Sneaky Dee's
Encyclopedia
Sneaky Dee's is a bar on the south-east corner of the College
and Bathurst intersection in downtown Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
. Its original location was on Bloor Street
west of Bathurst, but it moved to its present location in 1990.
'Sneaks' is a well-known local venue for alternative culture
and indie rock
, attracting a diverse crowd of writers, artists, serious music fans, and contemporary hipster
s. Sneaky Dee's was home to the long-running Wavelength Music Arts Projects
on Sunday nights, and the popular monthly Trampoline Hall
Lecture Series until October 2009 when both series moved to The Garrison. Many well-known bands have played at the venue, including Kids on TV
, The Dirty Projectors, Feist, The Barcelona Pavilion, and Republic of Safety
. The restaurant was also featured in the graphic novel Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together, the fourth in Bryan Lee O'Malley
's acclaimed Scott Pilgrim
series. The restaurant's menu has a Tex-mex
theme.
It was also a known hangout for anti-fascist and Anti-Racist Action
(ARA) activists in the early 1990s, and was the scene of a brawl between them and rival organization Heritage Front
after the vandalizing of a white supremacist's house in the east end.
College Street (Toronto)
College Street is a principal arterial thoroughfare in downtown Toronto, connecting former streetcar suburbs in the west with the city centre. The street is home to an ethnically diverse population in the western residential reaches, and institutions like the Ontario Legislature and the University...
and Bathurst intersection in downtown 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 original location was on Bloor Street
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 of Bathurst, but it moved to its present location in 1990.
'Sneaks' is a well-known local venue for alternative culture
Alternative culture
Alternative culture is a type of culture that exists outside or on the fringes of mainstream or popular culture, usually under the domain of one or more subcultures...
and indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
, attracting a diverse crowd of writers, artists, serious music fans, and contemporary hipster
Hipster (contemporary subculture)
Hipsters are a subculture of young, recently settled urban middle class adults and older teenagers with musical interests mainly in alternative rock that appeared in the 1990s...
s. Sneaky Dee's was home to the long-running Wavelength Music Arts Projects
Wavelength Music Arts Projects
Wavelength Music Arts Projects is an organization founded in 2000 by Jonny Dovercourt, Duncan MacDonell , and Derek Westerholm. It was founded on the basis that many others would share their enthusiasm for independent music from Toronto, Canada...
on Sunday nights, and the popular monthly Trampoline Hall
Trampoline Hall
Trampoline Hall is a barroom lecture series started by Canadian author Sheila Heti in Toronto. It has been sold out consistently since 2001.- Format :Trampoline Hall is held every month...
Lecture Series until October 2009 when both series moved to The Garrison. Many well-known bands have played at the venue, including Kids on TV
Kids on TV
Kids on TV are a punk-house queercore band based in Toronto.The group consists of John Caffery on bass and vocals, Minus Smile on drums, electronics and vocals, Wolf on guitar and vocals, and Roxy on keyboard and vocals. The band is known for performing outside of the usual venues, such as bars,...
, The Dirty Projectors, Feist, The Barcelona Pavilion, and Republic of Safety
Republic of Safety
Republic of Safety was a Canadian indie rock band formed in 2005 from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Originally consisting of vocalist Maggie MacDonald, guitarist Jonny Dovercourt, bassists Kat Gligorijevic and Kate McGee and drummer Evan Davies...
. The restaurant was also featured in the graphic novel Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together, the fourth in Bryan Lee O'Malley
Bryan Lee O'Malley
Bryan Lee O'Malley is a Canadian cartoonist. He is best known for the Scott Pilgrim series, but is also a musician using the alias Kupek.-Career:...
's acclaimed Scott Pilgrim
Scott Pilgrim
Scott Pilgrim is a graphic novel series by Bryan Lee O'Malley. It consists of six digest size black-and-white volumes, released between August 2004 and July 2010, by Portland-based independent comic book publisher Oni Press. It was later republished by Fourth Estate, an imprint of HarperCollins...
series. The restaurant's menu has a Tex-mex
Tex-Mex cuisine
"Tex-Mex" is a term used to describe a regional American cuisine that blends food products available in the United States and the culinary creations of Mexican-Americans influenced by the cuisines of Mexico. The cuisine has spread from border states such as Texas and those in the Southwestern...
theme.
It was also a known hangout for anti-fascist and Anti-Racist Action
Anti-Racist Action
The Anti-Racist Action Network is a decentralized network of anti-fascist and anti-racists in North America. ARA activists organize actions to disrupt neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups, and help organize activities against fascist and racist ideologies. ARA groups also oppose sexism,...
(ARA) activists in the early 1990s, and was the scene of a brawl between them and rival organization Heritage Front
Heritage Front
The Heritage Front was a Canadian neo-Nazi white supremacist organization founded in 1989 and disbanded around 2005.The Heritage Front maintained a telephone message line with a different editorial each day. The voice on the hotline was Gary Schipper...
after the vandalizing of a white supremacist's house in the east end.