A brief history of Lee’s Palace

What venue can you think of that holds less than 600 people has hosted the likes of Nirvana, Oasis, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, The Tragically Hip, and so many more? This venue has been featured in movies like "Scott Pilgrim vs The World" and has been the spring board for hundreds of local and international artists. This magical place, is Lee's Palace. If you consider yourself even somewhat 'in the know' with music in Toronto, you're going to have to get familiar with this place. Alternative rock is what Lee's Palace has a name for, but you can find all sorts of genres loading in their gear on a nightly basis. From groups like "Snarky Puppy" to "St. Paul and the Broken Bones", this is not JUST a head banging 90s punk venue. Though, the 90s acts will kick you in the teeth with nostalgia. The front facing artwork is iconic, the bands are big, the music is infamously loud. This is where big names are made, and nights are had that will never be forgotten. If one of your musician buddies gets a chance to open for a big band at Lee's palace then make sure you show up to support them, and be a part of the complex and beautiful fabric of Toronto's music scene. The colourful mural on the outside of Lee's Palace has been a Toronto live music scene landmark for so long that it's hard to picture what the Annex would feel like without it. The current version actually the third incarnation of the famous cartoon imagery, but the overall concept and feel of the alternative rock venue has changed remarkably little since opening September 5, 1985. Toronto folk unit @BirdsBellwoods announce first studio EP, release show at @LeesPalaceTO: http://t.co/jPMmLcSNcq pic.twitter.com/vKx2TakwR9 — Exclaim! (@exclaimdotca) July 17, 2015 Like the Danforth Music Hall, Lee's Palace was originally a movie theatre built by the Allen cinema chain. However, before the Allen's Bloor Theatre was built in 1919, the property was originally a shoemaker shop, a role that its sister club The Horseshoe Tavern also once played before becoming an entertainment venue. Also like the Danforth Music Hall, Allen's Bloor Theatre was also designed by Detroit architecture firm Howard Crane, and was originally much more ornate than what you see today. In 1923, Famous Players bought out the Allen chain, and a few years later in 1928 made the first major renovations to the building by building an orchestra pit. It remained an active movie theatre for decades, eventually closing in 1957. City records suggest that it remained vacant for almost ten years, until entrepreneur Ed Silverberg bought it for $129 000 and then spent another $250 000 to convert it into a cabaret called the Blue Orchid. Inspired by drag shows in NYC, the Blue Orchid functioned as a dinner theatre and featured burlesque shows and plays, with all-male casts performing both female and male roles. He also turned the upper balcony level into a second floor speakeasy, which [...]

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