Toronto events on July 29th, 2013

MUSIC | Imagine Dragons @ TD Echo Beach
Imagine Dragons hit TO for a show at Echo Beach tonight! This modern rock quartet, hailing from Las Vegas, are currently touring their new 5-song EP, entitled The Archive, released in February of this year. The band also has a live iTunes Session EP released a few months ago. Imagine Dragons has been nominated for several awards for their videos, including "Best Rock Video" at both the 2012 and 2013 MTV Video Music Awards. This band has a sound that is both melodic and edgy rock with an electronic component (and occasionally an acoustic one) that gives their music extra depth to many of their tracks.
TD Echo Beach (999 Lake Shore Blvd West) 7:30PM $42.40 - $65

FILM | Early Monthly Segments #53
Early Monthly Segments, TO's monthly screening of underground and experimental films, often 'vintage' and shown in their original format, reconvenes tonight for the July edition. Tonight's selection of films has been programmed by Michael Zryd. Brummer's is a film created by experimental New-York filmmaker and former Whitney Museum film curator, David Bienstock, for his Master's studies at NYU. This short 1967 film shows Bienstock's fascination with different influences including Cubism. Joyce Wieland's 1965 film Peggy's Blue Skylight will also be shown. The film's title is taken from a well known Charles Mingus composition, and the film's music comes from pianist Paul Bley. Ordinary Matter, a part of Hollis Frampton's seven-part series Hapax Legomena, completes tonight's program.
Gladstone Hotel, Art Bar (1214 Queen St West) 8PM PWYC ($5-10 suggested)

ART | Render Toronto Presents First Performance Project & Dinner
Tonight, Render, a collaborative and inter-disciplinary performance and showcase, launches it's first event - Render Toronto Volume One. This is a unique concept, bringing together visual artists displaying and selling their work alongside musical performances, DJ's creating "mini mixes", and other promised "live collaborations". One can make a complete evening of this, and spring for the fixed course dinner prepared by Marben's own Chef Rob Bragagnolo, or simply attend the performance portion of the evening. All tickets include a complimentary cocktail, and a special RENDER art print created for this event.
Nyood (1096 Queen Street West) 8PM $40 ($20 performance only)

MUSIC | Elvis Monday
Elvis Monday returns once again to deliver awesome TO rock talent to the city's most discerning and die hard ears. Monday nights are a tough row to hoe, as they say, but this weekly showcase has been going strong for decades, and has seen the likes of Peaches, By Divine Right, Beck, and others grace the stage at the beginning of their careers. Consistently fresh and innovative lineups have kept Elvis Monday going strong, and tonight is not likely to be an exception: Ginger Ale and the Monowhales, Mayor Phat Fuck (kudos for the subtle moniker there!), The Radio Circus, Vegas, and others will deliver your dose of Rock this evening. Elvis never leaves this building!
The Drake Hotel (1150 Queen Street West) 9PM FREE

Also Of Note

Gifts Of My Hands Summer Markets
Luke Vajsar's Hypnotic Lounge Series
Smith Westerns / Wampire @ Lee's

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

Photo of Nyood by Jesse Milns

Ontario's Special Investigations Unit is looking into the death of an apparently armed 18-year-old on a Toronto streetcar over the weekend. The incident, captured on a video posted to YouTube (warning: NSFW), appears to show officers shooting and tasering Sammy Yatim who one witness described as "perfectly still." Nine shots can be heard on the video, which was filmed near Dundas and Bellwoods.

Rob Ford was in hot water (surprise, surprise) this weekend after the Toronto Star revealed one of the mayor's senior aides, David Price, had made a homophobic slur towards CBC reporter Jamie Strashin. The incident happened some time in the last three weeks and has resulted in a prolonged absence for Price, something the mayor's office isn't willing to comment on. Strashin, who isn't gay, broke the story about Price posing as a caller to Rob Ford's Newstalk 1010 show.

One of the men accused in the Anthony Smith case is no longer facing murder charges. The crown withdrew its first-degree charge against Hanad Mohamed who now faces a variety of "accessory" charges. Mohamed was arrested in Fort McMurray on a nationwide arrest warrant in June. Nisar Hashimi was sentenced to nine years in prison last month for the killing.

Doug Holyday, Toronto's deputy mayor and PC candidate in the Etobicoke-Lakeshore byelection, went back to the future this weekend, posing for a photo in a vintage DeLorean at a neighbourhood barbecue. The Toronto Sun is running a caption competition. Can you think of any good ones?

Lake Ontario could rise and fall by a few extra centimetres each year if a plan, decades in the making, comes to fruition. The natural ebb and flow of the lake is controlled largely by dams at Cornwall, Ont., and Massena, N.Y. Ecologists hope tweaking the system will return the lake to a more natural state.

The City of Toronto no longer wants an elderly Scarborough woman to mow the public grass on her street. A bylaw requires property owners to be responsible for some sections of public grass unless they can convince the city otherwise. Previously, the city maintained all its public space.

Finally, Toronto FC fans had learned to content themselves with small pleasures prior to this weekend. The team snapped a horrendous 16-game losing streak and broke a 7-hour goal drought this weekend with a soggy 2-1 win over the Columbus Crew. The team scored twice in the final minutes to come from behind and snatch a rare victory.

FROM THE WEEKEND:

• This Week In Comedy
• This Week in Theatre
• Get to know a Toronto startup: 2life
• That time anti-Semitism blighted Toronto
• Justin Bieber super fans radiate joy at Toronto concert
• Designers & crafters find a new home on College Street
• What Parliament Street used to look like in Toronto

IN BRIEF:

• Shooting sends teen to hospital [CBC]
• Neighbours fight parkette at Jane and Sheppard [Toronto Star]
• Hope endures for Toronto food trucks [Metro]
• Blue Jays score walk-off win over Astros [CBC]

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

Image: Stephanie Fysh/blogTO Flickr pool.

This Week in Music rounds up the latest news, releases and concerts coming to Toronto.

IN THE NEWS

Indie 88.1 set to hit the airwaves

No matter how you feel about the state of Toronto radio, this is very exciting news - Indie 88.1 will officially hit the airwaves this Wednesday at noon, marking what will hopefully be the start of a new era of radio in the city. For years, 102.1 The Edge was viewed as the station to listen to if you wanted to hear good Canadian indie rock. In recent years, though, the station has become watered down with overplayed top 40 tunes and a once-edgy morning show that has very close to slipping into total irrelevancy.

