The Orbit Room
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The Orbit Room is a Toronto restaurant owned by Alex Lifeson (a member of the band Rush) and Tim Notter. The restaurant is managed by Tim Wilson. The venue is decorated in the style of a 1950s New York cocktail lounge, and plays host to many different kinds of live music; particularly R&B, funk, and jazz. It is located at 580-A College Street, within Toronto's "Little Italy" district, accessible by streetcar. There is street parking.
The Orbit Room began in November 1994. The original house band, The Dexters, played classic R&B Thursday thru Saturdays, then Fridays and Saturdays, and finally just Saturdays. The Dexters are comprised of Lou Pomanti (Hammond B-3), Bernie LaBarge, (guitar, vocals), Peter Cardinali (bass), and Mike Sloski (drums). They played at the club for ten years solid, until their semi-retirement in 2004. They still occasionally perform at the club.
Alex Lifeson occasionally performs with The Dexters . Rush fans often consider a visit to the Orbit Room a "must" when in Toronto.
Blues, alternative rock, reggae, soul, and/or R & B are played live 7 nights a week. On any given night, local musicians and Canadian celebrities are often present.
Sunday nights are always a busy night as Toronto's "Hottest Cover Band" Stifler's Mom take the stage. Stifler's Mom is comprised of various musicians from other hot Canadian acts: Thornley, Big Sugar, Fefe Dobson, Hawksley Workman. They are a guitar forward, power pop foursome covering everything from ZZ Top, The Rolling Stones, The Killers, to Canadian acts like The Trews and The Tragically Hip.
