HomeMusic & Venues – Past & Present

Music & Venues – Past & Present

June 23, 1971 – Looking east from Elm St towards A & A Books & Records at 351 Yonge St in downtown Toronto

A & A Books, Records & Tapes – A Piece of...

June 23, 1971 – Looking northeast towards the Brown Derby Tavern once at the corner of Yonge St and Dundas St E

Brown Derby Tavern – Hats Off to the Landmark Once at...

December 6, 2019 – Club Matador's iconic sign

Club Matador – Toronto’s Historic Live Music Venue

July 1973 – Looking northeast towards The Colonial Tavern during the Yonge Street Mall (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1118, Series 377, Item 782)

Colonial Tavern – The Historic Venue’s Part in Toronto’s Music Heritage

July 22, 2022 - El Mocambo Tavern Sign at 464 Spadina Ave in the Kensington Market

El Mocambo – Toronto’s Legendary Music Club on Spadina Ave

Mid-1970s - Looking southeast towards the former Friar's Tavern at the corner of Yonge St and Dundas Sq. Nickelodeon also shared the building's second floor. In December 1975, an entertainment listing in the Globe and Mail shows that Dublin Corporation was performing at Friar's, while Mike Lewis was performing in the Drawing Room

Friar’s Tavern – Playing Its Part in Creating the Yonge Street...

May 13, 1977 - Looking west towards the intersection of Dundas St E and Sherbourne St with George's Spaghetti House on the right. Doug Cole, known as the founder of Toronto’s jazz movement, opened the live jazz club in 1956. In 1983, he sold the restaurant, and a year later, the jazz club moved upstairs

George’s Spaghetti House – Canada’s Premier Live Jazz Club

August 1972 - Crowds watching the parade for the Scottish World Festival as it passes by Le Coq d'Or Tavern and the Edison Hotel, on Yonge St just south of Gould St

Le Coq d’Or Tavern – The Heart & Soul of Yonge...

May 23, 2021 - The iconic Masonic Temple/The Concert Hall at the northwest corner of Yonge St and Davenport Rd

Masonic Temple – From a Freemason Gem to a Toronto Music...

December 4, 2021 - The neon Massey Hall sign on the front of Toronto's iconic entertainment venue at Victoria St and Shuter St

Massey Hall – The Historic and Internationally Famous Venue

2021 – The canopy and entrance of Meridian Hall at 1 Front St E in Toronto’s St Lawrence neighbourhood. In the background, notice the Dominion Public Building and the CN Tower

Meridian Hall – Toronto’s Sophisticated Venue, Once the O’Keefe Centre

2019 - The main entrance to The Opera House at 735 Queen St E

Opera House – Preserved its Vaudeville Theatre Architecture Charm

November 20, 2021 - The Palais Royale at 1601 Lake Shore Blvd W, looking southeast

Palais Royale – Toronto’s Historic & Elegant Lakeside Ballroom

June 16, 1980 - Looking southeast toward the construction of Roy Thomson Hall at Simcoe St and King St W in downtown Toronto. The steel-tube framing will support the triangular and diamond-shaped glass that covers the venue

Roy Thomson Hall – Modern Architecture & Rich Acoustics

December 6, 2019 - Sam the Record Man's twin neon spinning record signs are located atop a building at 277 Victoria St, overlooking Yonge-Dundas Square (as of December 14, 2023, known as Sankofa Square)

Sam the Record Man – Once Yonge Street’s Music Store Mecca

June 23, 1971 – The Brown Derby Tavern was once located at 311-313 Yonge St, at the northeast corner of Dundas St E, in the Downtown Yonge area of Toronto. Opened in 1949, the Brown Derby became a popular tavern known for its live jazz, swing entertainment, and a small restaurant. In the centre of the main floor bar, there was a revolving stage. To keep up with changing trends, the tavern later introduced rooms that featured different music genres, including rock 'n' roll, country, jazz, and more. In 1969, The Derby's exterior got a whole new look, adding a bit of fun to the already lively intersection. Above the barnboard siding were large signs showing Ben Turpin, Laurel and Hardy, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, Roscoe Arbuckle (possibly), and Charlie Chaplin, all donning derbies. On April 20, 1974, an all-day wake was held at the Derby on its closing day. The building was torn down in the late 1990s

Taverns in Toronto – More Than Just a Place to Drink

August 27, 2023 – LØLØ & MICO concert at the Bandshell during the Canadian National Exhibition

The Bandshell – Highlighting Musical Talent at the CNE

2020 - One of the two 22-storey Yonge Street music murals by Adrian Hayles, located on the north side of the building at 423 Yonge St

Yonge Street Music History Murals – Part I

2022 - One of the two 22-storey Yonge Street music murals by Adrian Hayles, located on the south side of the building at 423 Yonge St

Yonge Street Music History Murals – Part II

February 10, 2024 – Club Zanzibar at 359 Yonge St is one of Toronto's last surviving adult entertainment clubs. When the venue opened in 1951, it was called the Zanzibar Tavern and was advertised as being "Toronto's Finest Dining Room," serving lunch, dinner and post-theatre snacks with live musical entertainment

Zanzibar Tavern – A Building in the Body Business Since 1895

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