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The best live music in Toronto

Toronto musicians

The best live music in Toronto

It's the big city that never sleeps, meaning  you can see live music any night of the week in Toronto -- and most days, too. Of course, Canada's largest urban center has massive stadiums playing the global headliners. But where is it really happening? The tiny and mid-size halls, clubs, and bars of Toronto's distinctive neighborhoods.

 

By all means, check out the bigger venues. For example, The Danforth Music HallExternal Link Title is worth a visit as one of the city's oldest spots with high-quality sound and lighting, and great sightlines no matter where you stand. But to commune with fans who love what you love, hit these top places -- some gritty, some glam, but all authentic. Here's your guide to hearing the best in Toronto -- just pick your genre.

Indie and the next big thing

Catch high quality acts -- folk, roots rock, country -- over pints at two-room The Cameron HouseExternal Link Title. An ultra-cool converted vintage hotel with murals painted on the ceiling in trendy Queen West, this place is also a record label. The intimate setting makes performances especially impactful. Nearby is the classic Horseshoe TavernExternal Link Title or "The Shoe," an always-crowded bar where legendary is no exaggeration -- an "it" spot since 1947. Yep, the Rolling Stones played here, and so did Willie Nelson and The Ramones. In a warehouse-like club space smaller than a stadium, The Phoenix Concert TheatreExternal Link Title's huge space accommodates rowdy dance parties and some of the world's best performers, making it another top venue.

Jazz, blues, and soul

Jazz? It has to be The RexExternal Link Title. Club, restaurant, and downtown hotel, this long-running, family-owned 70s-era dive in Queen Street West is your destination for nightly jazz. There are as many as 20 acts a week. Grab a burgerExternal Link Title before or after the show, too. Another fine option is The Reservoir LoungeExternal Link Title, a basement club with sophisticated cocktails, tapas, big bands, swing, and blues on the menu. Also check out the softly-lit, New York-style Hugh's Room LiveExternal Link Title near Roncesvalles for blues, roots, and jazz over dinner. Finally, Massey HallExternal Link Title, an iconic space has been around forever and still feels intimate despite being a bigger venue.

DJs, techno, hip hop, and electronica

Drake UndergroundExternal Link Title is it for hip hop and electric, some indie, and anything-goes dancing to a throbbing beat. Set in the chic Queen West hotelExternal Link Title of the same name, this local institution is a whole other world entirely. Techno rules at sprawling nightclub CODAExternal Link Title near the University of Toronto, host to all-night dance parties. Go to get lost in the music. Psychedelic electric is the theme at Mod Club TheatreExternal Link Title. Here you can also find alt rock and dancing, all in a big brick building near Little Italy kitted out with oversized screens and amazing lighting.

Rock, metal, alt country, country, and punk

One of the most popular places to see bands that are in between obscure and huge is the popular, historic 1909 Opera HouseExternal Link Title, a former vaudeville theater turned concert hall in Riverdale. At university student-run The Annex, Lee's PalaceExternal Link Title is a grungy, no-frills converted cinema on Bloor Street West. Rock, punk, indie, metal, and alt rockers are all on stage at this iconic spot where Nirvana once played. Wild West-style basement saloon Dakota TavernExternal Link Title in Queen West is the place for country -- go for the music and boot-stomping dancing. Locals rave about the weekend Bluegrass BrunchExternal Link Title, too . For funk, punk, and indie with a garage-type vibe, you want to check out The GarrisonExternal Link Title near Little Italy. Nosh at the taco cantina after the show.

World beats

For local and international hip-swiveling jazz, electric, big band, and world music, head to spicy Lula LoungeExternal Link Title in Brockton Village. It's impossible to be a wallflower in this colorful, softly lit old Portuguese catering hall animated with neon chandeliers and paper lanterns. Lula hosts live salsa bands and serves Latin soul food and tropical cocktails, including signature mojitos. On weekends, there's dinner, followed by salsa lessons and dancing. Friday starts off with jazz and world music, then later on, it's Cuban night. It's open on weeknights, but only if a band is booked, so check the calendarExternal Link Title. Another favorite place for dinner and dancing is CopaCabana Brazilian SteakhouseExternal Link Title, with an uptown Eglinton and downtown Entertainment District location. Mix juicy grilled South American steak with chimichurri and a little samba on the side.

Classical

If Vivaldi and Bach are more your thing, the mainstays are Roy Thompson HallExternal Link Title, The Royal ConservatoryExternal Link Title, and the Richard Bradshaw AmphitheatreExternal Link Title. But consider these insider favorites for something special: 100-year-old chapel Heliconian HallExternal Link Title External Link Titlein Yorkville; industrial-meets-Strauss at Gallery 345External Link Title, a West End warehouse housing a grand piano; and the whimsical Music GardenExternal Link Title, the site of free lakeside public concerts in the summer on Thursdays and Sundays. The garden illustrates the six movements of Bach's Suite No. 1 in G Major for Unaccompanied Cello, created by landscape designer Julie Moir Messervy and world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma. It's hard to imagine a more magical setting.

Festivals and events

Toronto puts on dozens of music festivals throughout the year, so scan this calendarExternal Link Title to match your particular interests and timing. The most popular are April's 10-day Canadian Music WeekExternal Link Title, spotlighting emerging artists, indie performers, as well as June's North by Northeast (NXNE)External Link Title -- both of which include many events at The Phoenix and Cameron House. There's July's Digital DreamsExternal Link Title for electronic aficionados, and the late July OVO FestExternal Link Title,Drake's annual hip-hop fest, and September's indie love-in TURF FestivalExternal Link Title. August's Boots & HeartsExternal Link Title caters to the country crowd. For jazz, the must-see is June-July's TD Toronto Jazz FestivalExternal Link Title, but there's also the eclectic Beaches International Jazz FestivalExternal Link Title, covering anything and everything from hip-hop and African, to big band, reggae, and blues.

More music? The Toronto Tourism website can help.