Toronto music festivals could learn a thing or two from Montreal's iconic, three-day-long, 110-band fest, Osheaga. Don't get me wrong, we've got a lot of variety when it comes to festivals, and this past week we hit it big with Veld, Grove and a glittery appearance from OVO. But I go to Osheaga almost every year, and the lineup, not to mention the festival as a whole, just keeps getting better and better.

This year, it sold out in advance with overwhelming crowds, totalling about 40,000 each day. Sunday's crowds for Kendrick Lamar and Mumford & Sons were some of the biggest I've seen at any festival, and the energy was pretty beautiful the entire time.

Here are a few pointers that could help those organizing music festivals in Toronto:

The location
While festivals in Toronto over the past week have been contained to one area, some of the city's more well-known musical gatherings, like NXNE and CMW, require gallivanting around North America's fourth largest city on a series of clattering tin cans, thereby missing half the shows due to massive lineups outside of bars (ever tried to get into the Horseshoe during NXNE, even with a pass? This is the scene I refer to). Osheaga is held in one location, Parc Jean Drapeau. It keeps the festival energy in and prevents the incidence of goose chasing around town only to wait in the aforementioned horrendous lines. It's possible to do this, too — Arts & Crafts Field Trip made it work by using Fort York and Garrison Common as a venue.

Always on time
At Osheaga, there are six stages, and while you might expect the management of so many artists to make for a total clusterfuck, it all goes smoothly, like especially well-lubricated rap lyrics. Kendrick Lemar, for example, started right at 7 p.m., within what seemed like 30 seconds or so after the Lumineers. And on Friday, Alt-J, Two Door Cinema Club, Ellie Goulding, Vampire Weekend and Phoenix alternated between the Scene de la Riviere and Scene de la Montagne stages, which are side-by-side, in such quick succession we could hardly keep up. Organizers are doing their job here, and doing it well.

The Lineup
I'm most inclined to compare Osheaga with NXNE, mainly because of their size, and the variety offered in both lineups (though their duration is an obvious difference). Neither caters to a niche crowd, like Edgefest or Veld. Now, while I love Toronto dearly and I'm proud of its many glorious festivals, I feel like Osheaga's lineup this year kicked the asses of a few of Toronto's, combined. North By, for example, didn't feature many bands I was stoked on. Wintersleep, Joey Badass, The National, and Ludacris were standouts, as well as Fucked Up. But Osheaga this year featured a long list of bands people actually care about right now on each day of the festival. Alt-J, Vampire Weekend, Kendrick, Father John Misty, Mumford & Sons, and Phoenix are just a few examples. While Saturday's lineup wasn't as stellar as the other two days (with the exception of Beck), Osheaga still has NXNE beat. Badly.

The beer, it is cheap
At Field Trip, beers were $8 or something, which is pretty standard for a festival and not much to complain about. In Montreal, though, where everything is cheaper, beers were $6.25. There are also people carrying around massive flats of beer and selling them amongst the crowd, so you don't have to wait in heinous lines. Can't argue with dat.

Pick your poison, tell me what you're doin
Crews of spirit animals watch over the scene at Osheaga. Festival organizers know that some festival-goers will indulge in party drugs. As a result, a dude I know got paid to check up on festival-goers who were poppin a little bit too much, telling them maybe they shouldn't do drugs, and letting them know he was there and sober and could help them out if need be. He was passing out water, too. It doesn't mean drug use was condoned, only that organizers were aware of what's probably going on. In the same vein, there are lots of water stations to help said partiers (and everyone else) stay hydrated.

Lots of chill space
Osheaga caters to not just the rambunctious, but also the weary, the tired, the partied out. There is a vast area of grassland that's fully populated each day, as well as a huge stretch of turf that people can chill on, and then the main dance areas in front of the stages. The grasslands make an entire weekend of festival life doable, because you can relax during non-primetimes and rest up for your own personal highlights. The greenspace makes the festival sensible for families, too; I saw lots of wee humans in noise-canceling headphones.

The downside to Osheaga
The only downer to Osheaga is the flood of people trying to get out of Parc Jean Drapeau and onto the Metro. We left half an hour early on Friday to get back to the city ahead of the rush, only to have to wait for half an hour amongst hoards of antsy, angsty bros. Floods of humans are always a hazard when it comes to festivals in any city, but these floods...they killed my vibe.

How do you feel about Toronto festivals vs. festivals in other cities? Do you think we stack up, or that we're better or worse?

Crowd shot by Susan Moss. Vampire Weekend and Phoenix shot by Pat Beaudry.

Fast food isn't exactly synonymous with nutritious or fresh, but this new Junction kitchen does grab-and-go sandwiches and salads that are healthy and made fresh daily, as well as jarred foods and sauces made from scratch. Fortunately, you won't find any bland brown rice cakes or boring mixed green salads at this healthy food joint. These lunches are as tasty as they are virtuous.

Read my profile of Foodbenders in the grocery section.