Indie 88.1 promises to offer an alternative to fans of Canadian indie rock, as well as a substantial amount of documentary and talk programming. I, for one, am very excited - here's hoping that the launch goes smoothly. Head on over to the station's official website if you want to offer some input on what they should play once they've launched. In the meantime, however, they're playing this on repeat.

THIS WEEK'S HOT TICKETS

MONDAY JULY 29 / IMAGINE DRAGONS / ECHO BEACH / 909 LAKESHORE W / $57.50 - $82.00 / ALL AGES

Imagine Dragons, out of Las Vegas, have released only one album - 2012's Night Visions - but they've already reached second place on the Billboard 200, and their second single, the dubstep-inspired "Radioactive," was called the "biggest rock hit of the year" by Rolling Stone magazine. Hyperbole aside, they do have a very unique sound, and while it remains to be seen whether or not they can continue their initial success, I'd suggest checking this show out if you have the opportunity. If nothing else, Echo Beach is an absolutely wicked venue.

SATURDAY AUGUST 3 / FATHER JOHN MISTY / DANFORTH MUSIC HALL / 147 DANFORTH / $19.50 / 19+

If you don't feel like shelling out 57 bones to see Imagine Dragons, wait until Saturday to get this week's live music fix. Father John Misty will take the stage at the Danforth Music Hall, with support from Night Moves. The Baltimore native has steadily released music since 2004, as a solo artist and as a member of bands Saxon Shore and Fleet Foxes. A close friend of mine is absolutely in love with the guy, and while I can't attest to being as a big a fan as she is, it's hard not to dig his style of music. Hell of a voice, too.

RECENTLY ANNOUNCED CONCERTS

• MAYER HAWTHORNE / DANFORTH MUSIC HALL / SEPTEMBER 6 / 8PM
• WILDCAT! WILDCAT! / WRONGBAR / SEPTEMBER 21 / 8PM
• NOAH AND THE WHALE / THE PHOENIX / OCTOBER 19 / 8PM
• SHAD / THE OPERA HOUSE / OCTOBER 19 / 8PM
• HOLY GHOST! / THE HOXTON / NOVEMBER 6 / 8PM

WHAT WE GOT UP TO LAST WEEK

• How Weird Canada will use $50K to rethink indie music distribution
• Courtney Love remains the queen of grunge
• Justin Bieber super fans radiate joy at Toronto concert

Photo of Father John Misty courtesy of Brennan Schnell on Flickr.

Church Street looks a little different this morning. After much anticipation since the June announcement, the east side of Church between Wellesley and Alexander finally saw 15 parking spots temporarily removed in favour of more seating space.

I stopped by yesterday many hours after the official unveiling to see eight so-called parklets decked out in pink paint, planter boxes and, sometimes, even a space to sit. While I had maybe been expecting a raging patio scene, what I got instead was something more like a serene art project that still looks half baked. In time, I expect these spots to be fully flourishing but on this Sunday afternoon they were mostly empty (apparently due to lack of seating) except for a handful of them that had tables and benches where people just seemed to be hanging out.

Like the Yonge St. experiment last summer, this initiative is primarily intended to increase the amount of public space in the heart of the Village. It's spearheaded by the local BIA as well as City Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam. The parklets are still in the process of being landscaped (work will continue this week) and only some of them will be licensed drinking spots depending on whether they butt up against a bar or restaurant.

What do you think of this initiative? Have you had a chance to check out the new parklets yet? Add your two cents to the comment thread below.

There's a new night market in Toronto taking place every Wednesday night at 99 Sudbury. Similar in scope to the Midnght Mrkt which has popped up occasionally this year at the 2nd Floor event space on King West, this new night market brings together a lightly curated selection of local artisans, food and drink vendors looking for a new outlet to sell their goods.

Venue-wise the space isn't the biggest (or brightest). Those familiar with the 99 Sudbury complex will recognize the occasional gallery space it's housed in - a space that has hosted its share of events over the years including a Nuit Blanche installation last fall.

After a number of weeks in soft launch mode, the new night market at 99 Sudbury finally had their official coming out party this past week. I stopped by for a couple of hours to check out the scene, fill up on some tasty eats and cocktails and chat with some of the vendors.

Here's a rundown of five vendors that stood out the most.

Menu Food Truck
One of our favourite vendors at the recent Night It Up! night market in Markham, Menu is here serving up three variations of their fried rice balls. Anything but dainty, these offerings included the wittily named named Angry Birds (roasted chicken, mozzarella and vegetables), the Pokeball (Chinese sausage, smoked mozzarella and vegetables) and the mighty Porkzilla (braised pork belly, mozzarella and vegetables). If your face doesn't get splattered with sauce and grease by the time you finish tackling these mammoth creations you're probably doing it wrong.

La Rivolta
La Rivolta means the revolt in Italian, and that's exactly what this pop-up bar and catering company is striving to accomplish through food and drink. Here at the night market, La Rivolta's artillery consists of three innovative cocktails: the Bourbon Daisy (bullet bourbon, Grand Manier, lemon, dem rara), the Pimm's Cup (Pimm's, muddled cucumber and limonata, pompelmo), and the majestic Midnight Chase (Prosecco, elderflower liquor, thyme, cucumber). Cheers to that.

The Co-Op Kitchen
This stall is run by The West End Food Co-Op. Those familiar with the Parkdale store will know that the Co-Op is a non-profit and that many of its products are shipped from nearby family-run farms and artisans. If you're interested in learning more about what they do they're more than eager to chat. But more importantly having them at the night market means there's food to buy here that doesn't need to be eaten on the spot. Those looking to stock up on groceries on the way home from work will appreciate their appearance here.

Cool City Oyster Yard
Since the night market takes place at 99 Sudbury it only makes sense for local resident Cool City Oyster Yard to make an appearance here. On this night they were drawing crowds eager to slurp down freshly-shucked BC oysters at $3 a pop. Of course, for those looking for more of a focused oyster splurge there's no need to hunt them down here. Just walk around the corner of the building were you can plop yourself down on their pretty patio.

Pretty Sweet Mobile Cupcakery
In addition to the collection of vendors inside the 99 Sudbury space, one or two food trucks will be making a weekly appearance parked next to the entrance. This week the food truck was Pretty Sweet. From their large menu of cupcakes they were selling mint chocolate, regular chocolate, red velvet and salted caramel ($2.75 for one, $15 for a half dozen and $30 for a dozen). The perfectly moist cake and creamy frosting made it excruciatingly difficult not to eat fifteen of them in one sitting.

The night market at 99 Sudbury runs every Wednesday evening from 5 to 10pm.

