Sashine 

Thanks for posting this … so good to read about Komrad’s again. And now, the space is no longer Yonge Street Fitness. They closed on Dec. 1, 2013 (non-payment of rent). Who knows what will become of the space? Komrad’s was “the” place to be, with its large dance floor and big bar. I can’t recall, though if it was Komrad’s when the shootings took place, or if it had been under another name at the time. I do recall hearing the shots, though, around 4.00am. early on a summer weekend. Seems to me it wasn’t too long after that they closed the doors as a club and it eventually was re-developed as the gym space. 

9:01 pm on December 23, 2013 
 






john

Oh my god …. I cried when i read all this !!!! All those great friends and fantastic time in life.here really was a sense of taking care of each other . My favourite .. Micheal Shoot . Remember the day his wig flew across the room when someone threw it up in the air . It got caught in the ceiling fan . what drama ! some of my favourite memories as i came out out out !. Oh how i miss those days . Thank you for this site
john k 

8:26 pm on September 16, 2013 







Reog

I worked at Komrad’s for 2 years and managed the Coffee Cafe downstairs for 4. It may have earned itself a bad reputation, but the I’ve never seen as much love and support among a business’ clientele.
Thanks for some great memories!
B 

10:04 pm on August 27, 2013 







Brandon Stone

Just imagine the kind of party you could have with marble countertops from Vancouver or something, only use the material on the floor. Man, you could dance, breakdance, and so much more.  

12:02 pm on June 19, 2013 







Daniel Paquette 

Komrades was fantastic but one thing missing from this is that hundreds of us use to hang out on the street in front of the club just like we use to a block south in front of voodoo and various other clubs. it was such an amazing street party and nothing like it has happened since. 

9:19 pm on June 27, 2012 






TOfag

What a great article Denise. It really brought back a flood of great memories of (dare I say it) ‘the good old days’. I too spent many late nights on Komrads stainless steel dance floor, enjoying the best dance music in the city. That area really was a hub for gay nightliffe at the time, too bad we have such a meager selection of places to go to now…sigh… 

2:29 pm on June 27, 2012 






JoeyDavid.com 

The first gay club I went to was Colby’s in the 90′s. I was only 18 yrs old back then and I thought it was terrifying going to a gay club. But I then loved the club and I was a frequent clubber back then dancing crazy without the need of substances/alcohol. Those were the days.
When Colby’s closed down, it was sad because it was a good club with awesome music. And the other club compared to that was ‘Boots’ on Parliament which closed down when the hotel bought the building. 

11:41 am on June 27, 2012 







wildeyed 

The best – bar none! 

9:59 am on June 27, 2012 







sammi 

Denise – you write like you spin, cool, generous, smart. Back in 1986, I was a small town boy new to the city, newly out – Komrads was my first home. Had my first date there (o, so bad); met my first friends; fell in love for the first time; and of course, danced, like a fool, like a fiend, all night, ’til they kicked me out. Just being around so many gay men, and so many different types of gay men, was liberating. Never felt so accepted, never felt so cool – even if it was only by association. 

9:46 am on June 27, 2012 







ggn

fantastic research and writing. thx. 

9:22 am on June 27, 2012 







manliano

Give me a place like this over Grindr anytime. Love knowing this at least existed in my city, even if I was too young to partake. 

12:37 pm on June 24, 2012 







Dj Cory Activate 

What a fabulous article!! 
MANY thanks to Denise, Alain and everybody who contributed to it. I owe my career to Komrads and Dj Gerry Nault. As a young gay guy from Whitby, Ontario, I can’t even begin to tell you how important 1 Isabella was to me. After coming out and going to LGYT (Lesbian and Gay Youth Toronto – at the 519) in 1986, Komrads was the first contact I ever had with big, mainstream gay culture. It changed me (and MANY other people I knew!) forever. As a young suburban gay male in the 80′s, it’s impossible to underestimate the impact that gay bars and clubs of that era had – for MANY of us, they were our lifeline.
Komrads was the first place that I, as a young music lover, would ever hear “beat mixing”. I was blown away!! How were these DJ’s changing vocals on tracks while the beat kept going?! I was enthralled! The DJ was Gerry Nault, one of Komrads residents on Saturdays, and I was HOOKED. I would sit there for hours on end (literally!) watching him do what he did so masterfully! He would regularly “SHOO!” me from the front of the booth, tired of my endless “WOW” face and inevitable questions!! lol! I would go, but I’d be back the next week!! From those first, early moments, there was no question in my mind what I wanted to do! The impact of Komrads and those pioneering DJ’s (Gerry Nault, Greg Howlett, Peter Frost, Alberto Zara, Allan Young, Kevin LaForme, etc) is incalculable for me. I owe them everything  
Anyway, again, thanks to Denise Benson! It’s a wonderful thing that we’re keeping our shared nightlife history alive! All of us in the nightclub industry owe you a debt! In the age of “now! now! now!”, it’s nice to look back to “then!”.
~DJ Cory Activate 

3:52 am on June 22, 2012 







sammi

Dj Cory Activate – Got to thank you for some great times. Your music nearly killed me. I mean that. Got so intense sometimes I felt like I just might die. 

9:48 am on June 27, 2012 







Roger 

“PLAY MY SONG FOR ME!” love ya, Cory! Roger (famous for shouting out for ‘GLORIA!”) both at the Barn and Zippers/Cellblock. Hope to drop by this weekend for PRIDE! *kisses* 

11:38 am on June 27, 2012