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With Allan Day

WHERE DO WE PLAY OUR NEXT GIG, YORKVILLE COFFEEHOUSES IN THE 60'S

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

The Mousehole The Riverboat Steele's Tavern Mousehole Handbill Riverboat Handbill The 5th Peg he Zanzabar Strip Club

When a band starts out, they usually start playing at a house party, some open field parties, playing for beer (not the underage groups) next step is usually a battle of the bands (another gig were a promoter gets all the gate money and the bands nothing) BUT it is one of the first natural highs the group will feel, they are invinceable, they will feel like headliners on a large tour. There is a huge demand for open mike nights at most bars (again, no pay, just play)
 
Now after weeks, or months of playing for FREE, most bands start to get itchy for some cash flow---where does the band have to go to get a real paying gig----well there are a few venues out there,  Legions still hire for weekend dances (but almost always, it will be country & western--- Pizza Patio's are hiring a few bands in the summer and there are still a few blues bars out there. It is still difficult if you don't have a manager to help promote the band.
 
I thought I would touch base on what it was like when "Rock 'n' Roll" was being born and every new group you saw was like a new adventure you were adding in your life, who was the best and a chance to remember that old dance hall or bar---I am  pertaining to the Canadian Rock Scene in Toronto around the mid 60's---there seemed to be a hotbed of coffeehouses in the Yorkville and surrounding area--here is what I have found and if I have made any mistakes, sorry I can't fix them---Hopefully, your memory will drift back to when you were still in school and these coffeehouses were the "in place" to be on the odd weeknight and of course the weekend. I couldn't find them all on the internet, but the ones I do mention, hopefully, will bring back happy memories of hearing the music trend setters of the 60's.
 
The Mouse Hole---Coffeehouse in Yorkville, a popular hangout for students from around the world where Gordon Lightfoot was a regular artist paying his dues.
 
The Riverboat Coffeehouse at 134 Yorkville--it would seat about 100 patrons with bands like Three's a Crowd, the Dirty Shames, Gordon Lightfoot, Bruce Cockburn, Murray McLauchlan and Joni Mitchell---a real hotbed for folk performers. This establishment quickly became the premier showcase in Canada.
 
Steeles Restaurant and Tavern--Gordon Lightfoot debuted "Silver Cloud Talking blues" in the winter of '64-'65.
 
The Purple Onion had Buffy St. Marie in '64 along with The Dirty Shames and later the Paupers and Luke and the Apostles. This Yorkville club was one of the most successful clubs and they also booked John Hammond Jr. when he was starting his successful music career.
 
The 5th Peg 457 Church Street catered to the folk scene along with The Bohemian Embassy, The Nervous Breakdown, Penny Farthing and the Pornographic Onion (a coffeehouse on the Ryerson campus) were great music cafe's to play at in the Toronto music scene.
 
Toronto's The Bluenote on Younge Street, catered to David Clayton Thomas and The Shays and all the touring acts from Detroit would make this hotspot one of their Canadian stops---bands like the Shirelles, Mary Wells and The Mandala---it was the only club were blacks and whites could mingle and dance together on neutral ground.
 
The Hawk's Nest 331 Younge Street had The Mandala, Ronnie Hawkins, The Band, Domenic Troiano and Bo Diddley have crossed the path of this great Bar. There are many a wild stories that could be told of this musical venue over the years.
 
Yorkville's Victorian Coffeehouse Penny Farthing booked Dixieland Jazz and Blues acts and Toronto's Friar's Tavern were popular places for bands to play
 
The Zanzibar Strip Club at 359 Yonge Street where John Till played in 1960 with Max Falcon and the Falcons and later in 1961, he played with David Clayton-Thomas---John was the guitar player with Full Tilt Boogie Band, Janis Joplin's very successful group.
 
Well Toronto's downtown Younge Street and area sure was a Hotbed of a place to get a gig when rock was young and the bands were just starting to make names for themselves. I think it is a lot harder now to break into the music scene. John Kay of The Sparrows (later Steppenwolf) played Rolling Stone and Manfred Mann material at the Devils Den.
 
The El Mocambo is one of Toronto's oldest venues---the historical concert venue has been at the heart of the Toronto music scene for over a 100 years---the EL opened it's doors in 1850 and was orginally used has a haven for escaped slaves--it is one of the first establishments that acquired a liquoir licence---the infamous Rolling Stones gig in 78, Mckenna Mendelson Mainline, had the distinction of being the last band to play before closing it's doors in 2001---------major acts included believe it or not were Marylin Monroe, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix, Moxy, Downchilds Blues Band, The Police and many, many more Great Bands.
 
The Fourth Dimension Coffeehouse in Vancouver was a hip place were Neil Young and The Squires played in 1965---4D Coffeehouse had Joni Mitchel--New York's Peppermint Lounge featured The Hawks and London Ontario's Brass Rail had Levon Helm and the Hawks---Toronto's Friar's Tavern and The Le Coq D'Or---Vancouver also had clubs with names like The Grooveyard and Oil Can Harry's that groups like Three's A Crowd, Painted Ship, The Chessmen and The Nocturnals all played.
 
Grenwich Village with their many coffeehouses would be home for Ian & Sylvia in the early 60's and Tony Mart's was a huge nightclub in Somers Point, NJ that featured Go-Go Girls and many huge acts along with Levon and The Hawks.
 
Well I hope I touched base on some of the past haunts you might have graced in your younger days and it brought back some pleasant memories of you wild weekends spent listening to your favourite groups and getting all the latest gossip of what was happening in Toronto sipping your coffee to the music.
 
this weeks youtubes are of coffeehouse heroes Ian & Sylvia "CC Rider" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqatXF3...bJFk Levon and the Hawks '65 "Georgia on my Mind" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qg-aPp...Qbrec Joni Mitchell '65 "The Circle Game" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XOV34...vsjfg Neil Young "Needle and Damage Done" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gvb65dCMjZI&feat...elated and Gordon Lightfoot "If You Could Read My Mind" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ta0a3DFUU0Y
 
Help Preserve Canadian Music, log onto http://www.mouseholemusic.com/OttawaBan...ds.htm and you will find an amazing selection of Canadian music for sell on cd's and some waiting to be re released
 
Hope you enjoyed this weeks column and see you in 2 weeks---contact me at bluesslider88@yahoo.ca or at cktimes with any comments you would like to make about classic vinyl



Allan Day----long time acquaintance of John Gardiner----I presently live in Goderich Ontario, retired (oh yeah) and live for the sound of music, especially from the 60's music explosion---I hope you enjoy some of my articles and they bring back some lost memories of bands gone by. Now I have to let you know that I am a HUGE Rolling Stones fan, collector, historian and I hope to hear any stories you might have on this GREAT Band from the 60's----email me at CK Times and let me know what you have or memories you have of this group. I will include stories and short stories on The Stones each week.