Toronto Venue Double Double Land Announces Closure

Published Jun 21, 2018

Owners and organizers of Toronto venue Double Double Land have announced that the Kensington Market performance space is set to close after nine years of operation.The abrupt announcement was made by co-founder Daniel Vila in a Facebook event [via NOW ] for what will stand as the venue's final live performance, which featured Mary Ocher, Lief Hall, Bile Sister and Canadian Romantic.Vila wrote that the show would be "the last live music show at DDL unless a million lightning bolts strike us and we rise into the heavens."NOW notes that the venue's occupants chose not to expand on the "string of complications" that led to the closure.It isn't hard to point to forces that include gentrification and a unpredictable real estate market that have affected artistic spaces of sizes across Toronto recently.Double Double Land was founded in 2009 by Vila and Jon McCurley. Located in Toronto's Kensington Market, the venue was recognized by Toronto's arts community as a DIY space run for artists, by artists.Musical acts that have performed in the space over the years include Grimes, Owen Pallett, Le1f, Doldrums, Petra Glynt, New Fries, Ian Svenonius, Tasseomancy and many more.Double Double Land was also recognized as a venue committed to fostering a safe and inclusive environment for attendees.After a man was reportedly sexually assaulted at knifepoint in a venue washroom in October of 2015 , panic buttons were installed in the washroom and doors in the space were redesigned for increased visibility.In 2016, the venue began keeping naloxone kits on site to protect partygoers from potential opioid overdoses.