A former grocery store recognizable by its comic-book mural exterior
Lee's Palace
Lee's Palace on Bloor Street became one of Toronto's key alternative and indie rock venues from the 1980s onward, its comic-book-style painted exterior turning the building itself into a neighbourhood landmark.
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Lee's Palace opened on Bloor Street West near the Annex in the 1980s, converting a former commercial building into a mid-sized concert venue that became a key stop for alternative and indie rock acts through the following decades. Its most visible feature, painted directly onto the building's exterior, is a brightly coloured, comic-book-style mural that has made the venue instantly recognizable to anyone who has walked that stretch of Bloor Street, whether or not they've ever been inside.
A steady presence in Toronto's indie scene
The venue built its reputation hosting touring alternative and indie bands at a scale between the city's smallest clubs and its larger theatres, a booking niche that made it a consistent stop for acts on the way up through the 1990s and 2000s. Lee's Palace has remained a fixture of Toronto's live music circuit for decades, its exterior mural functioning as an unofficial neighbourhood landmark distinct from its role as a working concert venue.
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