THE SILVER DOLLAR ROOM
Toronto's Premier Blues Club

Nineteen fifty-eight was a great year.  The world saw the birth of the classic 58 Chevy, Gibson released the 58 Les Paul cherry sunburst guitar, one of the most sought after instruments in the music business and in Toronto, The Silver Dollar Room celebrated it's grand opening on New Year's Eve.  

 

Over the years the club has had numerous lives, opening as a Vegas style night club, followed by years as a strip joint and into it's current incarnation as "Toronto's Premier Blues Night Club & Live Music Venue".  The decor has stayed pretty close to the art deco 50`s concept  of the early days with a few face lifts and touch ups that didn't alter the look or lose the original vibe of the room.  The constant in the venues life has been the employment of world class musicians which continues to this day.  The Dollar's blues shows have brought Bobby "Blue" Bland, Kim Wilson, Downchild, R. L. Burnside, Powder Blues, Duke Robillard, Fathead, Coco Montoya, Levon Helm and numerous others drawn from that genre's pool of world class talent.  Country and Bluegrass have been represented by New Riders of The Purple Sage, The Grascals, The Foggy Hogtown Boys, Dan Hicks, Hot Club of Cowtown and Creaking Tree String Quartet.  When the club realized survival meant diversification, cutting edge rock was added to the eclectic mix, new bands like the Zoobombs, Deadly Snakes, The Old Soul, Disraelis, Illuminati and many more have found there way onto the stage at Spadina & College.  

 

Toronto's vibrant and thriving live music scene has given birth to many classic clubs devoted to live music.  Few have survived for more then a few years, The Silver Dollar Room now joins the ranks of The Horseshoe and The El Mocambo as lasting landmarks in the world of music.

 

From Maple Blues Magazine December 2007 - by Eric Thom

 

Hey, you’re not the only one who’s turning 50.

Celebrating 50 years of live music and memorable times.

 

Any seasoned sentimentalist will tell you that a building is much more than its bricks and mortar – underlined when a cherished haunt is leveled in the name of progress. Who doesn’t feel a little less complete at the sight? Yet the Silver Dollar Room continues to stand, having withstood the test of time, clocking in at a respectable 50 years old this January 1st. Despite the chaos of changing ownerships and ever-shifting musical trends through its evolution as a bona fide Toronto music destination, there’s an undeniable spirit to the place - born of countless brown-bottled toasts and its patrons’ insatiable appetite for live music and a good night out. But Toronto’s premiere blues club hasn’t always been about the blues. The band selected to open the Club – rumoured to be owned by the same person who owned the Zanzibar – was chosen because they were popular and had an established following. Bassist and all-round fascinating personality, John Dowson, played that night with fellow Echoes Dino Grandi (keyboards, accordion), Eddy Philp (sax), Gordie Glass (drums), and front man/singer, Tommy Danton. As Chris Quinn – banjo player with the Foggy Hogtown Boys – notes, “It’s not on the entertainment strip…it’s a little off the beaten path.” In 1958, this was a potential problem – as all the action was over on Yonge. Thanks to Tommy Danton and the Echoes, the place was packed, as Danton’s Sinatra-like croon and the band’s good-time antics, delivered a powerful set of jazz-cum-rhythm’n’blues that delivered all-round entertainment, a chance to dance to a repertoire that included Chuck Berry, Joe Williams and Jerry Lee Lewis covers, and time to mingle and chat between 35-minute sets.

 

 

Tommy Danton and the Echoes

 

From gold lamé jackets, crowd-pleasing talent and a shrewd sense of self-promotion, their one night stand became a three month gig. Then, as now, the Silver Dollar was a cocktail bar and the intimacy of the room continues to differentiate itself from the majority of music venues. Singer/guitarist and blues DJ, Danny Marks, adds, “I’ve always loved the art deco look of the bar at the Silver Dollar. The location and height of the stage and dance floor our front, seats on either side is the best layout for an intimate show that begs crowd involvement.” Foggy Hogtown Boy, Chris Quinn, adds, “the sightlines are exactly what you’d expect from a former strip club - if you want to sit in a corner ‘cause you don’t want to get noticed ogling (in his case) bluegrass…you can do that. If you want to sit in front of the stage and lust after my banjo, you can do that, too.”  Quinn is referencing a period in the Dollar’s life back in the ‘70s when it was a strip club. Even then, it employed live musicians, serving as a mecca for local jazz legends. The likes of John “T.” Davis backed up the dancers on B3 and drums, working out routines as the girls got ready backstage – proving that woodshedding occasionally does have its perks. In defining the character of the Dollar, Brad Wheeler, Globe & Mail entertainment writer, states “it’s a ‘lounge’. It’s a ‘room’. It’s not a blues theme bar – it’s the real thing”. The very fact that little has changed over the years lends itself to the Dollar’s rich historical legacy. “Look at the walls. The murals are great and full of time and music – one can feel…the Silver Dollar’s age and history”, notes Chris Quinn. Promoter Gary Topp recalls its distinctively retro “low ceilings and blue lights”. Blues fan, Dorothy Whittick, notes that “the blues is music without pretense and the Silver Dollar is a club without pretense – a warm, relaxing room that remains unchanged, creating a comfort zone. You’re guaranteed a great show in a great atmosphere well worth the price of admission.” Depending upon whom you talk to, “the Buck” is many things to many people. Described as everything from an authentic blues club to a toilet, from a friendly place to a guaranteed good night out, true blues fans know exactly what to expect from each visit. Either the ambience adds to the show or doesn’t detract enough from the club’s talent to make it a real deterrent. In fact, it often adds to it. Promoter/producer Rico Ferrara recalls that period in the ‘90s when the Dollar was red-hot, concluding that it remains “a funky room for low-down, dirty blues.” Danny Marks notes, “A room that’s witnessed a ton of great performances over the years retains the energy. That’s part of the magic of certain places….the music’s oozing right out of the walls.”

