Good News for a Record Store: HMV Flagship Carves Out a Live Performance Space

Over the years, the basement of the HMV flagship store at 333 Yonge Street has been used for many things.  I remember visiting it when it was the BASSment, a place to find dance tracks and remixes.  For a while, it was used as storage.  But now it’s going to be a concert venue of sorts.

HMV just announced that they will be the first store in Canada to have a full-on performance space, complete with a stage, lightning and more than enough sound.  With a capacity of 140 people, this will be a perfect spot for artists to showcase their stuff.  They call it HMV Underground.

This is something HMV used to do at the big Oxford Street store in London.  I once stumbled in on a Graham Coxon (the Blur guitarist) on a Saturday afternoon.  It was brilliant.

And so far, so good for the new space.  The first performer booked for the spot is Michael Kolk, the Canadian classical guitarist on May 3.  The TD Toronto Jazz Festival has booked time as well.

This bodes well.  I’m still a huge fan of record stores and I want to see them survive.

Read more at the Toronto Star.