Music lovers lament the loss of legendary decades-old Toronto concert venue
It's been a dark weekend for alternative music lovers in Toronto, to say the least, as they've had to mourn the loss of yet another small concert venue in the city — The Velvet Underground.
Managers of the live music hot spot, located right at the intersection of Queen Street West and Portland Street, took to its social media pages on Friday to announce its upcoming closure. The post revealed that the venue would be returned to the property owner for a "new chapter," and would officially close its doors at the end of its lease in October.
Originally established in 1995, Velvet has hosted endless goth nights as well as rock, punk and metal concerts, with performances from local, emerging and established talents such as Alanis Morissette, Rich Aucoin, the Free Nationals and Xiu Xiu.
The space was renovated and reopened in February 2016, and continued to serve as a staple for the alternative music scene.
"While we're closing this door, we're grateful for the countless nights filled with music and amazing energy that brought this space to life," the closure post reads. "To the fans, artists, staff, and community — thank you. You made this place more than a venue. You made it a home for memories we'll never forget."
As expected, music lovers took to the comments section to express their heartbreak, with many sharing fond memories of the times they spent at the famous address.
"PROTECT THE VENUES. FIGHT FOR OUR MUSIC SCENE AT THE CORE LEVEL. There's support for large shows and venues, but what about the actual people from the city who play the city daily? Where's the support for that?" one person wrote, in part.
"I saw my first concert in 2018 there, one of my best memories was a concert there in 2019. This venue is what made me love concerts and I cannot believe we are losing such an important place. I'm heartbroken," another fan said.
"This is actually so sad… I love Velvet Underground and have seen so many amazing shows there and met a lot of cool people," one of the top comments reads.
There are still plenty of opportunities to enjoy the music venue before it's gone, though. Shows scheduled throughout October include Tee Grizzley, Jack Van Cleaf, and YAKTAK. The final event currently scheduled on the venue's website features electronic duo, Bassvictim, on Oct. 27.
The Velvet Underground is just the latest live music venue that's been forced to close or experienced financial difficulties over the past few years, joining the likes of the Silver Dollar, the Phoenix Concert Theatre and the Dakota Tavern.
Visit it one last time in the coming weeks at 508 Queen St. W.
The Velvet Underground
