The Orbit Room
The Orbit Room was a Toronto bar owned by Rush lead guitarist Alex Lifeson and Tim Notter. The restaurant was managed by Tim Wilson. The venue was decorated in the style of a 1950s New York City cocktail lounge, and played host to many different kinds of live music; particularly R&B, funk, and jazz. It was located at 580-A College Street, within Toronto's "Little Italy" district, accessible by streetcar. They served some food; more on certain nights of the week.
The Orbit Room began in November 1994. The original house band, The Dexters, played classic R&B Thursday through Saturdays, then Fridays and Saturdays, and finally just Saturdays. The Dexters were Lou Pomanti, Bernie LaBarge, Peter Cardinali, and various drummers, including Michael Sloski, Greg Critchley, Jorn Andersen, Mark Kelso, Kevan MacKenzie, and Larnell Lewis. They played at the club for ten years, until their semi-retirement in 2004. At its heyday, the club had a long lineup of fans waiting in all weather to get in to the 105-seat area. Special guests included Alex Lifeson, Jose Feliciano, Joey DeFrancesco, Gary Busey, and Jeff Martin.
Blues, alternative rock, reggae, soul and/or R & B were heard live seven nights a week. On any given night, local musicians and international celebrities were often present.
On July 16, 2020, the venue had announced that despite reopening efforts due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they would be closing their doors for good following its initial shutdown in March 2020.