There's something about a renovation that aims to preserve a building's original structure while modernizing its interior that makes you appreciate architecture and design a little more. This property in south Rosedale is one such place where the exterior has been retained while the interior has been beautifully updated with features like an open living-dining room and kitchen, walnut hardwood floors, private third floor master bedroom with ensuite and sitting area, a fully renovated lower level including family room with radiant heated floors and a walkout to the yard which is a great size and has been nicely landscaped.

SPECS:

• Address: 4 Meredith Crescent
• Price: $3,949,000
• Sq Ft: 4475 (including lower level)
• Bedrooms: 4+1
• Bathrooms: 5
• Parking: Detached garage
• Taxes: n/a

NOTABLE FEATURES:

• Wenge cabinets
• Family room with built-in speakers
• Mahogany wood doors
• Library, den and office spaces
• Multi-zone air handling unit and energy recovery ventilator

GOOD FOR:

This property would be great for a family that's grown out of their current home and is ready to expand. The layout is family friendly with mud room, play room and the second floor already designed with young ones in mind and there are schools and parks in close proximity.

MOVE ON IF:

Aside from maybe not being in a financial position to realistically afford a property like this, there's not much that I can reason would be worth moving on from.

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

This past Saturday witnessed the arrival of the Grove Festival, our newest day-long fest hosted at Fort York Garrison Common during the darling summer months. Joining the ranks of Riot Fest, Field Trip, Toronto Urban Roots Festival, and the Ontario Model Soldier Society Show, Grove served as a showcase of music for those who demand guitars with their synthesizers.

Please revisit the festival with me, band by band.

Palma Violets
Not being familiar with Palma Violets, I was impressed by their enthusiasm and vigor, especially considering the meagre early attendance (most of the crowd was sitting on promotional cardboard seats). After a few songs I found myself parched after my bike ride and wandered off to find some water. "$3?!" I exclaimed to the vendor, and kept searching for the free water.

Wavves
Before this set the crowd had grown exponentially in size, seemingly to see these four cool-looking guys who play music that sorta sounds like Weezer. My favourite member was the grizzly dude wearing the cut off tie-dyed t-shirt. He looked like he really knew how to party. Halfway through I wandered off to pay $3 for a water.

Earl Sweatshirt
In a shining example of the absurdity of these modern times it took twice as long for the crew to set up the D.J.'s laptop then it had taken for Wavves instruments. I am choosing to believe it was due to a Linux driver crash. Odd Future members would totally use Linux just to stick it to everybody.

Earl rapped clearly and engaged the audience with a surprisingly inclusive sense of humour. He seemed to particularly delight the young men in the crowd wearing "5-Point Style" baseball caps.

Gaslight Anthem
What a bunch of Hot Dogs! I mean this is in the good way: some rockers should be hot dogs. The bass player was particularly so, and hey, good for him! Clearly the popular part of the night had arrived as I found it not worth the trouble to wander off.

Girl Talk
Girl Talk started his set with a physical burst of energy in the form of stage dancers, confetti guns, mechanical toilet paper un-rollers and, of course, a song I vaguely recognized, played over a song I definitely recognized. It was enough razzle-dazzle that I temporarily forgot the shtick.

After the first 10 minutes I got bored, wandered off, and won the Pepsi challenge.

Hot Chip
Hot Chip played a groovy set that somehow managed to both relax the crowd and inspired them to dance. However, the word dance is relative as it was very difficult to lift one's arms from one's sides. Luckily I had found a sweet spot where I could actually clap over my head. I clapped quite a bit because it was really good. Also kudos to the programmers for allowing Hot Chip to play with a woman on drums (she might have been the only female on stage for the entire fest)!

Phoenix
The last bit of dusk dissipated during the set so Phoenix came on just as night had fully set in. This made them the only band of the night with full scale concert lighting. Debuting with "Entertainment," the most popular hit song we had heard yet, the crowd went wild. This mass rush is the reason music festivals exist, despite the crowds, $11 beers, lack of free water, uncomfortable Jagermeister promotions, sun burns...

After the first three songs my friend had to leave, and since my biked was locked to his, I did too. I wandered off for the last time. By the way, when you wander off you can still hear the music, so relax.

Photos by Frank Yang.

Say what you want about EDM raves vs. rave-raves, but if you weren't at VELD this weekend, you missed Canada's most colourful, positive party of the year. Big names like Deadmau5, Pretty Lights, and Steve Aoki were all at Downsview Park this long weekend, but (like, duh) the real story was the teaming crowds of fans: from homemade props and masks, to fairy costumes and LED lights, VELD was all about Toronto showing off its neon underbelly. While some set time juggling went on on Sunday, the number of people who noticed will be lost to time. You might want to put on sunglasses before clicking through to view our favourite moments.

Check out 25 highlights from the 2013 Veld Music Festival in Toronto.

Walmart has landed in Kensington — in a manner of speaking. A parodic version of the giant box store retailer was installed at local gallery Videofag over the weekend as part of the ongoing conversation regarding the company's interest in a site on Bathurst Street just north of Nassau. Taking aim at both the clinical aesthetics of box stores and the ubiquity of the pop-up trend, the installation served as an occasion to underscore the scale of difference between local market retailers and the homogeneity of mega chains.

