New concert venue in Toronto inching closer to opening will celebrate art, music and love for the east end

While Toronto has no shortage of concert and event venues, both big and small, there’s always room for one more–especially when it’s an actual labour of love for a lifelong resident who wants to create more space for artists and musicians in the quieter part of the city.  

“Where the venue is located, I live about two blocks north,” Kinkade Davis, founder of the soon-to-open Mercy on Gerrard concert venue, tells YourCityWithIN.com.

“That’s where I grew up.”

Davis, 29, is no stranger to the music and concert scene in the city. A musician himself, Davis is also a stagehand who studied audio engineering and who has worked shows at the Opera House, Danforth Music Hall, History and Velvet Underground (to name a few). He knows firsthand how tough managing a concert venue can be.

That said, the challenges involved in transforming the rustic (and elderly) Grand Gerrard Theatre into a modern musical hotspot have still come as a shock. Fortunately, he’s had his family, friends, colleagues and the broader community at his side since launching a GoFundMe campaign to raise $31,035 to cover remaining renovations, a new sign, a sound system and lighting. 

The rest of the project has been funded by the self-described hippie who says he’s known to spend his summers planting trees. 

As of publication time, the campaign is inches away from reaching its goal, having raised over $30,000. With his dream of another east end concert venue becoming closer to reality, Davis says the project came to life over a relatively short period of time. 

In fact, the idea came about in late 2024. 

“The day I thought about doing it, I was walking the dog with my mom and we were grabbing coffee. My mom randomly asked ‘Have you ever thought about opening a venue?” I laughed because I know venue owners in the city and it’s a hard job,” he says. 

“A lot of moving parts, a lot of components, a lot to keep track of.”

Despite the hugeness of the idea, Davis said the notion “festered,” and he brought a friend to look at the now-closed theatre at Gerrard and Jones to get a better feel for the possibility. After more debating, he decided to reach out to his contacts in the industry to learn more about the ups and downs of managing a concert space. 

“I asked the GM of the Opera House to give me his honest opinion. He gave me the whole spiel, and he said if he could help, he would help,” he says, adding that after that conversation, he decided the project was worth tackling.

Still, he needed one very special person’s blessing first.

“Before I signed the lease, I went to my mom and said that I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t have her in my corner. She said ‘You know what, I’ll help as much as I possibly can.’ In the earlier stages of everything, my mom helped so much,” he says. 

In December 2024, he took over the building and has been working hard to get the space, which first opened as a community theatre in 1913, safe and up to code. 

“Right now, that’s what we’re dealing with. We’ve sourced all the materials we need to put on a show.”

The journey, Davis says, has not been an easy one. 

“About a month in, the scope became massive and I was like ‘oh my gosh.’ I’ve had a lot of sleepless nights. Anything you can imagine from a big job, I’ve felt it. It’s been so much work but the knowledge I’ve [gained] from taking this step, it’ll carry on for the rest of my life.”

Davis pulls no punches when he says the project has felt overwhelming at times. While he’s well over 95 per cent of the way to fulfilling his crowdfunding goal, he says he’s had to tackle hurdles along the way, such as ceiling leaks and upgrades to the building’s electrical system. Thankfully, he’s been able to get help from friends, family, and others with contracting experience. 

“The network of people I’ve built in the last three months–people I’ve hoped to always meet or people who came as angels in my life…the experience of it all, as hard and stressful as it’s been, I’m so grateful it’s happening.” 

Davis also says safety is paramount and the venue won’t open until it’s in top condition. 

“I wouldn’t risk having any shortcuts. My number one rule is safety: safety for the audience and safety for the people working there,” he says, adding that once issues with the building itself are resolved, the venue will move closer to officially opening its doors.

As for what the venue will look like once the finishing touches are complete, Davis says the theatre, which will hold about 400 concertgoers, will retain much of its signature look and feel. 

“A lot of buildings get bulldozed and new buildings take their place with that modern, industrial feel. We’re trying to keep the presence of this old theatre as alive as possible,” he says, adding that The Grand Gerrard sign will be used in some way and that art and murals have been envisioned for the space. 

“We want to pay homage to people who previously owned it.”

When asked how the campaign to fund the final renovations and upgrades came together so quickly, Davis credits his dedicated social media campaign, his community and industry connections, and the venue’s sentimental place in Torontonians’ hearts. 

“Anyone who messages me [on social media] about the space, I immediately message them and say ‘Come by, take pictures.’ It’s a community space, so I don’t want it to be hidden; I want people involved,” he says. 

He also says the space is important to everyone, from local history buffs and artists to people looking for jobs in entertainment and hospitality. 

“Some know the history, some are interested in the arts, some are looking for bartender jobs. A lot of people are just talking about it,” Davis says.

For him, one of the most striking aspects of the community’s response has been the outpouring of pride in the area and the country more broadly.

“I wish I could explain how it went from being in a space filled with garbage to having people from all walks of life make this space what it is now. East end pride, Toronto pride, Canada pride. It’s unexplainable. Seeing it first-hand is incredible.” 

As for who he would love to take the stage when the venue opens, Davis says he hopes to host local rock band The Beaches and, to honour his Indigenous heritage, The Halluci Nation (formerly known as A Tribe Called Red). 

Davis says he went to school with members of The Beaches and suggests that while a show at Mercy might be a “downplay” for a band with big hits under its belt, he thinks it would be perfect to have the venue opened by local rock stars.

As for The Halluci Nation, he says a performance by them would be a huge party for the entire community. 

“There’s a massive Indigenous community in Toronto. To celebrate that, to bless the stage, that would be awesome.” 

The venue is a tribute to family and community in many ways and is even named after Davis’s beloved late aunt. 

“My mom brought it up because she knows how much my aunt meant to me,” he says. 

“I thought it might be cheesy to a degree, but it ended up being the only name. As time progresses, it becomes that much more powerful.”

Like other members of his family–many of whom, like him, are dancers and musicians–his aunt was a great lover of the arts, and her taste in old-school hip-hop had a profound influence on him. 

“She was a music and art fan. She couldn’t dance and had two left feet, but she grooved in a different way,” he says, adding that when he was a kid, she would “blast Tupac” while he was visiting. 

“Friends and family say she would be so proud of me. It’s an honour. When I go into the venue, I pray for the opportunity to do this and say, Auntie M, if you’re paying attention, this is all because of you.” 

Ultimately, he hopes the venue will not only be the site of concerts, fashion shows, drag shows, communiy fundraisers and other events, but also a place where new and local artists can get their start and make their dreams a reality. 

“If I can facilitate someone else’s dreams, that’s the goal. Helping other people realize their potential and giving them the potential to set up on stage, that’s the goal.” 

– All images from Mercy on Gerrard’s GoFundMe page