El Mocambo Productions along with Michael Wekerle, owner of the El Mocambo, announced today that the legendary venue has officially reopened its doors virtually. Described as an “ultramodernbroadcast studio with a liquor license” (Globe and Mail), the El Mocambo is set to revolutionize the live music business by blending cutting-edge technology with unparalleled access - offering audiences, fans and music lovers the ultimate live experience delivered straight to the comfort of their homes.

“During these unprecedented times we need to unite together to support everyone in our communities,” shares Michael Wekerle. “Music is a thread that unites us all and we are working closely with artists and their team members to bring new and meaningful experiences to music lovers, in new ways. Myself, and my team are encouraged to continue to innovate, and work to create solutions that work to support artists, fans, communities and the entertainment industry at large. I am hopeful that with continued collaboration we can all work to sustain a healthy and thriving entertainment sector, and to ultimately keep live alive.”

Making its highly acclaimed virtual debut on Canada Day, the El Mocambo welcomed the City of Toronto’s Canada Day 2020 celebration playing host to rock icon Kim Mitchell, alt-rock band July Talk, Next Generation Leahy, singer-songwriter, actor and speaker Jully Black, Hip Hop artist Haviah Mighty and the legendary Gordon Lightfoot. Garnering more than 100,000 views in a single day, many of the live performances were broadcast/live streamed from the El Mocambo in 4k High Definition via Nugs.net/Youtube, concluding with a sing along to Neil Young’s “Lotta Love” led by Choir! Choir! Choir!.

“A virtual opening wasn’t exactly what we had originally envisioned, but even without a live audience, the sentiment and pride to be hosting an event, to be creating forward momentum with the city, other venues, artists and their team members was everything you could have expected and more,” said Julie Hoffman, Manager of Music Services. “We are very much looking forward to working with the industry to create meaningful moments, both virtually and physically for many more years to come.”

As the world continues to adjust to the new reality of social distancing in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, the El Mocambo is in an elite position to provide a new, innovative and engaging alternative for concert goers and audiences around the world. Events can be recorded live from the floor via a state-of-the-art in-house control room and can be live streamed in 4k for music fans around the world - making it a one-of-a-kind vintage venue for the digital age.

The revamped building has been designated as a content creation center where performances on both floors, as well as the backstage area can be sent through the SSL L550 simultaneously for recording and streaming.

“We are now a broadcast facility with three isolated performance areas, state of the art audio and video equipment and the ability to capture, record and stream high resolution content to a global audience,” shared Jamie Howieson, Production Manager & Executive Designer. “We have a central control room with a video control room, an audio control room and a vocal isolation booth, which allows us to pull audio and video from three separate performance spaces in the venue while simultaneously editing, mixing and delivering content via streaming platforms, or recording and capturing for future use.”

The closure of the historic Toronto entertainment venue was announced in October 2014 before Wekerle, Founder and Chairman of merchant bank Difference Capital Financial Inc., and former Dragon on CBC’s Dragons’ Den stepped forward to purchase it. In 2015, the El Mocambo began extensive renovations to repair the aging building and create fully modernized performance and event spaces. The intimate ground-floor stage and the second-floor mainstage remain in the same locations, but both now offer improved sightlines and exceptional lighting, video and acoustics.

The iconic venue - wired to deliver music to fans and audiences globally, boasts three acoustically tuned performance areas, state of the art video, audio, lighting and production capabilities in addition to the highest safety standards in terms of building construction. New additions include a third storey soaring mezzanine, a retail space and mobility friendly access, along with the largest studio floor on the eastern seaboard.

One of North America’s longest-running and most iconic music venues, the El Mocambo was founded as a fine dining and dancing establishment in 1948, but since then evolved into something of a rock ‘n’ roll mecca, hosting many of the biggest names in music including: The Rolling Stones, Elvis Costello, Blondie, Ramones, Meatloaf, Stevie Ray Vaughan, U2 and many more.

Visit elmocambo.com for additional details and more information as it becomes available.