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The Best Ramen in Toronto

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Ramen TorontoThe best ramen in Toronto is a product of the influx of Japanese eateries that opened in this city over the past year. 2012 was the year when ramen shops all across the city began to pop up faster than it takes to finish a bowl of tonkotsu, and frankly that's not something that seemed to bother many. With most of the establishments taking up relatively little space, offering up speedy and affordable edibles, and taking an understated segment of Japanese cooking to the forefront of everyone's minds, the only thing left to see is how long some of these noodle shops will last.

As dozens of ramen shops now dot the landscape around Toronto, it's important to educate oneself on who among them are worthy of the title of Baron of Broth or Knight of the Noodles.

Here is the list of the restaurants that make the best ramen in Toronto.

See also:

The Best Japanese Restaurants in Toronto
The Best Wonton Soup in Toronto


Puddle Fog

Radar: WILDsound Feedback Film Festival, InspiraTO Festival, Paint The Halls, Quick & Dirty

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Mache CustomsThursday, May 30, 2013

FILM | WILDsound Feedback Film Festival
Possibly the cheapest and shortest film festival this city has to offer, WILDsound Feedback Film Festival offers a showcase of short films for just $4. Taking place every last Thursday of the month from here on out, WILDsound features five short films in tonight's screening, including the Jonah D. Ansell animation Cadaver, voiced by Kathy Bates and Christopher Lloyd. Order tickets online or buy them at the door and be prepared for 2 hours of short films and an audience feedback segment following the screening.
Carlton Cinemas (20 Carlton Street) 7PM $4

THEATRE | InspiraTO Festival 2013
Short seems to be the theme tonight and InspiraTO brings the brevity to the stage. A ten-minute play festival that runs from today until June 8th, InspiraTO make every minute onstage count in its 28 short plays. There are five shows running on a rotating schedule throughout the festival with each containing six plays within. The 8th annual festival, this year's inspiraTO will feature a mentorship project as well as site-specific plays (check out the "White Show" on the schedule to find out how the "safari approach" applies here). Tickets are available through inspiraTOfestival.ca.
Alumnae Theatre (70 Berkeley Street) 7PM $15 general $12 student

ART | Paint The Halls
A hospital becomes a battleground and the walls canvasses at Paint The Halls, an extreme art battle that takes place at Women's College Hospital tonight. A live painting competition with 75 participating artists, the exhibit will feature interactive art installations, music, dancing in operating rooms and signature cocktails. Attendees will also have the opportunity to vote on a winning artist of this art science event. Tickets will be available at PaintTheHalls.com and at the door.
Women's College Hospital (76 Grenville Street) 7PM $35 advanced $40 door

ART | Quick & Dirty
Looking for affordable, original artwork? Quick & Dirty will give it to you just how you like it. Featuring the always-meticulous artists Nimit Malavia, Dave Murray and Darryl Graham, this exhibit forces the normally slow-paced painters to create original pieces in a limited time frame of 3 hours. All artworks will be available for $300 or less so sales really will be quick and dirty. Come by tonight to join in on the festivities and have a few drinks--other dirty surprises may await.
#Hashtag Gallery (801 Dundas Street West) 7PM Free

FASHION | "Designing Customized Sneakers" — Illustrated Talk and Display by Mache
Mache has created custom sneakers for celebrities like Wale, Kanye West and even the large feet of Kobe Bryant but is in town at the Bata Shoe Museum tonight to participate in Out of the Box: The Rise of Sneaker Culture. Leading his own illustrated talk and display, the New Yorker formerly known as Dan Gamache will discuss the design process of creating customized sporty footwear with samples of his rarest work. Following the talk, a tour of the Bata Shoe Museum's latest exhibit will be given. Information about ticketing is available by calling 416-979-7799 or visiting the museum's website, batashoemuseum.ca.
Bata Shoe Museum (327 Bloor Street West) 6PM $10 advance $14 door

ALSO OF NOTE:

For more Toronto event suggestions, check out these posts:

Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO Toronto events calendar or contact us directly.

Photo by Javin Lau

Morning Brew: Star says Ford knew location of alleged tape, arrest in Anthony Smith case, TTC CEO wants "sea change," cop pic goes viral, and a Rob Ford dance track

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toronto harbour mudThe Toronto Star is reporting Rob Ford knew the location of an alleged video of him smoking crack cocaine and even told his inner circle a unit number on Dixon Road where it could be found. The mayor made the claim in a meeting on May 17, shortly after Gawker and Toronto Star first broke the news. It's not clear what action was taken. Ford has publicly denied the existence of the tape.

The news comes as the Star also reports Ford ordered the destruction of office documents in the wake of the scandal. The paper says the email and phone records could hold clues to the actions of staffers in the aftermath of the story last week. The city, however, says it hasn't received such a request. The paper cites "sources" within the mayor's office.

Meanwhile, police in Fort McMurray, Alta.have made a second arrest in connection with the murder of Anthony Smith, one of the men seen with Ford in a picture Gawker released with its story last week. Smith was shot to death on King West in late March. The charges haven't been confirmed, but cops have a warrant to search his cellphone and home.

David Price is one of those names even casual city hall watchers have come to know very well over the last week or so. The football coach turned financial advisor turned Ford staffer is at the centre of the crack tape saga, and, according to recent unverified newspaper reports, may know where the alleged tape is being held. The Globe has a useful primer on the big man behind the big man.

The TTC is hoping the release of a new corporate plan will help affect "sea change" in the way the business operates. CEO Andy Byford hopes to improve customer service and accountability over the next five years. What do you think the TTC could do today to make a difference?

