This ad shows that a young Steve Wonder - before he achieved fame - played in Montreal in the week of May 30, 1964.
Stevie Wonder had just turned 14 when he performed at a club at Notre Dame and Davidson long, long gone from the landscape.
Elvis Presley's would-be visit to the Forum in 1957? Nixed by Habs GM Frank Selke. He never played Montreal or anywhere in Quebec. Some speculated that the Catholic church was behind the snub but they were not. He played Ottawa, for what it's worth. A local Elvis impersonator might be inspired of doing a show based on the concert that Elvis never gave.
Elvis Presley's would-be visit to the Forum in 1957? Nixed by Habs GM Frank Selke. He never played Montreal or anywhere in Quebec. Some speculated that the Catholic church was behind the snub but they were not. He played Ottawa, for what it's worth. A local Elvis impersonator might be inspired of doing a show based on the concert that Elvis never gave.
Then there was the July 2, 1962 performance by 21-year-old Bob Dylan at the Finjan Club in the Cote des Neiges district.
ReplyDeleteLovell's Directory for 1961 has the listing as "Finjan Coffee House, props C. Feldman & S Ash restaurant etc. apt 1 5650 Victoria av"
which was located upstairs directly above the currently-existing pharmacy at 5630 and accessed by the door shown in this dated Google map photo.
See:
http://www.last.fm/music/Bob+Dylan/Live:+Finjan+Club,+Montreal,+Canada,+July+2,+1962
Addendum:
ReplyDeleteGoogle maps photo of the Finjan Club located at 5650 Victoria in the early 1960s:
https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.492083,-73.632552,3a,75y,204.65h,93.75t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s4kDpH1l_Ff4fvM6mXtmPfQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
elvis gratton?
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know more about the Finjan Club's history? Who else played there? How did Bob Dylan connect with the place? What year did it close? I find it interesting this was going on in that part of town.
ReplyDeleteHopefully the Finjan Club owner will stumble across this blog and relate the details of how he got in touch with Dylan and arranged for him to visit which, incidentally, was four months after his debut album was released.
ReplyDeleteContrary to my earlier post, there was never a pharmacy downstairs at 5630 Victoria, rather it was occupied for many years by a Cantor's Bakery which eventually closed. A fruit market was adjacent at 5670 but the various owners of these established have come and gone over the years, presumably due to the ever-increasing rents.
http://bit.ly/1Oe9CzJ
ReplyDeleteGood interview with the Finjan Club guy.
Thanks very much for your comments! Great interview. It's fascinating to think that stretch of Victoria Ave has a such a cool history.
ReplyDelete