The Flyer Vault - by Daniel Tate & Rob Bowman (Paperback)

About the Book

The Flyer Vault: 150 Years of Toronto Concert History captures over 150 years of Toronto concert history through a visually stunning collection of flyers, posters, and advertisements.

Book Synopsis

A visual tour de force showcasing Toronto's vast concert history.

"Not sure there's ever been anything like this...The graphics are fascinating, the script is comprehensive. It's staggering what's been unleashed from the Vault." -- Gary Topp, promoter, half of the legendary duo the Garys
"These pages will take you on a musical magical mystery tour of Toronto's important place in concert history. Reading The Flyer Vault gives you a rush, just like the one you get when the house lights go down!" -- Dan Kanter, multi-platinum-selling songwriter/producer
"The Flyer Vault book helps bottle the lore, bringing me a little bit closer to my Toronto and its shows that have only grown in renown." --Danko Jones, lead singer/guitarist of the rock trio Danko Jones

Duke Ellington. Johnny Cash. David Bowie. Nirvana. Bob Marley. Wu-Tang Clan. Daft Punk. These are just some of the legendary names that played Toronto over the last century. Drawing from Daniel Tate's extensive flyer collection, first archived on his Flyer Vault Instagram account, Tate and Rob Bowman have assembled a time capsule that captures a mesmerizing history of Toronto concert and club life, ​running the gamut of genres from vaudeville to rock, jazz to hip-hop, blues to electronica, and punk to country.

The Flyer Vault: 150 Years of Toronto Concert History traces seminal live music moments in the city, including James Brown's debut performance in the middle of a city-wide blackout, a then-unknown Jimi Hendrix backing up Wilson Pickett in 1966 -- the year a new band from London named Led Zeppelin performed in Toronto six times -- and the one and only show by the Notorious B.I.G., which almost caused a riot in the winter of 1995.

Complementing the book's flyers is the story of the music, highlighting such iconic venues as Massey Hall, the Concert Hall/Rock Pile/Club 888, and the BamBoo, alongside lesser-known but equally important clubs such as Industry Nightclub and the Edge.

Review Quotes

The Flyer Vault book helps bottle the lore, bringing me a little bit closer to my Toronto and its shows that have only grown in renown.-- "Danko Jones, musician"

a fascinating history of Toronto's music scene from the 1850s to the noughties.-- "Toronto Star"

Not sure there's ever been anything like this...The graphics are fascinating, the script is comprehensive. It's staggering what's been unleashed from the Vault.-- "Gary Topp, legendary Toronto concert promoter"

The significance of this project is almost unfathomable. The result is a thing of beauty.-- "The Reviews Are In"

These pages will take you on a musical magical mystery tour of Toronto's important place in concert history. Reading The Flyer Vault creates a rush just like the one you get when the house lights go down!-- "Dan Kanter, multi-platinum-selling songwriter/producer"

Through and through, The Flyer Vault: 150 Years Of Toronto Concert History is a fascinating and informative journey into Toronto's ongoing cultural as a hub for music of all sorts...A stellar celebration of this city that we call home.-- "Spill Magazine"

About the Author

Daniel Tate worked in the concert industry for several years before starting The Flyer Vault project in 2015. His efforts to chronicle Toronto's live music history have been featured in the Globe and Mail, NOW, Vice, and on blogTO. He resides in Toronto.

Rob Bowman is a Grammy-winning professor of music at York University who has been writing about music for over 40 years. His book Soulsville U.S.A.: The Story of Stax Records was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2013. He lives in Toronto.