Toronto Tourism Magazine 2009 - (Page 22) Club City Republik Resident DJs Sin and Glew, along with Lil Pete turn Saturday nights into a stylish dance party (no hats, runners or sports gear). 261 Richmond St. W., www.republiknightclub.com The Guvernment hosts famed Toronto DJs Wristpect, Spex and Ill Kidz every Friday and goes live to air on Guv Radio 103.5 every Saturday night. 132 Queen’s Quay E., www.theguvernment.com Lee’s Palace and The Dance Cave (a floor above) feature both live alternative rock bands and alternative dance music. The legendary club has played host to some of Toronto’s finest, and its graffitied exterior is a landmark. 529 Bloor St. W., www.leespalace.com Catering to a more mature clientele (you must be 21 years of age or older to get in), Vaughan’s Berlin nightclub, situated just north of Toronto, features luxurious décor and seating areas. Ladies get in free on “Martini Fridays.” 70 Interchange Way, Vaughan, www.berlinnightclub.com The road to a world that now knows Canada less for Celine Dion, Bryan Adams and Shania Twain, and more for Arcade Fire, Feist, Neko Case and Broken Social Scene, is complex. But for a quick primer: Vancouver’s punk scene of the late 1970s and ’80s; Toronto’s Queen Street sound of the ’80s; the Halifax lo-fi scene of the early ’90s; and Montreal’s iconoclastic explosion later in that decade are all significant stops on the way to one destination: Canadian music. But as important as the bands who play are the venues that allow them to display their talents, regardless of popularity or personal style. Enter Toronto’s good-luck charm: The Horseshoe. Started in 1947 as a restaurant tavern by one Jack Starr, The Horseshoe is basically our CBGBs, and perhaps that’s no coincidence given their shared original mandates. After all, The Shoe (as it is affectionately called by locals) began its musical life in the 1950s as a venue for country, rockabilly and roots acts, while CBGB stood for Country, Bluegrass & Blues. From Stompin’ Tom Connors to Willie Nelson, Charley Pride to Loretta Lynn, The Horseshoe Tavern’s early days saw it become a halcyon hangout for an entire generation of country greats on the rise. By 1970, Starr’s passion for music and laid-back demeanour made him loved by touring musicians at home and abroad. Of course, those days could have very easily been the end of the line for The Shoe — so many clubs come and go over the years for any number of reasons. Heck, even a brand as iconic as CBGBs called it a day recently (due to money issues). And, while a 60th anniversary is nothing to sniff at, there are active Toronto clubs that are older, if only a little. The storied El Mocambo’s auspicious music debut was in 1946. In fact, over the years, the El Mocambo has been home to legendary sets by The Rolling Stones, Elvis Costello and Stevie Ray Vaughan, and still puts on some great regular shows. As for The Shoe, well it’s in better shape than ever. It’s very telling that the collective 22 | www.SeeTorontoNow.com Toronto histories of Canadian acts as varied as everyman rockers The Tragically Hip, populist country balladeers Blue Rodeo, and stage collapsing collective Arcade Fire all share the same point of origin: The Shoe. Now, no one gets anywhere trying to be everything to everyone (a point not lost on present Horseshoe owners Jeff Cohen and Craig Laskey, who also run the equally important Toronto club Lee’s Palace). There are a lot of other places to play in this city and many of them are great. Newcomers like The Mod Club bring a lightshow and sound quality not really seen before in a local club of its size. And the present Toronto scene would be a very different place were it not for the Sunday Wavelength series. Getting its start at the now defunct Ted’s Wrecking Yard and presently happening at a revived Sneaky Dee’s, this always free, always eclectic evening birthed the buzz on some of the city’s finest acts, including The Constantines, Hidden Cameras, and Broken Social Scene. That these clubs can be seen as being of equal vitality to the careers of both the next Nickelback and the next Metric is no small feat. Year after year, playing these bars is the most basic Toronto rite of passage for any band — local or otherwise. John Crossingham is a Toronto musician and writer. http://www.republiknightclub.com http://www.theguvernment.com http://www.leespalace.com http://www.berlinnightclub.com http://www.seetorontonow.com
Contributors
Welcome
Cityscapes
Toast of the Town
In the Night Garden
Gooooal!
Take a Moment
Faces of Toronto
Red Rocket
Past Perfection
Water Lust
The Artist’s City
Living the Green Dream
York Region and North Toronto
Mississauga Marvels
Vine Country
Discovery Walks
Neighbourhoods of Greater Toronto
Listings
Visitor Resources
2009 Event Calendar
Parting Shot
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