After visiting Ottawa and 1000 Islands I headed to the mecca of Canadian-Polish people – Toronto. Last few weeks I’ve spent in slightly smaller and quieter cities like Quebec or Ottawa and now I was impatient to stop over in a big loud and lively city again. I always link big cities with some kind of shameless conduct, frivolity and with its mystic aura. Nevertheless, tons of people do like the constant race and sort of anonymity. It gives them more freedom in terms of expressing themselves in a bolder manner and let them put on theirs masks according to their moods or morality. Curious of the new unknown and with a slight feeling of anxiety I was preparing to embrace a new adventure, hoping that all will be well.
Emerging panorama of the city looked alike to New York’s one, even though I’ve never seen the New York’s one. It just looked so splendid and wonderful. Glass tower blocks touching the sky, thousands of young-beautiful and old-rich people made me realize even more: Yes, I am in Toronto. Somehow once again I came across helpful angels on the road. People giving me a ride to Toronto drove me straight to my next host’s house. I felt blessed. Phone services are so expensive in Canada that I still couldn’t afford it. It would be difficult to find the place with no internet on my phone. The exhaustion along with 14kg on my back wouldn’t have made it any easier to find free wi-fi. I was without a doubt, on the roll.
I remember that the same night we went out together with my host and his girlfriend do pub crawl and we dropped into one of the oldest and coolest venues in Toronto – Bovine Sex Club. It turned out also that during my stay Polish festival – ‘Unsound’ is lined up! I had no idea they make this festival happen also abroad.
Bovine Sex Club- entrance
Back then, I already knew that Canada in its history had much more to offer than I thought before. Spending time on research it turned out that Toronto is in fact rich in historical landmarks that deeply changed the rock’n’roll. Both Yonge and Yorkville streets are packed with music venues and pubs that have shaped Toronto’s music scene in the 60s and 70s. They are all permanently engraved in the minds of former generations that make constant effort no to let those places be forgotten or closed down. Strolling around Yorkville street, at times it smelt like London’s Soho. It seemed like everything stopped. Even though, many of significant venues have been closed and adapted for new investments, the memorial plaques remind us about importance of the venues.
Observant tourist breaking through the crowd on Yorkville, notice the plaque outside the Hazelton Hotel. It’s a sign that a few decades ago, the same walls, were home to the Riverboat Cafe. It’s in here where my beloved Joni Mitchel, young Murray McLauchlan or Gordon Lighfoot played their folk songs for their generation. Not so far from there I’m recognizing it by the building number what used to be The Gasworks. Today gone, while in the past it showed that Punk found home not only in London or New York.
Tha Gasworks- back then
Following endless Yorkville Street I was inexorably waiting for a moment, when from a multitude of neon lights a huge guitar will emerge, which in this case doesn’t only indicate the HQ of Hard Rock Cafe. Barely a few decades ago, when the place was called The Frair’s Tavern a meeting took place, which was later on described by The Time as the most decisive moment in Rock’s history. As you step in you are met by the walls covered with posters, photographs, various souvenirs telling the story of legendary jam session. They tell the story of the first time when Bob Dylan and members of Ronnie Hawkins’ band played together, a session that led them to start The Band. The rest is history.
On my way to Varsity Stadium I pass by El Macambo. Feeling disappointed, I am taking a few pictures only from the outside. Over last decades the venue was constantly closing and reopening. Today you can at most kiss the door and take some selfies with the huge palm in the background as a consolation. This palm is a Macambo’s landmark and was even put on eBay for a while. In 1977 Rolling Stones turned up here unannounced. As a result we have two traces after this gig. First is live album, recorded during the gig. Second is a divorce of Margaret Trudeau with Canadian prime minister Pierre Trudeau. Her presence at the show was slightly shocking for people and ended up with marital failure. I guess she committed more extreme acts than only being there.
After a long walk I reached Varsity Stadium on Bloor Street 299 where in 1969 the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival was held. One of the musicians hosted was John Lennon and it wouldn’t be anything special about it (those days all babies were lulled to The Beatles songs ) if he would play with The Beatles. Thereby for the first time he didn’t perform with The Beatles but with Yoko Ono. Proving himself that he does well without the band, shortly after coming back to England he leaves The Beatles focusing on his career with Yoko. During the performance they recorded the live album – Live Peace in Toronto 1969. It’s good to know that during the show, John Lennon was supported on guitar by dear Eric Clapton.
El Macambo
Varsity Stadium
This post was suppose to take about 1,5 page and I still have so much to tell.
I am delighted with Toronto’s history. I thought I will feel more satisfied after visiting Vancouver which is so close to the city of the big 4* – Seattle. How wrong was I! In contrast to Calgary, Toronto doesn’t have yet its Music Museum so all the facts and information about the venues to visit and look for I had to look up myself. Fortunately, the number of memorial plaques is still increasing and if you’re determined enough you’ll find them all. I made plans to write more articles about Toronto but it’s time to head to Winnipeg. Good things happened there…
*The big 4 Seattle Grunge Bands (Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam