Last night, Toro Magazine rented out Parkdale gallery Neubacher Shor to fill up guests with Caplansky's deli meat, Wolf Blass wine and plenty of bourbon. And, oh, it was also a celebration of the latest exhibitions by artists Arline Malakian and Dennis Lin. Needless to say, a good start to the holiday party season.
See all the party pics in our style section.
This Week in Food rounds up the week's food news, restaurants openings and closings, chef movements and upcoming food events in Toronto. Find us here every Friday morning.
OPENINGS & CLOSINGS
UPCOMING EVENTS
OTHER NEWS
It may seem quaint now, but at the dawn of the home video age renting tapes was a magical experience. It had taken only a few years for the VCR to evolve from being a costly accessory which allowed viewers to time shift conflicting TV schedules ("You don't have to miss The Fall Guy because you're watching Gavilan") into a bone fide extension of the Hollywood experience in the comfort of their own living rooms.
In 1977, entrepreneur George Atkinson bought one Betamax and one VHS copy of every title in the Magnetic Video catalogue and began to rent them out to the public in the very first video store in North America, "The Video Station". Renting out movies as a business immediately caught fire, and soon almost every Mom & Pop shop, hardware store and gas station carried a variety of VHS and/or Betamax tapes which could be taken home for the night if you laid down cash for a hefty membership, or an even heftier deposit.
Alongside the tapes and oversized bags of popcorn, these outlets also rented VCRs: in the early 1980s, even a low end machine retailed for around $1000 so ownership tended to be a folly of the wealthy.
The video rental marketplace proved to be so preposterously lucrative that it was not long before chains rose up and absorbed the early pioneers. In Toronto, early minor major chains included Jumbo Video, Bandito Video, Videoflicks, Video 99, The Video Station, Major Video, National Video, Video Palace, Super Video, and a little outfit called Rogers Video. Retail stores got in on the act as well, so if you were so inclined you could also rent videos from places like 7-11, Eaton's, Becker's, Canadian Tire and even Loblaws. Imagine that, venturing out for apples and instead coming home with a copy of Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo tucked under your arm.
The video stores themselves were houses of wonder, especially if you were young and impressionable. In that innocent pre-internet age, there was simply no way to determine what many of these strange movies were, or where they had come from, nowhere more so than the Horror movie section. Gruesome, lurid artwork on oversized boxes stared down from the top shelf, charging our frenzied imaginations with the nightmarish possibilities of what those forbidden films might hold in store.
Of course they never quite lived up to the potential of their scary covers, but that was all part of the game (As was the Kabuki theatre of being underage and renting life shaping, trauma inducing hard R-rated material).
You could easily spend hours browsing the various dusty stacks, only to come up with a few titles, and woe if you limited siblings or friends to only 1 rental. It was also an educational experience, as other than phonebook sized guides compiled by Leonard Maltin there was no IMDB, so much film knowledge could be gleaned from studiously reading the copy on video cases. There was a camaraderie fomented between movie lovers who all gravitated to these places of cinema worship, nurtured at some chains by free popcorn to enjoy while you dipped into their deep cuts.
It wasn't all good - there were the notorious late fees, which if ignored could spiral into asphyxiating debt (indeed, this was where most chains made serious money); the seemingly never in, always out new release titles; the tattered copy of Fast Times At Ridgemont High (or insert any 80s teen comedy here) which had serious tracking issues during that scene because it had been rewound and paused so many times; the beaded-off, grown-ups section which just by entering somehow made you feel dirty and illicit, and on and on.
The arrival of Blockbuster's sanitized chain stores en masse in the early 1990s tempered many of these ills but in turn created a host of new ones. Blockbuster would acquire the stock of their prey (smaller chains and Mom & Pop stores) and then exorcise them of anything non-mainstream or slightly off-beat, which pretty much killed off the weird stuff that used to be so fun to discover. They then proceeded to abandon back catalogues altogether in favour of hundreds of copies of new release titles, which weeks later would then be sold-off as "previously viewed". It was a sad state of affairs when you could no longer rent Gandhi but there were 59 copies of Air Force One in stock at any given time on the shelf.
