Features
Joel Plaskett
Shoe Business
BY Jill Langlois December 05, 2007 16:12
Horseshoe Tavern, 370 Queen W. Mon, Dec 10-Sat, Dec 15. $15.50-$20 from Ticketmaster, Rotate This, Soundscapes, Horseshoe Front Bar. See www.horseshoetavern.com for set times and programming info.
The Horseshoe Tavern has officially moved into its senior years, yet it barely shows its age. Known in its early days as the unofficial Canadian home of country music, lately the ’Shoe has helped jump-start the careers of not-so-country acts such as Billy Talent. It’s had its ups and downs (for the latter: see its early ’80s vacancy and temporary transformation into a store called Stagger Lee’s), but Jack Starr’s original restaurant-tavern has managed to come out on top, and stay there.
“To some bands it’s a gig, to others it’s a culture,” says Horseshoe co-owner Jeff Cohen. “It’s not like seeing a concert where everyone is trying to sell you something. It’s almost like seeing a band in your living room.”
And like entering a comfy living room after a hard day’s work, nobody wants to leave. Case in point: bartender Teddy Fury, who has been working at the club for almost 21 years and who played it with his former band The Bopcats and current band The Royal Crowns many times.
“People always ask, ‘Is this place yours?’ and I always say, ‘No, I just act like it is,’” says Fury. “When you’re on the road, getting here is like an oasis. You get that feeling like you’re at home.”
That sense of community that Fury is referring to (or that “gooey feeling,” as Cohen likes to call it) is what has made musicians want to come back to play show after show. They know that they’ll be treated well — not having to pay for parking and being given beer tickets without having to beg for them is always a plus — and they know that they’re going to a place run by people who are genuine music fans themselves.
“I remember when Jeff would come down to see Thrush Hermit when we played there, because I know he really liked the band. I think he took a lot of pride in helping us foster our career on the Toronto level,” says long-time Horseshoe friend Joel Plaskett. “Anyone you talk to [about the Horseshoe’s longevity] would point toward the organization behind the place and their love of music. And not just Jeff and [co-owner/talent buyer] Craig [Laskey], but the whole staff.”
With six shows starting this week — each one featuring one of his albums in its entirety — as the peg of the ’Shoe’s month-long anniversary celebration, Plaskett is intimately familiar with the bar’s familial charm.
“I can’t think of another venue in Canada that has the same feeling as it does. For me, it’s always a destination, whether I’m playing there or not,” says Plaskett. “It’s the kind of place that makes you feel comfortable, and they take pride in the simple things that make a show run well. Things that are important, like sound.
“I get the sense that they establish relationships and they keep them, so I like it there. It’s honourable.”
Long-time 102.1 The Edge host Dave Bookman is another reason that the Horseshoe has remained a destination of choice in recent years, particularly for those who like to discover new music. He’s been throwing the Tuesday night indie-rock bash known as Bookie’s Nu Music Nite for 14 years, giving up-and-comers a chance to play the place they hope to fill some day on their own.
“I love The Horseshoe for the tradition and the feeling of a rock club. It’s a real community thing, and the reason it’s gone on so long and been so successful is because everyone’s bought into how we do things,” says Bookie. “It’s all about relationships. You can’t get anything done if people don’t have the right attitude because everything in this business is compromises and adjustments.”
Even with all the praise the ‘Shoe’s receiving in the wake of its anniversary celebration, the staff know that they still have a lot of work to do if they want to keep their club’s doors open.
“We’re a musicians’ club. We’re on the frontlines of battling for the 19-year-old’s mindset, and we’re winning the battle,” says Cohen. “You’ve got to have the right bands and you can never rest on the laurels of what you used to do.
“It’s a community approach. We have owners and managers that work long hours for less pay than most people would. We’ve been lucky that the right people have been here.”
625 Church St, 6th Floor, Toronto M4Y 2G1
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