The Flyer Vault project began with the discovery of a trunk of several thousand flyers that I saved during my time as a music-crazed teenager and young adult. These pieces of ephemera were destined for the landfill but represented a tangible piece of culture that I could hold onto and cherish. They had value. They represented memories of great moments with people I had never met who left their differences at home, and bonded under the strobe lights and speaker stacks of a live concert or all-night rave.

As I started posting these old flyers to social media, people took notice. From promoters to venue owners, artists to fans, everyone waxed nostalgic about past shows that left an imprint on their life. With time, the account got more popular and became a community of rockers, hip-hoppers, metalheads, ravers, and everyone in between.

Since then, the project has grown to include assisting with historical exhibits, providing consulting and curation services, and the release of the Amazon best-selling book, “The Flyer Vault: 150 Years of Toronto Concert History,” co-written with Grammy-winning writer Rob Bowman, released by Dundurn Press in 2019.

This endeavor is about celebrating the rich history and incredible people who’ve made Toronto the great music city it is today.

-Daniel Tate