“A lot of the spaces in here are designed to give the incoming artist the arena experience inside a club-level venue. “So the artist flies around the world playing club levels, why not come to Toronto, play History and actually get that elevated experience? “I would say the green rooms definitely have his personal touch for the artist’s experience,” Biasutti says of Drake’s suggestions. The dressing rooms and lounges look similar to modern high-end hotels, not stark white rooms that are commonplace in clubs, where artists can hang or hold meet ‘n’ greets or do interviews. “It gives the ability for the artist to see the venue fill up before they get on stage, or for the headliner to watch the opener,” explains Biasutti.
#Drake own it review plus
The venue has 55 front-row, theatre-style seats on the 351-capacity mezzanine, with 10 premium boxes just behind them, plus two ground floor VIP areas, including the north VIP box directly stage left with its own bar and entrance “for super fans.” There is also a south platform on the mezzanine for the artist’s guest list and promoters. And Toronto artist Kwest - who in 2015 designed a sculptural ping-pong table for Drake and an installation in his since-defunct restaurant Fring’s - was commissioned to paint a mural on the wall. The feature stairwell to get from the green room down to the stage has customizable lights “to any color, any speed,” that the performer can select “to hype themselves up to get out onto the stage,” Biasutti reveals.Īnother stairwell that the artists have direct access to from their tour bus has lyrics from Canadian artists all the way down, including, of course, “Started from the bottom now we’re here,” painted one word per stair in gold. The fun little touches include a giant Instagrammable and TikTok-able “H” on the wall right inside the main entrance, “where fans can let everyone know on their socials where they are and what artist they’re going to see,” says Biasutti, as well as extras that most fans won’t get to see. History also has the ability to livestream and record, and is equipped with cameras “located strategically throughout the venue for speaking engagements, like TED Talks,” he says. You could be standing directly across from the stage and still have a great view.” You could be at any point, any area of the room, and you’re still this close to the stage. “The curve is mostly to create the best live experience for fans. “What I tell artists when they come in and preview the stage is that you can see the facial expressions of the person at the very back of the room, the way that it’s designed,” Biasutti claims. The club has a 22-foot x 40-foot stage with a permanent LED wall, and faces a two-level hall, the lower level accommodating 2202 people and the curved mezzanine 351, for a total capacity of 2553.
Swallow/Thornton Tomasetti was the acoustic consultant. The architect was IBI Group, with sound design by PRG and its lead engineer Jon Halliwell. History was created by DesignAgency in consultation with Live Nation Canada and Drake.
![drake own it review drake own it review](https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy82NTk4NjQ0L29yaWdpbi5qcGciLCJleHBpcmVzX2F0IjoxNjkzNzE5MjE0fQ.bjM47J8bTK9Oo57cAn_PpFsmbOKNnfOf2B7t3GaB8tU/img.jpg)
“I’d love to see a symphony on this stage,” he adds. Biasutti says it’s suitable for concerts of all genres as well as private weddings and corporate functions. Unlike Drake’s members-only Sher Club inside Scotiabank Arena, described by Toronto Life as having a “vampire-in-Vegas vibe,” or his custom-built mansion in the prestigious Bridle Path, described in an Architectural Digest feature as “a marvel of old-world craftsmanship, constructed of limestone, bronze, exotic woods, and other noble materials,” History’s interior is plain and timeless.
![drake own it review drake own it review](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2021/09/09/arts/07drake-review/merlin_194126163_4010eef8-bde7-437b-a243-c5b073218f38-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
Bleachers perform opening night at History in Toronto Tom Pandi