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Varsity Arena at U of T

greenleaf

greenleaf

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The photos of the Mutual Street Arena in the Miscellany Toronto thread reminded me of Varsity Arena at the U of T. I took these pictures month or so ago. It's a nice old barn with great charm. There weren't too many people at the game though.

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Those are cool shots, even if they do remind me of a brutal Geology exam I wrote a few years ago.
 
Radiohead played the arena in 1996 and were so enamored by the sound of their instruments bouncing off the walls and roof during their soundcheck, they decided to alter the sound of their upcoming record. That record? The classic, OK Computer.

Some geeky music trivia for y'all.
 
^ I believe it is also the only venue that the Plasitc Ono Band ever played in Toronto.....the anniversary of their lead singer's death was yesterday.

Also was home to professional basketball in the late 70's (Toronto Towers) and the Toronto Toros of the WHA played there some (I think)....aside from obviously being home to the UoT hockey teams.

I would have like to have seen some of the Pan Am games money going into this place but, perhaps, it is too old to benefit from little money and, perhaps, it would take too much money to make it usuable for a modern sporting facility (our demands for things like nicer locker rooms, physio rooms, broadcast facilities, food and bev amenities might exceed what even a small investment could provide).

I believe St. Mikes looked at some sort of investment/partnership with UoT before deciding to stick "Mississauga" on their shirts and play out of the Hershey.
 
TOareaFan said:
^ I believe it is also the only venue that the Plasitc Ono Band ever played in Toronto.....the anniversary of their lead singer's death was yesterday.

Also was home to professional basketball in the late 70's (Toronto Towers) and the Toronto Toros of the WHA played there some (I think)
Click to expand...

Yes, the Toros played there after they moved to Toronto from Ottawa where they were the Nationals.

That was back prior to the rink being expanded to the correct 85 x 200 feet footprint. That ice was small.

aw_lennon_marks4.JPG


BTW, The POB concert was actually in the stadium, not the arena. It was part of the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival Festival. Lennon was a very late addition to the bill. He quickly picked up Alan White, Eric Clapton and Klaus Voorman to be his band and they practiced on the plane on the way to Toronto from London.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_Rock_and_Roll_Revival
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_Peace_in_Toronto_1969
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_Toronto

... and I love the LP cover!

lmf283.jpg

torRNRrevival-1.jpg

torontoRNRrevivalposter.jpg
 
Last edited:
^Plastic Ono Band played the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival outdoors at Varsity Stadium. ;)

Edit: Woops, dbailey beat me to it.
 
DC83 said:
I'm pretty sure they were based out of Hamilton!
Click to expand...

They also had a plant on Industry St in Mount Dennis that is now a housing development, but I think they were originally on Sorauren.

s0372_ss0010_it2117.jpg
 
Aaron - very cool tidbit about Radiohead. Thanks for sharing.

And regarding the Dominion Bridge Company: the whole support said Dominion Bridge Company Toronto, but I couldn't fit "Toronto" in the photo.
 
Dominion Bridge was located at the SE corner of Jane Street and Trethewey Drive until the early 90s. They had about 50 acres including a factory and storage area, and a huge outdoor craneway. The land has since been redeveloped, mostly with low-rise residential. It was an early "brownfield" redevelopment.
 
Urban Shocker said:
Three months before the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival, the same local promoters organized the Toronto Pop Festival at Varsity Stadium ( June 21/22 1969 ), bringing the Velvet Underground, Procul Harum, Alice Cooper, Johnny Winter, Steppenwolf and Blood, Sweat and Tears ... and others ... here.

http://www.sixtiesposters.com/images/torontopop.jpg
Click to expand...

That's the best poster of the three I've seen thus far!
 
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