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The top 5 properties in Toronto on airbnb

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airbnb torontoEveryone from roving vagrants to traveling businesspeople can find themselves needing a temporary place to lay their weary heads in a faraway city. If you've got friends coming to the city who happen to be looking for their own short-term pad, there are plenty of sweet options available on airbnb. While there are definitely cheaper options available than the ones I've listed, these ones are kind of fancy, and can be had at a cost comparable to a hotel room. Check it.

airbnb TorontoUnique heritage loft in downtown TO
This gorgeous, eclectic loft at Loft404 The Ambrosia Hub at Adelaide St. W. and Duncan has three bedrooms, and says it can accommodate up to six people for $210 per night. (Don't listen. You could easily squeeze everyone you know in here and pay a toonie each or something). Everything you could possibly need is provided, including linens, wifi, a fully equipped kitchen, and of course, yoga mats. Sounds like a joke, not so much. There is also a jet tub. Check out the photos in the link, you won't be disappointed.

airbnb torontoArtist's studio at Queen St. W.
Here's a Queen West photographer's studio available mostly on weekends, for $90 per night. It sleeps two comfortably, with access to the full comforts of the apartment: kitchen supplies, linens, etc., as well as wifi. The studio, which is situated just east of Dufferin, is decorated with original artwork and quirky vintage finds, and looks to have a comfy, homey feel. The owner is pretty flexible on numbers of guests and duration of stay as well, and he has rave reviews from past airbnbers. One note: no cooking of meat is allowed in the space, as the owner is a strict vegetarian.

airbnb torontoVictorian Castle Downtown Toronto
Here is a casual castle located decently near to downtown. If you're visiting the city to celebrate, or even if you live here and want a weird and wacky haunted adventure or acid trip or something, this is clearly a place to think about. The castle is available for a mere $1099 per night, and the ad says it sleeps "16+" which is a total understatement. There's a $29 charge for extra guests, which can be waived depending on number of nights booked. The De La Salle Heritage House features 11 bedrooms, and would be an ideal option for hosting events as well as overnight stays, such as weddings, etc.

airbnb torontoComposed Rooftop Paradise
Okay, so it's a step down from a castle, but this condo is effing gorgeous. It's stark in a good way, all-white, modern and relaxing. It's not as lived-in as some of the others, and so it provides room to unpack and make it your own during your stay, kind of like a hotel but much better due to the added space. The Iceboat Terrace and Telegram Mews space accommodates eight for $404 per night—not bad at all. There are three bedrooms, an insane amount of closet space, and harbourfront views. There's an actual "rooftop paradise" and pool here, too.

SoBe Famous Trendy Luxury Condo TO
Despite the incredibly annoying name of this listing, this South Beach condos property is pretty stunning. It sleeps five for $299 per night. Near Park Lawn and Lakeshore, the place has great views of the lake and is pretty central for those who are visiting. There's wifi available as well as a full kitchen, and access to the gym and a hottub (because that's sanitary) as well.


10 iconic photos from the Toronto History Flickr page

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Toronto History FlickrWhile Flickr is quickly becoming the beta to Instagram's VHS, there's obviously still a wealth of amazing stuff archived on what was once the best photo-sharing site in the world. Case in point, the Toronto History Flickr page. We've posted lots and lots of historical photos of Toronto over the last few years and the Toronto Archives has a great storehouse of scanned images available to peruse online, but one of the best resources for taking in the history of this city is the diverse array of photos that the archivists have put on Flickr. Along with being some of the most interesting images in the Archive's collection, the various thematic sets make exploring our collective past easy and, well, downright fun. History nerds of the world unite and take over.

2013531-queen-bay-1927.jpgQueen & Bay, 1927

2013531-crazy-bike.jpgNow that's a bike, 1934

2013531-yonge-king.jpgYonge & King, 1912

2013531-um-accident.jpgHow did this happen? 1914

2013531-toronto-fire-1904.jpgToronto Fire, 1904

2013531-sunnyside.jpgSunnyside, 1914

20213531-scholes-hotel.jpgScholes Hotel, 1945

2013531-hanlans.jpgHanlan's Point, 1907

2013531-city-hall.jpgOpening night at City Hall, 1965

2013531-yonge.jpgYonge & Gerrard, 1979

The Best Steak Tartare in Toronto

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Tartare TorontoThe best steak tartare in Toronto is a true-blue carnivore's treat. Served at bistros, steakhouses and upscale dining rooms, the iconic dish is typically composed of raw, finely chopped steak, though elk, venison and horse all make the cut here.

