admin, Author at The Great Hall

Events: The Great Hall Hosts Nike Air Jordan XI (11) “Space Jam” Launch

Posted on January 30, 2017February 3, 2017 by admin

Just in time for the 2016 holiday gift season, The Great Hall hosted the December release party for the latest remastered version of the Nike Air Jordan XI (11) “Space Jam.”

Designed to mark the 20th anniversary of the Space Jam movie opening, this iconic “Monstars Mash” shoe updates the classic originally worn by Michael Jordan in the film, and later on court. Similar to what Jordan originally wore during his 1995 NBA Playoffs return, with its traditional all-black mesh and high cut black patent leather upper, unique new shoe details include a stitched ’45’ on the back heel, and the Concord Jumpman on both the upper back of the shoe and the tongue tab.

Décor for the Nike Space Jam event in The Great Hall’s Main Hall also highlighted elements from the special edition Looney Tunes and Bugs Bunny themed box, with a graphic of Bugs Bunny’s and The Monstar’s arms wrapping around each other to create the number ’23.’ Graphic banners were hung all along Main Hall’s U-shaped balcony to celebrate the movie tie-ins.

Other interactive areas spread out across the 10,00 sq. ft. venue included a lounge section with video array, a basketball hoop, and, of course, a shoe display case. A large scale screen filled the Main Hall stage and colour-themed lighting made full use of The Great Hall’s all-new Adamson and Westbury A/V system.

Outside, more Nike Space Jam graphics wrapped the entire lower floor of this corner-situated heritage building, creating an eye-catching exterior arrival experience for the event and generating plenty of interest from passing Queen St. W traffic.

This Nike corporate event for street style stars, retail partners and Toronto tastemakers was a score from start to finish.
For more event back story, watch DEFY, a 90-second Nike Space Jam video spot, here.

If you’d like to connect with us about booking your own product launch or shoot in one of The Great Hall’s four restored 1889 venues, simply email bookings@thegreathall.ca with your event details and preferred dates.

Press: Red Bull, River Tiber and Charlotte Day Wilson in Concert

Posted on December 6, 2016December 8, 2016 by admin

Red Bull Music recaps the Toronto artists’ sold-out hometown show at The Great Hall, from sound check to conclusion.

“For River Tiber and Charlotte Day Wilson, it was time for something big. Both just came off the road – River Tiber touring overseas, Charlotte Day Wilson stateside with Local Natives – and both were overdue on a hometown headlining show. Riding a similar tide of critical and popular acclaim from their most recent releases, it was time for Toronto’s next-in-line to solidify their mark on the city’s landscape with a statement. For the artists, a co-headlining show was just that statement.

The date: December 3. The location: The Great Hall. The atmosphere: unparalleled.

Click here for an intimate take on the evening through resident photographer Devon Little’s lens. If you’re in Toronto, check out Little’s collaborative show with photographer Keavan Yazdani featuring over 250 photos from the last 12 months in the life of River Tiber and Charlotte Day Wilson. The show runs from December 6 through December 10 at DAIS.” VIEW FULL ALBUM

Press: Lithium Magazine, CRX — The Great Hall Toronto

Posted on November 15, 2016November 16, 2016 by admin

“CRX is the less obvious (but in my opinion, far superior) side project that has spun out of New York five-piece garage rockers The Strokes. Formed by guitarist Nick Valensi, the band features Ralph Alexander of The Dose, Richie Follin of Guards, along with Darian Zahedi and Jon Safley of The Reflections. Unlike the solo albums from Julian Casablancas and Albert Hammond, Jr. (which are decent, but ultimately reside in the nether regions of my basement music horde – unplayed), CRX is a 10 song, 30-minute opus that hits the listener like a bucket of cold water in the face. In the weeks since it’s release, I’ve played it way more than everything by Casablancas and Hammond, Jr. combined.

This evening’s Toronto performance was very much like the recently released CRX debut album, entitled New Skin; It was rife with wonderful uptempo buzz-saw guitar riffs, boasted an excellent array of original songs, ended too soon and ultimately left everyone wanting more. Not a bad way to deliver an album, and not a bad way to end a show, really.

