From: Greg Clow <ecurrent@zooid.guild.org>
Subject: Alternative Guide to Toronto (part 1 - long)
Reply-To: ecurrent@zooid.UUCP (Greg Clow)
Organization: The Zoo of Ids
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 17:39:12 GMT

(NOTE: this sucker is *long*, I know.  But, *please* read at the least the
first couple of paragraphs.  Thanks!)
 
 
Like many of you, I find myself frustrated by the number of posts on various
Usenet newsgroups (particularily rec.music.industrial and alt.gothic) that
say "I'm going to be in (insert city here) on (insert dates here).  Can
anyone tell me what to do/where to go/etc.".  And I must admit that I'm
being a bit hypocritical here, since I posted just such a message a while
ago in regards to a trip I recently took to Montreal.  So I thought to
myself: why not set up, on some FTP site somewhere, a directory of
"alternative guides" to various cities?  That way, rather than pestering
fellow 'netters for information, travellers could turn to these "guides" for
information they may want to know about their destination - things like
where to shop, clubs to visit, and so on.
 
Now, there are a couple of broad assumptions that I am making here.  The
first is: I'm assuming that there is enough general interest amongst Usenet
users (mainly readers of the newsgroups to which this is posted) to make a
project like this worthwhile.  And the second is: I'm assuming that there is
a person, or group of people, in each city that would be willing to put such
a guide together for thier respective areas.  Obviously, by initiating this,
I'm showing that *I'm* willing to take resposibility for maintaining the
Toronto version of the guide.  (There is one little problem... if these
guides end up on an FTP site somewhere, I'll have to find someone to post
the Toronto stuff for me, since I don't have easy FTP access... but that's
something I can figure out).
 
So, at the very least, I hope the following will help any of you that are
planning to visit Toronto in the near future.  And I hope that this will
initiate a long-lived and useful series of guides to the "alternative" sides
of cities throughout the world.
 
If you have ANY ideas, commentary, critcism, or whatever, PLEASE let me know
through email.
 
Oh yeah... please excuse any soelling mistakes, as well.  :-)
 
============================================================================
 
THE ALTERNATIVE GUIDE TO TORONTO  (v1 - August, 1992)
--------------------------------
Copyright (c) 1992, Greg Clow  - ecurrent@zooid.guild.org,
                                 sizone!ecurrent@ee.ryerson.ca
 
Permission is hereby given to use and redistribute this document in any
way, shape or form.  If distributing the entire document, this copyright
notice must be preserved.  However, permission is granted to use and
distribute portions of this document without credit.  Note also that
this permission is based on the assumption that this document (or parts
therof) shall not be altered in any way, shape or form prior to
distribution.
 
 
INTRODUCTION
 
Right off the bat, I want to divert any arguments that may be set forth
regarding the dreaded "A" word that appears in the title of this guide.
Yes, I know, "one man's alternative is another man's mainstream" and all
that crap.  I know as much as the next person just how broad a term
"alternative" is, and how many different styles and genres it encompasses
(particularily when discussing it in terms of music).  So, I'm not going to
bother trying to define "what alternative means to me".  I can only hope
that most people reading this have enough of a grasp on what the term
"alternative" *can* encompass, and are flexible enough to accept things that
I may present to them as being "alternative", even if these things  don't
fall into thier OWN definition of the word.
 
That being said, I've tried to keep my opinions out of this guide as much as
possible.  My intention is to present an unbiased guide to the various
alternative aspects of Toronto, *not* a guide to all the places that Greg
Clow likes to go!  I hope I have accomplished this.  :-)
 
 
This guide has a couple of sections:
 
GENERAL INFORMATION:  A general overview of Toronto's alternative "scene",
and some tips on getting around the city.
 
NIGHTLIFE: a list of clubs (both dance clubs and live venues) and
bars/"hang-outs" that specialize in alternative music, or that have
alternative nights of note.
 
RECORD STORES: pretty obvious what this section is about.
 
 
(NOTE: If there is enough interest expressed in this project, I'd like to
add other sections, such as Book/Comix Stores, Clothing Stores, etc.  We'll
see.)
 
 
I hope that this guide helps make your visit to Toronto easier and more
rewarding, and helps you find the kind of places that you want to visit.  If
you have any comments, questions, or criticisms, please don't hesitate to
email me at one of the addresses given above.
 
 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
GENERAL INFORMATION
 
The city of Toronto has a healthy and thriving alternative scene in many
areas.  Musically, Toronto has bands that fall into nearly every
alternative catagory under the sun - industrial (D.H.I., Digital Poodle,
Crawl/Child, Sucking Chest Wound), gothic (Death Among Friends, Parade),
grunge (hHead, Rocktopus), grindcore (Dogpile), ska (Hopping Penguins,
Skaface) and various combinations thereof (Malhavoc, Love Bomber) - and
this is barely scratching the surface.  There is also a thriving fashion
scene, from the street vendors hawking their homemade t-shirts to the more
established alternative fashion designers offering their wares in shops
and boutiques.  And although it's been better in the past, there is still a
moderately good selection of clubs that either specialize in alternative
music, or have alternative "theme" nights that are worth checking out.
 