Photos by Emily Baille

What's more daring; duck tongue on the menu? Or, doing a late night snack bar without poutine or, gasp, even a deep fryer in sight? Regardless this new Parkdale snack bar is doing both and the results are simply delicious.

Read my profile of Food & Liquor in the restaurants section.

Koreatown offers a hell of a lot more to the city than steaming bowls of bibimbap. One of the best things about the hood, squeezed in between the Annex and Bloorcourt, is the many karaoke bars to choose from. They're mostly tucked into basements below other businesses, the only tip-off being the smallish decals on glass doors. Those doors lead downward into many tiny dens of hilarity, full of people who very clearly are not ashamed that they cannot sing by any stretch of anyone's imagination.

My friend Jordan and I set out to explore this heretofore unknown (to us) territory on Saturday night after a few drinks, and we're both pleased by what we find.

Here are four karaoke bars in Koreatown worth venturing to with a pack of friends.

BMB Karaoke
BMB Karaoke is the biggest karaoke option in Koreatown. It's also had a "Grand Opening" decal on its front window for about a decade. As we wander in, the reception area is packed with a group of ten people in their twenties waiting on a room. There are ten rooms in total, and the brightly-coloured doors to each room look like the front doors to suburban houses.

BMB has different books of songs, so you can be sure to have a selection of songs to suit your desired language. We pop our heads into one group's room, and they're stoked to have a book in Spanish. "I've been here five times in the last couple months," one of the women in the room tells us. The Spanish book also includes English Karaoke faves like Savage Garden, Fleetwood Mac, Cher, and the Beatles.

Back in the hallway again, snippets of badly-warbled songs waft out from under the doors. "I haven't heard any good voices yet," Jordan whispers. He actually looks kind of impressed at the consistency of badness. "But they sing without shame like they're a hot kettle." All in the name of good fun, yes?

You can enjoy your hot kettles with sides of beef jerky, which seems to be the only snack available "due to smelliness of some foods," according to the guy behind the desk. But there's a bar on weekends, serving up shots ($5.50), mixed drinks ($6.00) and a selection of bottled beer ($5). Pricing for the rooms starts at $20 per hour and climbs to $60 for "VIP" treatment.

Freezone Karaoke
Going to Freezone feels exactly like doing karaoke in a friend's basement. There's a beer fridge stocking Blue, Coors Light, and more palatable options like Steam Whistle and Corona, as well as a variety of juices. I have to wonder if they're even licensed, as the only other liquor available is a couple of quarts of Smirnoff and Beefeater half-hidden in a corner.

We run into Jordan's friend Adam as we walk in. He's here with a group of about 10 friends. Adam surmises that those who frequent karaoke bars are usually introverts by day, and they come to blow off a little steam. I'm not sure I agree totally, but that certainly appears to be what's going on in the room he's partying in.

He also secretly whispers to us that the catalogue is bad, and laments about having to sing old-school Britney Spears tunes. Regardless of that, though, the place seems charming to me, and half of the eight rooms are occupied, with another group coming in and grabbing beers as we leave. Pricing starts at $20 for four people and climbs to $60 for 12 to 15.

XO Karaoke
XO Karaoke above Clinton's is one of the more well-known karaoke operations in the neighbourhood. As we wait in the reception area, a huge group of twenty somethings gleefully worships the night to the sort-of tune to City High.

A young dude in a baseball cap comes over to chat while waiting for a drink. He tells us he likes to sneak in backpacks full of beer. I'm not sure that's the best plan, especially given the fact that XO has the best bar setup of any in the area. Along with your requisite beers (50, Budweiser, Steam Whistle, etc)., they've also got import beers like Heineken and a selection of top shelf booze like Grey Goose and Hennessy, in case you're special occasion karaokeing.

There are seven rooms in total, some much larger than others, and pricing varies based on the size of the room. It starts at $20 per hour for a small room.

Gorhe Gorhe
Gorhe Gorhe is more targeted to the local Korean community, with the majority of their song selections in Korean. There are lots of Korean snack foods available at the bar as well, like nuts, candies, and squid. That's not to say those who are outside the community are unwelcome, though, by any means. The staff are super friendly to my friend and I, welcoming us in and chatting. There's a great selection of songs in English, too, nothin' but the hits, really, like Spice Up Your Life. Rooms here are $30 per hour.

Where's your favourite spot for karaoke in Koreatown? Sound off in the comments below.

Photos by Denise McMullin

The best bibimbap in Toronto is all about balance. The stone bowl has to be just hot enough in order for the entire dish (which usually includes a cracked raw egg) to be cooked thoroughly while ensuring the base of the bed of rice to be crisped just right. Not to mention that the hot sauce that complements the entire dish needs to have the right combination of sweet and spiciness. Thank goodness I never have to resort to making my own bibimbap because I can get them instead at these fine establishments.

Here's the list of the best bibimbap in Toronto.

See Also:

The Best Korean Restaurants in Toronto
The Best Korean BBQ in Toronto
The Best Late Night Korean Restaurants in Toronto

Writing by Darren "DKLo" Susilo. He hangs out on the twitter and his own mansion. Lead photo by Tom Cochrane

The Beaches may not be known for a thriving bar, food or music scene, but what it does have in spades is pubs. The stretch of Queen St. East between Victoria Park and Coxwell is home to a large variety of watering holes that are well-loved by locals for their chicken wings, beer specials, people watching or spectacular view. They all have at least one thing in common, too, despite their differences: some of the friendliest staff in Toronto which is what you want at a neighbourhood spot designed for brewing your blood into beer.

If you like sports and beer and live in the Beaches, or even if you don't, here, in no particular order, is where you want to go when seeking out suds on the far east of Queen Street.

Captain Jack
Captain Jack is a true dive in the best way imaginable. The regulars call it 'the hole.' Those regulars include ex-pornstars, ex-athletes, Neil Young's brother, and other fantastical characters. The lovely woman behind the bar tells me, "We have nothing special. Just a few old man beers, like 50." She's totally wrong, though. First of all, 50 is awesome, and second, it's this bar's clientele that make it incredible. On a recent visit, one of the aforementioned 'old men' asks me to stay, but it somehow doesn't seem creepy. Later, he tells me I have nice feet, which is just about the creepiest thing another human has ever said to me, but is also kind of adorable. Pints can be had for $5, and that doesn't hurt either.