Cast amidst some muted lighting (hardly any front lights and green, blue, red and yellow back flood lighting), The five members of CRX played all but one of the songs on their new album out of sequence, stopping briefly between songs to chat a bit with the audience. Nick commented on the venue, how happy he was to be back in Canada, touched on the US Presidential Election results, and joked a bit about their tour-mates, Streets of Laredo and The Gloomies.

Streets of Laredo (New York by way of New Zealand) and The Gloomies (California) both offered up quality sets this evening. Streets of Laredo, an uptempo folk band, heavy on the percussion, put on a cool 30 minute set of music. The band are on our very own Dine Alone Records, and were quite entertaining to watch and hear. The Gloomies took the stage at 8pm all decked out in white pants and shirts and played a half hour of fresh indie-pop, rife with some cool guitar riffs and a vibe that can only come from the hot southern California locale.

This was an up-close-and-personal evening featuring three cool bands in a lovely venue for not a lot of money! A great evening of music – I’m feeling a post-concert glow today that only comes from a winning evening of live music.” By Mike Bax SET LIST & SHOW PHOTOS

Press: NOW Magazine, Canadian Acts Come Home for the Holidays

Posted on November 8, 2016December 8, 2016 by admin

From NOW Magazine’s round-up of holiday 2016 shows in Toronto…

“Many musicians call Toronto home, but many others leave to pursue their dreams in Los Angeles, London or Berlin. That’s why statutory holidays are a great time for local music fans: everyone comes home for a festive family dinner, and many of them book a gig or two.

This year, Toronto’s music calendar in the lead-up to Christmas is looking especially busy. Jason Collett is bringing his weekly Basement Revue series to the Dakota Tavern (249 Ossington) for a 10th year. To mark the milestone, Collett once again hosts a star-studded special edition of the part-music, part-literary variety show at the Great Hall (1087 Queen West) on December 22.

…Non-holiday local shows happening in December include rising R&B talents River Tiber and Charlotte Day Wilson’s co-headliner at the Great Hall on December 3, Etobicoke indie rockers Rheostatics’ gig at the Horseshoe (370 Queen West) on December 9, and Holy Fuck’s December 17 date at Lee’s Palace…” READ FULL STORY

Press: Live In Limbo, RY X At The Great Hall

Posted on October 29, 2016November 16, 2016 by admin

“Australian singer-songwriter RY X played his first ever show in Canada at The Great Hall in Toronto, on Sunday October 23^rd.

Opening band was Montreal-based band, Ghostly Kisses; this was also their first show in Toronto. Ghost Kisses is an indie-electronica band consisting of three people. Vocalist Margaux Sauvé graced the audience of The Great Hall with her fluid and stunning vocals, with a voice similar to Sarah McLachlan. Not only did she have a beautiful voice, but she is also an excellent violin player. Each band member perpetuated emotion and passion into every song as it was visible in how they played, and the expression on their faces. They closed their set with a more raw cover of “Back To Black” by Amy Winehouse, in which the audience enjoyed and sang along.

After about an approximate half-hour wait, the lights dimmed and The Great Hall was completely pitch black and silent. Light entered the room as the stage door opened, and audience members began to cheer. RY X entered the stage and began the set with playing “Shortline”. Following this song, Ry explained how this was his very first show in Canada and how he felt so welcome coming to Toronto. Furthermore, he spoke about how he loves the energy and culture in the city. In the beginning of the set, audience energy really wasn’t that great which was shocking and unfortunate. However, as the show went on more and more people began to immerse themselves into the set.

What makes RY X such a successful artist is his belief in not utilizing laptops for live performances that have an electronic style to them. He has always had hints of electronics within his music however, more-so with his new album. His band only comprised of 3 people, and they did not utilize any sort of pre-recorded sounds; every aspect of the performance was raw.” READ FULL STORY

Press: Spill Magazine, Joseph Live at The Great Hall

Posted on October 27, 2016November 8, 2016 by admin

Only hours after taping their The Ellen Show appearance and hitting over 5 million listens for a single song on Spotify, Joseph shared the new music that is bringing them growing acclaim, and that singular sister act sound, with a captivated The Great Hall audience including Spill Magazine.

“Joseph brought their signature, intricate harmonies to warm an otherwise chilly October Tuesday evening at Toronto’s newly renovated Great Hall on October 25, 2016. It was their only Canadian stop on their latest tour. The audience, mesmerized, sang along to the rising Portland indie rock trio’s songs from their second album, I’m Alone, No You’re Not (ATO Records). Brian Kesley and Will Tendy backed Joseph sisters Natalie, Meegan and Allie Closner. William Wild from Knoxville, Tennessee was the opening act.