Here is where to find the best steak tartare in Toronto.

See also:

The Best French Restaurants in Toronto
The Best Steakhouses in Toronto
The Best Steak Frites in Toronto

Photo of the tartare at Ursa by Paul S. Manson. Photo of La Palette from deliriousmxviii in the BlogTO flickr pool

Weekend events in Toronto: May 31-June 2, 2013

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Weekend Events TorontoWeekend events in Toronto is our guide to events happening this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Here's what's happening in Toronto this May 31-June 2, 2013.

FOOD & DRINK

Kensington Brewing Co. 2nd Anniversary Party
Kensington Brewing Co. is celebrating two years of beers with a party at their favourite Queen West watering hole. The Rhino plays host to this event, which will feature the brewery's entire line-up of beers, including their Baldwin FishEYE-PA, Augusta Ale and Fruit Stand Watermelon Wheat. There will also be five special beers that are one-time collaborations between head brewer Dave Lee and four Ontario craft breweries offered at the event. Show up ready to sample until you're well-imbibed.
The Rhino (1249 Queen Street West), June 2, 2013, 3 PM Free

For more food listings, check out Toronto Food Events.

FILM

Old Stock
A monumental event from his past has lead the young Stock Burton (Noah Reid) to Golden Seasons seniors' home, where he has checked out of life and into early retirement. After two years of living the cushy life of a senior citizen, complete with crokinole playing and pill-popping, it's time for Stock to leave. A critically acclaimed CFC indie film by first-time feature director James Genn and writer Dane Clark, Old Stock opens at the Carlton this Friday night for a week-long run.
Carlton Cinemas (20 Carlton Street), May 31-June 7, 2013, various showtimes $7.50

360 screenings
360 Screenings is a cinematic experience that's part theatre, part film. Returning for its fifth series, 360 is a two-day event where the audience becomes part of the film. Each screening takes place in a secret location, announced 24 hours prior to the film, which is also kept secret until showtime. Tickets for the Friday screening are sold out but both Saturday screenings are still available. Get discounted tickets if you work in the arts or are under 30 and enjoy cocktails while you watch the film in an unusual location.
Secret location, May 31-June 2, 2013, 2 PM, 7 PM $60 general, $40 arts worker/youth under 30

Inside Out Film Festival
Inside Out, Toronto's LGBT film and video festival, comes to a close this weekend with just a few screenings left. There are several shorts programs and retrospectives happening throughout the weekend with an exclusive surprise screening of In The Name Of, a Polish feature-length drama about a priest struggling with his sexuality. Tickets are available through the Inside Out website at InsideOut.ca. The festival closes Sunday.
TIFF Bell Lightbox (350 King Street West), May 31-June 2, 2013, various times

For more film listings, check out This Week in Film.

FASHION

4th Annual Etsy Springtime Marketplace
Homemade vendors, vintage finds and crafting workshops—sound like your kind of jam? The 4th annual Etsy Springtime Marketplace opens this Saturday only for the DIY crowd to indulge themselves with one-of-a-kind handmade goods. From jewelry to art to skin care, over 40 vendors will participate in this year's market, including known Toronto brands like Sweetcheeks Naturals, Art That Moves, Navahaus and Anna Sophia Designs. Come out to see what's happening with Toronto small businesses—I can guarantee you won't be able to stop yourself from supporting them.
918 Bathurst Centre for Culture, Arts, Media & Education (918 Bathurst Street), June 1, 2013, 11 AM Free

For more fashion listings, check out This Week in Fashion.

