Last Thursday, I was at Hugh's Room Live to see Melanie Doane perform. It was a benefit concert to…read moresupport the Doane Music School, which provides music education programs to Canadian youth through the ukulele. Where should I begin? Let's go with the original Hugh's Room. It used to be at 2261 Dundas Street West. It was founded in 2001 by Richard Carson, in memory of his brother Hugh, a musician who died of cancer. Hugh's Room Live moved to its current location on Broadview Avenue in July 2023. It is where the Broadview Faith Temple Church used to be. It makes sense that a music venue would take over a defunct church. The acoustics are fabulous! It is kind of weird returning to this venue. I used to stand in front of this church, be it talking to my mom or chatting with friends before we parted ways. I spent a lot of time in this neighbourhood, especially on Saturdays taking Cantonese classes a few blocks away. The concert was at 8 pm. I drove down to the Riverdale area and parked on Broadview. It's free parking after 6 pm on weekdays. Otherwise, it's Green P paid parking. This concert was general admission. Considering that most Melanie Doane fans would be my age or older, I didn't see this show being standing room only. I was right and relieved. There were seats, but you nabbed them when you arrived. The day before, I travelled home through Chicago. I walked for twenty minutes at Chicago O'hare airport to get to my gate. At Pearson, I walked for ten minutes from the plane to customs. My legs did not want to stand for this show! It is an older church, so there are stairs. It wasn't built for accessibility, but there aren't a ton of steps. If you use a cane or walker, you'd be fine here. Otherwise, it's not the venue if you have complex mobility issues. A woman at the front table said hi. I reciprocated and showed my ticket's QR code on my phone. She scanned it and let me know that I could sit anywhere that wasn't reserved. I asked where the washrooms were. They were downstairs. I used the women's before and after the show. There were three stalls. The washroom was quaint and clean. No complaints. I sat on the main floor. I tried a pew initially. It felt like church. There was no back support, so I moved up to a chair with some decent back support. Perfect! The front rows were reserved. There was seating on either side of the walls. You could also go up to the second floor for more seating. I love Melanie Doane and her music. My first experience was taking in my first Jann Arden concert at the National Art Centre in Ottawa in the late 90's. Opening for her was Melanie. I was floored by her singing and her playing multiple instruments, such as the mandolin, ukelele, and violin. I loved seeing her at shows when I lived in Winnipeg and when I moved back to the greater Toronto area. She doesn't perform often these days. She made giving the gift of ukelele playing to youth her commitment. I was pleased that she held a benefit for her music school. My first instrument was the ukelele in grade 3, so I get it. I went on to play until I was in grade 6. Melanie put on a terrific show. I last saw her a decade ago at, yep, the original Hugh's Room. Insane, right? I had a wonderful time here. Good memories came flooding back. She brought some special guests. Her children, Rosie and Theo, joined her on a song. The former is a singer and the latter is a drummer. They are products of the school and they frankly are blessed growing up with two musical parents. Kathryn Rose and Emilie Claire Barlow joined Melanie to sing a couple of songs. I loved that they covered Depeche Mode's Personal Jesus. They offer the best harmonies with edginess. It was nice seeing Gill Deacon there. I used to listen to her on a CBC music podcast years ago. She helped get the word out on donating to the school. Madeleine, a student of Doane Music School, sang and displayed her uke skills. She was sweet and talented. This venue does not have any food for purchase. It does have beverages, including alcoholic ones. Debit and credit cards are accepted. I liked coming to this former church for a fine evening of Melanie Doane music with her friends and family. I'd return again to take in another concert. It's the perfect venue with the best acoustics. (382)

This is an institution that holds the history of folk, blues, country and soul. I was blown away by…read morethe EPIC Samantha Windover and the indomitable Tandy Joy playing here tonight. It's a simple and comfortable venue--an old church--feels like you're in your friend's living room. It's a chance to meet the singers and song writers and other music aficionados. What a fantastic evening! Thank you.

Spectacular atmosphere, friendly and warm servers, superlative drinks, and the company of great…read moremusic. I wouldn't go there in a night in with people who are going to be chatty. Walk in, order something relaxing or fun, and enjoy. Possibly my favorite place in Toronto.

I could genuinely rave about Reservoir Lounge forever. It's such a unique spot, and I don't think…read moreI've been anywhere else in Toronto quite like it. The underground setting, live swing music, and overall atmosphere make it feel like you've stepped into a different era. We ordered the charcuterie board, grabbed some drinks, and ended up having one of the most memorable nights I've had in a long time. Danny B and his band were incredible. They had so much energy, and by the end of the night the entire bar was singing along with them. It just felt like the kind of place where everyone was there to have a good time, and it made the whole experience even more special. If you're looking for something different from the usual bars in Toronto, I can't recommend Reservoir Lounge enough. It's a place I know I'll keep coming back to, and it's a night I won't forget.

A classic Punk / Rock n Roll Bar in Toronto CA. Basically the CBGB's of that scene…read more It's been around since the early 1990's and is exactly what a spot like this should be. Very nondescript outside facade - no sign telling you what it is other than a small "BSC" (for Bovine Sex Club) painted near the door. Hard to miss though as the exterior is made up a punk rock style sculpture of rusted bikes & other assorted ephemera. The interior is similar, visually. Great sound system & chill vibes pervade throughout. Weirdly the stage is right in the entrance of the club, on your left, with a long bar along the right side, heading back. Great, crowd, great location in cool area with lots of restaurants & plenty of parking - both on the street up to 2 hours & extended parking for a flat-rate of CA$20 (~$14 USD) from 6:00pm until the next morning, just 2 blacks away.

