Riverboat coffee house

The Riverboat coffee house
Location 134 Yorkville Avenue
Toronto, Ontario
Canada
Coordinates 40°43′47.01″N 74°0′1.93″W / 40.7297250°N 74.0005361°W / 40.7297250; -74.0005361Coordinates: 40°43′47.01″N 74°0′1.93″W / 40.7297250°N 74.0005361°W / 40.7297250; -74.0005361
Owner Bernie Fiedler
Type Coffeehouse
Genre(s) Folk music.
Capacity 120
Opened December 1964
Closed June 25, 1978

The Riverboat Coffee House was a Canadian coffeehouse located at 134 Yorkville Avenue in the Yorkville neighbourhood of Toronto, Canada. It was a key venue for folk rock music and singer songwriter music made famous for featuring high-profile acts, and is considered to be "the best-known coffee house in Canada."[1] It opened in December 1964 and closed June 25, 1978.

History

The Riverboat was owned by Bernie & Patricia (a.k.a. Sola, a well-known artist) Fiedler. Located in a basement, its decor was modelled after the interior of a boat, featuring port hole windows and intimate booths. Legend has it that American protest singer Phil Ochs wrote one of his best-known songs, "Changes", on the back porch.[2]

Notable performers

Numerous Canadian artists, including Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Ian & Sylvia, Gordon Lightfoot, Bruce Cockburn and Murray Mclaughlan played the Riverboat. A frequent stop on the touring circuit many American artists such as John Lee Hooker, James Taylor, Tim Hardin, Simon and Garfunkle, and Phil Ochs, also played dates.

Live albums recorded

Neil Young. Live at the Riverboat 1969

Songs written at or about the Riverboat

References

  1. ↑ "Riverboat". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
  2. ↑ Jennings, Nicholas. "The Riverboat and Yorkville's rich music history". heritageyorkville.tripod.com. Retrieved 2015-06-19.

Riverboat coffee house archival photographs from the Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collections, York University

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