ART

Riverdale Art Walk + Eats & Beats
130 artists of photography, painting, sculpture, printmaking and mixed media gather at Jimmy Simpson Park this weekend for Riverdale Art Walk. The 15th annual outdoor art fair brings established artists together to sell and display their works in a public outdoor space. A short walk around the corner, the Riverdale StreetFEST will also be taking place. Local vendors will bring their businesses out on to Queen East for Eats & Beats, a celebration of music and local food. Regardless of where you end up, if you're in Riverdale, you'll stumble upon some outdoor festival this weekend so head east this Saturday and Sunday.
Jimmy Simpson Park (Queen Street East at Booth Avenue), June 1-2, 2013, 11 AM Free

The Commonwealth
Toronto-based collective The Commonwealth bring together indie creative's this Saturday evening for a DIY, small press, and independent print and publishing fair on Sterling Road. Coinciding with the launch of Go Home Magazine's third issue, over 25 vendors will table their work, selling everything from books, zines and magazines to t-shirts and prints. Cheap beer and music will be an all-night happening and a bonfire will take place outside the old factory. Join artists, photographers and all-around creative types like Jeremy R. Jansen, Niall McClelland, Blood of the Young, Tess Parks and Hiatus Collective at this DIY print show.
163 Sterling Road, June 1, 2013, 8 PM Free

MUSIC

Mansion 4 year Warehouse Party
Mansion celebrates four years of parties and over one hundred events by doing what they do best—throwing a party. On Friday night at 99 Sudbury, the folks from Mansion are throwing the most special anniversary party complete with beer and kittens. Presented by Sapporo beer, the evening features DJ sets by the German DJ collective, Box of Kittens. Stop by this giant warehouse party to browse some art and get sweaty to keep the parties going.
99 Sudbury, May 31, 2013, 11 PM $15

Bud Light Sensation
Bud Light is throwing their massive Sensations party in the Rogers Centre this Saturday night and there's a gimmick to draw you in—it's a white party! Dress all in white or your $150 ticket will not gain you entry (I'm not kidding here, folks). This event is 19+. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.
Rogers Centre (One Blue Jays Way), June 1, 2013, 6 PM $143.25-$268.25

For more music listings, check out This Week in Music and June Concerts.

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

Photo courtesy of the Mansion Facebook page.

The American Room

This Week in Comedy: Mark DeBonis, Classy Drunk, Jen Kirkman, and Laugh Sabbath

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Jen KirkmanThere's a tight-knit gang in Toronto that's about to take over the comedy universe. You've seen them on CBC, The Comedy Network, and on MTV. Follow me as I uncover their conspiracy in This Week In Comedy...

TUES JUNE 4 / MARK DEBONIS / RIVOLI / 332 QUEEN W / 830PM / $10

A couple Wednesdays ago, I saw Mark kill an audience at 11:45pm by doing crowd work with a dog that was roaming around in the bar. In keeping with his DIY attitude, he's doing another USB Taping. I love DeBonis. He represents everything that's great about comedy in Toronto right now. He produces his own shows, started a comedy club with his bro, never stops writing material, and his cadence is out of this world. The first time I heard him, I didn't get his style. But now that I've seen him live, he's easily in my top ten. In my opinion, the clip above captures Mark to the T. He starts off talking, and to the uninitiated ear, you might think that the guy doesn't have jokes...but he does. You just have to wait a minute. I think YouTube has destroyed our patience for entertainment. See? Now he's got me ranting...

TUES JUNE 4 / CLASSY DRUNK / EMMET RAY / 924 COLLEGE / 730PM / FREE

Troy Stark has kept himself busy. Last year, he took part in the Tim Sim's comedy competition. Then, he went on a road trip of the US with some of his closest friends to see what it was like to do stand-up abroad. Now that he's planning to leave the city, he's decided to throw one final show featuring his favourite comics, namely Christopher Allin, Claire Stollery, Jess Beaulieu, David Heti, Joel Buxton, and Chris Locke. Word to the wise: if Joel starts explaining the term gentrification, put down your drinks.

THURS JUNE 7 / LAUGH SABBATH / COMEDY BAR / 945 BLOOR W/ 9PM / $5

Ever watch Mr. D? Mark Little's on there. Did you catch a guy called Nathan Fielder on The Comedy Network? No? MTV more your thing? Then you've had to have seen the sketches by Chris Locke and Tim Gilbert. All of these comics have one thing in common: they're part of a tight-knit gang that orbits around a weekly institution known as Laugh Sabbath. I truly believe that these guys and gals have the knowledge, skills, abilities, and resilience to take over the comedy world.

FRI JUNE 7 / JEN KIRKMAN / COMEDY BAR / 945 BLOOR W / 8PM & 930PM / $20

I'd like to have a resume like Jen's in the next five years. She's been on Conan and Ferguson, her comedy album debuted on Billboard at #13, major magazines have identified her as one of the best new comics to watch...you get the idea. I can almost guarantee that there are a ton of male and female comics that will attribute her success entirely to her good looks, but you don't get your essays published by having great hair.