Around the same time as the initial Blockbuster explosion, The Amazing Video Machine appeared, a simple kiosk found in malls and grocery stores stocked with only new release titles. It did not catch on, and the concept died a death before being successfully revived as Red Box.
As consumer technology evolved, the need for traditional brick and mortar video stores evaporated overnight. With sell-through DVDs and Blu-rays, iTunes, VOD, file sharing, streaming, digital film channels clamoring for our short attention, the masses have officially passed on the hassle of seeking out and then returning physical media.
Thankfully, Toronto still hosts a hive of reliable rental stores who managed to bottle some of that early rental store lightning: The Film Buff, Queen Street Video, Suspect, Bay Street Video and Videoflicks (the last one standing) all offer tremendous selections of rare titles, and it's easy to lose yourself in the labyrinth of choice, or to once again be seduced by those enticing yet misleading covers (but let's face it - uniform DVD cases will never capture the enigmatic beauty of VHS cases, with their unsightly different sizes and gloriously excessive clamshell packaging).
Getting access to movies might be quicker and easier than ever before, but the thrill and adventure of the hunt has been suitably dulled by convenience. Clicking a mouse or remote control through pages upon pages of titles with low-res jpg images and/or YouTube links will never come close to that feeling of digging through walls of heavy tapes, or potentially reward you the way unearthing something rare and wonderful based solely on gut intuition (or a cover full of lies) used to when video stores ruled.
Retrontario plumbs the seedy depths of Toronto flea markets, flooded basements, thrift shops and garage sales, mining old VHS and Betamax tapes that less than often contain incredible moments of history that were accidentally recorded but somehow survived the ravages of time. You can find more amazing discoveries at www.retrontario.com.
Stop pissing in the lake, kids; your automated lavatory has arrived. Toronto has finally received its second pay-per-use public automated toilet, which has been set up on Lake Shore Boulevard East at Northern Dancer Boulevard. The first city toilet has been in operation since 2010, sitting proudly at Queens Quay West and Rees Street over to the west.
This new automated toilet is very much like the first, with a 20-minute time limit and operating at a cost (to the user) of $0.25 per use. Though unit is self-cleaning, the City of Toronto has said that maintenance workers will visit the toilet (for cleaning and inspection, that is) three times per day.
The automated washrooms are part of the City's partnership with Astral media in which the company provides public street furniture in exchange for exclusive advertising rights. According to the 2007 agreement, Astral will supply the City with 20 automated toilets over 20 years — though at this rate, Toronto can look forward to receiving its last lav by year 2057. Most of us will be in diapers by then, anyway.
Part of the problem has been finding spots that can accommodate the size and weight of the structure, while also providing the necessary means to connect to the city's hydro and water systems. And according to Elyse Parker, public realm director with the City of Toronto who spoke to Torontoist yesterday, there also must be significant area demand.
In that sense, a toilet right by Ashbridges Bay seems like a natural choice. (I know there are many, like me, who've had to soldier to one after too many summer beverages at the beach.) No decision yet on the location of Toronto's next automated pay toilet, though it probably won't arrive until sometime next year.
Additional Photos
Video
Photos/video by Tom Ryaboi
The best strip clubs in Toronto have their spiritual home on Yonge St., even if they're actually out on quiet stretches of the Queensway or Dufferin, in heritage buildings near the Don River, or sitting on prime real estate on King West. A third of our list resides on Yonge, in locations that often date back to when they were bars with bands and maybe an MC who told off-colour jokes between sets, back when burlesque was a recent but fading memory and Toronto was till - at least in its own mind - "the Good."