Behold the tongue-in-cheek event invitation:

"Hey everyone, Wal-Mart and Videofag have teamed up to open a pop-up superstore right in the heart of Kensington Market! We're so excited to present you with a selection of low priced toiletries and canned food items at prices that will outstrip all of our neighbourhood vendors!"

It wasn't that hard to tell where curators Jordan Tannahill and William Ellis's sympathies lay. With stark white walls, a sparsely "merchandized" space, and a video loop of Walmart aisles taken covertly from a shopping cart, the gallery was the very picture of retail banality. While the formal techniques employed to achieve this effect are basic as can be, the exhibit still drew into focus the degree to which low prices come at, well, a price.

That might not be a terribly profound lesson, but given the gallery's location, the number of stares the Walmart signage produced, and the contrast achieved between this fictitious retail space and its neighbours, it still hit the point home.

PHOTOS

Photos by Denise McMullin

New to Leslieville, this restaurant takes over the site of The Commissary on Queen Street East and elevates the offerings with a Basque-inspired prix fixe menu featuring haute cuisine and a complementary list of cocktails and wines.

Read my profile of Bero in the restaurants section.

The 2013 Caribana Parade (we're still not used to calling it the Toronto Caribbean Carnival) was marred by a deadly accident this year but despite the tragedy most agree it was more or less a success. Crowds flocked to Lake Shore Boulevard on Saturday near Exhibition Place to check out the floats, music and elaborate costumes. The crowds may not have been as large as year's past but the enthusiasm and spectacle was as colourful as ever.

Check out this slideshow for 15 of our favourite photos from the 2013 Caribana Parade.

Photos by Irina No

Photo my Michael Mitchener in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Toronto events on August 7th, 2013

ART | 8th Annual KULTURA Filipino Arts Festival
Now in it's eighth year, Kultura, a multidisciplinary Filipino arts festival, returns to the Kapisanan Philippine Centre for Arts & Culture, with San Miguel Beer on board as a co-presenter. The five-day festival begins today, and features a wide variety of artists and media, with a different event lined up for every day. While the central hub of the festival is the Kapisanan Centre, the first event, Bayanihan: An Interactive Art Installation, takes place tonight at Daniel's Spectrum. "Bayanihan" means "nation" or "community", and artists Kristina Guison, Julius Poncelet Manupul, and Tim Manalo have engaged the local community to create a full scale bahay kubo ("Filipino hut"). Kultura runs until Sunday.
Daniel's Spectrum (585 Dundas Street East) 10am - 7pm

CULTURE | An Alternative History of Canadian Horror Movies
A unique and inventive art exhibition hits Steam Whistle's gallery this evening, presented by Canadian horror magazine, Rue Morgue's editor-in-chief, Dave Alexander: If They Came From Within: An Alternative History of Canadian Horror Movies. This postmodern, and rather clever concept consists of 20 movie posters, produced with the subversive intention of inventing a more glamorous and "legendary" Canadian horror film legacy. These 'invented' films from Canada's past, present, and future have been concocted by Bruce McDonald, Tony Burgess, Jason Eisener, Brandon Cronenberg, and others, with a team of artists fleshing them out in what seems to have been a monumental collaborative process. Some additional surprises are promised that will be of interest to horror buffs, as well. The exhibition runs until August 31st.
Steam Whistle Brewing (255 Bremner Blvd) 7PM

FUNDRAISER | Momofuku Summer Party with The Remix Project
A happening fundraising bash goes down tonight at Momofuku. Tonight's Summer Party event is all about the City Life Film Project, a division of Toronto's Remix Project, an organization that was established to help youth from disadvantaged communities who have an interest in entering "creative industries" or simply learning more about them. The Remix Project is equipped with a large space and a recording studio, video editing lab, experienced mentors, and more. Tonight's event will feature music by Phantom Signal and The Soul Proprietor, with food and drinks by Momofuku.
Momofuku (190 University Avenue) 8PM $75

MUSIC | DMXX: The Dwayne Morgan 20 Year Anniversary
Spoken word artist, Dwayne Morgan, celebrates his 20th anniversary as a performer tonight at Lula Lounge. Morgan is a member of the Writers' Union of Canada, and is an African Canadian Achievement Award recipient. He has also received the Harry Jerome Award for Excellence in the Arts, among many other accolades. Morgan has been instrumental in helping poetry slams develop in TO, and has also shared the stage as a performer with many of the country's top acts. Tonight Morgan performs with his band, and R.I.S.E. Poetry will deliver an opening set.
Lula Lounge (1585 Dundas West) 8:30pm $25

Also Of Note

• Memory in the Mud by Words in Motion & Evergreen Brick Works
• The Old Salts at the Horseshoe

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

Photo of Momofuku's Shitake Buns

John Nunziata and Sarah Thomson are among the non-council members vying to be appointed to the seat vacated by Doug Holyday. Former TDSB chair John Campbell and former councillor Mario Giansante are also interested in taking on the position for the remainder of the term. The remaining members must decide whether to hold a byelection or appoint someone to the role until Fall 2014. Another former Etobicoke mayor, Bruce Sinclair, is also in the running. Who would work best?

