What was the Deal With Folk Revival Music?
According to the author of Born at the Right Time, Doug Owram, it was the "music of a subcommunity of older youth that existed on the fringes of society in larger cities". Folk music made its mark upon the rise of youth culture at this time and provided the soundtrack to an age of thought provoking discussion and activism. To Canadian music historian, Nicholas Jennings, Canadian folk rock was written in an autobiographical sense - entrenched in the artist's personal life - as well as rich with Canadian imagery and a unique sense of place. Yorkville was the only place in Toronto to experience this music, as opposed to the venues of Toronto in current day being scattered throughout the city.
Folk music proved financially popular for these businesses, with top performers making 2000-3000 dollars a week. The Globe and Mail had a subsection under the '"THINGS TO DO IN TORONTO" feature included in its weekly paper titled "COFFEE HOUSES" which detailed the performers of the week. Audiences packed into the coffee houses in droves and paid cover charges to hear their favorite folk artists and groups.
