7. Phoenix Concert Theatre - 410 Sherbourne Street

The Phoenix Concert Theatre here on Sherbourne Street does seem like an odd place for a club venue but this location has a long history as a social and cultural gathering spot. By the 1950s, after a stint in the building that houses the 519 Community Centre on Church Street, the German-Canadian Club Harmonie was a restaurant and bar, with oom-pah bands playing in the ballroom as well as a community meeting spot. For a while, Club Harmonie downsized to a smaller portion of the building while the ballroom became a dinner theatre until 1984 when the entire property was transformed into a legendary Toronto nightclub called The Diamond.

A dance club with occasional concerts, it became a well-known hipster hotspot, introducing new music to Toronto and becoming a hub for various subcultures as well as an occasional LGBTQ venue. It hosted well-known touring acts including small performances by superstars like Pink Floyd and David Bowie.

In the early 1990s the club changed hands and became the Phoenix and has operated for the last 30 years.