Indie music venue the Holy Oak Café is closing on account of a rent increase.

The café and live music venue at 1241 Bloor West is being forced to move after the landlord raised the rent by $1,200 per month, according to a post on the venue’s Facebook page.

“Our focus has always been on building and serving our community first and turning a profit second,” the statement reads. “A rent increase like that makes it untenable for us to continue here.”

The venue’s closing party has yet to be confirmed, but will take place on the weekend of February 25.

The Holy Oak has become known as a queer-friendly hangout in the west-end that books DJ nights and performances by electronic and folk acts.

Owner Justin Oliver previously worked at the TRANZAC, and brought a lot of experimental and indie artists over to the Holy Oak when he opened the business eight years ago.

Artists that have played the 45-capacity space include Thom Gill, Bernice, Bonjay, Rae Spoon, LUKA, Anamai, Phedre, Roberto, Bob Wiseman, Ben Gunning and Vivek Shraya. The café has also hosted low-key performances by bigger names such as Mary Margaret O’Hara and Ron Sexsmith.

“It’s become a safe space for a lot of different communities,” Oliver tells NOW, adding that reliably queer watering holes outside the Church-Wellesley Village tend to be rare. “To lose that is a big deal. Queers will always find spaces, but to have something established that is a go-to is important.”

Oliver is now in “a comprehensive search” for a new space to house a venue that will primarily focus on music programming.

The shrinking number of music venues in Toronto has become an agenda item at City Hall this year.

Following news that long-running Spadina rock club the Silver Dollar is temporarily closing to make way for the construction of a mixed-use residential building, Mayor John Tory issued a joint statement with Toronto Music Advisory Council chair, councillor Josh Colle, affirming the city’s commitment to support live music spaces.

“We share the disappointment of musicians, music fans, and the music community at these recent announcements,” it reads. “Most of all, we would like the music community to know that we take the matter extremely seriously and are actively taking steps to address it.”

Other venues to close in recent months include The Central, The Hoxton and The HIdeout. After shutting down in January, folk club Hugh’s Room’s is making a transition to a not-for-profit model in order to remain afloat.

kevinr@nowtoronto.com | @kevinritchie