Transit riders still smarting from the loss of streetcar service as a result of the King and Spadina closure won't be catching a break this weekend. The TTC is shutting the entire portion of the subway south of Bloor (St. George to Bloor stations) as part of ongoing signal upgrades. Shuttle buses will cover the route on Saturday and Sunday. Normal service will resume Monday morning.

There's growing pressure on Toronto police to resume tracking the number of dooring incidents that occur on city streets. Cops stopped keeping stats on the number of cyclists hit by carelessly opened doors in 2012 in response to new provincial guidelines that say a "collision" must involve a moving car. The chair of the Police Services Board is pushing for better records of cycling incidents.

Cllr. Josh Matlow's getting hot under the collar about condo developers putting up "illegal" sales signs before securing building approval. Matlow tweeted pictures of signs for 2221 Yonge and 155 Redpath, one of which he removed, as examples of the confusing practice. Advertising units without a building permit isn't illegal but the councillor wants Queen's Park to force developers to make the building status clear.

Watch out for fake monks begging for money. Toronto Police say there's a bunch of people dressed up and asking for cash in Chinatown and other parts of the city.

Toronto EMS could be about to change its name, most likely to Toronto Paramedic Service, according to the Toronto Sun. A spokesperson said the new name would better reflect what the EMS service does, namely being paramedics. Before 2000 the organization was known as Toronto Ambulance Services.

Something's killed hundreds of sunfish in High Park's Grenadier Pond. The fish were found belly-up and pungent on the shore of the pond starting on 28 July with no apparent cause for mass the die-off. The Ontario Ministry of Natural resources is testing water samples and eyeing weather as a possible suspect.

Finally, the TTC's new articulated buses are beginning to arrive in Toronto. Reddit user and photog AlexT2 snapped pictures of the first of the new vehicles at Wilson. The TTC says the $24.3 million fleet will be used on the busiest routes, like 29 Dufferin, 7 Bathurst, 85A Sheppard, first.

IN BRIEF:

• Man linked to alleged Rob Ford crack video to appear in court Wednesday [National Post]
• Renewed protests planned in Toronto over Sammy Yatim shooting [Globe and Mail]
• Severed GO train signal cables cause commuter delays [CBC]

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

Image: Dominic Bugatto/blogTO Flickr pool.

The Toronto Lomography Store's days are numbered. The haven for analogue shooters and lovers of camera kitsch is set to close its doors on August 18th after an almost three year run on Queen West. While not entirely surprising, the closure will surely be a bruise for film fanatics across the city, as the places to purchase, develop, and talk film are becoming less plentiful every year. But along with its retail offerings, the store served as both a gallery space and community hub for analogue enthusiasts.

As far as the reasons for the pending closure go, store employee Ryan Zaback noted during a brief phone call that Lomography's head office is downsizing and hinted that the Toronto location was suffering in the sales department. It's not alone in that regard. Earlier this year the Lomography Store in LA closed and before that the Manchester location also shuttered.

Predictably, there's a minor silver lining in the form of discounts on store stock. Although there won't be a huge blow out, regular stock (a.k.a. not the film itself) is 20 per cent off until the doors closed, and there's far better deals to be had on floor models, store fixtures, etc.

As for a future brick and mortar hub for lo-fi lovers in Toronto, that's probably a done deal. But, in fitting bit of irony, the lomo community has surely gone digital enough in its dealings to weather the loss of this space without hanging up its reels.

This Week in Fashion rounds up the week's style news, store openings and closings, pop-up shops, sales and upcoming fashion and design events in Toronto. Find it here every Wednesday morning.

EVENTS/PARTIES

Annual Toast for the Cure - a fashion show and after party to benefit the Canadian Cancer Society - is quickly approaching this Saturday (August 10). From 6 pm until the wee hours of the morning, eat, drink, and be dazzled by local designers including Fame Kills and Ocean View Clothing at Epique Lounge (120 Cumberland St). Tickets are available online for $25.

From noon until 4 pm on Sunday (August 11), Arts Market (846 College St) will be home to a clothing swap in support of homeless or at-risk youth via the Horizons for Youth Foundation. The event's not only an overhaul for your closet - it's also a sustainable and socially conscious way to give and take back from the community. Entrance is Pay What You Can, so lug your change and gently used clothing to Little Italy and walk away with a brand new set of gear.

Mercer Union (1286 Bloor St W) is hosting a book fair/vintage sale hybrid this Sunday (August 11) - so, if you're into Small Press like Worn Journal or down to sift through apparel and curios by the likes of Life of Manek and Pack Rats, make your way over some time between 10 am and 5 pm to reap the benefits of all the best things in one place. Entrance is Pay What You Can (with a suggested donation of $2), but Be Good Gelato will be there, so it's definitely worth it.

Next Monday (August 12), Canadian designer Sunny Fong of VAWK will be launching his 7-piece, limited edition collection in collaboration with eBay Canada. The edgy, exclusively designed garments and accessories are either all black or achromatic, and fall somewhere under a low price point of $120. They'll be available with free shipping on eBay until September 15... if quantities last.