The Bovine is a fantastic place that is the same today as it was decades ago. not only that, but it…read moreis also one of the cheapest pints that you can find. Now, are the taps dry? Maybe. Are the beer cans running out? It's possible. But, it's a dive in the way of the old dives. And the acoustics for bands are... not great. But they are a sign of what once was. Without attempting to try to present a front of a time long gone, The Bovine simply exists today as it once did in that time long ago, before Smokes stickers, before iPhones, back when people would just go to a bar to talk with those they didn't know the morning prior. Bring cash though, unless you're looking to make some big orders, because credit card is a minimum fifty-dollar spend.

Nice small venue for a concert. The washroom downstairs is a…read morelittle chaotic when you send everyone down for a quick break. It was hard to go up and down the stairs as it was narrow, so had to wait for people to pass first. Water was $7 in a can... which is a lot.

This is a really interesting venue to go to. It's small, it still looks like the vaudeville theater…read moreit started life as. And, it's really loud because of the layout. It also seems like the type of place that is floor only. But, the real trick for anybody over the age of 30, is to rush in immediately and go to the second floor. Grab a table and stand and watch from up there. The view is better, the sound is better, and you're not fighting with everyone around you. If you're one of the first 16 or 20 people, you can even get a seat. But try to keep that secret quiet, so there's a seat for me next time I go!

Such a fun bar! Drinks are cheap…read more The music is great. The staff is friendly. I had a blassssst being here and will definitely come back

This place rulessss. Great bartender (Zack) and the ambience is perfect for a Saturday afternoon…read more Highly recommend!

this is a great Queen W staple.. in 90's I remember it more…read morefor House music, appears more folk during the day incredible interior, great acoustics CASH only kinda old at this point... not to many carrying cash anymore

Top live music joint in the TO. There is live music in the front and sometimes a cover charge for…read morethe band in the back. Friendly service , affordable dranks and always fun music.

Was there Friday August 7th came to see Black Paint in concert had such an amazing time the venue…read moreis quite small but totally worth it it's more intimate and can get to meet people the wait staff were really nice greeting was very warm and friendly especially the one guy with tattoos very handsome I'm very happy with my experience it was busy which means it's a great place would highly recommend

Very fun place in the middle of Queen St. We stopped in for late lunch after learning about the…read moreRivoli in the movie "Nirvanna, the band, the show, the movie". We were greeted very warmly by the wait staff and seated at one of the indoor tables. We each got delicious burgers and split an order of Wookie Balls. Everything was perfectly done right down to the lightly grilled brioche bun. The pool room upstairs is really cool too. Lots of history in the place but still feels clean and cared for. Everyone was so nice that we encountered. Can't wait for our next visit.

I first went to this venue when it was Sound Academy 16 years ago! Then it was a concert venue -…read morenow it's been transformed into one of Torontos best clubs (and concert venues). It's pretty massive - although parties can fill up the space anyways. The show is always wild, and the ceiling has a massive retractable fixture. It has a VIP second floor, and a smaller second room that will play different music. Bathrooms are fine. Could be bigger for the size of the venue, usually there's a big line. The only downside really is that it can be hard to get to due to the narrow roads that serve the docks. Often there's a line of up cars and I usually walk or bike. However, being outside of the downtown, they can go big with sound, so it's worth it.

Saw the venue kick out a person with cerebral palsy in a wheelchair. Mainly because an attractive…read morewoman was upset that she was not ahead of the person. Do not patron this venue and most definitely contact its management about such violations.

Excellent watering hole on the East side with a fantastic blues jam on Friday nights.read more

Got here the bartender no greeting, no hello, no thank you and no welcome. I asked her for the…read moredrink menu, she asked me to go have a look at the tap beer name other side of the bar. She asked me to pay right away without a please!! Miserable woman. Even she didn't give me the receipt! When I asked she seems embarrassed saying "ehhhhhhh!!! Then she gave another customer's receipt And guess what? The bar is empty!!! How the owner can put this creature behind the bar and trusted her!!!! At the end she turned me her back without asking if I want another drink!!! She served 2 peoples the 2nd one just came in and still didn't ask if I wanted another drink!! See the sequence of the pictures. I have to leave BORING BAR BY THE WAY!

Came here for the jazz night around 6pm on a Saturday to celebrate a friends bday…read more The performance started about 15 min late. Note there's a coverage charge for this jazz section to be $15. I believe the next performance is about $25 around 7:30ish. This spot is pretty vibey and would work well as a date spot. Note: the views we got as a group of 8 is not that great Music was good as well and I noticed several servers went up to sing(not sure if singing is a hiring requirement but they're pretty good). We ordered tequila shots and some cocktails. I noticed the cocktails were pretty strong! They def did not skimp out on their liquor.

I really hate to offer up a negative review based on such a short visit, but I feel like I have no…read morechoice (and also that I need to warn people about the vibe and policies at Jazz Bistro). We arrived on time for our reservation and were reminded about the $20 per person cover charge, which was fine by me since it goes directly to the musicians. We were shown to a table that was very close to the stage, which was cool, but the way the table was placed meant that my back was to the stage, which meant I had to keep craning my neck to get a decent view. It was uncomfortable, to say the least. Add to that the extremely loud music and a lack of proper air conditioning and I was just suffering in my seat. But I was trying to be a trooper about it, so I ordered a Manhattan. The drink was pretty decent, but I was just so hot and so uncomfortable that finally I threw up my arms and requested the cheque. Our waiter was very apologetic but we were charged the full cover, which meant that with the drink and tip the bill came out to $77. $77 for a 26 minute experience is a little ludicrous. I can't say I'll ever return. One thing I'll say is that there's a reason jazz clubs usually have round tables. It's so unpleasant to have the band at your back, and I'm shocked that's the layout they're going with.