Maple Leaf Ballroom

At the U2 concert last month, Bono changed the lyrics of Beautiful Day from “See China right in front of you” to “Maple Leaf Ballroom right in front of you”. I just did a quick Google search, and it looks like U2 played a venue by this name in 1981. That Bono has a good memory.

One account:

The concert was at some place west of downtown called the Maple Leaf Ballroom; it really was a ballroom, mirrored ball and all. I didn’t know Toronto at the time, and I have no idea if the venue survives. The warmup act was the Diodes, Toronto’s best local punk band at the time. The lead singer kept hitting the mirrored ball until it fell down and hit a member of the audience on the head. There were maybe a couple of hundred people milling about.
U2 were four fresh-faced kids, and they played with an honesty and sincerity that was a complete change from the usual posturing and cynicism we were used to.

Anybody heard of such a place? Does it exist now?

Darryl Dash

Darryl Dash

I'm a grateful husband, father, oupa, and pastor of Grace Fellowship Church Don Mills. I love learning, writing, and encouraging. I'm on a lifelong quest to become a humble, gracious old man.
Toronto, Canada