Shivering Songs Festival and makes the programs for Fredericton’s Summer Concert Series. He promotes over 150 shows annually for local, national and international talent in and around New Brunswick.
A director on the board of Music New Brunswick, Atkinson has played various roles on several of boards and committees, including the Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival, East Coast Music Association, and City of Fredericton Cultural Committee.
To celebrate its 20th anniversary and the new ownership, the Capital Complex will host an event January 3 with performances from Sugarbomb, local Fredericton United Comedy Collective stand-ups, and others.