 Toronto's El Mocambo Club at night. The El Mocambo Tavern (462-464, Spadina Ave., Toronto ON M5T 2G8) (aka "The El Mo") is a live music and entertainment venue in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Located on Spadina Avenue, just south of College Street, the bar played an important role in the development of popular music in Toronto since the 1940s. It is perhaps best known for hosting two Rolling Stones shows on March 4 and 5, 1977 that were recorded for release on the band's Love You Live album. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 447 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1920 × 2576 pixel, file size: 348 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) my photo I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU...
Image File history File links Size of this preview: 447 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1920 × 2576 pixel, file size: 348 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) my photo I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU...
Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Official languages English Government - Lieutenant-Governor James K. Bartleman - Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 106 - Senate seats 24 Confederation July 1, 1867 (1st) Area [1] Ranked...
View of Spadina Avenue, looking north from its intersecton with Dundas Street. ...
A typical College street sign in Little Italy, Toronto College Street is a main east-west route in downtown Toronto, Canada. ...
This article is about the rock band. ...
Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ...
Love You Live is a double live album by The Rolling Stones and was released in 1977. ...
History
Originally bought as a nightclub space in 1940, the name and famous sign were erected in 1946. Its Spanish theme, the name means "road house", was originally designed to attract tourists visiting post-War Toronto. It was one of the first nightclubs in the city to obtain a liquor license in the otherwise dry Toronto. Musical acts appeared on separate stages located on the main and second floor of the building. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...
Year 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...
A Liquor license is a permit to sell alcoholic beverages. ...
The business and building were bought by Michael Baird and Tom Kristinbrun who also owned the Jarvis House in 1971. The previous owner, Mr. Schuy, rented the top floor space to any group. The German Club was a regular tenant. The bottom floor provided competition to the Silver Dollar club and Grossmans both clubs located on Spadina a few blocks from the El Mo. These clubs often hosted local bands who would work for drinks; however, the Elmo brought bands like Downchild Blues Band and many others "up the street" and actually paid them a regular fee to perform. The bands would start out downstairs and if the revenue they generated increased, they would graduate on upstairs.[citation needed] Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. ...
Dollar coins have been minted in the United States in both gold and silver versions. ...
During the early 70s, the upstairs featured "retreads" and "has-been" acts mostly with the occasional group on the rise. Most of the time drink sales determined which bands would return. A good example is The Dirt Band, formerly The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. They played the El Mo in the early '70's. The band had modest success under their new name, although what role appearing at the Elmo had in their success only they could say. Some of the staff remember them well. As with so many of the other "original" acts. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is an American country-folk-rock band that has existed in various forms since the original founding in California in 1965. ...
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is an American country-folk-rock band that has existed in various forms since 1966. ...
 The famous El Mocambo sign Located within walking distance of University of Toronto, Ryerson University, and George Brown College the club became a local watering hole for the students living nearby. Throughout the 1970s the club was known as a bastion of the blues and rock and roll during a time better known for disco. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 426 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1291 × 1816 pixel, file size: 1. ...
Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 426 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1291 × 1816 pixel, file size: 1. ...
The University of Toronto (U of T) is a coeducational public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ...
Ryerson University is a public university located in downtown Toronto, Canada. ...
George Brown College (GBC) is a community college with two full campuses, plus a university associate campus, located in Toronto, Ontario. ...
Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of music based on the use of the blue notes and a repetitive pattern that most often follows a twelve-bar structure. ...
Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ...
Disco is a genre of dance-oriented pop music that blends elements of funk and soul music that was first popularized in dance clubs (discothèques) in the mid-1970s. ...
In recent years both floors of the El Mocambo have been renovated and now book a wide range of musical acts, including jazz and hip hop as well as many indie acts and other events. As a consequence, the club's status as an important Toronto musical hotspot has been at least partially restored. Jazz is a musical art form that originated in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States around the start of the 20th century. ...
Hip hop music is a style of music which came into existence in the United States during the mid-1970s, and became a large part of modern pop culture during the 1980s. ...
Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music often used to refer to bands that are on small independent record labels or that arent on labels at all. ...
Major acts Over the years other major music acts appeared at the venue, including such internationally famous jazz performers, including Grover Washington, Jr., and Charles Mingus, and rock acts such as U2, Moxy, The Police, Elvis Costello, The Rolling Stones. Grover Washington, Jr. ...
Charles Mingus (April 22, 1922 – January 5, 1979), also known as Charlie Mingus, was an American jazz bassist, composer, bandleader, and occasional pianist. ...
U2 are a rock band from Dublin, Ireland. ...
Moxy is a Canadian hard rock band, formed in Toronto, Canada in 1974, from previous members of Leigh Ashford — including singer Buzz Shearman, drummer Bill Wade, Terry Juric on bass, and Earl Johnson as lead guitarist. ...
The Police are a three-piece rock band consisting of singer/bassist Sting, guitarist Andy Summers, and drummer Stewart Copeland. ...
Declan Patrick MacManus (born August 25, 1954, in London), better known by his stage name, Elvis Costello, is an English musician, singer, and songwriter of Irish ancestry. ...
“Rolling Stones†redirects here. ...
On March 4, 1977, looking for an unprepossessing venue to record in, The Rolling Stones played the first of two performances at the club, billing themselves anonymously as "The Cockroaches". It was their first live club date in 14 years. Their opening act was local Canadian rockers April Wine. The show was recorded and released as the album Love You Live, which reached #3 in the UK, #5 in the US. is the 63rd day of the year (64th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ...
April Wine is a Canadian rock band formed in 1969. ...
Love You Live is a double live album by The Rolling Stones and was released in 1977. ...
Live recordings Other live recordings made by other bands/performers at the venue include: Starz was a 1970s heavy metal and power pop band from New Jersey, United States. ...
April Wine is a Canadian rock band formed in 1969. ...
Live at the El Mocambo is a 1977 album by the Canadian rock band April Wine. ...
Declan Patrick MacManus (born August 25, 1954, in London), better known by his stage name, Elvis Costello, is an English musician, singer, and songwriter of Irish ancestry. ...
Stephen Stevie Ray Vaughan (October 3, 1954 – August 27, 1990), born in Dallas, Texas, was an American blues guitarist. ...
Zoobombs are a Japanese indie rock band, formed in Tokyo in 1994 by vocalist and guitarist Don Matsuo. ...
Closure and revival By the 1990s the club was often shunned by local indie groups, who perceived the El Mo as an "industry club", where record companies showcased packaged new artists at the expense of local talent. At least among some, it gained a reputation as the place to play once a promising indie band had "sold out". The relatively high price of drinks and cover charges and a fast-changing local music scene drove the mainstay student crowds to other clubs, notably the Beverly Tavern, DMZ, and Larry's Hideaway. Accordingly, throughout the 1990s, the El Mo went through several periods of near-bankruptcy and near-closure.
External links - El Mocambo
- The El Mocambo Tavern and the Toronto music scene
- El Mocambo - Toronto.com listing
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