Castro's Lounge
Castro's is a dark little lounge at Queen St. East and Hammersmith known for its beer selection and vegetarian menu. It may be veggie-focused, but the menu still features traditional pub food, like quesadillas and veggie chili. There are healthier options, too, like vegan grain bowls. You'll find an ever-changing selection of unique craft brews on special, as well. The front window is a garage-door style setup, and they open it up to let in the sounds of the street in the summertime. There's loads of visual interest here, with a living gallery made up of old celebrity photos.

Fill Station
Fill Station is the place to go to grab all of the pub food classics on the cheap. They do a pound of wings for $6.99 on Mondays, a $4.99 nachos special on Thursdays, and bar snacks like jalapeno poppers and calamari for $5.99 every day of the week. It's a friendly spot where the servers know the customers by name. You'll also find a selection of $5 pints. There's entertainment, too, like sports on the big screen and Guitar Hero contests. I would caution against being a woman with a face in here during the week, though, unless you really like being aggressively hit on by much older dudes. In that case, fill your boots.

Gull and Firkin
I'm not sure where you'd find a Guinness and oyster special in the city other than at a Firkin, and the Gull is the Beaches' answer to that. The Gull and Firkin is a place to go if you'd identify as a fairly normal person looking for consistent food and service and British-inspired pub food like Shepherd's pie ($11) and poutine with a British twist. On weekdays, they do a happy hour from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. featuring $4.50 domestic draught and house rails. This Firkin location has a patio with room for about 50 people, and they're also down with the sports. All of the sports.

Whitlock's Restaurant
Compared with some of the other spots on this list, Whitlock's is a bit more austere on the inside. It's the kind of place you might go to have a nice pleasurable cry into your bourbon after work. Located on Queen just east of Woodbine, this is also a place to frequent if you're a history nerd. The building is designated as a historical site, and it's been part of daily life in the beaches since 1891. It was a grocery store, and then a post office, and, in 1925, became the first Black Diamond Cheese Factory. It still has a dark factory feel to it, despite the modern furniture. Now, at Whitlock's, you'll find specials like all-you-can-eat brunch for $13.99, a burger deal complete with fries or salad for $10, several local brews on tap, and a full bar.

Murphy's Law
Murphy's Law boasts one of the best rooftop patios in Toronto. The views of the lake and of downtown are stunning, and the breeze is perfect on a summer day. Murphy's brands itself as an Irish pub, and while the feel isn't all that Irish, some of the Emerald-isle inspired dishes, like Irish stew and beer-battered fish, are also some of the most popular. Specials include half price apps on Mondays, and half price wings on Tuesdays. Drinks specials include Caesars for $2.99 with weekend brunch, and $4 and $5 beer specials throughout the week, with picks like Keith's and Rolling Rock.

Lion on the Beach
Lion on the Beach is another spot known for its extensive offerings in the patio department. There's room for about 175 people between the two patios, and patrons of those patios can enjoy what might be the cheapest hamburger special in the city (aside from McDonald's). You can order a burger and fries at Lion on the Beach for a mere $5.25. Drink specials stack up to this, too. Caesars can be had for $4 at brunch, and pints are $5 during Leafs games. The whole place feels kind of like a dignified Old English mancave, with dart boards and large TV screens.

Salty Dog
Salty Dog is known for being a neighbourhood gathering spot, too, but for a different set of folks than those who congregate at Captain Jack. I recently chatted with a server in her twenties here, and she says all of her friends from high school come here for reunions. Salty Dog is a classic sports bar. The servers wear baseball-inspired tees, there are big screen TVs on the walls, and patrons get together and conduct football pools. There's a loyal fanbase that comes out to catch hockey games, too. The whole place kind of feels like a sports theme park. Monday and Wednesday you'll find specials on wings, and, according to the staff, NHL personalities make a habit of hanging out here.

Outrigger Tap and Table
They should add the word oasis to the name of this pub. The patio makes you feel exactly like you're pool side on a vacation. There's no pool, per se, but there is shade and a glorious fountain. The food is tropics-inspired, too, with the menu offering dishes like tilapia with lobster ($16) and fish tacos ($12), one of their most popular dishes, which is served complete with avocado, cilantro and sour cream. For drinks, you'll find bellinis, margaritas and martinis, which are well-suited to the environment, as well as a limited beer selection including Steam Whistle, Keith's, Stella and Bud Light. And don't forget to check out the walls inside, too—they're brandished with some gorgeous paintings of Toronto.

Breakwall BBQ
Breakwall, of course, is known for its smoked meat. When I recently visited this spot (at 4:30 p.m. on a weekday), several utterly sloshed frat dudes have already become fixtures on the 35-person capacity patio. They tell me they can't resist the combination of smoked meat, beer and sports. Smoked specialties include ribs, beef and pulled pork. "It's fresh, too!" a cowboy hat-clad gentleman hollers at me. The tap includes picks from Rolling Rock, Keith's, and Budweiser, and two pitchers of Keith's can be had for $32. If beer is not your thing, Breakwall also has specials on frozen cocktails like margaritas and pina coladas.

Photo by Empty Quarter in the blogTO Flickr pool

Toronto events on July 30th, 2013

MUSIC | White Mystery (Chicago.IL) w/ Sphinxs, Little Foot Long Foot @ Silver Dollar
White Mystery hits TO tonight! This brother and sister duo hails from Chicago, and is made up of Francis White and Alex White. Aggressive drumming, scorching, overdriven guitars, and melodic edgy vocals are the sonic building blocks of the White Mystery sound. White Mystery is a guitar and drums duo in the spirit of the White Stripes and many other bass-less garage duos that have formed since the early '90s, a band concept that could arguably be traced back to The Cramps, who, while not a duo, were possibly the first band to find large-scale success in underground garage rock with nothing holding down the bottom end but a bass drum. Also on the bill tonight are locals Sphinx, Little Foot Long Foot, and others TBA.
The Silver Dollar (486 Spadina Avenue) 8:30PM $7

DANCE | Dusk Dances 2013
Dusk Dances, a Toronto Summer outdoor tradition for over a decade, returns for this season beginning tonight at Withrow Park. Four dance pieces will be presented, all new works by Canadian dance artists and choreographers. Toronto's Susie Burpee will present The Last Round along with dancers Yvonne Ng and Robert Glumbek; Melanie Kloetzel from Calgary, will present an excerpt from her work, The Alice Odyssey, featuring members of the Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre; Carmen Romero a Toronto artist will perform the Flamenco and jazz-tinged May I Join You?; and TO's own The Throwdown Collective will deliver 1981 FM. Dusk Dances runs until August 4th.
Withrow Park (725 Logan Avenue) 7PM pwyc ($10 suggested)

