I Visited Toronto’s Newest Vinyl-Listening Bar, Sounds Good
My Hope in Toronto’s Music Scene is Restored: Sounds Good Is Here to Save The City’s Music Scene
March 3rd, 2024 | Written by Sierra MadisonThis article is a part of our series on Toronto’s nightlife scene, SEE U THERE. Sign up for our newsletter today and get exclusive first looks at where we’re hanging out.
Toronto has a new kid on the block, and Sounds Good is about to become the IT spot in the city not just for dedicated music lovers but for party-goers who are sick of the city’s shitty dancefloors and lacklustre mixes.
After following the bar on Instagram at the beginning of the year I was excited to finally go this weekend and check it out for one of their first events.
Sounds Good is a vinyl-only, hi-fi listening bar, restaurant, and live music venue in Toronto's Dundas West neighbourhood, that opened its doors earlier this year. Of course for their opening events, they hosted GE-OLOGY, whose impressive collection of vinyls speaks for itself, and La Rumba Buena, the city’s iconic vinyl DJ crew.
Right off the bat, I knew that Sounds Good meant business.
“Sounds Good, located in Toronto’s Little Portugal neighbourhood, offers a refuge for all that love the idea of a good time. The focal point here is music, and we take our name quite literally, providing our guests with a blanket of sound so crispy you can almost taste it.”
This past weekend the bar welcomed local legends and pillars of the Toronto Record Scene, Aki and Hisa of the internationally renowned Cosmos Records. The night promised to keep the crowd dancing for the entire night, and danced we did.
The pair dug through their impressive collection of vinyl and had the crowd dancing from the second we walked in till the moment we stepped back outside. They seamlessly switched through pop hits, smooth jazz, and iconic disco beats, tying it all together with some funk. If I was still 19 I could have stayed and danced to their mixes for another 8 hours.
There aren’t many spaces left in Toronto to properly “vibe” out in, ones that are truly about the music and not about turning a profit. Somehow every business bro has forgotten the age-old rule that people like to do business with people they like - meaning, if you create something with the people in mind, like Sounds Good has, they’ll want to come and spend their hard-earned money there.
It’s a simple formula, unfortunately, it’s one that the majority of spaces in Toronto have seemed to forget, which is why Sounds Good feels like a breath of fresh air and makes me excited for what’s to come.
Even though I just spent a brief night there vibing out, I got the gist of what the place is: a haven for music lovers and party-goers alike. It was made by the people, for the people, and gives us a space to enjoy great music amongst even better company.
Aside from the actual venue space and beats, I appreciate how thoughtful Sounds Good is with every aspect of the brand: everything it touches is designed with an emphasis on music and community. On their website you can find a neat list of the bar’s lineup, classifying what type of music the DJ is playing, their socials so you can check them out, and even a link to the mix.
Truly every detail was thought out and you can tell they know what music lovers want and appreciate.
Screenshot from https://www.soundsgoodtoronto.com/events
Aside from the downstairs dancefloor, there’s also a restaurant bar upstairs with a second DJ set-up and a food menu that looks amazing.
Although I didn’t get to venture upstairs, I’m excited to go back and try out some of the food and listen to the beats going on up there. I did find some photos of the upstairs bar after some investigating (lurking) on Instagram and between the bar’s mitred tiles, lime-washed walls and beautiful walnut finishes, I’m afraid I’ll never want to leave.
Whether you’re looking for your next night out or somewhere to sit, chill, and listen to vinyl, Sounds Good is about to become your new favourite place.