Music
18 new homes for the El Mocambo's palm tree sign
by AUX staff
October 27, 2014
The past several months have been rocky for the El Mocambo, the iconic Toronto venue that once housed the Rolling Stones, Elvis Costello, and U2. First, owner Sam Grosso announced that the ElMo was in financial trouble. Next, the ownership group announced that the venue was shutting down for good. And finally, they announced that their famous neon-lit sign—which has sat perched over Chinatown for decades—was for sale on eBay.
The sign, which was recently refurbished at the reported cost of $15,000, was placed on eBay. The last time we checked, bidding had reached more than $10,000—with the buyer paying for the sign’s removal—but now, according to the listing, the neon palm tree is no longer available. Has it been sold? It’s quite possible.
Wherever the sign goes, though, we hope it remains in Toronto. And if it can’t stay at its historic home at College and Spadina, we hope that it ends up at another Toronto landmark. So, to the buyer of the ElMo’s sign, here are 18 new homes for the palm tree—from us to you. Design by Daniel Halyburton.