A few tips for "getting around" in Toronto: the first thing that the
alternative visitor to Toronto should do is hunt down copies of NOW Magazine
and Eye Weekly, Toronto's two alternative weekly newspapers.  Both are free
(although NOW is also sold at some newsstands and from street boxes), and
both are available at pretty much every place listed in this guide.  NOW is
the older of the two, and is also much more left-wing/"P.C." in it's news
coverage.  Eye, meanwhile, is the "new kid on the block", having been
around for less than a year, and it is much more irreverant and takes itself
much less seriously.  Both offer good coverage of the club scene in Toronto
for the following week (both are published on Thursday), with NOW coming out
a little ahead in some respects.  Anyway, both are indespensible.
 
As for actually physically going places within the city: either (A) walk
(over half of the places listed here are within walking distance of each
other) or (B) take the T.T.C. (Toronto Transit Commission).  Nearly every
major street in Toronto is serviced by a surface vehicle (either bus or
streetcar), and there are three subway lines: the Bloor line (which runs
east-west), the Yonge line (north-south) and the University/Spadina line
(north-south).  The latter two lines meet to form a "U" at the bottom of the
city.  Your best bet is to pick up a "TTC Ride Guide" transit map at any
subway station.  It's also recommended that, if you plan to use the transit
more than once, you should buy several tickets or tokens at once, since a
single fare is $2.00, while groups of tickets/tokens cost less per unit
(NOTE: this price, like all others used anywhere in this guide, is in
Canadian dollars).  Also, be wary of the fact that the subway shuts down
around 1:45 AM, so if you're out any later, you might find yourself on one
of the all-night buses (also known as the "Vomit Comets"! :-) ).  I've given
TTC directions for all the places in the guide.
 
If you really must drive, good luck!  Driving in downtown Toronto is not
much fun... once you find a parking spot, LEAVE YOUR CAR THERE and
walk/transit for the day.  Like I said, most of the places you'll be going
are pretty close to each other, so you'll most likely be within walking
distance of your car most of the time.
 
The "alternative heart" of Toronto is Queen Street West from University
Avenue to well past Bathurst.  Bathurst was traditionally the western
border of "cool" Queen, but as the University to Spadina strip has
started to become more "trendy", the more underground spots have started
sprawling west.  Anyway, most of the places listed in this guide are
either on this strip or within walking distance of it.  And most of the
places which *aren't* tend to be on the other "hip strip", Bloor between
Spadina and Bathurst.
 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
NIGHTLIFE
 
As I mentioned above, Toronto's alternative nightlife has seen better days.
However, there are still a few good spots around that are worth checking
out.  Unless otherwise indicated, all of the clubs require you to be
legal drinking age (19) for entry.
 
 
Dance Clubs:
-----------
Alternative dance clubs in Toronto fall into two basic catagories: those that
are exclusively alternative, and those that are alternative "theme" nights at
mainstream clubs.  I've indicated which catagory each club falls into within
the descriptions.  Although they must legally stop serving alcohol at 1:00 AM,
many dance clubs will stay open for quite some time after the bar has
closed, which is something to keep in mind if you intend to catch the last
subway.  Remember that it's always a good idea to CALL AHEAD, especially
if you're travelling in from the suburbs specially to go to a particular
club, since clubs in this city have a tendancy to disappear almost
overnight.  (This is especially prevelant amongst "alternative nights"
at the mainstream clubs.)  Most of the clubs have a cover charge, but it is
usually reasonable (i.e. 5 bucks is generally the upper limit).  This
cover can be bypassed if you can track down passes for the clubs you
want to visit... check the various stores listed later in the guide, and
the pages of NOW and Eye for these passes.  Beer and shots range in price
from $3.50 to $4.50, with fancy drinks causing a bit more pocketbook damage...
so if you're out to get drunk, you might want to have a couple at home
before hitting the town!  Tipping the bartender isn't manditory, but
recommended... if you don't, you might find yourself getting more
attitude/lousy service for the rest of the evening.
 
 
THE ABYSS
178 Bathurst Street  (Bathurst & Queen, under The Paddock)
Ph#:  531-6362
TTC:  Take streetcar SOUTH from Bathurst Station to Queen   OR
      Take streetcar WEST from Queen Station or Osgoode Station to Bathurst
OPEN: Wednesday to Saturday - Always alternative
 
A dark, dingy little place with the music staying pretty much in the gothic/
industrial veins.  The front room has the DJ booth, dance floor, a bar
and tables, and the usual "music too loud to talk over" atmosphere.  A dark
hallway leads to the back room (also called the Vampire Lounge), which has a
pool table, bar, a TV showing appropriate video ("The Hunger", etc.), and
a much lower level of music.
 
