From: owner-navy-soup-digest@smoe.org (navy-soup-digest) To: navy-soup-digest@smoe.org Subject: navy-soup-digest V4 #139 Reply-To: navy-soup@smoe.org Sender: owner-navy-soup-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-navy-soup-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk navy-soup-digest Tuesday, October 30 2001 Volume 04 : Number 139 In This Digest: ----------------- R.I.P. Ted's Wrecking Yard ["Tab Siddiqui" ] Re: R.I.P. Ted's Wrecking Yard [Starfall18@aol.com] Re: R.I.P. Ted's Wrecking Yard ["Julian C. Dunn" ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2001 03:40:15 From: "Tab Siddiqui" Subject: R.I.P. Ted's Wrecking Yard Yep, it's true, kids. (Toronto's) Ted's Wrecking Yard, a second home to many of us crazy music obsessives, is apparently finito. This on the heels of next week's shutdown of the legendary El Mocambo. Not a great time for live music venues in the city, that's for sure. Ted's/Barcode was the stepping stone for a lot of local favourites before they graduated to bigger (not necessarily better ;)) venues (Starling, Sarah Slean, Emm, lots of others), and also played host to several well-known international artists as well (Duncan Sheik, Richard Ashcroft). The worry now is that we really don't have a space like that to pick up the slack. Lee's Palace is too big, the Rivoli was the place bands moved up to *after* packing Ted's and is already usually booked solid... The Horseshoe seems too busy worrying about international buzz bands to pay too much attention to the local scene, and C'est What has its own comfortable little niche (but is maybe too *small* for some of the Ted's regulars). Add to this that the El Mo Productions team had planned to hold some of their shows in the Ted's/Barcode space... I'm hearing rumblings that they might be taking over the space themselves - can anyone confirm? That would certainly not really be in the spirit of cameraderie and support that the local scene prides itself on - I had thought that they would simply be using the existing space to hold their shows on certain nights rather than taking it over for a club of their own... I'd be extremely disappointed if that was the case. I was never a huge El Mo attendee myself, but when I heard of its impending closure, I went to the support meeting and signed the petition like everyone else - I mean, no one wants to see live venues close. But at the same time, Ted's had carved out a really special place in the city's music community, and doesn't deserve to have its space taken over by another, completely different, club. Much of what I'm speculating here is based on hearsay, as I haven't heard anything definitive as yet aside from the article in Chart and the Star, the sign at the venue, and from speaking with a couple musicians, but bottom line is, I for one am really sad to see Ted's go, and am hoping that booker Yvonne Matsell will raise the flag for eclectic, promising local talent elsewhere. (I suppose next time the place won't be called "Ted's Wrecking Yard", as it seems that it's namesake Ted that kicked them out. ;-P) More details in a brief story in yesterday's Star: http://www.thestar.ca/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1004220614849&call_page=TS_Music&call_pageid=968867496921&call_pagepath=Entertainment/Music - - Tab P.S. Would anyone (Heather, Joni, Steve?) with any more info please e-mail me? I'm very interested in finding out more about what went down here... _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2001 22:56:46 EST From: Starfall18@aol.com Subject: Re: R.I.P. Ted's Wrecking Yard Sorry for the double posts.. I really have no basis of knowledge for these types of things, but I for one am sad to hear about this...I know I've heard about this venue a million (well nearly..) times for concerts of Sarah and Emm, among others....Is there any way the artists who were regulars could persuade them not to close it? Or any other way to try and keep it open, or relocate or something? Is there anything the people can do...or is it all based on money.??? Argh...that really is frustrating.... i'm sorry torontians:( emily ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2001 23:48:15 -0500 (EST) From: "Julian C. Dunn" Subject: Re: R.I.P. Ted's Wrecking Yard On 30-Oct-2001 Starfall18@aol.com wrote: > I really have no basis of knowledge for these types of things, but I for one > am sad to hear about this...I know I've heard about this venue a million > (well nearly..) times for concerts of Sarah and Emm, among others....Is there > any way the artists who were regulars could persuade them not to close it? Or > any other way to try and keep it open, or relocate or something? Is there > anything the people can do...or is it all based on money.??? First of all, thanks Tab for the update and article links. Like KR I'm also very shocked by this turn of events, as Ted's is one of my favourite (and most often frequented) venues for seeing live music in this city. (Plus the lovely and inexpensive Cafe Diplomatico is nearby.) However, unlike the situation at the ElMo, where another individual bought the building and plans to turn it into a spiritual centre, it would seem from first appearances that Ted's is shut simply because of back rent. If that is truly the case, then I suspect the Toronto live music community should have no trouble banding together and finding some way of raising the $8000 or so to keep it in business, at least in the short term. On the other hand, if the rent arrears are merely being used as an excuse for the landlord to shutter the venue and turn it over to the folks running ElMo Productions (mind you, this is all unfounded speculation) then that would be extremely upsetting. It would remind me of the situation with the Bloor Cinema that fellow Torontonians might recall from a few years back: Festival Cinemas, the previous tenant, was turfed out for no good reason even after having invested their own funds in renovating the premises -- only to see the place handed over to a group comprised of former Festival directors who were willing to pay a higher price. Such is capitalism, I suppose, but upsetting nonetheless. I certainly don't support such tactics -- I've boycotted the Bloor Cinema for several years now on account of it. I expect that if the same situation occurs here, I will feel compelled to do the same for Ted's. Once again, all wild speculation, but two club closings within a month -- it certainly makes the gears turn to connect the dots. - - Julian [ Julian C. Dunn * ] [ WWW: http://www.aquezada.com/staff/julian/ * PGP: 0xFDC205B9 ] [ "and out of your mouth comes a stream of cliches/ but i have given you ] [ so much rope you should have been hanging for days" -- aimee mann ] ------------------------------ End of navy-soup-digest V4 #139 *******************************