BOOKS & LIT | Queen Gallery Poetry Night VIII
The Queen Gallery Poetry Night is a monthly series taking place on the last Tuesday of every month. It is an open-stage format event where poetry, music and art can be shared with an appreciative audience. Tonight is the eighth Poetry Night so far, and in addition to the open stage participants, this evening's featured guest is well-known TO dub poet and spoken word artist Lillian Allen. Allen has received two Juno Awards in the Best Reggae/Calypso category, teaches creative writing at OCAD, and is also a published poet. Allen is an important TO cultural figure and will definitely make this eighth edition of the Queen Gallery Poetry Night one to remember.
Queen Gallery (382 Queen Street East) 7PM (open stage sign up 6:30PM) pwyc

Also Of Note

Cedric Tiberghien
The Woodstock Experience for Friends of Music Therapy

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

Photo from the Dusk Dances Facebook page

The mother of Sammy Yatim, the 18-year-old boy shot to death by police on a Toronto streetcar, led roughly a thousand people in a sometimes tense protest at the death of her son last night. The crowd marched to the place on Dundas West where Yatim was shot nine times and tazered by a police officer after brandishing a knife on a streetcar, pausing at several police stations.

Cops confirmed yesterday evening they had suspended the officer in question with pay as an enhanced version of the video appeared to show Yatim goading cops before the fatal shots were fired. Sahar Bahadi, his mother, said "in his death he will live forever."

Meanwhile the Globe and Mail is remembering the case of Edmond Yu, a 35-year-old paranoid schizophrenic who was killed on an empty bus in 1997 after wielding a hammer. An inquest into his death recommended mandatory crisis-resolution training for all police officers.

Former Scarborough councillor David Soknacki is mulling a run for mayor, saying he's canvassing friends and colleagues for their ideas. According to the Star, he's in favour of light rail for the east end of the city, putting him at odds with the mayor and his allies. Could the former budget chair win?

Saks could be coming to Toronto now that Hundson's Bay has bought the company for a whopping $2.9 billion. HBC chairman Richard Baker said his company would "move as quickly as we can" to open seven "full-line" stores and two-dozen discount locations in Canada. Is this an exciting prospect?

Did you see a man dressed as The Flash running through the streets pushing a stroller? If so, don't fret, it was Jamie McDonald, an English long-distance runner making a crossing of Canada. McDonald made a ceremonial lap of the city, briefly pushing a boy dressed as Spiderman from SickKids. He's aiming to raise $40,000 for the charity and £60,000 for UK causes.

The City of Toronto Archives has a just uploaded a collection of Queen West street photos from the mid-1990s to Flickr. Shot by Ivaan Kotulsky, a local jeweler, the collection features candid portraits of several of the area's notable faces, including Mark Hartmaier, the quadruple amputee street performer famous on Spadina Avenue.

Finally, a North York homeowner has erected a cryptic sign praising a recent home intruder for not stealing anything. The billboard outside Roy Abraham's house reads: "To the Careful Burglar - Gratefully" and has been confusing passers by ever since. The sign is "for what he didn't do -- not what he did do. He could have wrecked the house -- done real havoc," Abraham says.

IN BRIEF:

• Toronto venue denies beer to KISS fans wearing face paint [AUX]
• Body of ex-Blue Jays pitcher Frank Castillo found in lake [CBC]
• Blue Jays get rude welcome in Oakland to kick off road trip [CBC]

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

Photo by Ben Roffelsen in the blogTO Flickr pool

This Week in Home Video previews all the latest Blu-ray, DVD and on-demand titles hitting the street this week, plus lost gems, crazed Cancon, outrageous cult titles and the best places to rent or buy movies in Toronto.

GI Joe: Retaliation (Paramount)

Big dumb summer movies don't come much bigger and dumberer than GI Joe: Retaliation, but so what? You want nuance, rent Zero Dark Thirty. The plot - The Joe team is framed for a crime they didn't commit by the cunning evil of COBRA - takes a backseat to the sheer childish thrill of high octane action, as any kid who ever played with GI Joes will attest is paramount to the brand.

Extras include a very specific and fascinating commentary from director Jon M. Chu (the auteur behind STEP UP and JUSTIN BIEBER: NEVER SAY NEVER) which sheds much light on how big budget movies are put together these days, as well as the usual making-of and deleted scenes.
If you like your steak bloody, beer ice cold and explosions that blow up real good, this is your big ticket.

Trance (20th Century Fox)

Mind-bending, hi-tech Hitchcock Noir is the name of the game in this enthralling crime thriller from director Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, Slumdog Millionaire, The 2012 Olympics). James McAvoy undergoes hypnosis to remember the location of a stolen $27 million painting, trouble is the line between reality and dream quickly becomes blurred. Extras include a really great look at the making of this "little" picture, shot during Danny's downtime on the Olympics gig, plus a retrospective on his career that shines a light on his other stunning crime drama Shallow Grave).

The Last Will And Testament of Rosalind Leigh (Anchor Bay)

Local horror hound and former publisher of RUE MORGUEmagazine Rodrigo Gudiño wrote and directed this chilling tale focused on the terror of antiques, shouty mothers and cults. Gudiño also supplies a spritely commentary track which should be of interest to all aspiring horror fans - all of your dreams can come true too!

The Fog (Scream Factory)

Antonio Bay is a sleepy sea-side village under attack from supernatural forces hiding in the fog. John Carpenter's atmospheric follow-up to his box office gold dust Halloween tanked when first released, but over the years has developed a cult following and sterling reputation. Scream Factory have done another amazing job, creating a new 1080p HD transfer supervised by the Director of Photographer Dean Cundey and stuffed this package it full of delicious extras such as a commentary from Carpenter himself, tv spots, outtakes, and a rare interview with Jaime Lee Curtis.

The Incredible Melting Man (Scream Factory)

Most famous for the stomach churning special effects from Rick Baker (An American Werewolf in London, MIB), this rarely seen b-movie finds astronaut Steve West returning to Earth with a disorder that makes him hungry for human flesh, while his own melts. Gory and strangely spooky, this is the kind of movie that seemed like a half-remembered nightmare in the days before IMBD.com existed to prove it actually exists.

Star Trek: The Next Generation - Season 4 (Paramount)

By 1990, Star Trek: The Next Generation had over-taken original Star Trek in episode count, and had even begun to attract a sizeable mainstream audience unthinkable for most Sci-Fi at the time (long before lens flares were a glint in J.J Abrams' eye). This series contains a healthy chunk of fantastic episodes, including the touching episode "Family" wherein Jean Luc thumps his douche bag brother, and "Brothers", where Data is nearly shanked by his. Special features include a detailed conversation with the Trek art department, a gag reel, deleted scenes, and a multi-part documentary about the use of family in this season. All in eye-popping HD!

