Who: Femke Berkhout (pictured), musician; Lee Brochu, supply teacher and musician; Richard Gibson, musician; Tama, cat; and The Stones, fish (they had to replace their Brian after he “drowned” in the tank’s filter: true story).
How much: $1,500, plus hydro.
What: A two-floor, three-bedroom apartment tucked behind the storefronts on busy Augusta Street in Kensington Market, where three-quarters of the band The Hoa Hoa’s have lived together since last fall. (Hoa, pronounced wah, is Vietnamese for flower — the band named themselves after a benevolent boss Brochu and Gibson once shared.)
The trio converted their living room into a rehearsal space and home-recording studio (they use the spare bedroom upstairs as their “Seinfeld room”) to save money and keep the band focused on producing new work. Berkhout and Brochu love the location — the couple have lived in the neighbourhood for seven years and their last place was just down the street — citing access to bakeries and The Cheese Shop for instant fresh breakfasts and bars like The Embassy and Ronnie’s Local for convenient socializing.
They also have an enviable private patio where the roommates often stay up late drinking beer and playing acoustic guitar with friends during the summer. According to Brochu, keeping the band under one roof works beautifully. “We live together, we hang out together, we party together and we play music together,” he says.
SEE THE HOA HOA’S PLAY WITH THE SAFfRON SECT AND SUNBEAR ON AUG 7 AT SNEAKY DEE’S (431 College). EMAIL LETTERS@EYEWEEKLY.COM.