Steve’s Music Store in Toronto was more than just a place to buy a new guitar or grab a fresh set of picks and strings.
The Queen Street West shop, which closed its doors on Sunday day after nearly 49 years in business, was a gathering spot for musicians of all genres, long-time patrons tell CTV News.
They say that Steve’s encouraged budding musicians to play and was a place where the love of music was exchanged between generations, and a sense of camaraderie was felt between patrons and staff.
For Marilyn Wilson, Steve’s felt like the first music store where she was actually seen and cared for.
“It was a different experience at Steve’s. When I would go in, they were very friendly and didn’t make any assumptions,” Wilson said in an interview with CTV News Toronto. “It was just a very different experience and a place that I felt much more comfortable.”
Wilson fell in love with guitar later in life when she bought her son a Fender acoustic as “a lifeline to help him through a really tough time” after his father was diagnosed with cancer. Though right-handed, Wilson’s son asked for a left-handed guitar instead, leaving the acoustic up for the taking and igniting a newfound hobby in her life.
On one quiet day at Steve’s, Wilson said she worked up the nerve to sit down and play The Pretender’s “Back on the Chain Gang” on one of the acoustics out on display.
A young staffer recognized the song, handed Wilson a few guitar picks, and told her to keep going and not give up—a small gesture she says she will never forget.
Jeff Hodge said he feels transported to 1979 every time he steps foot into Steve’s, taking him back to when he was 11 years old and had saved up his hard-earned cash from birthday gifts and his newspaper route to buy his first “good” electric guitar.
“I was totally infatuated with Kiss and Kiss, of course, they used Gibson guitars,” Hodge told CTV News Toronto. “Anything with the word Gibson on it, I was in awe.”
Hodge’s eyes went wide when he said he saw a Gibson within his price range, recounting his excitement when he picked it up and played. But, he said, the Steve’s employee who was working at that time softly steered him in another direction.
“He basically told us in a very nice way, and it broke my heart. He said, ‘This Gibson that you like is very cheaply made. Even the wood that it’s made out of, like the body, is pretty much almost particle board,’” Hodge recounted.
The staffer recommended opting for a Peavey, Hodge said, pointing to its craftsmanship as a key selling point. It’s what Hodge ended up going for—and the temporary disappointment transformed into a lifetime of playing that guitar.
“She’s a workhorse, I always go back to it … even though she doesn’t look fancy and flashy and all that, I mean, it’s almost like butter when you play it,” Hodge said, adding how he could never (“ever, ever”) part ways with it.
“I always look back and actually thank that sales rep from Steve’s. He could have sold us that Gibson and, sure enough, maybe a year down the line, I would have lots of problems with it, but he was—he totally went out of his way.”
‘Toronto history disappearing’
The brick-and-mortar retail space, with its chunky yellow lettering hanging over Queen Street and Spadina Avenue, clears out Sunday, after nearly five decades.
Its closure marks an end of an era; another legacy vanished from Toronto’s streets.
“It’s tragic to see … our Toronto history disappearing,” Scott Hughes said, noting how today’s Queen Street doesn’t reflect its “bohemian” roots from decades past.
Hughes says he bought all of his guitars from Steve’s, including a limited edition EVH Wolfgang Special Striped guitar designed by Eddie Van Halen. What drew him to Steve’s was the community that was felt walking through the doors.
“You try a guitar amp or something … there’s a community, a camaraderie of guitar players, and it’s interesting to talk to people who play different types of music,” Hughes said.
“People who might be there buying something completely different than you, just a real community down there.”
‘Keep rocking Toronto’
In a statement to CTV News Toronto, Steve’s Music Store Vice President Michael Kirman thanked everyone who has ever stopped by the Queen Street location.
“We have been part of and witnessed the growth of Toronto. From the early punk scene, the grunge dominance of the 1990s, early 2000s, and the current generation of music,” Kirman said, adding how the store has also been there to witness generations of musicians within families.
“Keep rocking Toronto, and thank you for close to five decades of memories. You’re Steve’s family. Past and present.”
The store announced in February that it would be restricting its operations as a direct consequence of the “significant disruption” that has been seen across their industry.
“Despite various efforts to adapt, we continue to face mounting financial pressure, which, after reviewing all our options, ultimately led to the current restructuring proceedings,” the store said in a statement in February. The store confirmed they are restructuring in a way to better service their online store.
Andy Chelminski, of Continental Auctioneers, confirmed to CTV News Toronto that they are handling the liquidation process. Their stores in Ottawa, Dollard-des-Ormeaux and Greenfield Park, have already closed, though their store in Montreal remains open.
The Queen Street store will officially close at 5 p.m. on March 22.