A picture of a Toronto cop tying an elderly mans shoelaces near the Rogers Centre yesterday is getting the viral treatment online. The picture, taken by marketer Jason Cassidy, shows officer Mark Borsboom bending down to tie the shoes of an sick man near the entrance to a parking garage. Do good deeds like this often go unnoticed?

One of the stock defenses of the Ford brothers has been their fiscal record. No matter what shows up on tape, what they do behind the wheel, it's OK, because they've saved the city "over a billion dollars." Well, not quite. Matt Elliott at Metro has picked apart many of the Ford's favourite claims to find out if there's any truth to the bluster. (Spoiler: There is.)

Finally, the problem with the Rob Ford scandal so far has been a serious lack of danceable beats. That's all changed now "Bored of Rob Ford" has dropped. The track, featuring Peaches, is going to be released on iTunes soon. Check it out.

IN BRIEF:

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

Image: James Anok/blogTO Flickr pool.

This Week in Film: After Earth, Cinema of Prayoga, Intertidal, An Estranged Paradise, and Toronto Korean Film Festival

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After EarthThis Week in Film rounds up noteworthy new releases in theatres, rep cinema and avant-garde screenings, festivals, and other special cinema-related events happening in Toronto.

NEW RELEASES

After Earth (Carlton, Cineplex Yonge & Dundas)

It's pretty amazing that major Hollywood studios like Columbia Pictures are still willing to throw this much money at an M. Night Shyamalan project, even as they're timorous enough about him to not put his name anywhere in the movie's extended trailer. Shyamalan's filmography has taken the most dramatic nosedive in the history of cinema, to the point where all he can do to get funding is to somehow convince A-listers like Will Smith to star in his ostensible blockbusters, actual pseudo-auteurist passion projects.

Once again exploring environmental concerns and the nature of fear as an obstacle in our way of truth and catharsis, Shyamalan here pits Smith and and his son Jaden in a far future scenario when Earth has long been abandoned by humans. Animals and nature, left to their own devices, evolved accordingly without our interference. Of course, many of the once-familiar creatures have developed into unwieldy, man-thirsty beasts, and a pesky alien presence only complicates the Smiths' attempts to return to safety back who knows where. It's not the silliest idea Shyamalan's come up with, you have to at least give him that.

Also opening in theatres this week:

  • Charles Bradley: Soul Of America (Bloor Hot Docs Cinema)
  • The English Teacher (Cineplex Yonge & Dundas)
  • Erased (Cineplex Yonge & Dundas)
  • The Ghosts in Our Machines (Carlton)
  • Hava Nagila (Bloor Hot Docs Cinema)
  • The Lesser Blessed (Cineplex Yonge & Dundas)
  • Lore (TIFF Bell Lightbox)
  • Now You See Me (Carlton, Scotiabank)
  • Old Stock (Carlton)
  • Pieta (TIFF Bell Lightbox)
  • Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (Cineplex Yonge & Dundas)

REP CINEMA

Cinema of Prayoga: Indian Experimental Film and Video 1913-2006 (Tuesday & Wednesday, June 4 & 5 at 7:30pm; CineCycle)

Shreekrishnajanma"Cinema of Prayoga is a conceptual framework that locates the history of experimental film in India within an ancient history of pre-modern tradition of innovation, of prayoga. It celebrates a cinematographic idiom that is deeply located in the polyphony of Indian philosophy and cultural imagination. It attempts to reconfigure the generally accepted notion of the experimental and the avant-garde by conjuring the term 'Prayoga' from Indian philosophical thought. The Prayoga oeuvre is marked by its deeply temporal temperament, the samaya svabhāva, so to say." Both programs are curated by Mumbai-based film scholar, curator and historian Amrit Ganger, and are also free of charge.

SPECIAL SCREENINGS

Pleasure Dome presents - Intertidal: A Film Performance by Alex MacKenzie (Friday, May 31 at 7:30PM; CineCycle)

IntertidalPleasure Dome and LIFT have joined forces to present Alex MacKenzie's newest expanded cinema work Intertidal. The piece, running nearly an hour, involves a 16mm analytic projector performance inspired both by Ed Ricketts, an American marine biologist and philosopher known for his pioneering study of intertidal ecology (the study of ecosystems where organisms live between the low and high tide lines), and the groundbreaking science films of Jean Painlevé. MacKenzie will also be instructing two workshops at LIFT that will be worth checking out: Handmade Emulsion on June 1, 2013 from 10AM to 6PM, and Expanded Cinema on June 2, 2013 from 11AM to 4PM.

The Free Screen - Yang Fudong: An Estranged Paradise (Wednesday, June 5 at 7PM; TIFF Bell Lightbox)

Estranged Paradise"Shot in 1997 and premiered at Documenta XI in 2002, An Estranged Paradise displays many of Yang's signature motifs - crisp black-and-white 35mm cinematography, storylines that blur contemporaneity with traditional stylistics, homages to/revisions of genre cinema akin to the early work of his influences Jean-Luc Godard and Jim Jarmusch - while also reflecting his early studies as a painter, notably in a prologue that muses on the traditional methods and subjectivity of Chinese landscape painting.

Set in the city of Hangzhou (where Yang had studied at the China Academy of Fine Art), the film takes as its focal point a restless young man, Zhu Zi, following him as he aimlessly wanders through the city. Through a series of distinct vignettes, Yang depicts Zhu Zi's inability to find comfort in friends, lovers or environment as a reflection of the existential difficulty of China's "nameless generation," cast adrift during the rapid changes at the turn of the millennium." The Free Screen is free and open to the public, as usual.

