In a year when a number of Toronto live music spaces have announced plans to close their doors, the city's 100-year-old venue the Concert Hall is slated to reopen this summer
Located at 888 Yonge Street inside the city's Masonic Temple, the 1,500-capacity venue will first play host to the Toronto Jazz Festival on June 23 with a performance from Randy Bachman, Walter Trout and special guests. After that, the space will operate as a venue year-round, NOW reports.
Known to have big-band orchestras grace the stage in 1930s and 40s, the heavy-handed influence of rock music brought Led Zeppelin to play their first Toronto show at the Concert Hall in 1969. More recent years saw the venue play host to the likes of Beastie Boys, the Tragically Hip, Rage Against the Machine, Sloan, Smashing Pumpkins and more.
Public concerts stopped being held in the space following Bell Media's purchase of the Masonic Temple in 1998. They then put the building up for sale in 2013, upon which it was acquired by Ontario IT firm Info-Tech Research Group.
Through the first four months of 2017, Toronto live music venues such as the Silver Dollar Room, the Hoxton, Hugh's Room, Soybomb HQ and the Hideout announced closures. A few hours away in Ottawa, long-running nightclub and live music venue Zaphod Beeblebrox also may soon suffer a similar fate, with reports emerging yesterday (May 1) that the club will soon close its doors.
Located at 888 Yonge Street inside the city's Masonic Temple, the 1,500-capacity venue will first play host to the Toronto Jazz Festival on June 23 with a performance from Randy Bachman, Walter Trout and special guests. After that, the space will operate as a venue year-round, NOW reports.
Known to have big-band orchestras grace the stage in 1930s and 40s, the heavy-handed influence of rock music brought Led Zeppelin to play their first Toronto show at the Concert Hall in 1969. More recent years saw the venue play host to the likes of Beastie Boys, the Tragically Hip, Rage Against the Machine, Sloan, Smashing Pumpkins and more.
Public concerts stopped being held in the space following Bell Media's purchase of the Masonic Temple in 1998. They then put the building up for sale in 2013, upon which it was acquired by Ontario IT firm Info-Tech Research Group.
Through the first four months of 2017, Toronto live music venues such as the Silver Dollar Room, the Hoxton, Hugh's Room, Soybomb HQ and the Hideout announced closures. A few hours away in Ottawa, long-running nightclub and live music venue Zaphod Beeblebrox also may soon suffer a similar fate, with reports emerging yesterday (May 1) that the club will soon close its doors.
