Massey Hall is located in downtown Toronto at the corner of Shuter and Victoria Streets, just steps away from the CF Toronto Eaton Centre.   It was built in 1894 and for almost 100 years was the only major concert hall in the city.

 

 

 

The venue was the brainchild of Canadian Hart Massey, who was a very prominent businessman and was the founder of the agricultural equipment company that eventually became Massey Ferguson.

 

 

The building was designed by Canadian architect Sydney Rose Badgley and is a mix of a few different architectural styles. Over the years, there have been many different renovations to the building with different sections changed and added, with one of the most notable being the refurbishment of the basement in 1994 to celebrate the hall’s 100^thanniversary.  Massey Hall is currently closed for another major reno, and is scheduled to reopen in 2020.

 

 

Over the years, the artists who have played Massey Hall read like a who’s who of the entertainment industry – from people like George Gershwin, Glen Gould to Luciano Pavarotti, Oscar Peterson, to Charlie Parker, Buddy Guy and Jerry Lee Lewis, to Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Billy Joel and Rush.  There have been quite a few live albums recorded at the venue as well from artists like Neil Young, Great Big Sea and Matthew Good.

 

 

 

Interestingly, there are a few notable acts which made their Canadian / Toronto debuts at Massey Hall.  Two of those who are the most interesting from a personal standpoint are Bob Marley and the Wailers who made their Toronto debut at Massey Hall in June of 1975, and Van Halen who performed their first ever live show in Canada at a sold-out Massey Hall on March 14, 1978.