Horseshoe Tavern
Encyclopedia
The Horseshoe Tavern is a concert venue located at 370 Queen Street West
(northeast corner of Queen at Spadina) in downtown Toronto
, and has been in operation since 1947. Owned by "JC", Ken Sprackman, Craig Laskey and Naomi Montpetit, the venue is a significant part of Canadian musical lore
. It is captured in the memories of thousands of concertgoers, and in books such as Have Not Been the Same.
and folk
in the 1960s, reggae
, mod rock, and punk
in the 1970s, new wave
and alternative rock
in the 1980s, and everything from ska
, surf, swing
, Celtic
and alternative country
in the 1990s. Influential acts that have played concerts include The Rolling Stones
, The Police
, Etta James
, the Ramones
, and Talking Heads
. Actor Dan Aykroyd
was once part-owner.
The Horseshoe has made an effort to support new Canadian artists through programs like Tuesday's Dave Bookman's Nu Music Nite. Bookman is a Toronto radio DJ for 102.1, The Edge, CFNY. As a result, it has been a springboard for such notable acts as Bryan Adams
, Blue Rodeo
, The Tragically Hip
, The Watchmen
, Big Sugar
, Wide Mouth Mason
, Great Big Sea
, Stompin' Tom Connors
, The Band
, Helix
, Prairie Oyster
, and Our Lady Peace
.
The Horseshoe Tavern celebrated its "60th anniversary" in 2007 with 6 shows in a row by Joel Plaskett
. Plaskett played his entire catalogue during the six days (with each night devoted to one full album). Special guest appearances during the celebrations included: Peter Elkas
, Sarah Harmer
and Gord Downie.
's punk rock documentary The Last Pogo
, featuring bands The Scenics
, The Cardboard Brains, The Secrets, The Mods, The Ugly, The Viletones
, and Teenage Head
. An archival photo montage of the Horseshoe Tavern's history will be featured in Colin Brunton
's up-coming feature film The Last Pogo Jumps Again.
The Horseshoe was featured on Live on MTV in September 1997, when The Rolling Stones
began their Bridges To Babylon Tour
with a thundering 75 minute show.
In 1998, the club was acknowledged in the Tragically Hip song "Bobcaygeon
".
In 2000 it was the home to the Humble & Fred
"Gift of Christmas" broadcast.
In 2006, a recording of Billy Talent
's song "Red Flag
" live from the performance at the Horseshoe Tavern was released on the "Red Flag" CD single.
Queen Street West
Queen Street West describes both the western branch of Queen Street, a major east-west thoroughfare, and a series of neighbourhoods or commercial districts, situated west of Yonge Street in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Queen Street begins in the west at the intersection of King Street, The...
(northeast corner of Queen at Spadina) in downtown Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, and has been in operation since 1947. Owned by "JC", Ken Sprackman, Craig Laskey and Naomi Montpetit, the venue is a significant part of Canadian musical lore
Music of Canada
The music of Canada has influences that have shaped the country. Aboriginals, the British, and the French have all made unique contributions to the musical heritage of Canada. The music has subsequently been heavily influenced by American culture because of its proximity and migration between...
. It is captured in the memories of thousands of concertgoers, and in books such as Have Not Been the Same.
History
The building, built in 1861, previously housed a blacksmith. Originally known as a Country Roots n' Rockabilly Music Tavern, it was an 87-seat saloon. The Horseshoe Tavern welcomed bluesBlues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
and folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
in the 1960s, reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
, mod rock, and punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
in the 1970s, new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
and alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
in the 1980s, and everything from ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
, surf, swing
Swing (genre)
Swing music, also known as swing jazz or simply swing, is a form of jazz music that developed in the early 1930s and became a distinctive style by 1935 in the United States...
, Celtic
Celtic music
Celtic music is a term utilised by artists, record companies, music stores and music magazines to describe a broad grouping of musical genres that evolved out of the folk musical traditions of the Celtic people of Western Europe...
and alternative country
Alternative country
Alternative country is a loosely defined sub-genre of country music, which includes acts that differ significantly in style from mainstream or pop country music...
in the 1990s. Influential acts that have played concerts include The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, The Police
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
, Etta James
Etta James
Etta James is an American blues, soul, rhythm and blues , rock and roll, gospel and jazz singer. In the 1950s and 1960s, she had her biggest success as a blues and R&B singer...