Many of these clubs are family-owned - yes, you read that right - and as venerable as anything else in the town, with histories going back to the late '60s, when loosened city regulations turned go-go girls into topless dancers and Yonge Street went from seedy to sleazy. They look pretty much like you'd imagine - ripped and patched upholstery, neon lighting and walls painted black, with watered-down drinks and a staff of dancers who are either working their way through college or professionals with a kid or two to feed. (Or occasionally somewhere on the way from the former to the latter.)
These are the best strip clubs in Toronto, as voted by readers of this site.
Photos by the author, Jesse Milns and tomms, apta_2050, peruse, Phil Marion, Metrix X, scarboroughcruiser and funkaoshi in the blogTO Flickr pool.
Instead of giving gifts this year, why not bet your friends that you can take them to a show that will make them double over, crying with laughter? It's much better (and potentially cheaper) than that Starbucks gift card you were thinking about. Thank me later as I walk you through This Week In Comedy...
SUN DEC 9 / HENRY PHILLIPS / COMEDY BAR / 945 BLOOR W / 8PM / $15
Henry Phillips got started doing the road with Doug Stanhope, who encouraged him to come with. Doug Stanhope encouraged this guy to do comedy. Doug freakin' Stanhope. Wowzers. Accordingly, Henry's done everything from Comedy Central Presents to appearing on Marc Maron's famed WTF podcast and garnering a listing in Billboard Magazine's Critics' Choice. Take a gander at the clip and see if you also find him, as one critic put it, "disconcertingly hilarious."
TUES DEC 11 / SAY GOODBYE TO YOUR DICKS / THE OSSINGTON / 61 OSSINGTON / 9PM / PWYC
This line-up makes my heart happy. Chris Locke's comedy is the kind that you remember on the subway and laugh to yourself, making the people around you think you're insane. If he goes into his joke about his bald spot being a sunroof for a sex machine, put down your drink. I've only seen him do sets that were five to seven minutes in length, and so I got excited when I found out he'd be doing more time on this show. The great thing is that Tim Gilbert, Tom Henry, and James Hartnett are going to light it up before Chris gets on stage.
FRI DEC 14 / AWKWARD / COMEDY BAR / 945 BLOOR W / 8PM / $8
Producer/Host Erin Rodgers brings us the latest edition of Awkward, the stortytelling show where comedians are challenged to tell tales that are 100% true. Your cast includes Sam Mullins (reigning Vancouver Story Slam Champion), Gerard Harris, Natasha Henderson, and Amanda Day. The great thing about this storytelling show is that comedians who are used to trying to inject laughter every 10-15 seconds get to breathe a bit, allowing things to develop slowly, which often serves to create a deeper emotional connection with the audience. The interesting thing is that it's often the emotional connections and digressions that get the most memorable laughs.
SAT DEC 15 / GILSON LUBIN'S ACTING UP / REVIVAL BAR / 783 COLLEGE / 7PM / $20
It's been a long and winding road for Gilson, who's comedic prowess landed him everything from a Comedy Now special, to MTV and opening for some guy named Dave Chappelle and appearing on Def freakin' Comedy Jam. Wowzers. But after you've reached the peak, where do you go from there? It's an interesting question, especially when you realize that the destination was, in fact, just a milestone on the way to something even greater. Gilson's new direction is that he's striking out for himself, doing things on his own terms, and anyone who's been an entrepeneur knows that the energy that comes with being your own boss almost always unlocks something magical within us.
He's joined by an all-star cast, but pay special attention to Nick Reynoldson. When a comic's material is golden, he can beat out 90% of the competition. When his crowd work and improv is similarly AUsome, you become part of an exclusive pantheon that few comedians ever join. Oh! and the proceeds will go the SickKids' Burns and Plastics Unit. Excelsior!
About the Author: This is Michael Jagdeo, and I refuse to write about myself in the third-person. My blog, Diary of a Stand-up Comedian, teaches you how to be - and how not to be - a comedian in Toronto.
Toronto as a city is hardly overburdened with cycle lanes. There are just over 90 kms of bike tracks - not including off-street trails - winding their way through the region, often disjointed and rarely leading to or from anywhere useful. In comparison, the city ranks roughly on par with Vancouver, a city with a quarter the population.
