|
In the late
1970s, Judy Perly had a vision. Her vision was to establish a creative
environment where artists could come together to perform and perfect their
craft, meet their friends, have a good time, and enjoy a great meal.
Judy Perly opened the Freetimes
Cafe thirty years ago as a way to combine her love for both cooking and provide a home for
Toronto's emerging roots music scene.
Three decades later, when you come to the Freetimes,
you may spot - still owner and operator - Judy Perly overseeing the
kitchen, but mostly smiling as she greets and welcomes her many guests
and friends.
Toronto's Freetimes Cafe is recognized as
the oldest continuously
operating roots venue in Toronto. Widely renowned as a nurturing
grounds for artistry and creativity, the Freetimes Cafe opened it doors in
1981.
All of the
major Canadian Folk musicians played the Freetimes during the 80’s and 90’s - Willie P. Bennet, Brent Titcomb, Fred
Eaglesmith, Ian Tamblyn, Angus Finnan, Joe Hall, Bob Snider, Colin Linden,
Loreena Mckinnet, Daisy Debolt, Mose Scarlett, Norm Hacking, and many
more.
The Freetimes
Cafe has played host to and helped to launch many of our best
loved songwriters. The Freetime's Monday open stage, running weekly for over
twenty-seven years, has provided exposure and experience for emerging
talent, and has assisted as a launching platform for hundreds of artists.
Toronto's
Freetimes Cafe has presented thousands of concerts for new and emerging
talent. Today it still provides a quite cozy setting for artists to collect
and gather, and a haven for lovers of acoustic music to enjoy an evening of
quality entertainment and good food.
|
A young struggling Toronto
artist, Judy
Perly, wanted to
create a space ‘where she could be herself’, create her art, and be free of
the 'punitive rules and regulations of the mainstream society'. Her
passion to create and cook original health conscious cookery from around the
world, combined
 with
a necessity to generate a sustainable income level, gave life
to Toronto’s Free Times Café.
The Free Times Café opened its doors on
December 15, 1980, instantly attracting a following of ‘out of the ordinary’
artistic, aware, alive and interesting people. Whether drawn by the food or
the art; whether staff, customers or artists; the place
 has
changed and impacted the lives of thousands of people.
From the onset, Free Times has offered food
and entertainment to its customers - seven days a week. Thousands of
original creative Jewish, Middle Eastern and Canadian meals have been
served; and thousands of live music concerts have been presented. Many
well-known singer songwriters have started at the Free Times, including Ron
Sexsmith, Sarah Sleen, Emm Grinner, Noah Zacharin, Kat Goldman, Lorena
McKinnett and more. In addition, the club has hosted hundreds of
poetry readings and art shows. And if ‘music be the food of love’, something
is always happening at the Free Times, and hundreds of couples have first
met and fallen in love there.
The introduction of the “Bella ! Did Ya ?Eat
Sunday Buffet Brunch ?” in ’94 with the free live Klezmer and Yiddish
concerts every week put Free Times on the Jewish Food map. Many parties and
catering events have followed.
It has not been easy to maintain a business in
an ever-changing economic climate. There have been numerous setbacks over
the years, but they have always risen to the challenge and overcome all
obstacles presented. Judy, together with the Free Times Community have
fought relentlessly to keep Free Times going, enduring many tough years,
81, 91, Sars, 8 months of construction, whatever – lots of crazy
unbelievable days, but always managed to preserve a magical space where hope
and reality seemed to sometimes meet.
Free Times has been a place for growth and
evolution – for the staff who have worked very hard taking care of the needs
of the customer, for the artists, writers, musicians who have used their
performing opportunities to start new careers, and for Judy the owner.
Through her hard work, determination, foresight, and sheer dedication, she
has found a formula to be able to manifest her alternative values in a real,
generous and beneficial way – every day for almost 28 years.
Free Times is the spirit of Judy Perly, and
the world is a better place for having her in it. |
Ron Sexsmith
Circa 1992 - After a
young Ron Sexsmith played the
Freetimes Open Stage, Judy introduced him to the folks at Mariposa. The
rest is history. |
History