Natalie Closner, the guitarist-singer-songwriter and eldest sister of the talented family trio grounded the powerful band with her energetic, foot-stomping rhythms and edgy vocals. The twins, Meeg (often centre stage) and Allie, along with Natalie filled the venue’s cathedral ceilings with their soaring, ethereal harmonies that have earned Joseph its much-deserved breakout success.

The Great Hall stage recalled a venue in Nashville – the city where Natalie honed her musical craft. The concert’s sequence of songs, including a cover of “Moonlight Mile” by The Rolling Stones, blended seamlessly while building toward the group’s current hit single “White Flag.” Joseph’s encore closed with two members of William Wild joining to sing “Sweet Dreams,” a song dedicated to the sisters’ mother. Near the end of the show, Natalie explained that Toronto was their first and only show without their drummer, who unfortunately got turned away at the border due to Visa issues; his absence was hardly noticed, however, due to the band’s tight musicianship.” READ FULL STORY

Get Spill Magazine’s full interview with Natalie Closner of Joseph here.

Events: Heritage Night at The Great Hall (Video)

Posted on October 21, 2016February 3, 2017 by admin

CELEBRATING HERITAGE & MAKING HISTORY
On September 21, 2016, The Great Hall partnered with Heritage Toronto to officially mark our 1973 City of Toronto historic building designation, with two plaques, and reveal our then almost complete, year-long restoration, with a Heritage Night public open house.

The Great Hall’s two Heritage Toronto plaques commemorate this building’s history since its 1889 beginnings as Toronto’s West End YMCA, and the connection to famed Onondaga long distance runner and WWI veteran Tom Longboat (Cogwagee), who trained here before winning the 1907 Boston Marathon in record-breaking time.

To highlight Tom Longboat’s enduring sport, community and cultural legacy, we also renamed The Great Hall’s large street-level venue, the original YMCA gymnasium, as Longboat Hall, in his honour. This two-storey event space offers its own, dedicated entrance off Dovercourt Rd. at Queen St. West, and showcases the original, hand-built, elevated running track Longboat once ran on, now used as a balcony and crush space. The revitalized Longboat Hall also features original brickwork, iron pillars, large Palladian windows on its west side, and a bar backed with original slate salvaged from the restoration of the building’s peaked Victorian roof.

The Great Hall Heritage Night was a collective effort and true “doors open” initiative designed to celebrate the past and heritage preservation, mark the beginning of a new era in The Great Hall story, and welcome all kinds of events, groups and individuals to continue to make their own history, right here in our four venues. The Great Hall team appreciates all those who contributed to making this milestone possible and everyone came out to mark the occasion with us. We also extend our particular thanks and acknowledgement for this event to:

Heritage Toronto and the Plaques & Markers Program
Toronto Legacy Project
Program founder (and former Toronto Poet Laureate) Dennis Lee
Cindy Martin of the Turtle Clan of the Cayuga Nation
great great grandniece of Tom Longboat, on behalf of the Longboat family
Athlete, speaker and Heritage Night MC Waneek Horn-Miller
Toronto Councillor for Ward 19 Trinity-Spadina Mike Layton
Event sponsors Amsterdam Brewery and Angels Gate Winery
Entertainment Rambunctious band
Attendees Longboat Roadrunners

Press: The Toronto Star, Shawn Mendes Wants to Be…

Posted on October 8, 2016November 8, 2016 by admin

The Toronto Star Shawn Mendes’ interview about his pop-up show return to The Great Hall and his Greater Toronto go-tos.

“It still smells like cedar at the newly remodeled concert venue The Great Hall as a giddy crowd of nearly 500 kids — ranging from college-aged cheering squads to actual children accompanied by parents — await Shawn Mendes.

The 18-year-old Pickering native turned international guitar-pop sensation will perform a 45-minute showcase for a mix of social-media stars, contest winners and diehards who lined up outside the venue — some overnight.

When he takes the stage in jeans and a T-shirt, he’s greeted by screams and smartphone salutes. The hashtag #IlluminateToronto will soon become the No. 1 trending topic on Twitter across Canada.