SALES

Earlier this week, Gravity Pope launched a new promotion, giving customers an additional 30% off sale prices in-store and online. There's no telling when the offer will end, so get to browsing either virtually or at 1010 Queen Street West now.

Gotstyle has yet again taken their red pens and slashed the prices on their summer styles, bringing a selection of their coveted menswear pieces to a whopping 50% off. Drop by their Bathurst or Distillery District location to snag a pair of Tiger of Sweden shorts or house brand blazer at a real steal.

Photo from VAWK's Facebook page by George Pimentel

Breakout Toronto Bands features local artists that we think you should give a listen to.

Who they are

Beliefs is the buzzy, dreamy, introspective-y brainchild of musicians Josh Korody and Jesse Crowe. Korody runs the great Candle Recording Studio, home to some of the most interesting recordings made in the city lately. Beliefs' full-length self-titled album was just released in March on Hand Drawn Dracula Records, but the music world at large has definitely taken notice of them — check them out in NME a few months ago.

They sound like...

What it seems half of the bands in Toronto are trying to sound like, only much, much better. Shades of Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine and a dozen other Fender-Jazzmaster-slinging reverb aficionados can be heard on the record, but Beliefs definitely have found their own sound. Their work is bold and confident, well-structured with great textures, lots of feedback and some fantastic guitar tones.

Check out the thunderous "Catch My Breath," from their recent release.

Beliefs are currently working on the much-anticipated follow-up to their debut. Songwriting "can be a long process sometimes," says Korody. "Jesse and I usually write the core of the songs on our own and then we usually get together — the two of us — and figure out what we're going to do, then we bring that to the rest of the band and they write their parts to that."

This two-part songwriting process could be part of the reason the music stays so fresh, Korody's and Crowe's voices coming in and out of the songs in loose polyphony, with some unexpected shifts musically. For an example, check out 'Carousel,' their latest single, at the bottom of the post (particularly the break...that's a great break).

Hear them / see them

Obviously, you could buy their record, but Beliefs are playing next weekend at Wavelength's final ALL CAPS! Festival, out at Gibraltar Point. When asked how it feels to be playing the final All Caps Festival for the already-legendary Wavelength, Korody says, "I've only been in Toronto for a few years now so I missed the early days of the weekly shows they used to do. Living in Niagara at the time seeing all those cool shows happening definitely helped make me realize how much was happening with underground music in Toronto, and I needed to be where that was happening."

Check out Beliefs' new video for 'Carousel' below and be sure to check them out at the ALL CAPS! Festival this weekend if you like what you hear.

Lead photo by Ming Wu

This new cafe at College and Ossington has everything you need for a pick-me-up: great coffee, interesting, friendly owners, and a few bar stools so you can relax read the paper (or, more likely, troll Facebook).

Read my full review of United Coffee in our cafes section.

Cold brew coffee beats the hell out of iced coffee in basically every way. When a coffee is iced, it becomes watered down, and therefore, less potent and flavourful. It sort of just tastes like coffee-flavoured water, to be honest. But several coffee shops in the city have started brewing up batches of cold brew as an alternative, and it's available in cafes from Leslieville to Roncesvalles.

To make a cold brew coffee, grounds are steeped in cool or room-temperature water for an extended period, usually about 12 to 16 hours. Then they're filtered out, and the cold brew is more or less ready. Some people add a bit of ice, but no more than you'd add to a proper cocktail on the rocks. The cold brew coffee options below pack as much flavour as a regular espresso, in my view.

Here, in no particular order, five Toronto cafes who are churning out excellent cold brew.

Northwood
Northwood's recipe is strictly on the D.L. (aside from the fact that it includes chicory root) but I'm fine with that because their cold brew is good stuff. It has a fruity, summery flavour, and comes in either a takeout cup, a small stubby bottle to go ($3.50), or a much larger bottle of coffee that requires mixing with water, milk or bourbon, and makes enough for ten people once mixed ($17.50). That's the other thing: Northwood has designed an eye-opener of a drink called The Night Owl, which is a shot of Jameson chased by the cold brew. It tastes like chocolate. But in case you don't take your coffee with a side of drunk, it's also available in chubby bottles at Likely General in Roncesvalles.

Te Aro
Te Aro soaks their grounds for 16 hours. Cold brew can be done in such a way that the grounds never come into contact with hot water, hence the name. But at Te Aro, they're pre-infused in hot water to lock in the flavour for a fruitier result. I would say Te Aro's is the sweetest, fruitiest option on this list. In case you want to try making it at home, their baristas use the same weight of coffee to water (it's five pounds of coffee, to be exact). After that, they keep it in a pressurized keg, much the same as the way beer is stored, to enhance the notes. The product is served in cups to either enjoy in-house or take out ($4).

Lit Espresso
Lit espresso steeps beans from Pig Iron Roastery for about 16 hours. They ground them up to about five pounds, and the results are a super sweet berry flavour. Josh Tarlo is Lit's resident coffee expert and orchestrator of new caffeinated endeavours, and he says each time they make a batch, they look for ways to make it better. Right now, Lit's cold brew comes in 12-ounce cups for $3.50, but they're brainstorming ways to make it available in bottles, too—stay tuned.