 
BOOM BOOM ROOM  (aka Hotel Heartbreak)
650 1/2 Queen Street West  (Queen just west of Bathurst)
Ph#:  368-6468
TTC:  Take streetcar WEST from Queen Station or Osgoode Station to one stop
      past Bathurst, walk about a block west from there.
OPEN: Wednesday to Sunday - NOT always alternative
 
Boom Boom Room, depending on the night, is either a rock 'n' roll club
or an alternative club.  However, two of the three alternative nights
are also gay/lesbian nights, as detailed below.  The layout of the club
is very nice, with lots of concrete, and a long, narrow dancefloor area
on the lower level framed by the upper-level "catwalk" that runs the
length of the club.  The nights of note:
THURSDAY: "Sucktion" alternative gay night.  I dunno how they're
defining "alternative", since I haven't checked it out.
FRIDAY: Alternative Dyke Nite.  I've walked by the Room on a couple of
friday evenings and have been very impressed by the music I've heard
coming out... very hard edged stuff (industrial and hard beat)... but,
being a male, I obviously haven't actually gone inside.  Maybe I'll work
up the nerve someday!  :-)
SUNDAY: Alternative Asylum.  The emphasis tends to be on mid-80's
alternative stuff, but more obscure than the usual Cure/Smiths/Mode you
might expect.  Stuff like the Chameleons and New Model Army and the
like.  A bit of a gothic edge, but very little industrial.
 
 
DANCE CAVE
529 Bloor Street West  (Bloor just east of Bathurst, above Lee's Palace)
Ph#:  532-7632
TTC:  Walk EAST on Bloor from Bathurst Station
OPEN: Wednesday to Saturday - Always alternative
 
The Cave is one of the longest surviving alternative clubs in Toronto.
The space is very... well, cavernous!  Although it's not large, it's got
a very high, sloping ceiling which creates an oddly barnlike atmosphere.
The walls are painted by local artists such as Fiona Smyth and King
Runt, and the booths surrounding the dancefloor are lit with flourescent
purple lighting... so don't wear white!  The music tends to be a pretty
good mixture of any alternative style imaginable, and the DJ's tend to
be very open to requests.  The crowd is also a mixture, from big-haired
goth waifs to long-haired rockers to short-haired jock-types to
no-haired skinheads!  Not to everyone's tastes, obviously, but it's nice
to break the "goth/industrial" monotony every once in a while.  One nice
thing about the Cave: if you see a band downstairs at Lee's Palace, the
cover charge for Lee's includes admission to the Cave, which stays open
after Lee's closes.  There is also a "Cave only" cover charge available
on Friday and Saturday, and there is no cover on Wednesday and Thursday.
 
 
EMPIRE DANCE BAR
488 Yonge Street  (Yonge just north of College)
Ph#:  923-3131
TTC:  Walk NORTH on Yonge from College Station
OPEN: all except Tuesday - NOT always alternative
 
If you intend to check out any night at the Empire, I would *really*
recommend that you call ahead, first of all to see if they're even OPEN, and
second of all to see if the night that I have listed here is really
happening, since they tend to be pretty unpredictable.  They've recently run
into some legal problems regarding a counterfieting ring (really!), so I
don't know how much longer they'll be around.  Anyway, the alternative
goings-on that they promise include the following:
THURSDAY: Mescalito Thursdays.  Heavy on the industrial/techno with little
variety.
FRIDAY: Techno-Manchester.  The name says it all.
SUNDAY: Sex on Sundays.  A pretty varied mix of industrial, gothic, and
mid-80's alternative with a touch of techno and Manchester.  Something for
everyone, I suppose.
 
 
KLUB MAX
52 Peter Street  (Peter south of King)
Ph#:  597-1567
TTC:  Take streetcar WEST from Queen Station, Osgoode Station, or King
      Station, get off at Peter, and walk SOUTH
OPEN: all except Wednesday - NOT always alternative
 
Max is a pretty hot looking club... it's huge, with lots of rooms and
lounges and stairways and catwalks.  But, it's only alternative one night a
week:
MONDAY: Neuro-mix Mondays.  They've only been having this night for a month
or so.  It was originally advertised as "Techno on the main floor,
industrial and alternative on the second floor", which was a perfect
description: it *was* pure techno on the first floor, and the second was
about half industrial and half other alternative stuff.  But, I guess they
noticed that the main floor was bombing, because the new ads say
"Alternative on the main floor, industrial on the second floor".  Whatever.
It's worth checking out... I mean, what else are you going to be doing on a
Monday night, anyway?  :-)
 
 
NIGHT GALLERY
585 Yonge Street  (Yonge just north of Wellesley, above the Gasworks)
Ph#:  967-4666
TTC:  Walk NORTH on Yonge from Wellesley Station
OPEN: Wednesday to Saturday - Always alternative
 
The Gallery is definately the most popular alternative club in the city.
The crowd, the atmosphere, and the music all fit into the gothic/industrial
vein.  Recommended wardrobe: black, black and more black.  The music is loud
and is an excellent mix of industrial, goth, guitar noise, and alternative
"classics".  The walls are covered with gothic-style murals by various local
artists, and the dancefloor is arrayed with chains and dry ice.  Don't let
the fact that it's above a scuzzy rock'n'roll bar turn you off!
 
(continued in next message...)
 



Newsgroups: alt.music.alternative