Lee's Palace Mural Torn Down

[Ramako]

As reported by The Torontoist:

The Lee's Palace Mural is Dead! Long Live the Lee's Palace Mural!

By: David Topping

Big Fat Burrito is moving into Lee's Palace, and the building's iconic painted façade, featuring monsters of every colour and form stretching across the length of the building's first storey and reaching up to its second, has been quietly moved out.

This morning, construction workers began to break apart the wall—painted by artist Runt twenty-something years ago—piece by piece, the result of a deal struck in June between Big Fat Burrito and Lee's that will see the take-out restaurant lease out space in the music venue and the entrance to Lee's moved to the building's side. Standing beside a few pieces of the mural cut out and saved for Runt (most of the rest of it landed in a dumpster around back), Big Fat Burrito owner Mike Shepherd explained that his store will open in two weeks' time, the new second location for a store whose flagship is in Kensington Market.

Rather than stucco and concrete and mesh, Shepherd said, the building's new façade will be metal, and it's that new façade that's being turned over as a new canvas to none other than Runt, whose work will fill the wall anew by spring.

Calls to Lee's Palace this afternoon were not immediately returned, but according to Shepherd, the rest of Lee's will continue to function just as it does now, and, when it opens, Big Fat Burrito will be selling concert tickets, too.

It's nice that the new mural will be produced by the same artist who painted the original, but it's a shame that the old one could not be saved from the dumpster.

 

[jn_12]

Apparently many people were salvaging pieces from the dumpster. At least parts of it live on in people's homes.

 

[Northern Light]

I realize some here will find this to be sacrilege but I never cared for the mural.

I have seen picture's of Lee's, from when it was the original Bloor Cinema (the Bloor was the Midtown and the Madison among other incarnations)

I've also attended a concert at Lee's and can't help but think the place was ruined vs when it was a great cinema. Its just awful inside, unless they've fixed it up quite a bit.

I've always enjoyed small bands and intimate concerts, but never understood the appeal of crap settings!

 

[Observer Walt]

Hopefully they will institute a policy of rotating murals every year or two. I won't be sorry to see the old one gone, as long as the new one is somewhat decent. I didn't realy think that it ever added that much to the street.

I realize some here will find this to be sacrilege but I never cared for the mural.

I have seen picture's of Lee's, from when it was the original Bloor Cinema (the Bloor was the Midtown and the Madison among other incarnations)

I've also attended a concert at Lee's and can't help but think the place was ruined vs when it was a great cinema. Its just awful inside, unless they've fixed it up quite a bit.

I've always enjoyed small bands and intimate concerts, but never understood the appeal of crap settings!

I have not been in the place for years. Last time I was there I felt that I needed a shower as soon as I got home, and no that was not from the various types of smoke hanging in the air.

 

[Urban Shocker]

That place has been around so long even I've been there. Went to a Battle of The Bands between thrashers Archiporn Wraiths and glam rock tribute act Diamond Dogs, back in the '80s.

 

[Dugmor]

Runt is truly a renaissance man.

 

[adma]

 

[jn_12]

it's bad enough we have one Adma posting nonsense everywhere, we don't need two.




And I actually really like Lee's for shows. It's a great intimate venue and I've seen some really good bands there. Besides who goes to see a band and cares about how dirty the floor might be? Honestly, are you expecting Massey Hall?

 

[fiendishlibrarian]

I know Runt through a friend of mine. Calling him a "character" is quite the understatement...

 

[Redroom Studios]

it seems to me a bit sacrilegious to throw art in a dumpster like that. It looks from a couple of the other pics that sections could have easily been saved. I'm sure they could have even auctioned off pieces for charity. pretty short sighted I'd say...

lets hope the new one is equally garish!

 

[adma]

it's bad enough we have one Adma posting nonsense everywhere, we don't need two.

Todd Rundgren is nonsense?

 

[jn_12]

Is he the "Runt" who painted the mural? No. So your post (like so many of your posts) was pointless nonsense. I'd ask a mod to delete these every time you made these posts because they contribute next to nothing but I wouldn't want to be bombarding them with requests since they happen so frequently.

 

[Dugmor]

Is he the "Runt" who painted the mural? No. So your post (like so many of your posts) was pointless nonsense. I'd ask a mod to delete these every time you made these posts because they contribute next to nothing but I wouldn't want to be bombarding them with requests since they happen so frequently.

Cheer up, smiles. Why let something so trivial bother you?

 

[adma]

Is he the "Runt" who painted the mural? No. So your post (like so many of your posts) was pointless nonsense. I'd ask a mod to delete these every time you made these posts because they contribute next to nothing but I wouldn't want to be bombarding them with requests since they happen so frequently.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTgTHFS5CLo

Good minor hit from that 1970/71ish zone. Not pointless nonsense. Even Runt-the-artist might agree, if he were of the 10-year-old CHUM-listening sort then, which is plausible.

Besides, my message just as well pertains to the other end, i.e. if you gotta do "pointless nonsense", do it at a higher level than Dugmor, who is probably just as much an ignoramus as you are re the charms of Todd Rundgren...

 

[fiendishlibrarian]

I believe Runt is in fact 50, so your math is bang-on.