Chris Quinn quips, “It’s no palace, but you don’t play blues in a palace.…there’s a certain sound in the Silver Dollar that goes beyond the room itself…an audience knows that the majority of performers who play the Silver Dollar are making honest music that comes from the heart. One can say that about precious few venues.” Al Kirkcaldy, blues DJ, CFFF, adds, half-jokingly, “it’s located between the Scott Mission and a low-rent hotel - I think people love the location’s sense of danger and despair, which adds to the overall blues experience.” “It’s a little off the beaten path. (People) go because they have a reason to go there”, Quinn volunteers. “It’s a destination, not an accident”.

People care about their Silver Dollar. Wheeler relates a story about running into (the late) Willie Kent during a show at Blues Chicago. “He asked me how the Dollar was doing. He didn’t want to know how I was doing. He wanted to know how the Dollar was doing.” Al Kirkcaldy adds, “I think local acts know they have ‘made it’ when they play the Dollar. Its name is recognized all over the world. Some international artists are glad to say they have played there.” “The musicians come back for a reason; it’s the crowd that gets what they do”, Quinn concurs.

Recent noise surrounding the Horseshoe’s 60th merely serves to underline the fact that the Dollar has distinguished itself by not being all things to all people, but by booking the best blues acts in the world. And everyone – but everyone - has a famous memory of a Silver Dollar dream show. Richard Flohil and Brad Wheeler fondly recall Bobby Bland’s recent appearance while Rico Ferrara notes Coca Montoya’s first Dollar performance as well as jaw-droppers from Byther Smith and Tab Benoit. Dorothy Whittick earmarks the late Bill Perry’s last visit while blues fan Clark Bales fondly recalls a recent Savoy Brown show as being his best show ever. Mako Funasaka narrows his choices down to Billy Boy Arnold’s recent show and the pairing of David Rotundo to Enrico Crivellaro, admitting too many great shows to choose from.

 

Byther Smith

There are a million stories – many of them “unprintable”, says Gary Kendall. Although Kirkcaldy’s reminiscence of Steven Segal crashing Deborah Coleman’s show remains a laughable highlight. Star sightings include everyone from Vince Vaughan, Bruce Iglauer, Shooter Jennings, Tom Sizemore and Susan Sarandon. Rumour holds that the infamous James Earl Ray hid out at the Waverly, frequenting the club while on the lam. Gritty American novelist Elmore Leonard includes a reference to the Dollar in Killshot: “Try to come along Spadina Avenue, see that goddamned Silver Dollar sign, hundreds of light bulbs in your face and not be drawn in there.”

In fact, the Dollar is popular with more than blues fans today, cited as a go-to place for movie shoots and music videos. Local blues historian/producer, Mako Funasaka credits The Dollar with his entry and acceptance into the business of the blues world, citing Gary Kendall and Rico Ferrara as warm and generous gatekeepers. Somewhat frozen in time, the club has, nonetheless, had to ante up in today’s competitive marketplace. Known as a showplace for electric Chicago blues, the fragmentation of music audiences and increased competition for their slice of the entertainment pie has forced the Dollar to diversify and embrace new music. Its adoption of bluegrass 8 years ago has resulted in its wildly popular High Lonesome Wednesdays with Crazy Strings – an amalgam of the Foggy Hogtown Boys and the Creaking Tree Quartet, while Dan Burke’s cutting edge rock shows draw an entirely different crowd.

Downchild bassist and Dollar promoter, Gary Kendall, admits that the Dollar still books the best blues acts in Toronto and he’s proud of the fact that each and every musician is treated with respect. “We recognize that they are what put people in the seats and that, without the music, there’s no business for anybody”.  He demonstrates the Kendall attitude when asked which acts had delivered the biggest home run. His answer? “Anytime we have a show that makes money for the club and for the artist.”