Power Rangers Season 4-7 (Shout!Factory)

Weighty boxed set featuring seasons 4 ("Zeo"), 5 ("Turbo"), 6 ("In Space") and 7 ("Lost Galaxy") of the hype 90s kid show MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS. "In Space" is arguably the highpoint of POWER RANGERS still ongoing arc, an instant ticket to 90s nostalgialand with the best looking Rangers and most memorably bananas plots. This mammoth set features 183 episodes, and features a bonus disc of outtakes, Power Morphicon convention highlights, a look at the stunt team and an intriguing look at the "lost episode". If you are a Power Rangers fan, Christmas has come 5 months early.

STILL FRESH

• 42
• Evil Dead
• Bullet to the Head
• •Lord of the Flies
• Heavy Traffic
• Battle Creek Brawl/City Hunter

CELEBRATE THE SUMMER BLOCKBUSTER

As yet another summer draws to a close, and yet another crop of 200 million + movies have stunk out the local multiplexes, those boffin programmers at TIFF Bell Lightbox have scheduled a genius series titled
Films in Endless Summer: The Birth of the Blockbuster.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 30

Jaws

Alien

SATURDAY, AUGUST 31

Raiders of the Lost Ark

The Goonies

Top Gun

Aliens

Back to the Future

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 1

E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial


Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

Die Hard

The Thing

Most young people saw these titles on fuzzy VHS tapes growing up, so it will be a revelation to finally see them on the big screen. Summer, we hardly knew ya!

The good news? No closures this week. The bad news? Some great spots got conditional passes. Mary Browns Famous Chicken and Taters may become famous for an animal other than chicken. Their significant infraction was a failure to provide adequate pest control. Ew. Also, Thai Express got flagged with a yellow card. Maybe they have to focus less on the "express." They say that good things take time, right? Here's the weekly DineSafe round-up.

Bar Milano (207 Queens Quay W)
Inspected on: July 23
Inspections finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 4 (Minor: 2, Significant: 2)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Cabbage Town Kitchen (292 Wellesley Street E)
Inspected on: July 25
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 4 (Minor: 1, Significant: 1, Crucial: 2)
Crucial infractions include: Operator fail to maintain hazardous food(s) at 4C (40F) or colder, operator fail to maintain hazardous foods at 60C (140F) or hotter

Eskimo Tea House (336 Dundas Street W)
Inspected on: July 22
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 1 (Significant: 1)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Izba Restaurant (648 The Queensway)
Inspected on: July 25
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 7 (Minor: 3, Significant: 4)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Mary Browns Famous Chicken & Taters (3199 Dufferin Street)
Inspected on: July 25
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 4 (Minor: 4, Significant: 1)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Thai Express (40 King Street W)
Inspected on: July 24
Inspections finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 5 (Significant: 3, Crucial: 2)
Crucial infractions include: Operator fail to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated, employee fail to wash hands when required

Kothur Indian Cuisine (649 Yonge Street)
Inspected on: July 25
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 5 (Minor: 2, Significant: 3)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Victory Cafe (581 Markham Street)
Inspected on: July 25
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 3 (Minor: 2, Crucial: 2)
Crucial infractions include: Operator fail to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated, operator fail to maintain hazardous food(s) at 4C (40F) or colder.

Letterpress printing in Toronto has experienced a resurgence of late. Since the dawn of the internet, geek chic has reigned, so it makes sense that a love for typography would resurface. Combine that with the maker/DIY takeover, and you've got yourself a town full of folks seeking out letterpress printers. There's still a handful of them in the city, some of which have been around forever and some of which are newly founded.

Check out these five Toronto printers who still practice the art of letterpress printing.

Mundy Brothers
Mundy Brothers has been operating as a family business in the city for about 90 years, and they're still rockin the art of letterpress. They use vintage presses to create wedding invitations, custom art prints, illustrated stationery and business cards, among other printed treasures. Mundy Brothers was run exclusively as a letterpress printer up until 1959, but they mix in more modern forms of printing now to offer a wider array of options. You'll find their current operation in full force at Keele and Lawrence.

Trip Print Press
There's no ambiguity here. As Trip's website makes clear, this is a printing office. It's a fairly new operation, having been nestled into 224 Wallace Ave. since 2005. What's more, this is an organized printing press. They pride themselves on having orders done in a timely fashion, and doing it right. We chatted with proprietor Nicholas Kennedy back in 2007, and he told us he's interested in the form because it keeps evolving. He specializes in fine mercantile printing, business and social stationery, special projects and more.

bookhou
bookhou is run by husband and wife team John Booth and Arounna Khounnoraj, who operate a truly multidisciplinary business. They dabble in and teach so many different art forms, from textiles to sculpture, painting and furniture. The shop is at Dundas and Bathurst, and they host letterpress workshops there from time to time to pass on the art form. They teach basic letterpress printing on a C & P Pilot platen press, and students get to make their own stationery or cards using wood and lead type.

Lunar Caustic Press
Funnily (and fittingly) enough, Lunar Caustic Press's website is still under development. The Queen and Spadina outfit works with local designers to create unique prints, and they specialize in die cutting, foil stamping, and embossing, alongside, of course, letterpress printing. Run by Neil Wismayer, the company is one of the city's foremost ambassadors of this art form.

Someone
I feel the need to love this place based on its name alone. Someone is at Dundas and Lansdowne, and they bring a great, anything-is-possible attitude to their work. Alongside letterpress, they offer digital and commercial graphic design and brand consultation services. Besides invitations, business cards, stationery and posters, they can also help with projects involving custom binding, embossing, engraving, and die-cutting.

BONUS

Graven Feather
Graven Feather is an art gallery on Queen St. W. near Crawford St. It's run by three artists, including Pam Lobb (printmaking), Erin Candela (illustrator) and Jessica Bartram (watercolours and paper sculpture). The gallery space offers workshops, including one where you can learn to make letterpress cards using lead type. There's a community-oriented atmosphere here, and walk-in wanderers are well loved, so if you have any questions, feel free to pop in and ask.