FILM FESTIVALS

Toronto Korean Film Festival (June 6-8 at Innis Town Hall)

Focusing more on older works by established auteurs than usual, this year's Toronto Korean Film Festival will give Toronto cinephiles welcome opportunities to revisit or catch up with Bong Joon-ho's break-out hit The Host (2006), Lee Change-dong's early masterpiece Peppermint Candy (1999), and Kim Ki-duk's forgotten Address Unknown (2001). The sole new films can be seen in the shorts program, or in Kim Sung-hoon's childrens film, Ryang-kang-do: Merry Christmas, North! (2011). Tickets and passes can be purchased here.

Lead still from After Earth

Toronto restaurant openings: Burger's Priest, Senisi Fine Foods, Azarias, Jelly Modern Doughnuts, Duke's

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Jelly Modern DoughnutsToronto Restaurant Openings highlights the latest restaurant openings and closings in Toronto and also gives a preview at some of the places coming soon. Find us here every Thursday morning.

OPEN NOW

  • Burger Priest will open at 6pm on Saturday, June 1st at 463 Queen Street West and already they've announced a fourth outpost slated to open at 986 The Queensway in Etobicoke in the coming months. Derek apologizes for jumping the gun on this last week. He kind of sucks.
  • Senisi Fine Foods (1080 College Street) is now open Tuesday to Sunday, offering organic gluten free products and a daily selection of prepared foods, deli sandwiches and salads along with coffee and gelato.
  • Azarias has replaced Etobicoke steakhouse 1800 degrees at 3058 Bloor Street West.
  • The Wren is officially open on the Danforth

OPENING SOON

  • Jelly Modern Doughnuts is taking pick-up delivery orders now, but the retail shop at 376 College Street will open on Thursday, June 6th
  • Food and Liquor is aiming to open early July at 1610 Queen West. The new Parkdale eatery will offer small plates and local brews once it takes over the address from Poor John's Cafe that is clsoing on June 9th.
  • Geraldine (1564 Queen West), is soon to open in the siterecently shuttered Cowbell in Parkdale. The new seafood-focused spot is named for owner/chef chef Peter Ramsay's grandmother. (via Now)
  • Duke's is opening in the fall at Yonge and Gerrard in the Aura condo building. The new eatery will be an extension of Duke's Refresher, the summertime hotspot in Muskoka.

CLOSING

  • BBQ and brunch spot, Hadley's (940 College Street) has posted notice that it's closing June 28th after failing to reach a lease renewal agreement.
  • Montreal-based vegetarian cafeteria, Le Commensal (655 Bay Street at Elm Street) has closed after announcing that chain is verging on bankruptcy. (via CBC)

Photo via Jelly Modern Doughnuts Facebook page

New in Toronto Real Estate: The Hub condos

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hub condos torontoThe Hub Condos? Was this in our "What's the worst condo name in Toronto" post? Because it probably should have been. Honestly, it's pretty cringe-worthy. Had to say that off the bat, but there's actually a lot of good to be said about this Eglinton West and Oakwood development, too.

The area isn't exactly brimming with condo developments right now, and the starting price points are pretty accessible given the market. It's a vibrant stretch, known for its Jamaican patties and late night jerk chicken, and with a residential area reflective of Toronto's multicultural makeup.

the hub condosSPECS

Address: Eglinton West and Oakwood
Floors: 16
Total number of units: 220
Types of units: One-bedroom, one plus den, two bedroom, two plus den suites and seven townhomes.
Unit sizes (in square feet): N/A
Ceiling heights: 9"
Starting prices for available units: from the low $200,000s
Developer: Empire Communities
Amenities/building features: Gym, yoga/pilates area, party room, entertainment room, landscaped terrace with barbeque.

the hub condos torontoTHE GOOD

The Hub has a good mixture of options available. There's everything from one bedrooms to two bedrooms plus a den, which is a viable choice for families — not to mention the two-level townhomes, which, albeit at a higher price point, would be likely to accommodate slightly larger families as well.

These mini-properties feature decent fixins, it has to be said. Each suite has a balcony, which, in my opinion, is an important part of an investment in a condo. There are granite countertops in the kitchens, glass tile countertops, and pretty washroom designs as well.

the hub condos torontoTHE BAD

While this spot has its fair share of pluses, there are some clear...downsides, according to the renderings available thus far. The kitchen looks like an out-of-date conference room. And, this, of course, is the idealized version of it all. Think your unit's going to have those fancy bar seats? Not likely.

The design of the overall building isn't particularly stellar, either. It looks like 100 other condo buildings downtown, so the impetus to move in isn't going to relate to the building's architectural significance.

the hub condos torontoOUR TAKE

Like so many developments, whether or not you want to move into The Hub is contingent upon what you're looking for. If you want a spot for your family in a diverse and affordable area, it's a good choice. If you're looking for a beautiful and unique condo, maybe not so much.

the hub condosthe hub condos torontoRead other posts in this series via our Toronto Condos and Lofts Pinterest board.

Toronto Concerts, June 2013

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toronto concerts june 2013Toronto concerts worth knowing about in June, 2013.

Attention Toronto landlords: if your pockets are empty and your brow is furrowed, stop before you accuse tenants of blowing rent money on crack. We're not all (allegedly!) Rob Ford. What unites us as a city is that most of us spent all our money on summer concert tickets again. Well, that and Indiegogo.

As the summer season kicks off, we bring you news of a free show on the beach, dirty good times at Toronto's stadiums, weird noise in the dark, some amazing electronic producers, a show in a field, and that little acronym that could, NXNE.

Did you hear that Induced Labour is re-uniting? No? Then you heard it here: the band credited with inspiring Toronto's Pleasence Records will make June one to remember fondly, even if you're currently downsizing to a cardboard box on Budapest beach.