, the Ramones
Ramones
The Ramones were an American rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first punk rock group...
, and Talking Heads
Talking Heads
Talking Heads were an American New Wave and avant-garde band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991. The band comprised David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison...
. Actor Dan Aykroyd
Dan Aykroyd
Daniel Edward "Dan" Aykroyd, CM is a Canadian comedian, actor, screenwriter, musician, winemaker and ufologist. He was an original cast member of Saturday Night Live, an originator of The Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters and has had a long career as a film actor and screenwriter.-Early...
was once part-owner.
The Horseshoe has made an effort to support new Canadian artists through programs like Tuesday's Dave Bookman's Nu Music Nite. Bookman is a Toronto radio DJ for 102.1, The Edge, CFNY. As a result, it has been a springboard for such notable acts as Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also received 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written...
, Blue Rodeo
Blue Rodeo
Blue Rodeo is a Canadian pop and country rock band, which was formed in 1984 in Toronto, Ontario. They have been signed with Warner Music Group since their debut album Outskirts in March 1987...
, The Tragically Hip
The Tragically Hip
The Tragically Hip, often referred to simply as The Hip, is a Canadian rock band from Kingston, Ontario, consisting of Gordon Downie , Paul Langlois , Rob Baker , Gord Sinclair and Johnny Fay . Since their formation in 1983 they have released 12 studio albums, two live albums, and 46 singles...
, The Watchmen
The Watchmen
The Watchmen is a Canadian rock band. They were one of the most commercially successful Canadian alternative rock groups of the mid to late 1990s. During their peak years the band had three gold records and one platinum record...
, Big Sugar
Big Sugar
Big Sugar is a Canadian blues-rock band, they were active from 1991 to 2004 and again since April 2010. The band has sold more than half a million albums in Canada.-History:...
, Wide Mouth Mason
Wide Mouth Mason
Wide Mouth Mason is a Canadian blues-based rock band, consisting of Shaun Verreault , Safwan Javed , and Gordie Johnson . Former bassist Earl Pereira was also co-founder of Wide Mouth Mason...
, Great Big Sea
Great Big Sea
Great Big Sea is a Canadian folk-rock band from Newfoundland and Labrador, best known for performing energetic rock interpretations of traditional Newfoundland folk songs including sea shanties, which draw from the island's 500-year-old Irish, English, and French heritage...
, Stompin' Tom Connors
Stompin' Tom Connors
Charles Thomas "Stompin' Tom" Connors, OC is one of Canada's most prolific and well-known country and folk singers.He lives in Wellington County, Ontario.- Early life :...
, The Band
The Band
The Band was an acclaimed and influential roots rock group. The original group consisted of Rick Danko , Garth Hudson , Richard Manuel , and Robbie Robertson , and Levon Helm...
, Helix
Helix (band)
Helix are a Canadian hard rock/heavy metal band. They formed in 1974, and are best known for their 1984 single "Rock You". The original lineup was formed by drummer Bruce Arnold, and consisted of lead vocalist Brian Vollmer, guitarists Ron Watson and Rick "Minstrel" Trembley, keyboardist Don...
, Prairie Oyster
Prairie Oyster
Prairie Oyster is an award-winning Canadian country music group from Ontario. They were named Country Group or Duo of the year six times by both the Canadian Country Music Association and the Juno Awards. The band also won the Bud Country Fans' Choice Award from the CCMA in 1994...
, and Our Lady Peace
Our Lady Peace
Our Lady Peace is a Canadian alternative rock band that formed in Toronto, Ontario in 1992. Headed by lead vocalist Raine Maida since its formation, the band additionally consists of Jeremy Taggart on percussion, Duncan Coutts on bass, and Steve Mazur as lead guitarist...
.
The Horseshoe Tavern celebrated its "60th anniversary" in 2007 with 6 shows in a row by Joel Plaskett
Joel Plaskett
Joel Plaskett is a Canadian rock musician originally from Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. He grew up in Halifax, Nova Scotia and now resides across the harbour in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia...