Did we miss a letterpress printer in Toronto? If so, please add it to the comments below

Photo from Trip Print Press's Flickr Stream

The 2013 edition of Summerlicous is now a wrap. A big thanks to all of you who participated in our photo contest. We've gone through the submitted photos in our Summerlicious stream and have selected 12 finalists for you to vote on. Voting ends this Friday at 11:59pm. The top photo is the Bittersweet Chocolate & Ice Cream at Bosk restaurant in the Shangri-La hotel and the photo is by darlingex. Good luck to all finalists!

The BBQ Sustainable BC Albacore Tuna at Jump. Photo by Jessica Leung

The Medusa soba noodles at Edo Sushi. Photo by Yvonne Kwan.

The Lovell Springs Natural Trout at Sassafraz. Photo by vickynanowski

The Lemon Meringue Tart at Stock in the Trump Hotel. Photo by janetkwan

The falafel at Momofuku Daisho. Photo by tashasl8r

The Chocolate Truffle at Annona Restaurant. Photo by iamjeffshin

The Polish Scotch Egg appetizer with kielbasa, sauerkraut, pickled shallots, pork syrup and creme fraiche at Czehoski. Photo by lespetitesmorts.

The slow cooked lamb shoulder. Photo by enauu.

The Mediterranean sea bass at Splendido. Photo by adds29.

The flan de coco at Mambo Lounge. Photo by stephanieszebenyi.

The country pate appetizer at Bosk. Photo by xiaoberry.

VOTE HERE

173 Brookside Avenue is a property that sits on a fair sized lot at the northern end of Runnymede-Bloor West Village on a quiet and very family friendly street. The TTC is easily accessible and a ten minute bus ride east will take you into the Junction or ten minutes to the south will take you to the heart of Bloor West where you can grab a bite to eat at places like The Bloor Jane Restaurant, Bryden's and Dr. Generosity to name a few. There's also a grocery store, library branch and Newson's Bike & Skate Exchange in the immediate area.

A lot of work has gone into making this home as beautiful as it is today thanks to Jeff Harvey and Caitlin Turner of Harvey Homes & Interiors. The front porch was previously closed in, but is now open and inviting, the exterior brick has been painted and cedar shakes added to both the outside of the house and garage. The main floor is open concept living-dining room and kitchen, the latter of which has been beautifully updated with white subway tiling, built in cabinets, large double sink, a gorgeous antique island and chalkboard to add some whimsy (and practicality).

The bedrooms are all decent size with two that could accommodate a queen size bed, while the third can fit a single bed, but might be better used as an office. Original hardwood flooring and wide baseboards also help give it a country feel despite modern touches. It's also important to note that this property has a fully functional basement suite with similar design details and private entrance. You can see the full gallery of photos here.

SPECS:

• Address: 173 Brookside Avenue
• Price: $695,000
• Sq Ft: N/A
• Bedrooms: 3 + 1
• Bathrooms: 1
• Parking: Detached garage
• Taxes: N/A

NOTABLE FEATURES:

• Landscaped yard with pergola
• Detached garage for storage/parking
• New roof (2013)
• New furnace/AC unit (2012)

GREAT FOR:

This place would be great for a young couple looking for somewhere to start and/or grow a family. The house is just the right size to be able to keep tidy while the open concept main floor lets you keep an eye on little ones as well. The street itself is comprised of neighbours who know each other, talk to each other and even babysit for each other and schools, parks and a library are minutes away.

MOVE ON IF:

Anything west of Roncesvalles is the suburbs or you've got an incredibly different taste in design. Some people are not sold on colonial touches which there are a lot of here and for others it could be exactly what you're looking for. No matter, it's hard to deny this is a great reno job.

Read other posts in this series via our House of the Week Pinterest board.

The most famous restaurants in Toronto are all staples of sorts that we all keep coming back to. Toronto sometimes feels like a city made up entirely of food. Our city's diversity means people have brought culinary influences from so many other countries, and it means going out for dinner is never boring. Those of us who live in Toronto tend to keep coming back to a handful of mainstays, though. Over the years, these restaurants have demonstrated staying power and love them or loathe them they're arguably more well known than almost anywhere else.

Here's our list of the most famous restaurants in Toronto.

SEE ALSO:The 10 most famous bars in Toronto

Terroni
People hit up Terroni to find some of the best pizza in the city. Long before the current neapolitan craze reached Toronto, the West Queen West location (opened in 1992) was serving it's famous Quattro Stagioni pizza. They've got a sturdy wine list, too, and the roster of legitimate cocktails doesn't hurt, either. Terroni's atmosphere in its three locations is Italian restaurant jacked up a couple of notches, but it still manages to keep things casual. Because the food is so good, nobody minds the fact that they don't allow for substitutions or modifications to their recipes. Or at least, nobody minds it too much.

Salad King
If you've ever been a Ryerson student, chances are you've nurtured a borderline unhealthy love for Salad King, which is generally packed with students and members of the general populace enjoying the cheap and speedy Thai dishes. The spring rolls and the golden tofu are standouts, in my opinion. This is not gourmet food by any means but it's one of the best lunch options in the area, and perfect for takeout. Plus, they've successfully withstood three location changes over the years. That must mean something.

Fresh
As vegetarians and health nuts in the city will know, Fresh has been an institution in Toronto since the late '90s. Their three locations offer up a creative, protein-rich approach to vegan and vegetarian dining, many of its dishes featuring Asian inspirations. Fresh, with due cause, has become a mini-empire, with a few different cookbooks in production from the restaurant's creator. Their juices and grain bowls are some of the most popular items on the menu. My own personal favourite, the Buddha Bowl, includes roasted red pepper, eggplant, tomatoes, rice and tofu or goat cheese. This summer they're set to open their newest location near Yonge and Eg.

Scaramouche
Scaramouche is a classically French-inspired Yorkville fixture in the lower level of a highrise building, and it's been taking care of the city's upper crust for over 30 years. For most of us, it's not an everyday sort of establishment. Scaramouche offers a true fine dining experience, with carefully crafted gourmet meals and impeccable service. You absolutely will not, for example, be left waiting for a refill of water or a replenishment of libations. Stars on the menu include choices like the filet mignon, lamb and steak tartare. They've also got an incredible view of the city to brag about.

Burrito Boyz
Burrito Boyz is largely credited with starting the burrito craze in Toronto. Before them all we had were feeble attempts at places like Mexitaco. Having survived the acrimonious split up of its founding partners (the one who left went on to start the Burrito Bandidos chain), Burrito Boyz is now well acquainted with its own identify, and sticks with what it does best. The chicken and fish burritos are the best, but they also serve up veggie burritos, and ones made with sirlion steak. Toppings are wide-ranging and customizable, prices are reasonable, and delivery is available. Burrito Boyz' ever-expanding number of locations provide many of us with satisfying lunches and post-bar snacks. They may no longer be the best burritos in the city but their reputation should carry them for years to come.

