Jason Posted December 5, 2002 Report Share Posted December 5, 2002 I found out last night that the Comfort Zone has lost their liquer license because of drug charges. Apparently, their sunday rave event was the culprit. It was supposed to be closed for 45 days but it looks like it may be permanent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shainhouse Posted December 5, 2002 Report Share Posted December 5, 2002 that sucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewRider Posted December 5, 2002 Report Share Posted December 5, 2002 I know their booking agent is still employed there. I can't understand why they would keep her on if they weren't planning on continuing next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcO Posted December 6, 2002 Report Share Posted December 6, 2002 Aaron - great avatar, dude! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basher Posted December 6, 2002 Report Share Posted December 6, 2002 Where can I find good avatars? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schwa. Posted December 6, 2002 Report Share Posted December 6, 2002 internet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CyberHippie Posted December 6, 2002 Report Share Posted December 6, 2002 Damn cracked out rave heads gotta spoil it for everyone... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a s h e r Posted December 6, 2002 Report Share Posted December 6, 2002 Wow. That really blows. If it weren't for the Comfort Zone Toronto would have been without a lot of the great jamband shows that have passed thru here. Most of the time if bands don't play the CoZo then they don'y play in TO at all. As far as the drug charges go, it might have been the Sunday raves that booked 'em but i know anyone could, at any time puff a doob in the zone anytime that they wanted to. Whether that counts as drugs these days i don't know but I suppose it was bound to happen. Its a sad day.. a s h e r Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CyberHippie Posted December 6, 2002 Report Share Posted December 6, 2002 True Asher, but from what I've heard the sunday scene was out of control. Never saw any cops at a jam show, because compared to what they dealt with there on sunday's, the jam shows were like a daycare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaimoe Posted December 6, 2002 Report Share Posted December 6, 2002 The Sunday rave night is notorious. I'm not surprised the Zone got closed down. I'm just surprised that it didn't happen sooner. The 360 and Rivoli will now be the places to catch the jam bands, only now you'll have to pay a cover. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarahbelle Posted December 6, 2002 Report Share Posted December 6, 2002 man.. this sux the big one... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M Posted December 6, 2002 Report Share Posted December 6, 2002 It's funny how much the Comfort Zone was a mainstay of the scene. It was a given that it was always there. We all moaned and groaned that we had to frequent it... possibly because it was so difficult to admit that it did feel like home. God, I think I spent most of my formative years at that place. Walking in on any given "regular" night..... knowing that you'd know at least one familiar face. I can't define how I thought I'd never miss that place until last night, sitting around, having a beer with a buddy and craving some live music... and feeling the void of not being able to go to the "dirty zone" as I so fondly call it. I've seen some phenomenal bands there over the years... too many to name. I've had many memorable and un-recollectable evenings. The awesome bands that have passed through this year that I have been fortunate to catch have included: > Burt Neilson Band > Al from Moe. > Grand Theft Bus > The Sauce > Blue Quarter > Caution Jam > Mike and Jeff from BNB > One Step Beyond > Jomomma > Downtime > Nero > Friends of Hefner > Mark Wilson > The Hole and Corner > Fat Cats > Days of You > Deep Banana Blackout > John Butler Trio > Smokestack > The Smoothies > Jimmy Swift Band > Wassabi Collective > Guesthouse So let's raise a glass and smoke our respective favorite smokes and say goodbye to the Cozo and hope for a hello to other venues that will welcome so uninhibitedly great music and even greater people..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PassedOutGuy Posted December 6, 2002 Report Share Posted December 6, 2002 Well put M, I have spent too may an night to remember at teh Zone and look forward to what thephutue brings .. be it there or another club or clubs that step up to accept our scene in Toronto.. Stay kind all... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kung Posted December 6, 2002 Report Share Posted December 6, 2002 I'm presuming everyone has some sense that the Zone is likely owned by bikers in the 'organized' sense.