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.

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!

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.

The Drake Underground is in the basement of the hotel obviously, but does not have the basement-y…read morefeel that I expected going in. The bar as you enter is cramped and covid-claustrophobic if that's a thing, but since the place was absolutely packed with beautiful women, that made it easier to take! It seemed everyone was happy to be out of their cages and shaking it on the d-floor. That night was an amazing showcase of talent! I had so much fun. It was a celebration of a various artists album called Coverama that my friend John Orpheus was a part of and has the first song spot on the album, and as well was the headliner of the evening's show. There was plenty of room to dance, as well there was lots of room on the stage for the performers. The bathrooms were nice, and should be considering the venue's prominence in Toronto, and were not disgusting as is often the case with these kinds of events. Highly reco'd for your party needs.

Underground is such a vibe! Been for a few concerts there, Maeta (2023), Christian Kuria and Bobby…read moreNsenga most recently. Fun vibe with the lights, intimate smaller venue perfect for up and coming artists. You can buy nice cocktails from the rooftop lounge and bring them downstairs. The bartenders in the underground are always super nice. Such a fun venue!

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.

Met some friends here for a catch-up and drinks. I was a bit worried about the reviews about…read moreboisterous burlesque and was concerned about the noise level. But it was a Wednesday evening and Heidi was playing piano. We all arrived at the same time and were greeted immediately by the bartender and Heidi! We shared an enormous plate of delicious nachos. They weren't just slapped together but almost every single chip had a topping. Delicious and addictive. It was a great evening and the decor prompted more conversation. Interesting pictures and a laid back decor with exposed brick walls.

Their happy hour time changes on daily basis depending on the scheduled show on that day. They gave…read morean event every night and some of them have free admission and the other ones require buying tickets. They have live band or DJ nights (check their website). They gave great vibes. Usually the bar is packed and the staff and bartenders are very quick with providing service.

Dropped in for a quick afternoon beer last week and had a good feeling about this place right away…read more It's got a friendly + cozy vibe + small but diverse selection of beer on tap. I think they call places like this "dive bars" in Toronto but they are known simply as "bars" in other parts of the world. They also have a fun newsletter called The Low Bar Bugle which was good reading. It seems to be only issue #1 but I look forward to more. Then we dropped in for a beer early on a Saturday night and the place was hopping. Seems like it is also a music venue. Which we clued in to as we watched the punk rock-n-roll crowd coming and going and listened to the sound blasting from upstairs (accessed via the red door next to the front door). Despite the busy night Low Bar maintained it's charm. Nice to have a great go to bar in the hood. (Low Bar is in the space formerly known as Gaslight.)

Feels auspicious that there's a cool new old dive bar in the neighbourhood. Dropped in once for an…read moreafter-work pint on a weekday. We tried the happy hour special Low Beer draft (big glass, $7), which was apparently something by Great Lakes. It was a quiet time of day with some regulars chatting around the bar and good tunes playing. Came back a second time on a Saturday night when there was a gig upstairs. Place was bustling with people getting a drink in before heading upstairs, then got briefly super busy during a break in the show. Cheerful crowd of punks, rockers and beer drinkers. Happy to see the scrumptious Bellwoods Roman Candle on tap (small pint, $8). Friendly place with groovy old chairs, low light, vintage lamps, random decor and even its own newsletter! There looks to be a patio out back, too. I'll be back!

Dakota Tavern has the look and feel of a hundred year old Toronto bar that has rock n roll coursing…read morethru its veins. A quick google makes it look like it's been around since around 2009. And probably that was the last year they cleaned the floor. People joke about sticky floors but this is the real deal. What The Dakota lacks in finesse and class, it makes up for in raw talent and good sound. There is something about basement bars that just feel right when it comes to live music shows. Sure, you can't see anything with people standing in front and no raised stage, but it sounds great in there. The bathrooms are right beside the bar, which makes sense if you think about Jim Morrison drinking beer in the bathroom saving a lot of time wandering back and forth. I met up with friends here for an early show, which was around 7 pm, yeah that's early! But when you see how few people can actually enjoy a show, the double bill just made sense. Beer was easy to buy at the bar, without any problem getting the barkeep's attention as they can seem to read minds there which is fantastic when loud music is playing. Even though I forgot my earplugs that night, which was a Canadian Tribute to Tom Petty, the sound was not an assault. But it was sold out, so I do not recommend going to a bar like this without earplugs on hand. In fact, most bars like this have earplugs at the bar, so do ask!

Easy to get to, great little spot for live music. Bluegrass brunches on the weekend were a fond…read morepart of my 20s. Nice to see a venue like this stand the test of time!

The St. Royals were the heart and soul of our reception. I can't imagine the night without them,…read moreand can't recommend them enough. We're from out of town, so it was their website that initially won us over; this was clearly an amazing group of performers, and their song selection was precisely what we were hoping for. From there, we got into Skype contact with James, who was immediately charming, obliging, and very practical. Which set another precedent: that this is a group of professionals. There was zero friction in the preparation. Could they travel to Niagara-on-the-Lake? Absolutely. And stay late? Sure. Learn a song? Yes. Accommodate a father-daughter dance, pause their set for a brief ceremony at midnight, play something on loop for a traditional Slovakian wedding dance? No problems. And they had recommendations and advice at every turn. The day of, they showed up early and handled all their prep. They managed to tiptoe in during the speeches, perfectly timed for the first dance. A miscue on our part was handled in stride, and all night they were totally attentive to both us and our guests. It goes without saying that the music was incredible, that everyone was up and dancing, that the vocalist was out of this world and that our man James killed it on trumpet. Having the St. Royals relieved us of so much worry. We had no qualms about relying on them, and our experience bore that out: they were consummate professionals, and amazing performers. Our guests are still raving about the quality of the music. And please, whatever you do: don't forget the brass.

From the owner: Toronto Wedding Bands, String Quartets, Event Live Music, DJs, and Live Entertainment…read more The St. Royals offer exclusive live music and entertainment for weddings, wedding receptions and private events. Our live bands, party bands, wedding bands, string quartets, & DJs are fully customizable and designed to fit your vision for the live music and entertainment at your event. See The St. Royals live wedding bands perform from our high-energy funk, soul, Motown and RnB repertoire at one of our free live showcases before you book. Speak to an Entertainment Consultant to get a customized quote for your event or wedding.

This is probably one of my favorite music venues it's the place to be in Toronto…read moreWalking in the bar area is just really cool and then you go back to where the actual stage is and you just don't expect a whole other room. The stage is super small which really makes the experience better in my opinion. It feels so much more intimate with the band. I've had so many good nights here Like that they have a bunch of sitting areas with tables right behind a standing area in front of the stage. Saw and fell in love with many bands here and many more to see in the future hopefully

If your standard for live music involves walking through a metal detector to enter a sterile,…read moremulti-tiered corporate sports arena - where you sit in a numbered plastic seat, look at a massive digital screen because you are half a mile from the artist, and pay forty dollars for a warm, low-bitrate lager in a branded plastic cup - stay on the Gardiner Expressway. You are a consumer of commercialized culture. You are participating in the systematic flattening of the sonic experience.