The crowd at the Queen West venue, last Saturday, knows songs from the new album Illuminate by heart, even though it was released only eight days earlier, becoming Mendes’s second to debut at No. 1 on both the Canadian SoundScan and Billboard Top 200 Albums charts.

There’s a more muted response, however, to musical improvisations, such as the band’s mini-jam during new song “Ruin.” While a Mendes show is a tightly choreographed affair, down to the timing of when he shouts “Sing!” this looser style of musicianship seems to be his long-term ambition.

In an interview in his dressing room that afternoon, Mendes says he long promised friends he’d break into a guitar solo on tour, ultimately riffing off script during a show in Vancouver. He’s named John Mayer as a musical hero throughout the promotional campaign for Illuminate, specifically Mayer’s 2006 album Continuum that features “Waiting on the World to Change” and came out when Mendes was 8.” READ FULL STORY

First rehearsal space

“The Great Hall, where he returned for the #IlluminateToronto showcase. “I remember standing on this stage for the first time meeting my band and figuring out where I wanted to go in terms of live performance.”’

Press: Billboard, Shawn Mendes at Toronto’s Great Hall

Posted on October 2, 2016November 16, 2016 by admin

Shawn Mendes Treats Hometown to Intimate Show at Toronto’s Great Hall
On October 1, 2016, The Great Hall was again honoured to host Toronto signer-songwriter, Vine sensation and rising global star Shawn Mendes.

The eighteen-year-old returned for an intimate fan event in our Main Hall, before he heads on his first headlining world tour. His new sophomore album, Illuminate, has already rocketed to his second No. 1 Album on the Billboard 200.

As Shawn Mendes put it himself when explaining about his connection to The Great Hall as a venue:
“Me and my band rehearsed here for the first time ever back before the MMVAS [MuchMusic Video Awards] and I performed ‘Stitches’ for the first time,” he told the crowd of 500 lucky contest winners, whose female quotient screamed at pretty much any opportunity. “So it’s cool to be back here. I remember standing on this stage for the first time meeting my band and figuring out where I wanted to go in terms of live performance. It’s really nice to have it all sorted right now.”

And a bit more from Shawn Mendes Billboard latest concert review, by Canadian correspondent Karen Bliss:
“Over 125 years old, the historic venue, with its built-in stage and horseshoe balcony, was mostly filled with kids and their parents. While waiting for Mendes to begin promptly at 7 p.m., a little boy skipped around a column and a girl braided another’s hair. Teenage girls were anchored in front of the stage, with screams starting as soon as Mendes appeared with his acoustic guitar for ‘Something Big’ off his 2015 chart-topping debut album, Handwritten.” READ FULL STORY

More Shawn showing love for The Great Hall >
Toronto Sun: Fans show love for Mendes
The Globe and Mail: Shawn Mendes on his favourite places in Toronto

Press: The Globe & Mail, The last of the Victorians

Posted on September 16, 2016February 7, 2018 by admin

“Great Hall renovation shows Toronto is finally learning to appreciate its past
One developer is overseeing the painstaking renovation of the West End’s Great Hall,
one of the city’s last gems from the 1800s”

We’re pleased to start sharing media coverage of The Great Hall’s 2016 renovation and restoration with this feature in The Globe and Mail, Canada’s national newspaper.

“…In his small way, Mr. Metlitski is trying to preserve a part of what is left. As the owner of Triangle Development, he is overseeing a painstaking, top-to-bottom renovation of one of Toronto’s last Victorian gems: the Great Hall at Dovercourt Road and Queen Street West.

Opened in 1890 as the first West End YMCA, the building has a colourful history in several chapters — first as the Y before the organization opened a new building up the road at College Street and Dovercourt in 1912; then as home of the Royal Templars of Temperance, a group that fought the scourge of alcohol abuse; then headquarters of the Polish National Union, when it published a Polish newspaper and took in Polish refugees of the Second World War; and finally, in the last couple of decades, as a community arts centre and performance space where musicians from Feist to Metric to Daniel Lanois came to play.

Distance runner Tom Longboat trained there before winning the Boston Marathon in 1907. Mayoral candidates Sam McBride and Bert Wemp debated there in 1929. At a gathering of psychics on Boxing Day, 1920, the audience heard a lecture entitled What and Where is Heaven?” READ FULL STORY

This story also ran in the paper’s print edition, T.O. section, on August 20, 2016.

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