The Horseshoe Tavern (known as The Horseshoe, The 'Shoe', The 'Toronto Tavern' and The 'Triple T' to Toronto locals) is a concert venue at 370 Queen Street West (northeast corner of Queen at Spadina) in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and has been in operation since 1947. Owned by "JC", Ken Sprackman, Craig Laskey, Naomi Montpetit, and the late Michael "X-Ray" MacRae, the venue is a significant part of Canadian musical lore. [1][2] It is captured in the memories of thousands of concertgoers, and in books such as Have Not Been the Same.[3]
History
The building, erected in 1861, previously housed a blacksmith.[4] Originally an 87-seat saloon, it was advertised in recent decades as a "Country Roots n' Rockabilly Music Tavern". The Horseshoe Tavern welcomed blues and folk artists in the 1960s; reggae, mod, punk and new wave acts in the 1970s and 1980s; and then alternative rock and everything from ska, surf and swing to Celtic music and alternative country from the 1990s onward.
The Horseshoe has supported up and coming Canadian artists through programs such as Dave Bookman's Nu Music Nite, a regular Tuesday showcase.[5] Bookman was a Toronto radio DJ for Indie 88.[6]
The Horseshoe Tavern celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2007 with six shows by Joel Plaskett. Plaskett played his entire catalogue over six consecutive nights, devoting each show to one full album. Special guests appearing at the concerts included Peter Elkas, Sarah Harmer and Gord Downie.
In 2023, several musicians withdrew their performances from the Horseshoe in response to the venue's cancellation of a pro-Palestine fundraiser and contentious emails from co-owner Jeff Cohen.[7]
Two Stompin' Tom Connorsconcert films, This Is Stompin' Tom (1972) and Across This Land with Stompin' Tom (1973) were shot at the Horseshoe,[8] along with his 1971 album Live At The Horseshoe. The Live album includes an original tribute to the venue written by Connors, the "Horseshoe Hotel Song".[9] In 1978, the tavern was the setting for Colin Brunton's punk rock documentary The Last Pogo, featuring 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 was also featured in Brunton's 2013 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 there with a 75-minute show. In 1998, the club's trademark "checkerboard floors" were referenced in the Tragically Hip song "Bobcaygeon". In 2000, it hosted the Humble & Fred "Gift of Christmas" broadcast.
In 2006, a live recording of "Red Flag" by Billy Talent from a performance at the tavern was released on the "Red Flag" CD single. In 2020, Kathleen Edwards referenced the Horseshoe in her song "Glenfern".
^Cross, Alan (March 2007). "History of the Horseshoe Tavern". The Ongoing History of New Music Podcast from FM 96 (London). {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