Dark Horse
Dark Horse sells stubby bottles of cold brew made in their Spadina location. They steep the grounds for between 16 and 18 hours, which is one of the longest stretches on this list. Because they steep it for so long, the coffee comes out really strong. The dude I chat with even says he tends to mix it with a bit of water to tone it down a bit. They sell them at all three locations for $5.

Early Bird
Early Bird is a brand new cafe on Queen West, but they're already ahead of the game when it comes to cold brew. They sell 16 oz cups of it for $4, and they come in mason jars or takeout cups. In two weeks' time, they'll also be selling bottles for about $5. Early Bird uses a Bolero cold dripper, and their process takes anywhere from eight to 12 hours. The recipe, in case you want to try it at home, is 2 litres of water, 1,000 grams of ice and 300 grams of beans.

Did we miss your favourite spot to grab a cold brew in the city? Let us know in the comments.

Toronto's Harbourfront community is undergoing some major change right now and the current state of Queens Quay isn't exactly inviting, but if you're keen on living by the water you shouldn't let that deter you. Once construction is complete, the current plans will see vehicular traffic reduced to one lane in each direction, dedicated streetcar line and the south side of Queens Quay will be open to bike lanes and pedestrian walkways.

Harbour Square is one of the older condo developments along the east end of Queens Quay and the waterfront boardwalk. It's comprised of five different buildings from the foot of York Street to the foot of Bay with 24 hour concierge, indoor saltwater pool, licensed meeting rooms, car wash, room service, a shuttle bus that will take you into the financial district, and the real kicker here is that the condo fees also include all of your standard utilities plus cable television.

This 35th floor corner unit at 77 Harbour Square is a sizable 1900 square feet with two large bedrooms and two full washrooms. The current décor gives it an airy and light feel accenting the large windows and open space while the wraparound balcony has some amazing panoramic views of the city and lake. The master bedroom features walk-in closet and ensuite while the main washroom has a weird little feature called glass walls hence the curtains. I suppose if you're a little voyeuristic that could be fun, but it's certainly a unique feature.

SPECS:

• Address: 77 Harbour Square
• Price: $1,299,999
• Sq ft: 1900
• Bedrooms: 2+1
• Bathrooms: 2
• Parking: 2 underground
• Maintenance: $1,431.04/month

NOTABLE FEATURES:

• Two balconies
• Luxury building amenities
• Condo fees include heat, hydro & cable
• Squash and basketball courts

GOOD FOR:

This place would be great for a couple who work in the core, but who also enjoy lakefront living — provided you can get past the onslaught of summer visitors to the area and forgive the construction for a little while longer.

MOVE ON IF:

The idea of spending your summers surrounded by tourists isn't altogether fun. Harbourfront is teeming with pedestrian traffic from April through to October and for some it can be overwhelming.

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Read other posts in this series via our Toronto Condos and Lofts Pinterest board.

The SummerWorks Performance Festival reached new heights last year with a diverse and innovative slate of performances on stage, during live art sessions and at the performance bar. This year, the festival looks to continue that growth with a new crop of work from local and international artists.

Here's a snapshot of highlights at this year's festival:

7 Important Things / Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace / Page 24
STO Union and The National Arts Centre present 7 Important Things, which, by the sounds of it, is a performance that's hard to pin down — it's part conversation, part dialogue, part list, and part rumination. Nadia Ross and George Acheson consider how exactly one lives in a society for which they feel no general affinity. If we're shaped by the political and social movements around us, how do you place yourself amidst the collective if the person you vote for never ever gets elected?

Delicacy / Lower Ossington Theatre / Page 26
With all the new condos on the Toronto skyline, there are bound to be scenes like those from Delicacy taking place in glass boxes around the city. An encounter at a sex club inspires a Yorkville couple to invite their frisky counterparts back for round two. Playwright Kat Sandler pulls back the curtains in this look at our constantly evolving notions of marriage, monogamy, and sex.

How Can I Forget? / Lower Ossington Theatre / Page 31
New in 2013, SummerWorks presents its Artist-in-Residence programme, which supports artists with a three-week development period of their work in the lead up to the festival. The artists in this inaugural year are Sook-Yin Lee, Benjamin Kamino, and Adam Litovitz who have been collaborating on How Can I Forget? The performance considers memory and the act of remembering through prose, movement, and multimedia.

Late Company / Lower Ossington Theatre Studio / Page 32
Two couples meet a year after a tragedy that has touched them both only to find that wounds still run deep and that time has not yet mended the damage. Jordan Tannahill's play was the winner of the Enbridge playRites Award and Uprising National Playwriting Competition. It features Rosemary Dunsmore, Richard Greenblatt, Paul Fauteux, Mark Correia, and Fiona Highet.

