After 70 years in business, Toronto’s beloved Horseshoe Tavern is still thriving in a city that has seen a slew of similar live music venues recently shuttered.
“It’s just a special secret sauce. It’s hard to explain why it’s been able to stay open and be vibrant for 70 years but it just has,” Jeff Cohen, the owner of the Queen West bar, told CP24 on Tuesday.
Today marks the venue’s 70th birthday and a big celebration is scheduled for tonight at the club, which loyal patrons affectionately refer to as ‘the Shoe.’
“It’s actually a private party tonight,” Cohen said. “We’ve got a backing band with members of Blue Rodeo in it and some of the cream of local Toronto musicians jumping on stage.”
The tavern, which was constructed in 1861 as a blacksmith’s shop, first opened in December 1947 by owner Jack Starr.
“It was opened up as a roast beef dinner joint with a neighbourhood bar,” Cohen said.
“It just happened to be inhabited for 10 years by, for whatever reason, a lot of Maritimers and… they kept going to him, saying ‘Let’s do some live music.’ He relented and it just became kind of a live music icon, doing country music in the 50s and 60s.”
Since then, the Horseshoe has played host to bands and musicians from across all genres, including The Ramones, The Rolling Stones, Etta James, Willie Nelson, and Canadian icons The Tragically Hip.
Cohen said he thinks there are a number of factors that have contributed to the bar’s success over the years.
“The location is incredible. The room itself, although it looks like a dive bar, for whatever reason, just has fantastic sound,” he said.
“It’s the kind of place where the staff don’t come and go. It’s the kind of place where people end up working here for 20 to 35 years and it is just booked really well. It just has really good American and European touring bands and really a mix of the best Canadian bands.”
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