Advertisement

Features Music

Toronto is getting a giant mural dedicated to the Yonge Street music scene

Twenty-two storeys of Toronto music history are going up on Yonge Street – again.

The artist’s rendering of the second part of a 70-metre-tall mural dedicated to the local music scene will be revealed at 10 am on Thursday (August 17) at 423 Yonge.

Designed by artist/musician Adrian Hayles (aka DJ Sawtay), the mural on the Toronto Community Housing building will feature the likenesses of Rush, Goddo, the Band, David Clayton Thomas, Lonnie Johnson, Selome Bey, Carole Pope, Cathy Young, Jay Douglas, Kim Mitchell, Mandala, and John and Lee and the Checkmates.

Commissioned by the Downtown Yonge BIA, it’ll also include historic bygone music spaces like Gasworks, A&A Records, Piccadilly Tube, Steele Tavern and the Brown Derby Tavern. 

Douglas, Young, Mandala’s George Olliver and Goddo’s Greg Godovitz will be in attendance at the event.

“This mural ties into the importance of Yonge Street and all the artists and venues that have played this iconic street,” Downtown Yonge BIA executive director Mark Garner tells NOW. “Yonge Street contributed significantly to the Canadian music scene, but also to the North American scene.

“The Downtown Yonge BIA wants to preserve this legacy via these murals as it is important to pay homage to our past as we work the present through artist and audience development and plan our future as a Music City.”

Hayles also painted the first part of the mural on the building’s north side. Completed last December, it includes the images of Ronnie Hawkins, Glenn Gould, Oscar Peterson, Jackie Shane, Shirley Matthews and Gordon Lightfoot, among others, as well as venues Le Coq d’Or and Massey Hall, and the Sam the Record Man sign.

The mural is part of the Downtown Yonge BIA’s Music Strategy. More info at downtownyonge.com. Follow the mural’s progress on Twitter at #yongemural.

music@nowtoronto.com | @nowtoronto

Advertisement

Exclusive content and events straight to your inbox

Subscribe to our Newsletter

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

By signing up, I agree to receive emails from Now Toronto and to the Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.

Recently Posted