About the Author: This is Michael Jagdeo, and I refuse to write about myself in the third-person. My blog, Diary of a Stand-up Comedian, walks you through the up's and down's (they're mostly down's, really) in my quest to become a killer comic in Toronto.

5 coloured historical photos from the Toronto archives

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toronto beach colouredThe City of Toronto Archives is chock full of pictures of Toronto in the summer time. My favourites are the candid scenes, where Torontonians of the past can be seen relaxing, playing games, and making a human pyramid. As you would expect, almost all the photos in the archive taken before 1960 are shot in black and white, which tends to make even sunny days look dreary and overcast.

As an experiment to celebrate the official summer opening of the city's swimming beaches, I spent part of this week digitally colouring monochrome summer scenes from the 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s. Luckily, sand and sky take a layer of colour quite well.

toronto beach colouredColourizing is far from perfect; the pastel tones tend to make the pictures look strangely surreal and it's really impossible to accurately guess what colour people's clothing might have been (I found myself wanting to avoid repeating the same tone even though it's not strictly true to life).

The result is an interpretation, not an accurate recreation, of what the photographs might have looked like had they been taken in colour. Enjoy.

toronto beach colouredGlobe and Mail editor Jim Coleman smokes a cigar on the beach in the 1950s.

toronto beach colouredGirls at Edgecliff Beach circa. 1926.

toronto coloured fishingGirl sells Ontario fishing permits and tourist information in the 1930s.

toronto coloured babyThe wife of Gord Walker and baby circa. 1940.

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

Image: City of Toronto Archives

Where to eat conveyor belt sushi in Toronto

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Conveyor Belt Sushi TorontoWhile there once were a smattering of restaurants downtown that served up sushi on conveyor belts, only this one stalwart remains. Now in business for more than a decade, it may draw tourists for the gimmick but it keeps regulars like me coming back for the fresh fish.

Read my review of Fune Japanese in the restaurants section.


15 things we liked at the Toronto festival of sake

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Kampai FestivalThe second annual Kampai Toronto festival of sake was on Thursday night at the Distillery District's Fermenting Cellar. Hosted by SIO (The Sake institute of Ontario), it featured over 120 different sakes from North America and Japan. Also on offer were tapas style delights from 12 local restaurants. With the tickets selling out quickly, 500 lucky guests were privy to a wonderful array of Japanese food and drinks culture.

Check out our slideshow of 15 of our favourite things from the event.

Photos by Morris Lum

Young Galaxy usher in the summer at Lee's Palace

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Young GalaxyYoung Galaxy ushered in the summer at Lee's Palace on Friday night. With ice cold beer in hands, a gentle mist cooling the humid concrete outside, Lee's was a head-swaying dance party breathing in the rolling, lush soundscapes of "New Summer." It was an apt reminder of how good this city really is in the summer months and reason why Young Galaxy was pumped for Toronto (their first Toronto show in almost two years) to be the first Canadian destination for the new sounds. How fitting.

Hot off the heels of their fourth effort, Ultramarine, the Montrealers (by the way of Van City) have honed and expanded on their danceable dream pop. With the departure of their last album, Shapeshifting into rhythmic electro pop, which was produced by Dan Lissvik via Skype from Sweden, Ultramarine carries the torch with confidence. It's quickly apparent that the band packed up and headed to Sweden to produce the new album with Lissvik in Sweden this time around. It shows.

The outcome is a tightly packaged synth-heavy pop album stuffed with world rhythms ("Fall For You"), perfected melodies ("New Summer"), pure dream pop "Sleepwalk With Me" and rolling electro-pop narratives for "Pretty Boy." And lead singer Catherine McCandless' at-times terse lyrics paint distant narratives of summer love, nostalgia and, to be safe, nautical poetry with "I was a sailor grooved with tattooed blue / And I've crossed the sea for you" on "Hard to Tell."

Young GalaxyWhile it may all seem to be surface-level, danceable pop, there's a noticeable depth, something akin to most of Young Galaxy's past work. An earnestness. And while McCandless commands the songs and audience, for brief moments the powerful soundscapes do overpower her vocals; at other times, live, she overcomes this and reaches Florence Welch prowess. It seems to depend on the song.

