The Dakota Tavern is living proof that people love going places that aren't cool. How else would a cowboy bar with a bluegrass brunch and country-western house band thrive in the middle of Dundas West?Going to the Dakota Tavern is like walking onto a the set of a cheesy western movie from the 1950s. First there are the oversized doors that look more like they belong in a horse stable than a popular bar on Ossington. Then there's the trek downstairs, to a place where there's no daylight or cell phone reception, as if the owners want you to forget the modern world exists outside. Once you're in, that's when the questions start: Why are there bull skulls on the wall? What's with the wood panelling? Did I just get lost and end up in Alberta? Am I going to end up in a cowboy-style gun duel before the night's over? Do they serve steak here?
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If the Dakota Tavern doesn't fit in with its neighbourhood, that's the point. When the co-owners decorated the place, they didn't look to downtown Toronto for inspiration, but to their family cottages. It's no wonder that going to the Dakota feels like an escape — not not just from the city, but from everything we've come to assume about popular music venues.
ViaInstead of scrambling to book the most popular bands of the moment, the bar offers a combination of regular house bands, up and coming artists, and the occasional superstar. On Saturdays and Sundays, they hold the wildly popular Bluegrass Brunch, where patrons scarf down homey bacon and eggs while listening to revolving cast musicians of jam away on banjos and fiddles.The event draws a refreshing crowd of music lovers, parents with their children, old bluegrass heads, hipsters, and the merely curious.Then there are the house bands, most famously The Beauties, whose Sunday night spot saw lines outside the door when it was still going on. This month features a residency with The Mercenaries, who play 1950s R&B covers like nobody's business. The Dakota's emphasis on reoccurring acts has allowed it to go beyond being a place for shows, to a close community of people who really care about music.It's no surprise, then, that the Dakota Tavern is a favourite place among big musicians looking to play smaller, more intimate shows. Back in 2008, when they hosted Jason Collett's Basement Revue series, Collett surprised everyone by turning one of the nights into a full Broken Social Scene show. More recently, rising country star Lindi Ortega held the release party for Little Red Boots there. If you keep your ear to the ground, you might catch a secret show by friends of the Dakota like Ron Sexsmith, Kathleen Edwards, Corb Lund, Blue Rodeo, and who knows who else.
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The venue is also home to Country Music Television's Dakota Sessions, which features world-class acts performing on the Dakota's tiny stage. The series has included Cowboy Junkies, Sarah Harmer, Gord Downie, The Avett Brothers, Sexsmith, and many others. With a capacity of just 130, the Dakota is easily the smallest room these artists have played in a long time.But of course, it's a not all about big acts slumming it for a night. When they're not hosting house bands, the Dakota Tavern actively fosters emerging artists from Ontario and beyond, making a special effort to book bands based on quality instead of hype. Just recently they were one of NXNE's hot spots, playing host to everything form beloved touring acts, like Slow Down Molasses and Sleepy Sun, to the first Toronto showcase by Passovah Productions, the popular Montreal indie promotion group. With a reputation for quality music and an avid group of supporters, it's no wonder why the Dakota Tavern has become one of the most popular tour stops on the Ontario circuit.
The Dakota Tavern is a place where you can go any night of the week and know you're going to hear some good music. It might not be the coolest place on the block, but with so many incredible musicians passing through its doors, it has transcended trends to become its own kind of cool.Greg Bouchard is a writer living in Toronto - @gregorybouchard
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ViaInstead of scrambling to book the most popular bands of the moment, the bar offers a combination of regular house bands, up and coming artists, and the occasional superstar. On Saturdays and Sundays, they hold the wildly popular Bluegrass Brunch, where patrons scarf down homey bacon and eggs while listening to revolving cast musicians of jam away on banjos and fiddles.The event draws a refreshing crowd of music lovers, parents with their children, old bluegrass heads, hipsters, and the merely curious.Then there are the house bands, most famously The Beauties, whose Sunday night spot saw lines outside the door when it was still going on. This month features a residency with The Mercenaries, who play 1950s R&B covers like nobody's business. The Dakota's emphasis on reoccurring acts has allowed it to go beyond being a place for shows, to a close community of people who really care about music.It's no surprise, then, that the Dakota Tavern is a favourite place among big musicians looking to play smaller, more intimate shows. Back in 2008, when they hosted Jason Collett's Basement Revue series, Collett surprised everyone by turning one of the nights into a full Broken Social Scene show. More recently, rising country star Lindi Ortega held the release party for Little Red Boots there. If you keep your ear to the ground, you might catch a secret show by friends of the Dakota like Ron Sexsmith, Kathleen Edwards, Corb Lund, Blue Rodeo, and who knows who else.The venue is also home to Country Music Television's Dakota Sessions, which features world-class acts performing on the Dakota's tiny stage. The series has included Cowboy Junkies, Sarah Harmer, Gord Downie, The Avett Brothers, Sexsmith, and many others. With a capacity of just 130, the Dakota is easily the smallest room these artists have played in a long time.But of course, it's a not all about big acts slumming it for a night. When they're not hosting house bands, the Dakota Tavern actively fosters emerging artists from Ontario and beyond, making a special effort to book bands based on quality instead of hype. Just recently they were one of NXNE's hot spots, playing host to everything form beloved touring acts, like Slow Down Molasses and Sleepy Sun, to the first Toronto showcase by Passovah Productions, the popular Montreal indie promotion group. With a reputation for quality music and an avid group of supporters, it's no wonder why the Dakota Tavern has become one of the most popular tour stops on the Ontario circuit.