Where should I go dancing in Toronto?

June 4, 2008 2:29 PM

Where should I go dancing in Toronto?

I'm visiting Toronto this weekend, and a group of us want to head out on the town for some drinking and dancing, but it's been years since I lived there and I'm pretty out of the loop. We're all in our mid-'30's, so we'd prefer somewhere with a slightly older crowd, somewhere in the downtown core, with DJs (as opposed to live music). The other caveat is that one member of our party had a really bad experience once at The Dance Cave and doesn't want to go there. Any suggestions?

posted by you just lost the game to society & culture (15 comments total)

Lee's Palace/The Dance Cave is located at 529 Bloor St. W. Toronto, Canada
One and a half blocks east of Bathurst. Exit the TTC at the BATHURST subway.
24hr INFOLINE 416.532.1598
posted by Fizz at 2:36 PM on June 4, 2008

Thanks, Fizz...but I would direct your attention to the second-last sentence of the post.
posted by you just lost the game at 2:44 PM on June 4, 2008

What flavour of music are you looking for? Saying 'with DJs' doesn't narrow it down much.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 2:47 PM on June 4, 2008

Well, not techno (for lack of a better word)...top 40/'80s-'90s "alternative"/hip-hop...
posted by you just lost the game at 2:53 PM on June 4, 2008

Even if you hadn't already ruled out the Dance Cave I would never recommend anyone over the age of 21 go there. Yikes. That place is the WORST.

Never Forgive Action is awesome and happens this Friday. It's downstairs at the Drake. Pretty mixed crowd (not choked by hipsters last I went, last year) and pretty unpretentious for the Drake.
posted by loiseau at 3:02 PM on June 4, 2008

Thanks loiseau, that sounds great...but I should have been more specific in the post; we're actually headed out on Saturday.
posted by you just lost the game at 3:08 PM on June 4, 2008

I went to Easy & the Fifth with co-workers a few times. Seemed like a pretty standard nightclub vibe with a mid-30's kind of crowd. It's DJ music.
posted by GuyZero at 3:16 PM on June 4, 2008

People I know have been raving about "Shake a Tail" at Clinton's Tavern (693 Bloor St. W. @ Christie subway) on Saturday nights, but it's 60s music so perhaps a little more retro than you'd like. I have not been there myself.
posted by sevenyearlurk at 3:37 PM on June 4, 2008

Ok, I got it. Seriously.

The Boat has Goin' Steady on this weekend. It's basically a 50s/60s teenage dance party. Lots of fun. The crowd might skew a little younger than you guys, but not by much, and certainly not as bad as you'll find at the Dance Cave (stupid drunk teenagers!). Period dress is fun but not required, and the venue is an old seafood restaurant decked out to look like a ship's hold.

It does also skew towards the indie hipsters, but don't let that stop you from checking it out. It's very fun. Oh, it's in Kensington Market at 158 Augusta.
posted by yellowbinder at 3:42 PM on June 4, 2008

Highly recommend Shake a Tail (main site is currently down for maintenance -- here's a blog post about it).

60's, 70's rock/disco. Excellent vibe, very laid back and the right age group. A little scenester-ish, but they're good people. It's not right downtown, but it's at Clinton's Tavern which is right on the Bloor/Danforth subway line (at Christie station).
posted by purephase at 4:02 PM on June 4, 2008

I second yellowbinder's suggestion as well. The Boat is a lot fun as well.
posted by purephase at 4:03 PM on June 4, 2008

Thanks! Both Shake A Tail and Goin' Steady sound great...my taste in music skews towards the older stuff anyway, so hopefully I can talk the others into one of them.
posted by you just lost the game at 4:21 PM on June 4, 2008

Yeah, just know that they are within walking distance of each other - if you go to one and it's terrible you can just up and go to another. Clinton's is a fave of mine because if you get tired of dancing you can walk out and sit in the pub and eat delicious poutine. The Boat is usually good times and right in Kensington so there are other things to check out nearby if it gets boring.
posted by SassHat at 4:53 PM on June 4, 2008

I also recommend the Boat.
posted by Gnatcho at 6:28 PM on June 4, 2008

You'll definitely be the oldest people at the Boat (besides the guy who owns it) but if that doesn't bother you then that's cool. I find the Shake-a-tail and Goin' Steady nights pretty... precious might be a word for it. I'd personally rather go to Big Primpin' at Stones Place but to each his own!
posted by loiseau at 8:22 PM on June 4, 2008