The Free Times Cafe
The Streets of Toronto are filled with hundreds if not thousands of exciting bars and venues. These intricate and interesting establishments all have their own unique atmospheres and cater to a wide variety of people. Yet among all of these bars there is only one that the majority of folk musicians call their home. This bar, located at 320 College St, is known as the Free Times Cafe and for over 32 years it has been providing any and all aspiring artists with a stage to perform. But why is it that artists choose to play at the Free Times Cafe? What makes this small stage at the Free Times Cafe better than any other stage in Toronto?
To answer this question many would have to look into the history of the Free Times Cafe and claim that it is so popular because it’s home to the longest running open mic in the city. While this may be a perfectly good explanation, I think it’s more likely that the Free Times Cafe has earned its title of longest running open mic because it offers performers something that they can’t get anywhere else. To discover what makes the Free Times Cafe so attractive to both performers as well as audience members, I ventured down to the open mic myself and witnessed first hand what the hype was all about.
Jessica Speziale
When I first arrived inside the small venue I thought it was completely empty which was more than disappointing. However, when I walked into the back room of the Cafe my disappointment immediately changed to amazement. This dimly lit room was so jam packed with people that I could barely move. Along with being crammed full of fans, I also noticed that the room was so quiet I could hear every note played by the current performer, Rehan Dalal. Within seconds I found myself captivated by Dala’s fantastic jazz style and began to wonder if the silence would fade after his act. To my surprise the silence remained throughout the entire evening and was only broken to offer compliments and constructive criticism after each artist performed.
Ben Hanlon
Inti Santana
As the night went on I sat glued to my chair and witnessed over 20 amazing performances by local song writer/musicians such as Jessica Speziale, Robert Foster, Rob Angola and Ben Hanlon. As I watched in amazement I thought to myself, “this can’t be an open mic, all the performers are way too good”. So good in fact that it seemed as if the night was planned to provide audience members with an evening filled with new and interesting music. The atmosphere was absolutely perfect for taking in new sounds and gave up and coming artists the chance to display their own unique styles. This freedom to display personal style, in my opinion, is one of the key elements to the cafe’s success. I believe that because artists know they will be heard, they are inspired to play from the heart, filling the cafe’s lounge with a vast variety of great music.
During the night I got to experience French songs by Caitlin Stephen, Spanish songs by Inti Santana, duet performances by the Joon Bugs, folk covers by Jesse Gold & TJ Whitelaw and heaps of other outstanding solo acts. I thought it might be important to ask other audience members how they felt about the Cafe. It certainly wasn’t any surprise to me that everyone I asked agreed it was definitely a place to hear great music, but what I did learn from them was that many big name artists continue to play the open mic at the Free Times Cafe because they love the vibe.
The Joon Bugs
To better describe the charm of the cafe, I spoke to the open mic’s host, Alex Zdravkovic, who said “Free Times is not like other open mics where artists focus on being on stage, instead it’s about coming out and hearing new and awesome music” In saying that Zdravkovic pretty well described what I was already thinking. The Free Times Cafe is a great place to share and grow with other Toronto musicians. Not once did I sense competition among performers, but instead it seemed as if the cafe was built around a community of musicians who were excited to learn from each other. I really believe it was this sense of community that has made the Cafe as popular as it is, and I personally hope that the community stays with the Free Times Cafe for many more years to come.