HOT TICKETS

TOKYO POLICE CLUB | JUNE 2 | SUGAR BEACH | FREE

This Canadian indie band have a knack for popping up at sponsored shows, and Sunday they'll be at Sugar Beach playing a free afternoon set courtesy of Red Bull. Why pass up a free indie rock show on the beach? No really, I'm asking.

All you need to do is RSVP on the Red Bull site and*** show up. Recommended attire: "festival fashion."

***the RSVP form is now closed, but buck up! RB says: While our list is closed, RSVPs were taken to properly anticipate attendance in order to build out Sugar Beach accordingly. As it is a public park, the event will not be fenced in, and you and any guests will be accommodated on site. Arrive early to ensure best sight-lines for the concert. The event starts at 3 P.M."

PITBULL and KE$HA | JUNE 5 | MOLSON AMPITHEATRE | $29.50 - $99.50
Ke$ha gets a lot of hate but have you heard her song with Iggy Pop? Have you? Ke$ha thinks you should relax out and feel the dirty love. She's hitting the Molson with rapper Pitbull and it's fairly affordable, because you need your money for glitter.

FYI, Pitbull is a match for Ke$ha because he's a man who is invested in fun. I pulled this from Wikipedia, which can be a fun place:

"In 2012, Pitbull was involved in an advertising campaign with Walmart [Editor's note: yes Walmart bad, but stay with us here], in which the Walmart store that received the most Facebook "likes" from June 18 to July 15, 2012, would have Pitbull visit and put on a show there. An orchestrated campaign entitled "#exilepitbull" started by The Boston Phoenix reporter David Thorpe and SomethingAwful.com writer Jon Hendren urged people to vote for a remote location, namely Kodiak, Alaska. In an email to the Associated Press, Walmart confirmed that Kodiak was the winning location.

Pitbull visited Kodiak on July 30 where he received a key to the city from Mayor Patricia Branson and then made an appearance before a crowd of hundreds at the Coast Guard base."

Recommended attire: a goddamn smile.

RUSSIAN TSARLAG | JUNE 6 | DOUBLE DOUBLE LAND
Carlos Gonzalez's American woozy-pop project Russian Tsarlag (Not Not Fun), which sounds like noisy Kurt Vile but better, is about to play a couple of shows with the best band in the U.S.A., aka Angels in America.

While the bad news is Angels in America won't be playing the Toronto gig (anyone want to roadtrip to Montreal?), at least Russian Tsarlag, Human Beast, and Bill Bill will be throwing down lo-fi, corrupted and freaky Thursday night. Recommended attire: loud patterns, homemade Angels in America shirts.

MOUNT KIMBIE | JUNE 6 | THE HOXTON | $15
If you were at the first ever Toronto "Boiler Room" in May, (a fake Boiler Room: actually just a live screening of a Boiler Room set taking place in London, glitches and all), you may have seen Mount Kimbie play for 30 minutes in a very tight space to British people portraying varied levels of enthusiasm. The drummer was wearing a snuggie, and their set was a mixture of really excellent, chill production and strained Lucksmiths-esque vocals and live drumming which wasn't entitely saved by the snuggie.

It might be worth checking out Mount Kimbie just to see for yourself if they can pull this odd combination off live, but listen: illusive, subtle Manchester producer Holy Other is opening the show, so it's a solid night to bliss out at.

VIDEODROME | JUNE 7 | MOCCA | $10
The Museum of Canadian Contemporary Art will host the weirdest event of the month: Videodrome 2013, which, like years previous, promises an audio / visual overdose. Recommended if you like your live experiences aggressive and challenging.

Recommended attire: black, shiny, spine-y.

Aside from live sound - musicians playing include Toronto's ϟ†Nϟ, Montreal's OUANANICHE and Toronto's breakcore/speedbass artist Skeeter - there will be a video battle, art installations, and general madness.

ACTRESS | JUNE 8 | BLK BOX | $15
Fans of experimental techno are salivating over this one. London's Darren Cunningham, AKA Actress, makes minimal abstract house and hip hop influenced electronic music with a lo-fi sound you can feel in the back of your neck. BLK BOX's Funktion One should be up to the challenge of getting his subtle sounds just right.

Also playing is Toronto's own SlowPitch, who impressed us with his live turntable drones and slow rhythms at TV Party. He promises a special sci-fi "adventure soundtrack". Should be brilliant.

ARTS & CRAFTS FIELD TRIP | JUNE 8 | FORT YORK: GARRISON COMMON $55 - $75
WejustkeeppluggingthissohereIgo plugging this again.

C. SPENCER YEH / NATE WOOLEY / RYAN SAWYER | JUNE 8 | THE MUSIC GALLERY | $13
The final installment of The Music Gallery's all ages Pop Avant showcase, which last month featured a line up created by Weird Canada.

This one was put together by Feast in the East's Burn Down the Capital, but there won't be any food - just music that ranges from "cosmic jazz to sound art to rough and ready, home-made electronics". AKA the music will be just nerdy enough to be cool, and cool enough to be openly nerdy.

Taiwanese improv musician and sound artist C. Spencer Yeh will be joined by Nate Wooley (trumpet) and Ryan Sawyer (drums). Toronto's Undo and Carl Didur are also playing.

SOME FESTIVAL CALLED "EN EX EN EE" | VARIOUS VENUES | JUNE 11 - JUNE 17 | FREE - $275
You won't guess it from looking at Toronto's weeklies, but during the middle of June, some bands will be in town to play at a place called "Various" which apparently just opened up. Kidding, yes we're talking about NXNE, one of Canada's biggest multi-venue pop music festivals. 1000 bands will be in town to play the fest (though only some of them will make anyone's radar).