With a fairly packed and eager crowd, the quintet, all clad in white, had a shapeshifting, colourful and somewhat trippy projector that painted the band in diverse, artistic projections for each song. It gave a dreamy ambience to complement the diverse electro sequencing. It also helped to encourage the crowd's shifting feet I reckon.

Young GalaxyThe set is tight and calculated. With a brief encore, the set time was a trim hour-long smouldering dance fest. I was surprised the crowd didn't demand more. They seemed content, however, that summer had arrived and made their way to the humid air outside with lyrics ringing true in our heads: "Here it comes again the beautiful warm weather."

See more photos from the show in our Live Music stream.

Photos by Irina No

Rob Ford protest at City Hall

This Week in Theatre: Script-Tease Project, Empty Boxes, Dumb Waiter, InspiraTO, Thrones and Recreation

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Dumb WaiterThis week in theatre rounds up the most noteworthy live theatre playing right now in Toronto. It includes just-opened shows as well as productions that are about to close.

The Script-Tease Project / Young Centre / 8:00pm / 7:00pm/9:00pm Weekend / $15-$25
The National Theatre of the World's Script-Tease Project reaches new heights this year with artists Judith Thompson, Guillermo Verdecchia, Zaib Shaikh, Richard Greenblatt, Jason Sherman, Rick Mercer, and newly announced angry, funnyman Lewis Black. Each night, an envelope containing the first two pages of a play are thrust upon brave actors tasked with improvising the rest.

The Dumb Waiter / Odyssey Studio / 8:00pm / $15-$25
Harold Pinter's The Dumb Waiter is a master class in precision dialogue and high stakes, conflict-driven drama. Set within the confines of a basement, two hitmen await instructions on their next target while a dumbwaiter sends food orders to the confused duo. Wordsmyth Theatre's production is directed by Melee Hutton and features Mark Wilson and David Matheson.

InspiraTO / Alumnae Theatre / Various Times / $12-$15
Every minute is bound to count when your play is ten minutes in length. That's the premise behind InspiraTO, Toronto's short play festival. The plays are organized around five premises: plays that begin with "I see a rabbit"; plays where a character must leave home; plays taking place in a tunnel; plays where a rope features prominently (curious); and plays set in sight-specific environments. The Alumnae Theatre hosts these 28 works of short fiction.

Empty Boxes / Red Sandcastle Theatre / 8:00pm/2:00pm / $15
When a young couple decides to part ways after a job offer changes everything, they must parse through the items of their relationship and determine what goes with them and what gets left behind. The occasion is a catalyst for a look back at the life cycle of their relationship. Homestead Theatre Project's production features Nicola Elbro and Michael Iliadis.

Thrones and Recreation / Tranzac / 8:30pm / $20-$25
Queen's Players Toronto presents its raucous, alcohol-fueled send up of all things pop culture at the Tranzac. This time around, they've fused together civically-engaged folk from Parks and Recreation with Game of Thrones characters from the worlds of Westeros and Essos. There are sure to be a number of clever cameos thrown in for good measure.

Spoken word events in Toronto, June 2013

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Spoken word torontoThe end of May gave us a taste of what we hope will be a glorious summer. Moving into June, the heat makes all of us a little more open to the joy of long days, sunshine and warmth this time of the year provides. But among all this outdoor cavorting is a pile of spoken word, conducted in the heat of poetic passion, that will light up your brains and ignite your joie de vivre.

Here's where you can find spoken word in Toronto in the next 30 days.

HOT TICKETS

TORONTO POETRY SLAM FT. FERNANDO RAGUERO / JUNE 9 / 8PM / THE DRAKE HOTEL UNDERGROUND / $5
Fernando Raguero is a rare treasure in the national spoken word community. This guy almost never tours, has never featured at a show in Toronto, and yet if you ask the hardcore followers of the art form about his work, they will basically start drooling in front of you. Thirteen years in the Vancouver scene and a past member of three slam teams from that city, quite simply, this is not a show to be missed. This will be one of the most hilarious and enjoyable poetry sets you will ever see.