Murderers Confess at Christmastime / Lower Ossington Theatre / Page 34
Outside the March has been a SummerWorks stand out of late with past hits Terminus and Mr. Marmalade. Their eagerly anticipated followup, Murderers Confess at Christmastime, features a three part storyline: the joyous spirit of the holidays turns overwhelming for a doped up housewife, an office worker's love goes unrequited, and an obsession develops between a cross-dressing kidnapper and his most recent snatch.

Schützen / Scotiabank Studio Theatre / Page 37
SummerWorks' International series plays host to Germany's Schützen, an examination of our contemporary practices of war. Having conducted research with American drone pilots in Nevada, the Israeli Army in Tel Aviv and with gun enthusiasts at a shooting range in Berlin, Cecilie Ullerup Schmidt considers the act of killing and how it affects the body, physically and psychologically.

Tender Napalm / Theatre Passe Muraille Backspace / Page 38
Philip Ridley's explosive and provocative play penetrates the loaded language of love. His subject isn't exactly the love of meadows and frolicking but the down and dirty violence of barring soul to another human being. This two-hander promises to be one of the more in-your-face productions of the festival, in which the playground of sexual intimacy is rife with landmines.

The Life of Jude / Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace / Page 39
Religion, militarism, and corporate greed are all tied up in the battlefield politics of Alex Poch Goldin's The Life of Jude. When conflict between a water corporation, a military garrison and the local church reaches a climax, a young priest gathers his fellow citizens together to fight for justice. Director David Ferry and a cast of 21 bring this sweeping narrative to life with live music inspired by gospel, blues, and Kurt Weill.

The Art of Building a Bunker... / Scotiabank Studio Theatre / Page 38
Creators Adam Lazarus and Guillermo Verdecchia profile a week in the life an average Joe with the not so average name of Elvis. While on the surface Elvis maintains a fairly normal home life, what he gets up to in the basement isn't exactly what you'd expect. The full title of the performance must be appreciated in all its glory: The Art of Building a Bunker or Paddling the Canoe of My Self Down the River of Inclusivity and Into the Ass of the World.

This Wide Night / Factory Theatre Mainspace / Page 39
Produced in association with Elizabeth Fry Toronto, the city's community support network for women who have been or are at risk of being in conflict with the law, This Wide Night consider how life continues after a prison sentence ends. The two-hander, directed by Kelli Fox, stars Maggie Blake and Kristen Thomson in a tenuous relationship haunted by actions of the past.

SummerWorks has many more promising shows above and beyond the ten listed above. Here are six others that deserve a second look: Final Savage Land, How to Disappear Completely, iShow, Purgatory In Ingleton, Show and Tell Alexander Bell, Family Story

The SummerWorks Performance Festival runs from August 8-18. Visit the SummerWorks website for tickets, performance start times, and the whole gamut of arts programming (Music, Live Art, Performance Bar).

Download a SummerWorks Performance Festival to plan your own viewing schedule.

Amidst the mass holiday weekend exodus from the GTA, Drake's yearly OVO Festival descended once more upon its (now seemingly forever) home at the Molson Amphitheatre. While at this point four years on, no one need be shocked at the scale of the guests Drake calls in for the event, the way in which he keeps these loaded guest appearances anchored around his own star power is what keeps the surprises fresh. This year's edition was no exception.

The limitless production values were obvious from the get go, with a stage-encompassing lighting rig looking straight out of Blade Runner for backdrop as the sounds of a booming storm blared over the PA, introducing our emcee for the evening. A endlessly energetic "Headlines" got the show started, Drake's sheer charisma rendering the crowd rapt as he bounded across the stage. The next two and a half hours would serve as a veritable who's who of contemporary hip-hop, as Drizzy & Co. brought out all the stops to ensure more than a few tears were shed (at least for many in my vicinity) and lifetime memories made.

Despite the volume at the Amp approaching tinnitus-inspiring levels, it says something about how hyped the crowd was when their collective cheers often drowned out the performers. This happened on more than one occasion: Drake's announcing the arrival of "the legendary TLC" after singing a verse of "I Get Lonely Too" was met with rabid cheers and a whole lot of disbelief. Sure enough, the surviving duo of T-Boz and Chilli came out for a three-song mini-set. Realizing the significance of the moment, Drake lingered next to his DJ, watching the events unfold.

Other guest appearances provoked a similar reaction, in particular fellow Torontonian Abel Tesfaye's early showing on "Crew Love" (squashing any rumours of beef between Drake and the Weeknd). After pointing out exactly where he was sitting for his very first concert ever (if you're curious: he had good seats), Drake announced that instead of simply explaining the details, he could "make a couple phone calls to recreate the show."

Out came Diddy (or the artist formerly known as Puff Daddy or P. Diddy, depending on the day) to the strains of "Victory," laying waste to the few skeptics still left in the room. A subsequent appearance by Mase left Biggie's ghost the only absentee from this Bad Boy reunion (and really, the only possible idea left for upping this in OVO '14). Following this, an A$AP Rocky-assisted medley of "Fuckin Problem," "Goldie" and "Wild for the Night" took the energy even higher, leaving the packed crowd screaming for more.