“The Dollar has carried the standard for the blues for a long time”, states savvy, seasoned promoter Richard Flohil and, despite tough times in clubland of late, the reason for the Dollar’s ability to stay the course and keep its doors open to live musicians is due to the hard work and dedication of one man over the past 11 years: Gary Kendall. And everyone from Gary Topp and Mako Funasaka to Rico Ferrara and KOCH Records’ Eric Alper agrees. “The guy loves music”, says Chris Quinn. He’s a musician par excellence with open ears, always listening for the next cool band to bring into the Dollar. His enthusiasm is unwavering and he’s a straight shooter.” Richard Flohil  understands the Dollar’s secret weapon: “The Dollar has Gary Kendall – a savvy booker, a terrific promoter and a really, really nice guy whom I like and admire very much….Gary and the owners deserve kudos and praise”. Gary has much praise, in turn, for the owners – “They`ve shown me nothing but trust and respect for the 11 years Ive been with them. When I have a show that goes over the top and is very successful, I hear about it.  When we have a show that doesnt do very well, it might get mentioned but they never blame me or the band.  To them its all part of doing business.” Andrew Galloway, President of Electro-Fi Records, put on his first show at the Dollar with Chicago harpman Little Mack Simmons in ‘97 and recently celebrated his label’s 10th anniversary and 50th CD this past November with Chicago harp man Billy Boy Arnold. His observations are most telling of the Club’s longevity and popularity: ”The Dollar hasn't really changed a bit in those ten years, but that's okay - because real deal Chicago Blues and the people who love them haven't changed much either.” Flohil (who often relishes having the last word) agrees: “ Good music is where you find it and over the years, we’ve all found a lot of it at Spadina and College.”

Silver Dollar Room shining bright 50 years later
By Lorianna De Giorgio

 

From its humble beginnings as a cocktail lounge for the Waverly Hotel to one of Toronto’s top blues bars, the Silver Dollar Room is still shining after 50 years.

The Spadina and College landmark has been the go-to place for live blues, bluegrass and rock music since it opened on Jan. 1, 1958.

Like the El Mocambo and the Horseshoe Tavern, the club is credited with launching the careers of both homegrown and international musicians. The minstrels who have played there say the Silver Dollar is one of the only places where they can develop their craft and gain a wider audience.

Some of today’s stars having graced the Silver Dollar’s stage include blues legends Bobby “Blue” Bland and Fathead, and the city’s rock elite, such as the Zoobombs and the Deadly Snakes.

“It’s all about the music,” says Gary Kendall, a bassist for local blues band Downchild, who has worked as the Silver Dollar’s talent buyer since 1994. “It’s a live music club and that’s what comes first.”

Kendall said the setup gives musicians an opportunity to make things happen.

“The Dollar has provided us with a stage,” he said.

Having changed hands through the years, the club has been under the ownership of several partners for the past 11 years. The actual building is owned by the Wynn Group, which owns the neighbouring Waverly Hotel and leased by the partners.

Live music has always been a staple at the Silver Dollar. Even in its incarnation as a strip club in the 1970s, the strippers danced to a live blues band.

In order to reach a wider audience and compensate for the declining numbers of blues listeners in the new millennium, the club began to increase its bluegrass and rock music.

“It’s hard to do six nights a week of one kind of music,” Kendall says. “It made sense to diversify than to just fold.”

The Comfort Zone, an after-hours dance and rave club operating out of the basement, has also helped the Silver Dollar survive.

Nowadays, with the help of fellow talent buyer Dan Burke, rock music takes over every Thursday and Friday night. Bluegrass is on Wednesdays, with blues rounding out the week on Saturdays.

“It’s a classic blues bar,” says Jason Nowicki, lead singer and guitarist for Winnipeg-based band, the Perpetrators. “Few of those are left nowadays.”

While he has played at the Silver Dollar only four times in the band’s seven-year history, one thing that keeps them coming back is the club’s openness to other music genres, he says. They play there again on Feb. 1.

“Gary (Kendall) lets us do what we want to do,” Nowicki says, describing the Perpetrators’ music as a mix of bluesy rock and punk. “Everyone who comes there — the musicians and the audience — are there for the music.

“People like to cut loose and have a good time.”

Bluegrass guitarist Chris Coole agrees.

As a member of many Toronto-based bluegrass and folk bands, including Crazy Strings, Coole has played at the Silver Dollar every Wednesday for the past eight years. What he loves about the place is how it supports both well-established musicians and emerging artists who are looking for a lucky break, he says.

Playing there has led him to get other gigs, and to form another blues band, the Foggy Hogtown Boys.

“I know it sounds cliché, but it’s got a lot of history,” Coole says. “I love to play in an old bar that has a lot of atmosphere in it that hasn’t had it built in the last five years.

“At the Silver Dollar, the feeling is really there.”

 

 


1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004 Best Live Blues Club in NOW Magazine's Reader's Poll.




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