WHY BIRDS AND WOLVES DON'T TRADE STONES / JUNE 15 / 7:30PM / CINECYCLE / $5-$10 SLIDING SCALE
Lishai, a member of the 2012 Up From The Roots national slam championship team and UNITY Charity spoken word emissary, launches her book Why Birds and Wolves Don't Trade Stones, beautifully illustrated by David Brame. At the event, Lishai will perform with projected images from the book in the background. Depend on a lyrically powerful, visually appealing, slightly awkward, popcorn propelled evening of good times and great art.

RIGHT BESIDE YOU: AN EVENING OF OUR STORIES WITH DAVID DELISCA / JUNE 16 / 7PM / THE DRAKE HOTEL UNDERGROUND / $10 EARLY BIRD, $15ADV, $20 DOOR
David Delisca has been a member of the Toronto spoken word community for a long time. Taking his game to the next level, he is putting on a show that will feature the band Sound Energy Flux and singer Erin Reece, plus the artistic contributions of Progress, Quentin Vercetty and Trevlyn Kennedy. This will be an artistic tour de force incorporating word, music and story. Prepare to be amazed.

SOUTHWESTERN ONTARIO SPOKEN WORD CIRCUIT PRESENTS JILLIAN CHRISTMAS / JUNE 19, 20 & 26
The SOSWC is a consortium of spoken word groups that stage monthly spoken word events in London, Guelph, Hamilton, Burlington, Toronto and York Region. Thanks to the Canada Council for the Arts, they will bring a high-profile artist each month to perform at the venues on the circuit. This month, two-time Vancouver poetry slam champion (and former Torontonian) Jillian Christmas tours the circuit. She features at Bill Brown's 1-2-3 Slam (June 19), Burlington Slam Project (June 20) and YorkSlam in Richmond Hill (June 26).

CANADA DAY WEEKEND SLAM FT. RITALLIN / JUNE 30 / 1PM / HARBOURFRONT CENTRE / FREE
The first of two days of poetry showcase and slam, this event pits the 2013 Toronto Poetry Slam Team -- Optimus Rhyme, Kliggy, IF, Philosofly and David Delisca -- against all comers in a "friendly" poetry slam (contact Toronto Poetry Slam for registration details). The event features Ritallin, the 2012 national indies runner-up and member of the Up From The Roots national slam championship team. The follow up event is at the same time the next day featuring British fringe mainstay Jem Rolls.

OTHER SHOWS AND EVENTS

For more listings, head on over to the events calendar or check out the Cytopoetics Events spoken word blog for local info updated weekly during the month.

Have a spoken word event coming up that you'd like us to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO events calendar.

What's it like to workout at the new Equinox gym?

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Equinox GymThis high end fitness chain gives bankers and lawyers another option for fitness and pampering in the Financial District. But are the facilities and fitness classes here worth the steep membership price?

Read my review of Equinox Toronto in the fitness section.

Bible is Porno


Radar: 1st Time Project, Devendra Banhart, Lars Von Trier, Nightlands, Stock Uncorked, Subway for Sketch

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Events June 3 TorontoToronto events on June 3rd, 2013

FUNDRAISER | The 1st Time Project - 1st Contact Concert
Tonight at The Mod Club, The First Time Project holds a fundraiser with an amazing lineup of performers. The First time project is an organized platform for a global discussion about female sexuality, using the first sexual experience as a launching point to initiate a cross-cultural and multi-generational conversation. The goal here is more than sexual "liberation", but education, as well, which will benefit both women and men. Tonight's concert will help raise funds for this ambitious project, and performers Saidah Baba Talibah, Zaki Ibrahim, Tanika Charles, Lal, Motion, and DJ Mel Boogie and DJ L'Oqenz will ensure an amazing evening of music for all who attend.
The Virgin Mobile Mod Club (722 College Street) 7:45 $30

MUSIC | Devendra Banhart (with Rodrigo Amarante)
Devendra Banhart hits the Danforth Music Hall tonight. This American singer/songwriter is also a visual artist who left his studies at the San Francisco Art Institute behind to pursue a musical career. His music has been associated with the "New Weird America" genre coined by journalist David Keenan (which is essentially "psych folk" with other influences thrown in), but Banhart's music is difficult to categorize definitively. His latest album, Mala was released earlier this year, and contains some catchy tunes, such as the subtly Latin-flavoured Never Seen Such Good Things. Banhart collaborator, Rodrigo Amarante, is also on the bill.
The Danforth Music Hall (147 Danforth Avenue) 8PM $40