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaimoe Posted December 6, 2002 Report Share Posted December 6, 2002 As much as I dislike the Un-Comfort Zone, I've seen many great shows there. Highlights for me are: Gov't Mule; Derek Trucks; Jazz Is Dead; nero; Jimmy Swift; Fat Cats; and catching Downtime's first T.O. gig. Oh yeah, I loved Caveman!! Memorable moment: When Jazz Is Dead played, I got to pass along a " Hello " from Derek Trucks to Jimmy Herring - I talked with Derek in Kingston a week earlier and told him I was going to the Jazz Is Dead show in a week. I ended up talking to Jimmy for 30 minutes while he watched the Fat Cats do their opening act thing. He was quite complimentary too. Both Derek and Jimmy were cool. The only thing Booche asked Derek before the Alfie's gig in Kingston was: " How was it playing with Phil Lesh "? Anyway, let's hope the Zone re-tools and comes back better. I'll still be going to the Silver Dollar and Grossman's on Wednesday, but it won't be the same without the Zone stop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shainhouse Posted December 6, 2002 Report Share Posted December 6, 2002 Having grown up a music fan at the Comfort Zone, sneaking in underage and finally ending my life there in a working sense, I saw tons of fantastic bands go through the zone. Here's a list of shows I'll never forget, past and present: Smokestack nero Grand Theft Bus Jimmy Swift Band Burt Neilson Band Blue Quarter Jukejoint Disco Biscuits Lo Faber Band Smokestack Merl Saunders (Oh yeah!) Soulive Derek Trucks Gov't Mule Strangefolk Pucho and His Latin Brothers Jazz is Dead Groove Wednesdaze Caveman Days of You Fat Cats Al from moe. freebeerandchicken Yukon Cornelius Mahavishnu Project The Resonators One Step Beyond and to all the friend I've met there, groove wednesdaze I've seen and good times I've shared, thank you. what a long strange trip it's been. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcO Posted December 6, 2002 Report Share Posted December 6, 2002 I recall a delicious veggie burrito I had there once. It was very very good, or may have just seemed that way beacuse I was very very baked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phunkyb Posted December 6, 2002 Report Share Posted December 6, 2002 I agree, I have been bitching about the Zone for years. It stinks, sketchy, but either way it was what you made it and I saw some amazing music there. Richie Havens Merl Saunders Ominous Seapods Derek Trucks The Recipe Jorma and Michael Falzarano The Zen Tricksters The Dude of Life Schleigho Burning Spear Didn't Soulive play there also?? Thats just to name a few. Good memories, good friends!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Posted December 6, 2002 Author Report Share Posted December 6, 2002 Great Friends! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarahbelle Posted December 7, 2002 Report Share Posted December 7, 2002 man... I just can't discribe how much this sucks. I remember when the old la luna's closed, it kinda feels like that... I know it sucks there, but man, I have been goin there steadily for my entire university career. I have met some great people there, had some kickass times..etc... to quote joni mitchell.. you don't know what you've got till it's gone.. it's just another way the family gets kicked down one more time.. BUT... the music never stops man it'll come back someday.. I kinda saw it comin though.. that place was in trouble anyways... Cheers.. Sarah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr_pinchy Posted December 7, 2002 Report Share Posted December 7, 2002 Two shows at the comfort zone that definitely stick out in my mind 1) Dirty Dozen Brass Band 2) Merle Saunders and One Step Beyond One that I want to forget.....lake trout Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phunkyb Posted December 7, 2002 Report Share Posted December 7, 2002 I remember the Dirty Dozen show. They boogied out into the crowd for Hey Pocky Way. Merl was amazing everytime, he used to pack the zone...always a 2 night run. Freak Freely Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewRider Posted December 7, 2002 Report Share Posted December 7, 2002 Yeah DDBB was amazing there, not what I had expected at all. One of my all time favorite shows there was Robert Walters 20th Congress with Vinyl. That was one increadible night of music. Other Zone highlights for me: Gov't Mule, Burning Spear, every Merl show, 2 nights in a row of Soulive and Jorma & Michael acoustic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shainhouse Posted December 7, 2002 Report Share Posted December 7, 2002 Zen Tricksters 5.21.99 was great too! I remember that Vinyl & Robert Walter show. That blew me away: Plus, Mike Clark's Prescription Renewal 3.12.01. remember that? oh yeah. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esau Posted December 7, 2002 Report Share Posted December 7, 2002 Greatest memory......... No doubt Ritchie Havens 98....shootin the shit outside with me and my girlfriend after the show! Sweet sweet "Dolphins" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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