It was 34 years ago that Toronto installed its first and immediately controversial bike lanes on Poplar Plains Road south of St. Clair. Before that, bike tracks were simple looping asphalt trails confined entirely to public parks, ideal for weekend riding with the kids but not so useful for getting to work.
Convincing motorists pre-occupied with the rapidly choking traffic to accept space for a new mode of transport wasn't, and still isn't, easy.
Metro Toronto's first Parks Commissioner Tommy Thompson was, undoubtedly, a champion of the city's recreational spaces. His famous "please walk on the grass" signs that once dotted Toronto's verdant public lawns encapsulated his ethos that open spaces were at their best when visitors were free to wander off the path.
Under Thompson, the city built shared cycle tracks in Ashbridges Bay Park, the Toronto Islands, High Park, and many other public gardens. In 1972 the only path exclusively for the use of bicycles ran for 2.4 kms just north of the boardwalk in the Beach from the foot of Fernwood Park Avenue to Woodbine Park. It's still there, a piece of the much larger Martin Goodman Waterfront trail.
That summer the Toronto Star proclaimed the "Year of the Bike" with a full-page photo of a cheerful Tommy Thompson perched on a saddle surrounded by kids. Reporter Roger Whittaker and his 10-speed Schwinn mapped out a 100-mile route round the city from the Beaches track to High Park, up to Steeles, dropping down to Sheppard, through the ravine system out to Scarborough, and back. At no point did Whittaker have his own lane, painted or otherwise.
It would take seven years for Toronto to get its first marked bike lane, a fury-inducing strip inexplicably located on a residential road south of St. Clair. Immediately drivers fumed about the road's reduction to one lane and cyclists "shooting down it two and three at a time" against traffic toward Davenport Road. "[Mayor] Sewell and his gang got us again," complained one driver to the Star.
The angry drivers might have had a point, the lane was poorly located on a steep hill that cyclists often had to dismount and walk up. In addition, the markings were only on the east side of the street so bikers wanting, naturally, to sweep down the hill had to share a lane as narrow as four feet with oncoming riders, if there actually were any.
No-one really used the bike lane, largely, I suspect, because of its horrible location. A report cited in news reports at the time said 847 cars used the road during rush-hour while just three bikers puffed up the winding hill. It wasn't good PR for Toronto's fledgling biking community.
An editorial published a few months after the Poplar Plains lane was opened warned with solemn dismay that bike lanes were "an ill-conceived notion that will only exacerbate already intolerable traffic jams." Under the headline "There's a limit to bicycle lanes," the piece fretted that further expansion of the cycling project to Wellesley and Harbord streets — a route that's getting its own entirely separated lanes in the new year — would fatally cut space for cars from four lanes to two and choke the city.
The arguments against dedicated lanes were the same then as they are today: cold winters would drive cyclists off the street; after a week or turning up "sweaty and disheveled" at work, office workers would lose ditch their 10-speed; roads would become a dangerous obstacle course of pedestrians, bikers, and cars.
But that didn't happen. The newly-formed City Cycling Committee spent the 1980s developing the ring and post lock, installing tire-friendly drain covers, and establishing the Martin Goodman Waterfront trail for cyclists. Piece by piece, new on-street bike lanes were added to the network. A second bike lane opened on Wellesley on June 2. 1979.
Despite an occasionally ominous outlook and relatively low turnout in rush hour — apparently just 127 cyclists entered the downtown during a typical rush hour in 1979 — getting to work under one's own steam steadily increased in popularity. Today, in excess of 20,000 people ride a bike as their primary means of conveyance in Toronto.
In 2000, the city set itself a target of 1,000 kms of citywide bike lanes in time for 2011. So far, they're about halfway there. New separated lanes coming to Queens Quay and Wellesley will be a net gain for the city after the loss of the markings on Jarvis Street, but there's still some way to go.
Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.
