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°WCoordinates: 40°43′47.01″N 74°0′1.93″W / 40.7297250°N 74.0005361°W |
| Owner | Bernie Fiedler |
| Type | Coffeehouse |
| Genre(s) | Folk music. |
| Capacity | 120 |
| Opened | October 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." It opened in October 1964 and closed on June 25, 1978.
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.
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 appeared there.
Live at the Riverboat 1969 by Neil Young
Riverboat coffee house archival photographs from the Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collections, York University
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