LECTURE | Lars Von Trier in Adam Nayman's Terms
Adam Nayman carries on delivering amazing and accessible film courses you wish you had taken (or were taking) in your Undergrad year. Tonight is the conclusion of Love 'Em Or Hate 'Em: Controversial Directors In Nayman's Terms, a four-week survey of four popular and "polarizing" directors from the past quarter-century. So far Nayman has covered David Cronenberg, Roman Polanski, and Paul Verhoeven, and tonight the featured director is Lars Von Trier, director of such films as Melancholia, Dogville, and Breaking the Waves. Given the way this course has focused on a different iconic director each week, tonight's self-contained is perfect for a drop in.
Miles Nadal JCC (750 Spadina Avenue) $12 drop-in ($6 for students/members)

MUSIC | Nightlands @ The Drake Hotel
Nightlands is the solo project of Dave Hartley, bassist for the Philadelphia, PA-based rock band, The War On Drugs. Nightlands finds Hartley assuming the role of multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, and moves in a different sonic direction: a melodic, ambient world of dreamy songs with a strong ephemeral quality. This project's latest Secretly Canadian release, Oak Island, follows this style, and should be interesting to experience live. Interestingly, two TO-based acts that are strongly associated with our city's improvised/experimental music community are also on tonight's bill: Thomas, and Bernice. Should be good!
The Drake Hotel (1150 Queen Street West) 8PM $10

Also Of Note

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

Morning Brew: Rob Ford says he'll skip Pride, protestors call for the mayor's head, change of plans for Doug Ford, soil tests at uranium plant, and Rube the Rice Man dies

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toronto waterfrontLooks like Rob Ford is going to be absent for this summer's Pride parade. The mayor told Kiss 92.5 FM's Maurie Sherman that if the event falls on the Canada Day long weekend when he normally takes his kids to Muskoka then he'd skip out. It does. Could Ford have shown up after the comments he's reported to have made in the alleged crack video?

The announcement came as hundreds of people gathered in Nathan Phillips Square to demand Ford resign over recent drug allegations. The event was organized through Facebook and some protestors left chalk messages on the concrete. "Enough is enough. This is embarrassing for the city. He should do Toronto a favour and step down," organized Rob Freake told the Star.

Looks like Doug Ford is re-thinking his provincial political ambitions. PC house leader Jim Wilson told reporters Ford "is not our candidate," adding "I don't even know the guy." The mayor's older brother and city councillor told listeners on his Newstalk 1010 radio show if he didn't get a call in the Spring he'll reconsider. The pair also spent time bashing the media.

The provincial government says it's going to test the soil around a controversial GE Hitachi uranium plant on Lansdowne Ave.. The plant has been operating in the neighbourhood for 48 years and has managed to remain low-key, keeping a perfect record in air and soil tests. Concerned local groups have been pushing for the soil tests since the plant became public knowledge last year.

The latest long-range weather forecasts are calling for a relatively mild summer compared to last year's scorcher. Most of Canada is expecting higher than average temperatures, while this part of Ontario is expected to stay "near normal." Boo.

The weekend's Ride for Heart cycle event on the Gardiner and Don Valley Parkway raised over $5.5 million for heart and stroke research, $500,000 more than last year. The annual event closes both highways and opens the space to sponsored bikers. 13,000 people rode between 25 and 75 kilometres.

Some sad news now. Rube Marcus, a 40-year veteran of the St. Lawrence Market and an all-round well-loved character, has died at 92. Known as "Rube the Rice Man," Marcus had operated a stall in the basement of the Front St. centre since 1973. There will be a special gathering at the market on Wednesday for an "unpretentious celebration" of Rube's life.

Finally, downtown hamburger joint The Burger's Priest is taking a trip back to the 1970s and the glory days of fast food in a new commercial. The video pays "homage to the halcyon days of fast food - a throwback to a simpler time in both north american cuisine - and video production." The company opened its fourth location at Queen and Spadina on Saturday. Enjoy.

FROM THE WEEKEND:

IN BRIEF:

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

Image: Val K/blogTO Flickr pool.

This Week in Music: The xx hit Echo Beach, Billy Talent and Sloan added to NXNE, Primus 3D, UNITY Festival

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The XX Echo BeachThis Week in Music rounds up the latest news, releases and concerts coming to Toronto.