Photos: City of Toronto Archives, Toronto Star; Thursday Oct. 11 1979, York University; 1974-002 / 461.
He could've played for the Dallas Mavericks, as well as a number of collegiate and professional sports teams, but they found crack in his jacket and marijuana in his socks. Despite these unfavourable circumstances, Jody Highroller's had one hell of a year. In 2012 alone, Riff Raff signed a deal with Diplo's Mad Decent record label, became the subject of Harmony Korine's Spring Breakers, in which he was portrayed by James Franco, released countless YouTube videos and independent albums, formed a group with Dirt Nasty and Andy Milonakis, and dropped more lower case i's on Twitter than Apple has advertised in the past decade.
Thanks to his unparalleled grind, always-in-character Andy Kaufman-esque performance art, and Andre Agassi get-ups circa 1989, the joker on MTV's From G's To Gents has quickly transformed himself into a bonafide internet rap icon. But could his return to Toronto live up to this summer's unforgettable debut at Wrongbar? That was the question fans paying to see him twice in one calendar year were asking themselves.
The always more-than-reliable ItsMattLangille got the night rolling with a refreshingly Dipset-heavy DJ set, as the crowd began pouring into The Hoxton. Toronto duo Thugli followed suit with their own brand of energetic trap refixes, causing 'bow-throwing masses to go particularly H.A.M. to French Montana's "Pop That," Juicy J's "Bandz A Make Her Dance," and Rick Ross's "B.M.F."
By the time 11:30pm rolled around, the house was packed. Riff Raff's DJ came out accompanied by a posse 30 people deep. The on-stage mob included PLD founder Matt Adam, TFHOUSE, a bunch of weed-smokers, some bearded dude, and a pack of girls straight out of How To Make It In America. The range of styles perfectly exemplified the main event's fanbase.
Five minutes later, Jody finally appeared out of the shadows. Rocking goldilocks, shades, his MTV's Riff Raff chain, and a fittingly inexplicable tiger jacket-sweater thing, Highroller naturally and unsurprisingly announced that he could have played for the Blue Jays. Rap game Wayne Gretzky then proceeded to give a half-coherent inspirational speech on haters, before going into "Terror Wrist." As soon as he finished performing the opening cut, toque girl treated his hair with some hair spray, as the crowd ate it up each of the three times this ritual went down.
Fan favourite "Deion Sandals," really got the show popping off, allowing Riff Raff to comfortably breeze through "Ace Of Spades," "Jenny Craig," "Larry Bird," and "Rabies." His now-infamous "break song," Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams," gave Jody a quick breather, which he then followed up with summer anthem "Lil Mama I'm Sorry."
Riff Raff proudly announced a new song with Action Bronson, in addition to an upcoming album with New York producer Dame Grease, titled Hologram Panda. He also took five to shout out collaborator Chief Keef, happily letting fans go nuts to his instant classic "Love Sosa." This obviously segued into "Cuz My Gear," easily the highlight of the night, during which everyone used up all their energy, people got shoved left, right, and center, and glasses and shoes got mangled.
Unfortunately, after "Rap Game Sleepless In Seattle" and "They Figured I Worked For Mexico," Riff Raff simply peaced out without saying bye, and no one was really sure if the show was done or not. However, upon hearing a couple of Young Chop beats being played by Comeback Season Kids, the crowd realized Jody had left.
On the way out, fans were complaining about the short set length, the fact that he cut "Bird On A Wire" — arguably his best song — way too short, the absence of favourites like "Brain Freeze," "Time," and "Hot Shots Part Deux," and the feeling, at times, that he only came for the drugs and the women. In short, some understandably felt that the show was more about presence than performance.
While this outing certainly didn't live up to his first Toronto appearance in July. It was plain to see that most people had a ton of fun whenever Riff Raff was on stage. For 40 minutes, he treated the audience to sheer energy, hype, and comedy. In the end, isn't that what Jody Highroller's all about, anyway? Like his music, the concert put Riff's momentary strengths and retrospective weaknesses on full display, but either way, you know he doesn't really give a shit, as long as it was a party. And it was.
