{"id":1806,"date":"2024-05-22T01:58:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-22T01:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/agoria.ca\/thebsideblog\/?p=1806"},"modified":"2024-09-25T21:51:29","modified_gmt":"2024-09-25T21:51:29","slug":"canadian-music-week-goes-sky-high-at-torontos-new-avant-garde-event-space","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/agoria.ca\/thebsideblog\/index.php\/2024\/05\/22\/canadian-music-week-goes-sky-high-at-torontos-new-avant-garde-event-space\/","title":{"rendered":"Canadian Music Week goes sky-high at Toronto\u2019s  avant-garde event space"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"1806\" class=\"elementor elementor-1806\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-6929cca8 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"6929cca8\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-7ecb4052\" data-id=\"7ecb4052\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-769c152e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"769c152e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.15.0 - 20-08-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><strong>The Ivy takes live music to new heights as an addition to CMW\u2019s venue roster.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>Heading up to the 12th floor of the Balfour Building at 119 Spadina Ave. on a weekday, one would hardly mistake the standard cubicle office space for a live music venue.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>From Monday to Friday, this supposedly standard workplace is home to Canadian media company WOMBO Studios Inc. But when the weekend rolls around, it\u2019s a far cry from office-casual.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>After 5 o\u2019clock, the space is reimagined as The Ivy: Toronto\u2019s innovative concert venue with a view-, where the party\u2019s at the front, and business stays in the back.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>This year, as the Toronto entertainment industry gears up to host its 48th annual Canadian Music Week (CMW) from June 1-8, The Ivy is participating in the festival\u2019s venue circuit for the very first time. They\u2019ll be joining over 25 other city-wide venues in showcasing the up-and-comers of Canadian musical talent.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>Jay Atlas is the artistic director of Get Loud Concerts, and a key figure in establishing The Ivy for live music bookings. By collaborating with the office\u2019s resident media company, he\u2019s able to provide an inclusive artistic experience on Friday and Saturday nights that\u2019s unlike any other performance space in the city.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:image {\"id\":1808,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\"} --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" src=\"https:\/\/agoria.ca\/thebsideblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Naked-Burn-Live-At-The-Ivy-May-4-Photo-by-Daniel-Dorta-1024x684.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1808\" srcset=\"https:\/\/agoria.ca\/thebsideblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Naked-Burn-Live-At-The-Ivy-May-4-Photo-by-Daniel-Dorta-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/agoria.ca\/thebsideblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Naked-Burn-Live-At-The-Ivy-May-4-Photo-by-Daniel-Dorta-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/agoria.ca\/thebsideblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Naked-Burn-Live-At-The-Ivy-May-4-Photo-by-Daniel-Dorta-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/agoria.ca\/thebsideblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Naked-Burn-Live-At-The-Ivy-May-4-Photo-by-Daniel-Dorta-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/agoria.ca\/thebsideblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Naked-Burn-Live-At-The-Ivy-May-4-Photo-by-Daniel-Dorta-2048x1367.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/agoria.ca\/thebsideblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Naked-Burn-Live-At-The-Ivy-May-4-Photo-by-Daniel-Dorta-850x567.jpg 850w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><p><\/p>\n<figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><sub>Naked Burn Live At The Ivy on May 4, 2024. (Daniel Dorta\/@dortasphotography)<\/sub><\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n<p><!-- \/wp:image --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>The Ivy\u2019s industrial architecture, panoramic windows, contemporary art fixtures and sparkling downtown views make it an appealing spot for audiences to come for a show-, but stay for the afterparty.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s as resourceful an event space as it is unconventional, which can be attributed to the inventive vision of its artistic director. Atlas says his primary goal is to revive and protect the social atmosphere of live music events.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe biggest thing about The Ivy is that we&#8217;re not just this room with four walls and speakers. We&#8217;re trying to create this experience where people come out before the bands play.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>\u201cCome before the openers, enjoy the openers, enjoy the headliner, stick around, meet new people- we\u2019ve found this has become a place where artists and creatives can all meet each other during and after shows,\u201d says Atlas.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>On a Saturday night, when the office cubicles are cleared and the space opens up, The Ivy offers artists the chance to play to mid-sized crowds in a uniquely intimate setting.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:image {\"id\":1809,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\"} --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" src=\"https:\/\/agoria.ca\/thebsideblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/High-Loves-April-27-Crowd-Shot-Photo-by-Daniel-Dorta-1024x684.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1809\" srcset=\"https:\/\/agoria.ca\/thebsideblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/High-Loves-April-27-Crowd-Shot-Photo-by-Daniel-Dorta-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/agoria.ca\/thebsideblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/High-Loves-April-27-Crowd-Shot-Photo-by-Daniel-Dorta-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/agoria.ca\/thebsideblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/High-Loves-April-27-Crowd-Shot-Photo-by-Daniel-Dorta-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/agoria.ca\/thebsideblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/High-Loves-April-27-Crowd-Shot-Photo-by-Daniel-Dorta-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/agoria.ca\/thebsideblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/High-Loves-April-27-Crowd-Shot-Photo-by-Daniel-Dorta-2048x1367.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/agoria.ca\/thebsideblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/High-Loves-April-27-Crowd-Shot-Photo-by-Daniel-Dorta-850x567.jpg 850w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><p><\/p>\n<figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><sub>A Saturday-night crowd at The Ivy during High Loves&#8217; set on April 27, 2024. (Daniel Dorta\/@dortasphotography)<\/sub><\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n<p><!