The "Colonial Tavern" - An iconic Toronto, Canada music venue that booked performances by Muddy Waters, Ella Fitzgerald, Dave Brubeck, BB King, Miles Davis, Bo Diddley, Billie Holiday, Willie Dixon, Dizzy Gillespie, Rush, and many other acclaimed acts. The "Colonial Tavern" (1947-1987) - An iconic Toronto, Canada music venue that booked performances by Muddy Waters, Ella Fitzgerald, Dave Brubeck,
Buddy Rich, John Coltrane, BB King, Miles Davis, Bo Diddley, Charlie Parker, Billie Holiday, Willie Dixon, Dizzy Gillespie, Rush, Thelonius Monk, Art Blakey, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Sarah Vaughan, Oscar Peterson, George Shearing, Jimmy Smith, Big Mama Thornton, Gino Vannelli, T-Bone Walker and many other acclaimed acts. The club transitioned from Jazz to Blues to Rock to Punk over the decades, and was renowned for presenting some of the most acclaimed recording artists' of all times. The Colonial Tavern was owned and managed by brothers-in-law Mike (Myer) G. Lawrence, Goodwin (Goody) and Harvey Lichtenberg. The Colonial Tavern was located at 201-203 Yonge Street, between two historic bank buildings, opposite of the today’s Eaton Centre. In its heyday during the 1950s and 1960s, the tavern was one of the most popular music venues in Toronto. On July 24, 1960, a fire destroyed the building. The new building was more intimate, the tables and chairs grouped closely around the stage, and patrons also enjoyed the shows from a balcony level of the venue. In 1971, the first Yonge Street Mall was created. Because the street was closed to vehicular traffic, sidewalk cafes blossomed. The Colonial’s café being one of the most popular. The Litchenbergs hired twenty extra employees to handle the massive crowds. By the mid-1970s, jazz was declining and the Colonial essentially became a dance club/a discotheque. The Colonial was sold In the late 1970s, at which point the club featured rock bands and exotic waitresses. The Colonial presented recording artists such as; Teenage Head, Rough Trade, Brave Belt, Ocean, Edward Bear and many others. The Colonial continued to do business, but eventually closed permanently in 1987. The real estate investment group known as MOD Developments Inc. purchased the bank buildings and the property where "The Colonial" once stood, sandwiched in between the two banks. MOD created exclusive condominiums on the properties, and have appropriately reinstated the elegant stone memorial plaque that pays tribute to The "Colonial Tavern," and the performers who one graced its stage. “The Colonial.” As it was affectionately known. Undeniably, one of Toronto's most iconic and storied venues of all time.
