Lee's Palace
Encyclopedia
Lee's Palace is a concert hall located on the south side of Bloor Street
West east of Lippincott Avenue in Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
. The facility consists of a converted motion picture theatre and can accommodate several hundred guests.
Between early 2004 and mid-2005, the venue had gone under renovations to replace the island bar and put it up against the wall to sport more room for guests and the employees. The backstage is still considered DIY
, but now has more of a comfortable atmosphere for bands that are waiting to go on stage. Below on backstage-right is a common area for the band to relax. Above it is an office and sound area. On backstage-left is the area for leaving band equipment. Above it is a sound booth. The stage has also been elevated a couple of feet, prior to the time when it was almost easy enough to just jump on stage. However, there has always been a foam-covered padding that fans could lie up against if they were being pressured from behind by other people.
. Canadian music groups such as Moist, Sloan
, Our Lady Peace
, Barenaked Ladies
, and The Tragically Hip
have played this venue's tiny stage early in their careers. International stars such as The Verve
, Nirvana
, Tortoise
, Blur
, The Smashing Pumpkins
, Oasis
, Red Hot Chili Peppers
and The Magnetic Fields
made their Toronto debut at Lee's Palace.
The capacity of the venue is roughly 600 people in the concert area, and more upstairs in the "Dance Cave", the dance club under the same roof. The Dance Cave caters to the alternative rock crowd, playing retro rock, Mod, '60s, Britpop, and indie rock during the week, and straight alternative on the weekends.
to those 19 years of age or older, although the venue occasionally hosts all-ages shows (usually on weekend afternoons or early evenings) where alcohol is not served.
Bloor Street
Bloor Street is a major east–west residential and commercial thoroughfare in Toronto, in the Canadian province of Ontario. Bloor Street runs from the Prince Edward Viaduct westward into Mississauga, where it ends at Central Parkway. East of the viaduct, Danforth Avenue continues along the same...
West east of Lippincott Avenue in 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...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The facility consists of a converted motion picture theatre and can accommodate several hundred guests.
Founding
The music venue opened as Lee's Palace on 5 September 1985. The headlining band that night was Handsome Ned.History
Opened as the Bloor Theatre by the Allen's Theatre chain. In its pre-venue days, Lee's Palace was a somewhat-popular movie theatre through the 1950s. To identify the building better, one should take a look at the rear external decor/structure of the building and notice that it has a rounding-top shape that had resembled most theatres of its time. In the 1960s and 1970s, it was a restaurant.Between early 2004 and mid-2005, the venue had gone under renovations to replace the island bar and put it up against the wall to sport more room for guests and the employees. The backstage is still considered DIY
Do it yourself
Do it yourself is a term used to describe building, modifying, or repairing of something without the aid of experts or professionals...
, but now has more of a comfortable atmosphere for bands that are waiting to go on stage. Below on backstage-right is a common area for the band to relax. Above it is an office and sound area. On backstage-left is the area for leaving band equipment. Above it is a sound booth. The stage has also been elevated a couple of feet, prior to the time when it was almost easy enough to just jump on stage. However, there has always been a foam-covered padding that fans could lie up against if they were being pressured from behind by other people.
Live music
Lee's Palace is a Toronto hotspot for live music. Known for its intimacy and strong acoustics, it hosts live music nearly every night of the week. The music genre generally played at Lee's Palace is alternative rockAlternative 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...
. Canadian music groups such as Moist, Sloan
Sloan (band)
Sloan is a Toronto-based alternative rock quartet from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Throughout their 20-year tenure Sloan has released 10 LPs , two EPs, a live album, a "best of" collection and no less than thirty singles...
, 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...
, Barenaked Ladies
Barenaked Ladies
Barenaked Ladies is a Canadian alternative rock band. The band is currently composed of Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn, Ed Robertson, and Tyler Stewart. Barenaked Ladies formed in 1988 in Scarborough, Ontario, then a suburban municipality outside the City of Toronto...
, and 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...
have played this venue's tiny stage early in their careers. International stars such as The Verve
The Verve
The Verve were an English rock band formed in 1989 in Wigan by lead vocalist Richard Ashcroft, guitarist Nick McCabe, bassist Simon Jones, and drummer Peter Salisbury. Guitarist and keyboardist Simon Tong later became a member. Beginning with a psychedelic sound indebted to shoegazing and space...
, Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
, Tortoise
Tortoise (band)
Tortoise is an American post-rock band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1990.-Music:Tortoise's almost entirely instrumental music defies easy categorization, and the group gained significant attention from their early career. The members have roots in Chicago's fertile music scene, playing in...
, Blur
Blur (band)
Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing...
, The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988. Formed by Billy Corgan frontman and James Iha , the band has included Jimmy Chamberlin , D'arcy Wretzky , and currently includes Jeff Schroeder Mike Byrne , and Nicole Fiorentino The Smashing...
, Oasis
Oasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
, Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
and The Magnetic Fields
The Magnetic Fields
The Magnetic Fields is the principal creative outlet of singer-songwriter Stephin Merritt...
made their Toronto debut at Lee's Palace.
The capacity of the venue is roughly 600 people in the concert area, and more upstairs in the "Dance Cave", the dance club under the same roof. The Dance Cave caters to the alternative rock crowd, playing retro rock, Mod, '60s, Britpop, and indie rock during the week, and straight alternative on the weekends.
Regulatory agencies
As the venue serves alcohol, attendance at concerts and events at Lee's Palace is generally restricted by the laws of the province of OntarioOntario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
to those 19 years of age or older, although the venue occasionally hosts all-ages shows (usually on weekend afternoons or early evenings) where alcohol is not served.