A "No-Working" Space
Located at 648 Kingsway, the venue brands itself as a "No-Working Space." Pitched against the city's hustle culture, it sets aside the storefront for leisure, art, and community connection.
The Space Before It
The site has changed hands several times. The Toast Collective ran it for over a decade as a hub for grassroots activism before closing at the end of 2021 and vacating on January 1, 2022. An operator called 648 Kingsway then ran the space from 2022 until August 2024. Take Your Time Back kept the DIY look that came with it: art-plastered walls, arcade machines, and a hole-in-the-wall feel reached through a back door in the alley.
Programming & Access
Programming leaned experimental, favoring genres like Sludge, Noise Rock, and Punk that get priced out of larger venues. Tickets stayed cheap, in the $15 to $20 range, with frequent "Pay What You Can" (PWYC) nights. Entry was often through a back door in the alley rather than the Kingsway storefront.
The end
Live music at 648 Kingsway ended in March 2026. An anonymous complaint to the City led an inspector to contact the landlord, and shows stopped after the final night on March 22, 2026, against a backdrop of rising rents and a citywide crackdown on unlicensed venues. The collective continues non-music programming, including art shows, yoga, and workshops, at an adjacent space, but the live-music chapter at 648 Kingsway is over.