Soo... who's on your radar for NXNE? Names on ours include both headliners and little people: The National, Big Boi, Social Distortion, Coeur de Pirate, Bad Brains, Blue Hawaii, Dan Deacon, Braids, Joey Bada$$, White Lung, No Joy, Nu Sensae, Drainolith, Buke and Gase, We Are the City, Bill Orcutt & Chris Corsano, and Tonstartssbandsht, plus Toronto's Diana, Ryan Hemsworth, Petra Glynt, Fin, Marker Starling, Moon King, The Beaches, Dusted, and (holy shit) an Induced Labour reunion.

NXNE will also showcase film, comedy, art, comics, and interactive presentations, all of which are listed on their website along with schedules and wristband/ticket bundle options: nxne.com. Individual tickets will be available at the door for some shows - for others you'll be screwed.

MATANA ROBERTS | JUNE 22 | THE MUSIC GALLERY | $15
The Music Gallery is promoting Chicago-via-NYC saxophonist Matana Roberts as a Jazz Festival challenger, which honestly is more than apt. While we can't talk too much about the Jazz Fest's failures this year beyond complaining they followed up 2012's unique pop entertainers Janelle Monae and Destroyer with 2013's overwhelming focus on, like, jazz (not our specialty), we'll take the Music Gallery's word that the Toronto Jazz Fest didn't get very avant-garde in its booking either.

Roberts' 2011 album Coin Coin 1: Gens de Couleur Libre on Constellation Records was a thrilling contemporary exploration into her African American heritage through emotional voice compositions, sax, and a huge array of instruments and musical guests. It's a hard but worthy listen. She's also recorded with some big names including Godspeed You Black Emperor, A Silver Mt. Zion, and TV on the Radio. The Toronto performance should be, well, a hard but worthy experience.

KINGDOM | JUNE 29 | SMITH (533 CHURCH ST.) |
Toronto Pride 2013 is going to get shaken to its rainbow core by this set. Brooklyn's Ezra Rubin is behind label Fade to Mind, whose roster includes NGUZUNGUZU, Rizzla, MikeQ, Fatima Al Qadiri, and Total Freedom. The deep bass music he makes as Kingdom threads small slivers of r&b vocals into electronic sound that lives in the corners of a sunken warehouse haunted by demonic raves gone by: industrial ideas snuggle up with grime, crunk, dance hall, and house beats, never crowding but always over powering. It's divine.

OTHER NOTEWORTHY CONCERTS

THE UNCLUDED (AESOP ROCK & KIMYA DAWSON) | JUNE 2 | BLACK BOX THEATRE |$20
JONATHAN RICHMAN | JUNE 5 | THE GREAT HALL $20
ELEANOR FREIDBERGER | JUNE 5 | THE HOXTON | $15
THE DANDY WARHOLS | JUNE 5 | THE PHOENIX | $32.50
THE XX and GRIZZLY BEAR | JUNE 6 | ECHO BEACH | $59.50-$99.50
TWIN SHADOW | JUNE 7 | THE PHOENIX | $26.50
CROSSS | JUNE 7 | PARTS & LABOUR | $7
FEAST IN THE EAST 26 | JUNE 8 | GERRARD ART SPACE | $7
ARTS & CRAFTS FIELD TRIP | JUNE 8 | FORK YORK: GARRISON COMMON $55 - $75
CRYSTAL CASTLES | JUNE 8 | SOUND ACADEMY | $28
BEN CAPLAN | JUNE 8 | RIVOLI | $12.50
!!! | JUNE 10 | THE HORSEHOE | $16.50
PORTUGAL THE MAN | JUNE 10 | THE PHOENIX | $18.50
THE POSTAL SERVICE | JUNE 11 | AIR CANADA CENTRE | $49.50 - $99.50
LUMINATO | JUNE 14 - 23 | VARIOUS VENUES
TAYLOR SWIFT | JUNE 14 & 15 | ROGERS CENTRE | $41.95 - $124.75
JAPANDROIDS | JUNE 17 | ADELAIDE HALL | $25
MAN OR ASTRO-MAN? | JUNE 17 | LEE'S PALACE | $17.50
STARE CASE | JUNE 19 | TBA | $7
ALABAMA SHAKES | JUNE 20 | ECHO BEACH | $37.50
THE TORONTO JAZZ FESTIVAL | JUNE 20 - 29th | VARIOUS VENUES
TIGER HATCHERY | JUNE 21 | TBA $7
COLD CAVE | JUNE 26 | PARTS & LABOUR
ASTRAL GUNK | JUNE 27 | HANDLEBAR | $5
DIGITAL DREAMS: TIESTO | JUNE 29 - 30 | MOLSON AMPITHEATRE | $79 - $249
MAC DEMARCO | JUNE 30 | THE HOXTON | $14

@AubreyJax on Twitter.


Party Style: 16 looks from CAMH Unmasked

10 photos of Toronto intersections on Instagram

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Toronto intersectionsToronto has its fair share of iconic intersections, whether it be the nexus at Church, Wellington and Front streets, Yonge and Dundas or Queen and Spadina. For our latest Instagram photo challenge, we asked our followers to share their favourite intersection shots using the hashtag #crossroadsTO (which sounds rather ominous given the current news cycle). Here are some of the best from the gallery. If you have a photo challenge that you'd like to see us post, let us know in the comments.

