City loses another of its cultural beacons

On Saturday, Oct. 23, 1993, the day Joe Carter hit his walk-off home run to seal the Blue Jays’ second World Series title in two years, I remember exactly where I was. On the dance floor at the Phoenix Concert Theatre on Sherbourne Street.

- EDWARD KEENAN

For Edward Keenan, the Phoenix Concert Theatre was a place where one could feel a collective euphoria for a while during weekly DJ nights, or get caught up in the groove of a live performance.

The game was being projected on big screens over the dance floor — the play-by-play sound turned up — with CFNY DJ Martin Streek shouting periodic chants of encouragement over the sound system. The room was packed with members of the pierced, tattooed, bright-haired-and-grungy-clothed Lollapalooza crowd of the moment, all of them riveted to the screen.

And when Carter hit that moon shot, the place erupted in a joyous, jumping celebration of hugs and screams and high fives. And moments later, the barking-dog opening “Been Caught Stealing” blasted from the speakers, and everyone danced and drank and moshed and celebrated into the night.

The memory of that night stands as an almost perfect time-capsule for that period of my life. And an example of why, for many generation X Torontonians in particular, the news this week that the Phoenix will be shutting the doors in January to make way for condo construction will hit hard. Even for many of us who haven’t been there in years.