Molson Canadian Amphitheatre
Encyclopedia
Molson Canadian Amphitheatre (commonly called the Amphitheatre) is a semi-enclosed outdoor concert
venue in Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
. Its address is 909 Lake Shore Boulevard West located on the grounds of Ontario Place
. The venue hosts many diverse acts, including genres like rock
, pop
, and jazz.
The first musician to perform at this music venue was Bryan Adams
on May 18, 1995.
. The original structure consisted of a vinyl
canopy, which was replaced by a copper
canopy roof in 1978. Its unique configuration consisted of a round stage, which slowly rotated before the audience, which completely surrounded it. The venue had a capacity of approximately 16,000 seats, which included 7,000 seats on the lawn, 5,500 seats under a covered roof, and 3,500 seats that were uncovered.
of the popular Forum and the construction of a larger venue on the site. In May 1995, the Molson Canadian Amphitheatre opened with two Bryan Adams
concerts before sold-out audiences. Many critics lamented the passing of an established cultural landmark
from Toronto. However, the Molson Canadian Amphitheatre garnered positive reviews in 1995, winning RPM Magazines "Best New Concert Venue" award.
As of 2004, 3 million patrons have visited the venue.
On August 18, 2007, the American progressive metal
band Dream Theater
recorded several songs for their 3 CD/2 DVD
album Chaos in Motion 2007–2008.
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
venue 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...
. Its address is 909 Lake Shore Boulevard West located on the grounds of Ontario Place
Ontario Place
Ontario Place is a multiple use entertainment and seasonal waterfront park attraction located in Toronto, Ontario, and owned by the Crown in Right of Ontario. It is administered as an agency of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Culture. Located on the shore of Lake Ontario, just south of...
. The venue hosts many diverse acts, including genres like rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, and jazz.
The first musician to perform at this music venue was Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also received 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written...
on May 18, 1995.
Forum
Ontario Place opened in May 1971 with the original Forum as one of first attractions at the amusement parkAmusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
. The original structure consisted of a vinyl
Vinyl
A vinyl compound is any organic compound that contains a vinyl group ,which are derivatives of ethene, CH2=CH2, with one hydrogen atom replaced with some other group...
canopy, which was replaced by a copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
canopy roof in 1978. Its unique configuration consisted of a round stage, which slowly rotated before the audience, which completely surrounded it. The venue had a capacity of approximately 16,000 seats, which included 7,000 seats on the lawn, 5,500 seats under a covered roof, and 3,500 seats that were uncovered.
Amphitheatre
Over the winter of 1994-1995, came the controversial demolitionDemolition
Demolition is the tearing-down of buildings and other structures, the opposite of construction. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking a building apart while carefully preserving valuable elements for re-use....
of the popular Forum and the construction of a larger venue on the site. In May 1995, the Molson Canadian Amphitheatre opened with two Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also received 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written...
concerts before sold-out audiences. Many critics lamented the passing of an established cultural landmark
Landmark
This is a list of landmarks around the world.Landmarks may be split into two categories - natural phenomena and man-made features, like buildings, bridges, statues, public squares and so forth...
from Toronto. However, the Molson Canadian Amphitheatre garnered positive reviews in 1995, winning RPM Magazines "Best New Concert Venue" award.
As of 2004, 3 million patrons have visited the venue.
On August 18, 2007, the American progressive metal
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
band Dream Theater
Dream Theater
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
recorded several songs for their 3 CD/2 DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
album Chaos in Motion 2007–2008.
Specifications
The music venue is open yearly from May to September, due to its outdoor configuration. The amphitheatre has a capacity of approximately 16,000. There are 5,500 reserved seats under the 60-foot high covered roof, 3,500 seats under the open sky, and 7,000 seats on the grass bowl. The floor area (100 level) has an unreserved capacity of 1,000. There are also Club and VIP seats for season ticket-holders. Two large video screens flank the stage, while two video cubes hang from the rear of the covered roof for those sitting on the lawns. The video support system gives everyone in the audience a closeup of the performers on stage.See also
- Ontario Place Forum
- Exhibition PlaceExhibition PlaceExhibition Place is a mixed-use district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, by the shoreline of Lake Ontario, just west of downtown. The 197–acre area includes expo, trade, and banquet centres, theatre and music buildings, monuments, parkland, sports facilities, and a number of civic, provincial,...
- List of contemporary amphitheatres