. Plaskett played his entire catalogue during the six days (with each night devoted to one full album). Special guest appearances during the celebrations included: Peter Elkas
Peter Elkas
Peter Elkas is a Canadian singer-songwriter, signed to MapleMusic Recordings. He spent twelve years as part of the Montreal band Local Rabbits, with whom he started playing as a teenager...
, Sarah Harmer
Sarah Harmer
Sarah Harmer is a Canadian singer-songwriter and activist.-Biography:Born and raised in Burlington, Ontario, Harmer gained her first exposure to the musician's lifestyle as a teenager, when her older sister Mary started taking her to concerts by the well-known Tragically Hip. At the age of 17, she...
and Gord Downie.
Media appearances
In 1978, it was the setting for the Colin BruntonColin Brunton
Colin Brunton is a Canadian producer and director. After creating the short films The Last Pogo , A Trip Around Lake Ontario and The Mysterious Moon Men of Canada , Genie Award winner for Best Live Action Short), Brunton produced the feature films Roadkill and Highway 61 with director Bruce...
's punk rock documentary The Last Pogo
The Last Pogo
The Last Pogo is a short film made by Colin Brunton in 1978.Shot in Toronto, at the Horseshoe Tavern, The last Pogo concert was billed as "the last punk rock concert" in Toronto -- at least for that original wave of punksters circa 1977/1978...
, featuring bands The Scenics
The Scenics
The Scenics are a band from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, active from 1976 to 1982, and from 2008 to the present. Their style incorporates punk rock, post-punk, and art punk...
, The Cardboard Brains, The Secrets, The Mods, The Ugly, The Viletones
The Viletones
The Viletones were a Canadian punk band from Toronto, led by Steven Leckie, a.k.a. "Nazi Dog" or "Dog" on vocals. Other members from the original line-up were Freddie Pompeii, on guitar/vocals; Chris Paputts, a.k.a. "Chris Hate" on bass guitar/vocals and Mike Anderson, a.k.a. "Motor X" on the...
, and Teenage Head
Teenage Head (band)
Teenage Head is a Canadian rock group from Hamilton, Ontario and was one of the most popular Canadian punk rock bands during the early 1980s....
. An archival photo montage of the Horseshoe Tavern's history will be featured in Colin Brunton
Colin Brunton
Colin Brunton is a Canadian producer and director. After creating the short films The Last Pogo , A Trip Around Lake Ontario and The Mysterious Moon Men of Canada , Genie Award winner for Best Live Action Short), Brunton produced the feature films Roadkill and Highway 61 with director Bruce...
's up-coming feature film The Last Pogo Jumps Again.
The Horseshoe was featured on Live on MTV in September 1997, when The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
began their Bridges To Babylon Tour
Bridges to Babylon Tour
The Bridges to Babylon Tour was a worldwide concert tour by The Rolling Stones in support of their then-latest album Bridges to Babylon, followed by 1999's No Security Tour.-History:...
with a thundering 75 minute show.
In 1998, the club was acknowledged in the Tragically Hip song "Bobcaygeon
Bobcaygeon (song)
"Bobcaygeon" is a single by The Tragically Hip, from their sixth album, Phantom Power. The song is named after a town in Canada called Bobcaygeon, Ontario. The song won the Juno Award for Single of the Year in 2000....
".
In 2000 it was the home to the Humble & Fred
Humble & Fred
The Humble & Fred show was a Toronto-based radio morning drive time show featuring co-hosts "Humble" Howard Glassman and Fred Patterson. It began in 1989 on CFNY-FM before moving to Mojo 640 in April 2001, and finally to Mix 99.9 in August 2003...
"Gift of Christmas" broadcast.
In 2006, a recording of Billy Talent
Billy Talent
Billy Talent is a Canadian post-hardcore band from Streetsville, Ontario. They formed in 1993 with Ben Kowalewicz as the lead vocalist, Ian D'Sa on lead guitar, bassist Jon Gallant and drummer Aaron Solowoniuk ....
's song "Red Flag
Red Flag (song)
"Red Flag" is the second single released from the Canadian rock group Billy Talent's second album, Billy Talent II. The single was released on September 11, 2006 in the United Kingdom....
" live from the performance at the Horseshoe Tavern was released on the "Red Flag" CD single.