What Fat Alberts Coffeehouse is ... Fat's is an open stage that runs on Wednesday nights. About 15 performers sign up and play 2 songs each (unless more performers sign up and we're cut back to one song each). We start at 8 and finish take down before midnight. The feature plays a half-hour set around 9. We run Sept to the end of June and close for July and August.


Using the 'Stone Soup' metaphor... performers and volunteers and audients (you can be one, two or all three) meet up once a week and share their time and creativity. Fat Albert's began in the basement of Bloor St United Church in 1967 where Ray Peak and Ed Matthews ran it until 1996. It continued in the church until 2003 when it moved to the Steelworkers Building at 25 Cecil St.

Paying the rent... There is a $2 cover to pay weekly expenses and the feature artist (and it's ok if you don't have it - the important thing is that you're here). We have a yearly benefit concert to raise most of the rent as well as some ongoing projects - see the CD and T-shirt page. We've made the transition from a church supported venue to the "market realities" with most of our openness intact.



Performers who are familiar with Fat's know the benefits are of the non-monetary kind and accept our limitations. What we pay is attention. We like to see and hear anyone who can come by some Wednesday evening. Ray always said Fat's ran on a "need to know" basis: when you need to, you'll find us.