Toronto intersectionPhoto by comeshoot

Yonge Dundas TorontoPhoto by imac5

Peter Street TorontoPhoto by mycityspot

Toronto intersectionmycityspot

Dupont and Davenport TorontoPhoto by alesndrs

Queen and Spadinaalesndrs

Flat Iron Building TorontoPhoto by danielblether

Bloor and Avenue Roadcomeshoot

College and SpadinaPhoto by madvillan

Yonge and QueenPhoto by flowachile

Toronto sex workers crush myths in new photo exhibit

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Exposure Project TorontoEleven current and former sex workers living in Toronto have decided to tear down some myths and show the city what life on the street really looks like. They all signed up to be part of The Exposure Project, an initiative created by the All Saints Church-Community Centre, and photos they've taken will be shown in an exhibit at the centre on Friday.

The Exposure Project TorontoI spoke with one of the artists, Janet, and she said her goal is to reframe the way people think about sex workers. Not all of them work on the streets, not all of them are drug users, and not all of them are forced into the work, by any means. Carly Kalish of All Saints thought of the idea, and she says it's her goal to help empower the women in an accessible way.

"We like to have creative options for people to express themselves and learn about themselves therapeutically. You can do that through art and creative expression; you don't always have to talk and do a regular therapy session and spill your guts."

Exposure Project TorontoI got to see the photos as they were hung up the other day, and they are truly beautiful and arresting. The women had complete creative freedom as they worked, and there are bright shots of buildings and houses in the city, faces, shots of co-workers, rumpled beds.And yes, drugs and homelessness. The photos capture so many facets and fluctuations of life on the streets, and their tones roam the full range from darkness and solitude to brightness and innocence.

Exposure Project TorontoThis is definitely an eye-opening exhibit, and worth checking out. The artists will be present, and there will be snacks and drinks served all evening. The photographs will be auctioned off in a silent auction, as well. It's on Friday, May 31 at 8 p.m., and tickets are $42.75, with all proceeds going back to All Saints to fund creative projects for women.

Installation photos by Andrew Williamson

Marathon photo session shows off Toronto the beautiful

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Roaming Focus PhotographyThe first episode in a new web series on photography turns a lens on Toronto, and the results are both beautiful and fascinating. It sounds like a pretty simple plan. Local photographer Mike Palmer decided to capture the city in one marathon shooting session from sunrise to sunset — or, in other words, a full light cycle. With a video crew in tow — notably the talented Jon Simonassi— he treks across the city searching for how best to capture the unique character of his hometown.

The mini-doc will likely be of most interest to photographers, but given the stunning photos and video coverage produced as part of the project, pretty much anyone with an interest in Toronto will find something to like about this work. "The greatest part of documenting a full cycle of light was really the authenticity of what photographers have to constantly deal with," Palmer explains. "There's the changing lighting conditions, weather, 'x' factors and of course, a strict timeline. Overall it was an amazing experience and another reminder of how great of a city Toronto is and how much it truly has to offer."

Check the video out below.

10 famous people visiting Toronto this summer 2013

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Beyonce Jay ZIn case you find yourself with a shortage of things to do this summer, why not pick up some binoculars and massive shades and brush up on your stalking skills? You can add a fantastic story of getting arrested to your repertoire. It'll be a summer you'll never forget! Here, ten famous people visiting Toronto this summer.

Bob Dylan
The times they may be a-changin', but some things always remain the same. The awesomeness of Bob Dylan is one of those things. This harmonica-wielding legend introduced the flipping Beatles to weed, and he'll be performing in TO on July 15. Fuck working on Maggie's farm, Dylan is coming! The dude has been touring basically forever, but the chance to see him is still a total privilege. Tix range in price from $45 to $110, and the Americanarama Festival of Music will be visiting the Molson Amphitheatre, and will also include Wilco and My Morning jacket, just in case, you know, Dylan's not enough. This guy is way more than just a pawn in the game.

Hillary Clinton
Former US Secretary of State (in case you didn't know what she was famous for...) Hillary Clinton will speak in Toronto this summer as part of the Unique Lives and Experiences Series (you'd think they could come up with a better name?) set to take place at the Metro Convention Centre on June 20. Tickets range in price from $45 to $300. Apparently Clinton is paid six figures for her appearances. Good luck tracking this one down outside of the venue.

Bill Clinton
Bill is speaking a couple of weeks before Hill. Maybe he'll stay in our fair city a while longer and they'll hook up again? Anyway, he's speaking on June 4 at the 1871 Berkeley Church at an event called A Night out with the Millennium Network. To shake things up a little bit, there will be a "special acoustic performance" by Tegan and Sara. Because that's congruous. Three (two?) famous people in one! Tickets start at the low low price of $150, which includes an open bar. Packages climb to $10,000, though, and those include involvement in the Clinton Foundation as well as photos with the former president.

Willem Dafoe
Ok, so Willem Dafoe might not be on the A- list, but that just fits into his identity as a true artist. He doesn't act for the money. It's all about the art. Right? Dafoe will talk about The Life and Death of Marina Abramovic as part of the Luminato festival on June 15. Up for discussion is the art of collaboration in theatre with John Rockwell of The New York Times. They'll speak at the Isabel Bader Theatre. Tickets are $35.

Condoleeza Rice
Another former U.S. Secretary of State! Rice will speak on June 13 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre as part of the 2013 Spirit of Hope Benefit. The benefit raises money for the North York's Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies. The goal of the initiative is to enhance tolerance and human rights through discussion of international affairs and democracy. You can pay any amount between $200 and $50,000. Take your pick.