IN THE NEWS

NXNE adds some huge last-minute shows

The 2013 edition of NXNE is only a week away, and the already-stacked lineup has gotten even beefier. The event's organizers announced in a press release last week that Billy Talent will headline a free outdoor show at Yonge-Dundas Square on Saturday, June 15. Throughout the day, several other bands will also take the stage, including Millencolin, Blinker the Star, Big Black Delta, We Are Scientists, Moon King, and more. It was also announced that Sloan will hit the stage at the Great Hall on June 14, featuring support from Super Friendz, Mike O'Neill, and a DJ set from Ben Gunning. The news wasn't all good, however, as Big Boi, who was scheduled to perform at YDS on June 16, was forced to pull out all of his shows for the next six weeks due to a knee injury. That aside, NXNE is looking like the can't-miss event of the summer. A full festival lineup and schedule can be found here.

Toronto's UNITY Festival returns

The fifth annual UNITY Festival has officially been announced, and some huge names will be making an appearance. The youth-minded hip-hop event, which runs from July 18 to 21 at several venues across the city, will feature a beatboxing competition at the Mod Club on opening day. Rahzel, perhaps the best beatboxer of all time, will take the stage after the competition. On July 20, which is National UNITY Day, Talib Kweli will headline an outdoor show at Yonge-Dundas Square, alongside Toronto MC Rich Kidd. Full details on the festival's events and shows can be found at the official website.

THIS WEEK'S HOT TICKETS

THURSDAY JUNE 6 / THE XX / ECHO BEACH / 909 LAKESHORE W / $59.50 - $99.50 / ALL AGES

Britsh indie-rockers The xx will hit the stage at Echo Beach on Thursday, kicking off what should be an awesome summer of outdoor concerts in the city. While I kinda think that the ticket price is a bit steep, The xx is definitely a band worth seeing live, especially at a venue like Echo Beach - if you haven't been there, you owe it to yourself to check it out. Grizzly Bear will also be performing, so this is guaranteed to be a night of warm, early summer winds and great tunes.

FRIDAY JUNE 7 / PRIMUS / DANFORTH MUSIC HALL / 147 DANFORTH / $40.75 - $50.75 / ALL AGES

I'm not a huge fan of Primus - I admit that I don't really "get" their style of music, but they're a band that has a rabid fanbase, so they must be doing something right. They've released seven albums, the most recent being 2011's Green Naugahyde, and have been touring regularly since reforming in 2010. What sets this tour apart from all the rest, however, is that it's in 3D...yeah, I'm not sure how that's going to work, either. It features "quad surround sound," and audience members will be given 3D glasses that will supposedly enhance the performance. Seems a bit gimmicky to me, but if you're a fan of the band, you'll probably dig it.

RECENTLY ANNOUNCED CONCERTS

WHAT WE GOT UP TO LAST WEEK

New Avenue Road bakery is serious about chocolate

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Chocolate Brunette TorontoThis new bakery at Avenue and Davenport serves up truffles, cookies, cupcakes and Italian-inspired pastries with chocolate as the star ingredient.

Read my profile of The Chocolate Brunette Pastry Company in the bakeries section.

DOS brings tacos and street art back to the Brick Works

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La Carnita DOSFans of tacos, street art and good music will want to mark their calendars for July 19th. That's when DOS, La Carnita's self-billed party of the summer returns to the Evergreen Brick Works for its second annual edition.

Building on last summer's sold-out festival, UNO, the team behind DOS spearheaded by La Carnita chef Andrew Richmond tells us they're expecting a sell-out again with this new and improved version that will feature beats by DJ Platurn and Grandtheft and skull inspired art by Sam Flores, Joseph Martinez and Mike Giant.

That's just scratching the surface on the actual talent expected to be in attendance. For a full list of artists (double the number that were at last year's event), check out the DOS web site.

Food-wise, Chef Richmond and his crew from La Carnita might need to up their game. That's because they've brought in famed-Chicago taco kings Big Star to fill up attendees that are expected to number in the thousands.

Richmond told us to expect grilled corn, crispy tamales, whole roasted animal items, tostadas, churros, paletas, a tequila bar, bourbon booth, cocktails, beer and more.

They're also hoping to address past complaints about long line-ups at food events at the Brick Works by vastly expanding the number of food and bar stations and collaborating with the TUM team on event logistics.

Tickets for DOS are now on sale. Get'em before they sell out.

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