Writing by Marko Orlic / Photos by Matt Kozovski
The galleries may leaving Ossington for greener (and cheaper) pastures, but on 83 Niagara Street, gentrification can be credited with giving rise to a grassroots artistic community.
Find out how in my profile of Walnut Contemporary in the gallery section.
The Toronto Motorcycle Show is like visiting an adult toy store for those who ride. Just when the Toronto riding season is over, we get to preview hundreds of new 2013 motorcycles, scooters and ATVs at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in a space the size of three football fields.
Since my riding season was cut short two months ago due to a freak scooter-motorcycle accident, this weekend's Toronto Motorcycle Show made for a much welcome respite from my early off-season downtime.
Some of the manufacturers on hand to show off their new wares include BMW Motorrad, Can-Am, Ducati, Harley-Davidson, Honda, KTM, Piaggio, Suzuki, Triumph, Victory and Yamaha.
I started my journey at the Honda Powersports Canada display, where I got to see the 2013 Honda scooter lineup along the backdrop of a European-style cafe where they were offering free cappuccino to those who dropped by.
I quite liked the styling of the Honda PCX150 scooter (above-left photo) as a sporty urban alternative to those who want to scoot about Toronto but not want a cookie-cutter Vespa. It's got a comfortable riding position, lots of under-seat storage and starts at $3,749.
BMW's foray into the maxi-scooter lineup included this gorgeous C650 GT. At over $11,000 it's little out of my price range, but it would make for a great urban warrior machine and allow comfy touring in style.
One of the more fun-looking bikes at the show was this CSC150 from California Scooter Company. Looks like they also offer police scooters similar to this model. And this pink-and-white Babydoll model is sure to appeal to a few female riders.
There were a few young ladies dressed in arrest-me-red at the Ducati area, where -- if sports bikes are your thing -- this Ducati 1199 Panigale S proves to be even more of a head-turner. Is that a can of Red Bull under the seat?
I ran into Troy from Fada Scooters at the SYM booth, where my riding buddy Mondo couldn't get enough of the new SYM Wolf Classic 150. At $3,199 it makes for a nimble retro-styled little city bike.
In the premium cruiser category, the all-new Honda Gold Wing F6B, with its 1,832cc six-cylinder engine looks like something Toronto Batman would ride. And UD Replicas had just the outfit to complement the ride.
Conspicuously absent from the Toronto Motorcycle Show this year were any electric motorcycles or scooters, despite recent news that a battery-powered motorbike set a new the land-speed record.
The show wraps up on Sunday. Show hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and adult admission is $16.
What are you going to ride in Toronto come next spring?
Photos by Roger Cullman Photography.
This week in theatre rounds up the most noteworthy live theatre playing right now in Toronto. It includes just-opened shows as well as productions that are about to close.
It's A Wonderful Toronto: The Rob Ford Holiday Spectacular! / Theatre Passe Muraille Backspace / 7:30pm-2:00pm / $25-$30
Every time a bell rings, the Don Bosco Eagles get a touchdown. The National Theatre of the World presents the city's own It's a Wonderful Life. Replace George Bailey with Rob Ford and you've got our very own Toronto tale of failure and financial ruin set before the backdrop of the Christmas season. The city's foremost comedy troupe presents a music sketch comedy revue that's certainly timely, and a whole lot funny.
Dickens' Women / The World Festival - Young Centre / 8:00pm / $20-$40
In celebration of the 200th birthday of Charles Dickens, Miriam Margolyes presents over 20 of Dickens' most well-known female characters. It's a good bet that some of your favourite characters will make an appearance (Miss Havisham?), but there are certain to be exciting new revelations. Spanning all different ages and literary works, Margolyes's portraits speak to the brilliance of the author.