David Hasselhoff
Whatever you do, don't bring a cheesburger to this event. It could get ugly, as the Knight Rider really likes a good burger but isn't all that good at eating them. Hasselhoff makes an appearance at Fan Expo Canada. Dates are TBA, but there will be autograph and photo ops for all you fine ladies and dudes who had crushes on him in the '80s or whatever. I always thought KITT was the star of the show (and we know what was the star on Baywatch). Appearances will be made at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

Jay-Z
Hova will descend upon the city July 17, with apparent sidekick Justin Timberlake in tow. (Can we have Yeezy instead, actually?) Anyways, you can't knock the hustle, and I just wanna love that flava in ya ear. The god will grace the Rogers Centre, with tickets starting at $297. Ball so hard, (bitch behave). So change clothes and go.

Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan is quite possibly the greatest actor to have lived. Seeing him in the flesh would make anyone's day/week/month/year. But, do make sure to avoid traveling to the Lightbox during Rush Hour, because the audience will likely be overflowing from the various events that the master is taking part in. He'll be announcing three films as part of A Century of Chinese Cinema: Police Story, Drunken Master, and The Legend of Drunken Master. Chan will visit Toronto on June 12 and 13.

Beyonce
This bootylicious baby never quits, and she's hitting up TO. Apparently people seem to think she's pretty hot or something, and a decent dancer? Not really sure why. But anyway, Hova's woman will perform the Mrs. Carter Show World Tour at the ACC on July 21. It doesn't appear that the show is sold out at the moment because all the single ladies snapped em up, but they might add more later/there are always scalpers. (They sold for $60 to $270, FYI).

Justin Bieber
Baby Biebs will visit Toronto on July 25. The Stratford native (dear god, remember that gaffe?) is going buck wild these days, so watch out if you're one of millions of little girls trying to stalk him. He's reportedly been indulging in fast driving and marijuana usage via bongs, which are definitely the least classy method of imbibing. Bieber iwll perform at the ACC, and it looks like it's sold out. Check out Urban Outfitters or the Starbucks in Stratford for unofficial viewings. Best of luck!

More famous people coming to TO this summer:

Who'd we miss? Add more famous people to the comment thread below.

Full moon at sunset

Morning Brew: Rob Ford is all good, Ontario PCs reject Doug Ford, National Post looks for alleged tape, new bump outs get knocked, and CityNews channel to close

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toronto original store"Everything's going fine" in the mayor's office according to Rob Ford. This period of normality has seen five staff leave or resign, including two more who walked out yesterday, and criticisms from everyone from council colleagues to the Premier. Ford insisted the resignations would enable his staff to take up better opportunities like he's the manager of a small-town hardware store or something.

Announcing the departures before the city hall press corps, Ford maintained he has no plans to step aside over accusations he was caught on tape smoking crack cocaine. Doug Ford, however, took time to swipe at Kathleen Wynne, who said she "will take action if and when it's appropriate" regarding the Ford saga. The councillor told her to get her house in order.

Things aren't going so swell for the mayor's older brother either. The Ontario PCs seem to be backing away from endorsing Ford for a provincial run, with house leader Jim Wilson telling a press conference "he is not our candidate ... I don't even know the guy." Ouch.

The National Post has dropped by the housing complex where the Toronto Star reported the Rob Ford video was being held. Reporter Megan O'Toole spoke with someone who said he believes the video was once stashed in the unit and admitted he wouldn't be surprised if it was still hidden nearby. The person who answered the door also claimed to have seen the alleged tape. Also, apparently, there's a Rob Ford lookalike called "Slurpy" out there.

Outside City Hall, yesterday was the first scorcher of the year. The city declared a heat alert for the first time in 2013. Today is supposed to be just as sticky and humid with temperatures loitering sluggishly around 30 degrees.

Roncesvalles' new "bump outs" - streetcar stops that double as bike lanes - are getting mixed reviews from cyclists. According to the CBC, pedestrians tend to wait in the bike lane portion not realizing it's supposed to be used for bikers when the streetcar is absent. What do you think of the new features?

In other TTC-related news, part of the 503 Kingston Road streetcar route is going on hiatus until Dec. 2013 effective Monday. The Commission is conducting rail replacement and other work necessary for the arrival of the new vehicles next year on Kingston Road. A shuttle bus service will operate that part of the route instead.

Finally, The CityNews channel is no more - Rogers has pulled the plug on the venture at the cost of 62 jobs. The channel will display a news ticker graphic similar to CP24's subway screens until it goes dark at the end of June.

IN BRIEF:

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

Image: Loc Nguyen/blogTO Flickr pool.


New film fest combines cult classics & cheap date night

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Lost Episode Film FestivalFans of Star Trek, Twilight Zone, Batman, Astron-6, cult classics and international and award winning films don't want to miss this new film festival, Lost Episode Festival Toronto (LEFT), on this weekend at the Bloor Cinema.

To encourage everyone to check out the fest, LEFT is offering what they call "the cheapest date night in Toronto". What do they mean by that? For just $20 you and your "date" (no hand holding required) get passes to the festival, two tallboy cans of Mill Street beer, and 2 for 1 meals across the street at Pauper's Pub - all weekend long.

If that's not enough to entice you, LEFT also has the exclusive Canadian Premiere of Star Trek Continues, a continuation of the classic 1960's Star Trek series that has to been seen to be believed. LEFT is also screening the latest work from the masters of cult cinema Astron-6, and new fan films satirizing Cult Classics & Pop Icons like: The Twilight Zone, Barman, Magnum P.I. and more. Plus hilarious fan made commercials and fake trailers pepper the screening in between short film features.

The festival also showcases local and international submissions from the 50 Hour Film Competition, where teams from all over the world (including Europe, Australia, and North America) had just 50 hours to write/edit/direct a short film. A mind boggling feat, with impressive results. An awards presentation celebrating local filmmakers will take place at the end of the June 2nd screening.

