Friar’s Tavern

The Birth of the Band

Opened in 1963, the Friar’s Tavern initially was another jazz club along the Yonge Street strip. Jazz luminaries could be found on stage from pianist Oscar Peterson to multi-instrumentalist Roland Kirk. In 1965, the Tavern switched to rock and roll at the perfect moment. That year it played a role in what TIME Magazine called, “the most decisive moment in rock history.”

Bob Dylan had just performed his infamous electric set at the Newport Folk Festival. A friend insisted that he fly to Toronto to hear one of her favourite bands, Levon and the Hawks. Made up of mostly Ontario musicians, the Hawks played several Yonge Street clubs including the Friar’s Tavern, performing songs like “He Don’t Love You.”

Dylan must have liked what he heard: he chose the Hawks to back him on his next world tour. After Dylan’s tour, the Hawks began to release their own records under a new name: the Band.

Friar’s Music Museum

Toronto Music Yesterday and Today

The Friar’s Tavern was among the shorter-lived venues on the Yonge Street strip, closing its doors in 1976 after a little more than a decade in business. But the building’s association with music lived on. The Nickelodeon, an all-ages dance pub on the second storey, remained open for several more years.

A Hard Rock Café eventually moved into the former Friar’s Tavern space, covering the walls with rock and roll memorabilia. The restaurant was a staple of Yonge and Dundas for over thirty years, loved by Torontonians and visitors for its eclectic collection of rock and roll memorabilia it featured on the walls.

The restaurant closed in 2017, but music lives on here. Developed by the Downtown Yonge BIA, the Friar’s Music Museum documents the history of music on Yonge Street is now located on the second floor of the retail space.  In the video below, COO and ED of Downtown Yonge BIA takes you through a virtual tour of the Friar’s Music Museum.

https://www.facebook.com/HeritageToronto/videos/289060595571456