5. Masonic Temple - 888 Yonge Street
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The Masonic Temple here at 888 Yonge Street opened in 1918 and has had a long and versatile life. It was used by a variety of Masonic lodges for meetings and rented out to help defray costs. By the 1960s it was known as the Rock Pile, a music venue right on the edge of the famous Yorkville scene. Led Zeppelin played their first Toronto show here in 1969 and the list of performers is a roll call of local and international acts of the day. By 1980 it had rebranded as The Concert Hall and continued its role as an important medium-sized venue in Toronto. Occasionally the Rolling Stones would use it as a rehearsal space before touring. In the late 1990s the building became a studio for the CTV network and was home to the Open Mike with Mike Bullard show and in the early 2000s it became the MTV Canada studios. At various times in its history rumours of the building’s end have surfaced but it has remained intact despite the intense development in the area. Today the Masonic Temple has been rechristened as The Concert Hall again and is open for special events and concerts.