LOCATION: Bloor Hot Docs Cinema - 506 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON (19+ Licensed Event)
DATES: Saturday, June 1st @ 4pm & Sunday, June 2nd @ 4pm
COST: $10 / $5 for students with ID / $5 for anyone in costume / $10 2-for-1 "date night" tickets
TICKETS: Tickets available as of 3pm on the day of each screening at Bloor Hot Docs Cinema

Toronto Food Events: Halal Food Fest TO, Eats & Beats, The Shilin Snack Shack, DOS, Sausage League

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Toronto sausage leagueToronto Food Events rounds up the most delicious events: festivals, pop-ups, winemaker dinners, supper clubs and other food related happenings in Toronto this week and next. You can find us here every Friday morning.

THIS WEEK

  • The drop-in-dinner happening tonight (Friday, May 31st) at The Depanneur (1033 College Street) is serving up camel sliders and Merguez sausages from former Market 707 resident, Dali Chehimi of Casbah.
  • Halal Food Fest TO is on this weekend, June 1st and 2nd at The International Centre (6900 Airport Road). The free event will showcase entertainment, a bazaar and lots of sampling.
  • Eats & Beats takes over historic Queen Street East between the DVP and Empire Avenue on Saturday, June 1st from 1pm to 6pm. The family friendly street festival will offer live music and showcase Riverside eateries.
  • Kensington Brewery Company celebrates their two-year anniversary at The Rhino (1249 Queen Street West) on Sunday, June 2nd between 3pm and 8pm.
  • Boxed Toronto will host a Taiwanese-inspired night market on June 3rd and 4th. Dubbed The Shilin Snack Shack, the pop-up will offer $3-7 snacks like barbecue skewers, cold noodles and chinese pancake wraps from 10pm until 1:30am at Happy Child (1168 Queen Street West).

UPCOMING

  • Tickets for La Carnita'sDOS go on sale on Saturday, June 1st. The event happening Friday, July 19th will bring together art, music and food at the Evergreen Brickworks (550 Bayview Avenue).
  • Celebrate Dad at The Depanneur (1033 College Street) with veteran chef Aland Portillo (Ceviche 707, Ritz Carlton Hotel) presenting Father's Day a lo Colombiano at the Supper Club on Saturday, June 15th. Tickets are $40.
  • Tickets ($75) are available now for the next addition of the GE Café Chefs Series: Masters of Food happening on June 11th at The Evergreen Brick Works (550 Bayview Avenue). The evening titled, Clean & Fair Fish will feature St. Catharines' 13th Street Winery and and outdoor workshop on aboriginal fishing history, practices and cookery presented by Kristin Donovan of Hooked.
  • Marben Restaurant has kicked off the third season of their annual Sausage League on Wednesday evenings from 5:30pm until 11pm. The $25 special will offer guests the chance to dine and vote on sausage dishes created from two Toronto restaurants paired with Muskoka Brewery beers. Next week, on June 5th round two will see Farmhouse Tavern on Bestellen.

The photos of the week: May 25-31

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Fog TorontoThe photos of the week collect each of the editor-selected photos of the day into one post for a contest to be decided by our readers. Sponsored by Posterjack, the photographer whose image receives the most votes will be awarded with a voucher code for a 24"x36" poster print of their work.

All the rules and fine-print can be found in the original announcement post on the blogTO Flickr page. One thing to add, however, is that the voting period ends at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, after which the winner will be contacted with the good news.

For those photographers whose images are featured below, please feel free to give us a little information about your shot — i.e. where and when it was taken — in the comments section. Who knows? Maybe your description will sway voters in your favour!

Lead photo by ~EvidencE.

2.
moon torontoPhoto by syncros.

3.
Green TorontoPhoto by Javin Lau

4.
Ford Scandal TorontoPhoto by Maria

5.
Toronto fogPhoto by Ronnie Yip

6.
Osgoode HallPhoto by Jack Landau.

7.
Toronto densityPhoto by Neil Ta


New College St. cafe does great lunch eats

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Cafe Toronto College StThis recently opened cafe at College and Shaw has its own micro-roastery in Woodbridge and turns out damn good coffee. Even better, the food options go way beyond your all too common muffins, croissants and cookies. If only it was a bit prettier place to spend time in.

Read my review of La Casa del Cafe in the cafes section.

Do you want to join the blogTO team?

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Food, booze, weddings, condos and farmers' markets. If any of these words just grabbed your attention you might be just the person we're looking for to join the blogTO team. Starting today we're sending out an open-call to all writers (and perhaps a photographer or two) interested in joining our team of contributors. We have a short list of subject areas we're looking for expert and enthusiastic writers to dive into. Maybe one has your name on it?

We're actively seeking writers expert in the following topic areas:

  • Bars and Nightclubs
  • Farmers' Markets
  • Wedding venues and other wedding related topics

We're also looking for additional Street Style photographers to join our team as well as writers and photographers interested in reviewing restaurants. For the restaurant position, you must apply as a team of two people (writer and photographer) where one of you will write the reviews and the other will take high quality photos to accompany them.

Lastly, do you like condos and real estate as much as we do? Can you see yourself writing oneof theseweekly posts? If so, we want to hear from you.

HOW TO APPLY

Interested in applying? Simply send us an email to jobs [at] blogto [dotcom] with the following info.

1. State the assignment you're applying for.

2. Please explain to us why we should pick you instead of another applicant.

3. Tell us which Toronto neighbourhood you live in and how long you've lived in Toronto.

4. Links to any of your previous writing or photography (if applicable).

5. Please don't send us any attachments, resumes or cover letters. Anything you want to communicate to us should be done via text and hyperlinks in the body of the email.

Thanks in advance to everyone interested in joining the team. We aim to respond to all applicants who send us a complete application as per the instructions above.

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