No cover nights - the sweetest words in Toronto's nightlife vocabulary. Receive a free show invite and you feel like you've beat the system: won against the city, won against The Man.
I usually feel like I pay a $60 fee just to leave my house, so I'd often rather stay under cover than pay cover. If you're against the concept of a door charge or just saving up for sheets with a higher thread-count, this should help you out.
Here are my picks for the top no cover music nights in Toronto.
The Local
Every night of the week between 9pm and 11:45pm you can wander into The Local on Roncy and hear the sweet sounds of local roots music - bluegrass, acoustic blues, singer-songwriters and jug-bands. And while they may pass the jug around the crowd, you'll never be asked for a cover when you enter.
M Factor Mondays at The Old Nick
Every Monday, Elana Harte showcases some of the city's best up and coming songwriters at The Old Nick on the Danforth. March had a fairly stacked line-up featuring Angela Saini, and Candice Sand. It's the right way to start your week.
Shoeless Monday/Dave Bookman's Nu Music Nite at The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern
You know what's legendary? Two nights-a-week of live music without a pesky cover charge. With Shoeless Mondays, and Bookie's Nu Music Nite on Tuesdays, The Horseshoe has been breaking-in Toronto's on-the-rise rock bands for decades.
The Tickle Trunk Show at The Bovine Sex Club
Every last Wednesday of the month, your free and easy friends at the No Pants Society throw the Tickle Trunk Show. This party encourages you to dress up according to theme, but don't despair if you're thread-bare - they provide a tickle trunk full of costumes to share and wear.
Yaas at Bambi's
This party goes down on the second Thursday of the month, and it's fun. What do they play? They play fun. Reggae, dancehall, r&b, hip-hop, whatever.
Key Thursdays at Cabal
You want to shine your shoes and roll with the King West crew? I know you do. But you don't want to pay a cover, no-no not you. That's a song I just made up about going to Key Thursdays at Cabal.
Get Lo at Clinton's Tavern
You do not want to roll with the King West crew, no-no not you. Different song, same tune. Not a cover-song. Get Lo plays the hits from the aughts with no shame, and no cover. They made our list of top themed dance parties, and they'll make you shake it on the floor, instead of shaking you down at the door.
Byzantium Fridays and Saturdays
In the heart of the Village, Byzantium features dozens and dozens of classic and creative martinis; fine-dining by executive chef, Jerome Rivest, and on the weekends they feature hot, sweaty dance parties. What do they never feature? A door price above $0.
Git Down at The Junction City Music Hall
DJ's Splattermonkey and OH16 spin all-vinyl funk and soul on the second Saturday of every month. There may be other funk and soul parties in town, but this one wins points for being easy on the wallet.
Trucker Fridays/Maximum R&B at The Junction City Music Hall
Trucker Fridays combines DJ's and live bands with a country/roots/outlaw lean on the second Friday of the month. Maximum R&B follows a similar live band and DJ format on the last Saturday of the month but with soul, 60's Brit-pop, and of course r&b. Scroll through the JCMH listings and you'll find a ton of other no cover music nights, so check back often.
What did I miss? Share your favourite no cover music nights in the comments below.
by PO Karim via blogTO
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