And more they got, as the lights dimmed and Drake spit a tweaked version of Kanye's second verse to "Diamonds from Sierra Leone." The chaotic intro beat of "New Slaves" kicked in, and out came Yeezy himself, free of abominable snowman mask but with enough earth-shattering bravado to end the show right there and then.

Ye's showcase was high on the quality over quantity mindset, with a total of maybe ten minutes onstage to blast through truncated renditions of "All of the Lights" and "Can't Tell Me Nothing." Lil Wayne's introduction a minute later sustained the energy, but one can't help but with Kanye had stuck around for a run through of "Barry Bonds"... but to ask for more after the spectacle that had already been staged would just be greedy.

While it's possible to be taken aback by the cognitive dissonance inspired by a track like "Started from the Bottom," what with Drizzy's high profile Forest Hill upbringing, it's important to realize that the kid who played Jimmy from Degrassi is now being lauded by moguls with the stature of Kanye as an "inspiration" (specifically towards Jay Z collab Watch the Throne).

That's why, after all the star-studded guest appearances, Drake brought the show home all by himself, with a solo performance of his verse from Migos' "Versace", as well as his own "No New Friends" and the "new national anthem" "Started from the Bottom." Throwing in one final shout out to the city with "maybe I say this too much, but I love this city more than anything in the world," the wild reaction from the crowd showed that Drizzy hasn't yet overstayed his welcome. And with this sort of company, he's unlikely to anytime soon.

Best OH at OVO: Girl wearing an OVOXO sweater in 25 degree heat waits for an hour and a half in the will call line. Gets to the front and says to the attendant that she just met Drake and that he left her two tickets at the booth. As you can guess, she left slightly disappointed.

Setlist

Headlines
Crew Love (The Weeknd)
5AM in Toronto
Clique (Big Sean)
Mercy (Big Sean)
All Me (Big Sean)
Ain't Worried Bout Nothin (French Montana)
Pop Dat (French Montana)
Poetic Justice
Bad (Wale)
The Motion
Girls Love Beyonce
Nobody's Perfect (J. Cole)
Forbidden Fruit (J. Cole)
Power Trip (Miguel/J. Cole)
Adorn (Miguel)
I Get Lonely Too
Fanmail (TLC)
Waterfalls (TLC)
No Scrubs (TLC)
Successful
Uptown
Forever
Best I Ever Had
Over
Victory (Diddy)
Feels So Good (Diddy/Mase)
Mo Money, Mo Problems (Diddy/Mase)
Been Around the World (Diddy/Mase)
I Get Money (Diddy)
All About the Benjamins (Diddy)
I Need a Girl (Diddy)
Fuckin Problem (A$AP Rocky)
Goldie (A$AP Rocky)
Wild for the Night (A$AP Rocky)
New Slaves (Kanye West)
All of the Lights (Kanye West)
Can't Tell Me Nothing (Kanye West)
HYFR (Lil Wayne)
The Motto (Lil Wayne)
Bitches Love Me (Lil Wayne)
Rich As Fuck (Lil Wayne)
Versace
No New Friends
Started from the Bottom

Photos by Karla Moy

Toronto's busiest bus routes are about to get a lot more flexible. The first in a fleet of 153 extra-long, "bendy buses" has arrived at the TTC's Wilson facility for training and testing purposes in advance of its on-street debut, tentatively scheduled for early 2014.

The vehicle, spotted by photographer and film maker Alex Titu, is the first in a fleet of 153 high-capacity buses that will begin plying the busiest city's non-streetcar surface routes, replacing 206 existing 40-foot buses.

Overall there will be fewer transit vehicles on Finch, Dufferin, Jane, and Sheppard, roads likely to be among the first to get the buses, coupled with longer wait times, but the TTC believes the reduction will actually improve the quality of service.

"There will absolutely be be longer waits," says spokesman Brad Ross. "[But] because you have fewer buses on the route it does allow for greater route management and reduction of bunching and gapping ... customers often tell us they prefer reliability - if your schedule says 'X,' it should be 'X' and not 'Y.'"

For comparison, the TTC estimates the current average 2:36 wait on the 36 Finch West will rise by over a minute to 3:41. On the 7 Bathurst, riders will end up standing an average of 2:45 longer if the bendy buses are chosen to operate there.

In terms of the interior, the artics have room for 77 people, seated and standing, compared to 53 on regular city buses, an increase of 45 per cent. When Presto fully arrives on the TTC, all three of the vehicle's doors will be opened up for boarding, speeding up stop times. Currently boarding and alighting time accounts for up to 20 per cent of every round trip.

The TTC expects to save around $9 million a year once each of the new $937,000 vehicles is operating. A presentation made to the transit agency's board suggests re-investing that money in to a "10-minute-or-better" policy or creating special express services where overcrowding is at its worst.

"We had artics in the past and the buses themselves were not a quality bus, so we backed off for a while," Ross says. "It does a couple of things: it will allow us to increase capacity, do all-door boarding, and find efficiencies at the same time."

What do you think of the new vehicles? Do you think longer waits combined with higher capacity will improve service and reduce bunching?

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

Images: Alex Titu/Skyrail Productions.