-- \/wp:image --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>Their space fills a significant size gap within Toronto\u2019s live music venues; the room is bigger than a bar stage, smaller than Lee\u2019s Palace, and ideal for the artists stuck in between.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe found there was a need for the under-300 [capacity] rooms in Toronto. For artists to grow they have to play to smaller rooms, but we found that there was not a lot of accessibility to those,\u201d says Atlas.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>\u201cNow our vision is to grow with the artists and make sure they&#8217;re not facing barriers along the way, because artists already have to deal with so much.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>This proved to be an important asset when Atlas reached out to CMW programmers and volunteered The Ivy to host their highly-anticipated events in June.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>Get Loud Concerts was approved for both Saturdays of CMW, with a total of six artists scheduled to perform at The Ivy on the festival\u2019s opening and closing night.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>Venues like The Ivy are an important stepping-stone for artists on the rise. These event spaces help preserve the natural life cycle of live music; acting as the next step up from playing in a bar, and encouraging the progression of artists\u2019 careers while they gain performance experience.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>Atlas explains that one of The Ivy\u2019s top priorities is ensuring affordability and accessibility in booking  the state-of-the-art entertainment space.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:image {\"id\":1810,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\"} --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" src=\"https:\/\/agoria.ca\/thebsideblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/High-Loves-Live-At-The-Ivy-April-27th-1024x684.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1810\" srcset=\"https:\/\/agoria.ca\/thebsideblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/High-Loves-Live-At-The-Ivy-April-27th-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/agoria.ca\/thebsideblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/High-Loves-Live-At-The-Ivy-April-27th-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/agoria.ca\/thebsideblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/High-Loves-Live-At-The-Ivy-April-27th-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/agoria.ca\/thebsideblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/High-Loves-Live-At-The-Ivy-April-27th-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/agoria.ca\/thebsideblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/High-Loves-Live-At-The-Ivy-April-27th-2048x1367.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/agoria.ca\/thebsideblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/High-Loves-Live-At-The-Ivy-April-27th-850x567.jpg 850w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><p><\/p>\n<figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><sub>High Loves perform live at The Ivy on April 27, 2024. (Daniel Dorta\/@dortasphotgraphy)<\/sub><\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n<p><!-- \/wp:image --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>According to CBC, Toronto lost 15 per cent of its local live music hubs since 2020, and most of the venues left standing have had to dramatically increase their rates to keep up with demand.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe&#8217;re hoping to bring more awareness that there can be spaces like this around the city. Now there are 30 million square feet of offices not being used in Toronto, and we&#8217;re in a city where artists are struggling to pay rent,\u201d says Atlas.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have so much talent in Canada, and so many spaces can be created- including The Ivy, which is, like, an office converted into a pop-up music venue. We kind of just want to show people that this kind of support is possible.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>As long as they aren&#8217;t afraid of heights, CMW concert-goers can catch Toronto-based alt-rock band Augusta\u2019s set live at The Ivy on Saturday, June 1, 2024, with supporting acts Joseph of Mercury and Oliver Forest.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>On the following Saturday, June 8, 2024, the venue will host fellow Toronto-native Alec Ray Sherman, along with Emma Campbell and Holly Clausius. As the final night of CMW, audiences can ensure the festival concludes on a high note at The Ivy.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Jess Bertan for The B-Side<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Ivy takes live music to new heights as an addition to CMW\u2019s venue roster.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1807,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"activitypub_content_warning":"","activitypub_content_visibility":"","activitypub_max_image_attachments":3,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,11,10],"tags":[121,39,90,122,120,119,22],"ppma_author":[214],"class_list":["post-1806","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","category-interviews","category-newsfeed","tag-augusta","tag-canadian-music-week","tag-cmw","tag-highloves","tag-local-venues","tag-theivy","tag-toronto"],"authors":[{"term_id":214,"user_id":3,"is_guest":0,"slug":"jessbertan","display_name":"Jess Bertan","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a844f8c3c9456b6db90971d3f2f2ad21ed2327acde7ec5bff3a683d9921341d6?s=96&d=mm&r=g","author_category":"","first_name":"Jess","last_name":"Bertan","user_url":"","job_title":"","description":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/agoria.ca\/thebsideblog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1806","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/agoria.ca\/thebsideblog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/agoria.ca\/thebsideblog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agoria.ca\/thebsideblog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agoria.ca\/thebsideblog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1806"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/agoria.ca\/thebsideblog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1806\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2679,"href":"https:\/\/agoria.ca\/thebsideblog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1806\/revisions\/2679"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agoria.ca\/thebsideblog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1807"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/agoria.ca\/thebsideblog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1806"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agoria.ca\/thebsideblog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1806"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agoria.ca\/thebsideblog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1806"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agoria.ca\/thebsideblog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=1806"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}