Day One of Virgin Festival features…FOO FIGHTERS, BLOC PARTY, THE KOOKS, THE FRATELLIS, AGAINST ME!, MGMT, WINTERSLEEP, CONSTANTINES, SPIRITUALIZED and more!

The Foo Fighters…

Having commemorated their tenth anniversary with a year-plus run commencing with a double studio album hailed by the New York Times as “an unexpected magnum opus,” a sold out arena tour built on that first disc’s rock foundation followed by a toned down and intimate theater trek that highlighted the softer side showcased on that record’s second half and capped off by a headlining gig at London’s Hyde Park for a crowd of 85,000, the question looms larger than any in the Foo Fighters’ career to date: What do they do for an encore? More

Post from: Toronto Unplugged

I’m hoping there is some debate on this one, because I’ve heard tons of good and bad rants on this next venue.

Lee’s Palace is Lee’s Palace, it’s that simple.

Lee’s is a legendary concert venue in Toronto. The place is dark, it sometimes smells, the acoustics can be a bit high on the treble and the servers are a notch down from pleasant. But this is one of my favorite venues in the city. All of the above make up the character of Lee’s Palace. I thoroughly enjoy the sight lines, the acoustics, the intimacy and the vibe at Lee’s.

My notable gigs at Lee’s: Shane MacGowan and the Popes and more recently Apostle of Hustle

Located at 529 Bloor Street West just east of Lippincott Avenue, Lee’s is a converted motion picture theatre that can accommodate roughly 600 concert goers.

The venue is a local mecca for live music, known for its intimacy and boxed-in acoustics. Lee’s Palace hosts live music (mainly alternative) nearly every night ranging from local talent to international stars.

Upstairs is their club called The Dance Cave playing retro rock, Mod, 60’s, Britpop, and indie rock during the week, and straight alternative on the weekends.

Historical significance: The club opened on September 5, 1985 and bands such as The Verve, Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Oasis, Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Buzzcocks have all made their Toronto debuts at Lee’s Palace.
(the phone @ Lee’s)

Post from: Toronto Unplugged