Sassafraz
Sassafraz is a Yorkville mainstay known for its French cuisine-inspired menu, where you'll always be able to find dishes like foie gras, duck breast and Cornish hen. It's also well-known as a celebrity hangout (or so it wants you to believe) although these days tends to draw its fair share of tourists or 905ers. For those so inclined, the little yellow house is a good spot to linger over glasses of champagne and nibble on some fine cheese or caviar. The restaurant has occupied its Victorian rowhouse at Bellair and Cumberland since the '60s. It survived a major fire a few years back, but it bounced back and doesn't look to be retreating from the Yorkville scene anytime soon.

Aunties and Uncles
Aunties and Uncles is known by many as Toronto's best brunch spot. When you visit Aunties and Uncles, which is just steps from Bathurst and College, you know you'll never be left scratching your head because they didn't have your favourite breakfast food available. They've got it all, from waffles to French toast and omelettes. The dishes are simple, straightforward and satisfying, and if history is any lesson, worth lining up for.

California Sandwiches
California Sandwiches has locations all over the GTA but their original location is south of Little Italy on Claremont and it's been going strong since 1967. These sandwich shops are all about their namesake, providing the city with simple, meaty sandwiches. The favourite is unquestionably the veal and is the source of many late night arguments among the San Franceso and Mustachio loyalists out there.

Lahore Tikka House
Lahore Tikka House is most Torontonian's introduction to Little India. Alongside the requisite samosas and naan, this casual Pakistani restaurant has a long list of curries and kebabs coming out of its kitchen and more ghee in most of its offerings than you should eat in a lifetime. Nevertheless, the popularity of this spot has never waned and its legions of fans and newbies alike flock here all summer to dine al fresco on its massive, ramshackle patio.

Black Hoof
This carnivore haven on Dundas West might rightly claim to have introduced Toronto to the world of charcuterie and bone marrow and has made its proprietor and founding head chef bona fide foodie celebrities. You won't find veggie options on the menu, but you will find ear of pig and some darn tasty cocktails. The aforementioned charcuterie includes horse sausage, foie gras mousse, and duck prosciutto, among other treats, and all of it is still made in-house.

What would be on your list of famous Toronto restaurants?

Photo by Brenda Li on Flickr

Don't have long weekend plans yet? Let us help you with that. The Grove Music Festival is coming to Fort York Garrison Common this Saturday and, thanks to Canadian Club Mixed & Ready, we have two tickets plus a meet and greet with Phoenix to give away to one lucky winner.

Check out our contest page for full details on how to enter.

There's a new social network coming to town and they aren't being shy about it. You may have already noticed that some TTC shelters have been invaded by red teaser ads from myApollo, a new service coming later this summer from Toronto-based startup Arroware.

But according to Arroware, myApollo is not just a social network it's a super network and it aims to be the one app you will ever need to go to for file sharing, media consumption, social networking and even commerce.

Founded by two passionate entrepreneurs in their mid-twenties, Harvey Medcalf and Phil Kinsman have some extremely lofty plans for myApollo and are looking to go head-to-head with some of the biggest tech titans like Facebook, Path, Dropbox, Google Drive, iTunes and even Etsy.

Co-founder Harvey took some time out preparing for launch to give me a breakdown of this Canadian-made super network.

What is myApollo?

First and foremost myApollo is a social network but not just a social network. It's also a powerful data distribution system that allows people to not only communicate but also move around and manage small to large files.

We have created a brand new social network. It's not a Facebook or Twitter amalgamation. You can share things with your friends and public. But unlike other networks, it is natively private first.

You will be able to do the things that you are used to in other networks like profile quotes, sharing of photos, instant messaging etc. But combined with the data distribution element, you will be able to share larger files. With myApollo you will be able to share an hour home movie rather than just a 30 second clip, for example.

What was the inspiration behind myApollo?

We wanted to make technology work smarter together and take down the barriers that have been put up by hardware and software manufacturers. We wanted to create a completely uniform experience and have our users expect that and rely on that.

How does the file sharing work?

Think of it as your own personal cloud. The myApollo app works by creating a virtual super network between your devices. You download light clients on your devices - iPhone, Android, PC or Mac - and once you are setup you will be able to instantly access any files on any device on your private network. In this way, you will be able to listen to your entire home music library anywhere you are or grab a complete photo gallery and send it to one of your contacts within myApollo.

What is your business model?

We don't want to take anything from our users unless something is happening. And we will never take anything from you that you don't know about. Visibility and transparency is key.

Right now our business model is based on banner ads within the application but the application, access to the network and unlimited data storage and management is completely free to the user.

A lot of other applications in this space need to generate revenue by selling people's data or mining information about people and this is not the mission for my Apollo.

We felt that an ad-based model was the right fit for myApollo since the application gets to know you and so the idea behind the banner advertising is that we can provide users and advertiser with a more meaningful experience.

Who is your target audience?

We don't have a specific target user as everyone can use our app.

That being said we are focusing first on a younger audience and have numerous Frosh week marketing events in the works to mark our launch.

Do you think people will be more attracted to the data aspect or the social networking element of myApollo?

When you use the app you won't be able to deny the amazing capabilities of the data distribution system. It is extremely powerful and there is nothing like this out there right now. The ability to move incredibly large files very quickly is definitely going to be a huge draw.

Do you have any fears about entering the extremely cluttered social networking space?

That is not something that we have chosen to think about too much. And the reason is because there have been a lot of things that have happened in tech history that no one could have predicted. There is a great quote from Henry Ford I use around the office. "If I would have asked everyone else what they wanted, they would have said faster horses". You can't worry about the current state. You have to go outside the box to create the future. We have faith in what we are building.

You have a very aggressive out of home pre-launch marketing campaign happening in Toronto right now. What was the though process behind that?

We are home town guys and with Toronto being a huge center in the country we wanted to be proud of it and we wanted to show the love for Toronto and that we are here for them and we are here to stay.

We also chose to go with out-of-home advertising for the first phase (there is more of this coming) because we felt there was a huge gap in seeing tech ads around the city and we wanted to fill that gap and show that we mean business.

What's up next for myApollo?

We officially launch end of August/early September with our suite of free apps for Mac, Windows, Android and iPhone.

Post-launch we will be working on some new features for myApollo including adding in a commerce element which will add a competitive marketplace element to myApollo to give it another dimension.