The Dance Cave will now play host to live music, and it's about time. The space that sits above Lee's Palace has always been a draw for those who wanted a place to dance in the absence of club beats and a heavy 905 element, but it'd be hard to argue that the cavern-like room wasn't primed for more than college radio soundtracks and mediocre DJs. This, after all, is the spot where Tom Cruise wooed Elizabeth Shue in the best film ever made for insomnia-riddled nights in a motel. Ok, never mind me, but the point remains: the high-ceilinged space has always warranted a guitar or two.

While the Dance Cave has tended to play second fiddle to the venue downstairs, there have been plenty of times that I've thought that it was the better space. There was the time that Mark Kozelek was such an asshole at Lee's that I needed to drink away any affection I had for Red House Painters and Sun Kil Moon. Midway through a watery pitcher of Blue or Canadian, I groggily smiled at the fact that This Charming Man was suddenly playing at the Cave (oh so mixed up, I was).

It doesn't have to be this way. Mark Kozelek doesn't have to be such a prick, and you don't have to be satisfied listening to the world's most militant vegetarian. Sometimes change is good, and the fact the Dance Cave is set to host live shows once a week (or so) is just nice news for everybody. Collective Concerts is in charge of the booking, and the word is that all genres will be tapped as the venue transforms itself. Oh, and if you're a U of T student terrified that your best pick up spot just went dead, don't worry, the plan is to run the concerts early and the Arcade Fire playlist after midnight. Good luck with that.

Photo by Air`leth Aodhfin