Graffiti’s Bar & Grill

Munira Lila

Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto

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Live Music

n Live music emanating from the bar

(especially during summer months)

promote interest and curiosity among

those passing by in Kensington Market.

n Performances of crowd favorites and

upbeat songs promote excitement and

involvement from the audience.

n Small venue for these live performances

provides opportunities for closer

interactions with other patrons enjoying the

music and an intimate interaction with the

musicians.

n Consistent performers bring their fans back

again and again.

Community of Regulars

n Regular musicians returning routinely to

perform brings back regulars who enjoy their

music. These people gain a sense of

familiarity with the musicians and other

people enjoying the music.

n Relationships are established by these

consistent interactions and there is a sense

of camaraderie developed among regulars.

n Regulars return to not only see their favorite

live performers, but also to catch up with

close friends and have a fun evening. Marie (Regular): A self proclaimed

“glutton for live music.”

Introduction to Graffiti’s

Graffiti’s obtained it’s Liquor License in 1995

making it one of the oldest bars in Kensington

Market. The venue is known as an intimate

venue for quality live performances. Many of

the musicians performing at Graffiti’s have

been doing so for many years. The bar also

hosts a large clientele of regular customers.

Its unique atmosphere can be attributed to its

minimalism. It’s a small space with a bar and

seating area, a corner with the sound

equipment and there is no wireless internet.

People tend to know one another in the bar

and it is normal to see strangers introducing

themselves to one another.

Purpose

From research conducted in Graffiti’s, I

interpreted the success of the bar to be the

result of the production of a community among

the clientele through high quality, intimate

entertainment and a conducive space for the

development and maintenance of long lasting

relationships. In turn, these valuable facets

fuel a willingness of the clientele-community to

bring their business to Graffiti’s to support and

uphold these functions of the bar.

Expected Results

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Concluding RemarksAs these elements facilitate the building of

relationships and connections to the bar, the

network of regulars sustains itself. People

return for live music that they appreciate and

for the network of people that they have grown

a sense of familiarity with. This promotes their

patronage and hence, their investment in the

bar. Graffiti’s is more than a bar; it provides its

regulars with a membership within a

community and this facilitates their return. As

such, their return supports the business of the

bar.

Research Sources1. Giblin, Laura, and Nicole Kelly. 2015

Interview With Graffiti's Regulars. Interview by

Munira Lila. In person.

2. Mitchell, Stephen 2015. Interview With

Owner Of Graffiti's. Interview by Munira Lila. In

person.

3. Lila, Munira 2015. Field notes taken at

Pamenar on January 19th. In person.

4. Lila, Munira 2015. Field notes taken at

Graffiti’s on January 25. In person.

5. Lila, Munira 2015. Field notes taken at

Graffiti’s on February 16. In person.

6. Lila, Munira 2015. Field notes taken at The

Toronto Reference Library on February 25. In

person.

7. Lila, Munira 2015. Field notes taken at

Graffiti’s on February 28. In person.

8. Lila, Munira 2015. Field notes taken at

Graffiti’s on March 1. In person.

9. Lila, Munira 2015. Field notes taken at

Graffiti’s on March 6. In person.

“You only ever

have to sit and

have a beer twice

at Graffiti’s and

then people are

going to talk to

you.” – Nicole

Kelly (Regular)

“Then there are various people that from

wherever come here ‘cause they know there’s

gonna be good music.” Stephen Mitchell (Owner)

Guy (Regular) describes the New Years Party he

attended at Graffiti’s as “having a house party

without the mess.”