A Clockwork Orange: A Play with Music / Electric Theatre / 8:00pm/2:00pm / $12-$15
Anthony Burgess' dystopic story was the inspiration for Stanley Kubrick's masterful film, A Clockwork Orange. Huge Picture Productions, who occupies the Electric Theatre in Kensington Market, has adapted the story into a stage musical. It'll be interesting to see how the disturbing themes of Burgess' tale, the violent qualities of human nature and the possibility of free will, fare on stage...with musical additions, no less.
This Lime Tree Bower / Berkeley Street Theatre / 8:00pm / $10-$25
Cart/Horse Theatre, a strong independent company on the Toronto scene, presents Conor McPherson's This Lime Tree Bower, a play that recalls one havoc-filled weekend in the lives of three young Dubliners. The characters recall the series of events that helped bring them together — a wee bit of violence, a college lecture that got out of hand, and the robbery that forged friendships. Dora winner Sarah Dodd makes her directorial debut.
The Little Years / Tarragon Theatre / 8:00pm/2:30pm / $27-$53
It's your last chance to catch John Mighton's The Little Years, a study of the brutality of time and its effect on everything from health and relationships, to technology, art, and the environment. The playwright's intellectual themes are brought richly to life by director Chris Abraham and a clearly focused cast who age before our very eyes. There's a lot to enjoy in this slow, cerebral dance through the decades. Check out our full review.
Image via Theatre Passe Muraille
Max Turnball, a.k.a. Slim Twig, took inspiration from Lolita for his new LP A Hound at the Hem. Though it's hard to catch many lyrics through his drawl, Turnball's voice does catch the drift of a creepy uncle who acts like his tortured heart gives him a hall-pass for inappropriate lascivious behavior; there's definitely some Nick Cave vibes slinking around. Turnball is an actor as well as a musician and he brings a campy yet convincing characterization to his music.
A Hound at the Hem was actually arranged and recorded two years ago on Toronto Island, and Turnball has been tweaking the mix ever since. The result is an album that enters your ears like molasses; there's so much going on that at times the music demands complete attention to pick up on its nuances. The album's well earned "baroque psych" tag and its originality in general owe much to Owen Pallett's string arrangements, which lapse into organ melodies and rock instrumentation.
To catch all the details that make this art rock release live up to its promises, you'll need good speakers or headphones — in fact what becomes pleasantly disorienting on headphones will sound like Hunky Dory era David Bowie on weaker sound systems.
While "Blonde Ascending (Come in to the Clatter)" is the best example of A Hound's musical accomplishment, track two, "Clerical Collar," has a melody that won't quit, and will likely be the one that you find yourself humming afterward. It features spirited piano and harpsichord elements: baroque pop at its campy summit.
Though A Hound at the Hem sees Turnball get into the mind and persona of Nabokov's lecherous and complicated creation, I feel he never touches on the fucked up reality that is statutory rape. The LP is a romp in the shadows rather than the real exploration of the dark side of humanity it could have been in more sensitive hands. Slim Twig never achieves the sonic emotional freak-out that would make this record an experimental gem — he instead presents a musical accomplishment laced with dark whimsy that will enter the Canadian indie™ canon as one of 2012's strongest without creating much social discussion.
The album is out on both Toronto label Pleasence Records and Turnball's own brand new labelCalico Corp, which he runs with his partner Meg Remy, AKA U.S. Girls. Both Slim Twig and U.S. Girls release their respective fall albums (GEM, in U.S. Girl's case) in Toronto at the Silver Dollaron Thursday night. The last time I saw Slim Twig play, some random bro stole the mic and the band kept right on playing, so get ready for a theatrical show.
Live photos by Rachel Verbin and Bruce Emberley.
Electing our leaders isn't cheap. Organizing the ballots, advertising, and paying staff costs the city about seven million big ones, nine if you factor in the toll campaign rebates take on city coffers. There's a break down of how that scheme works below. Also this week, some improvement suggestions for the new subway trains, a story of cobblestones, and a look at Toronto from above in 1966.
I came across this week's lead image looking for bike path pictures for yesterday's history post. It's a well-photographed spot at Cherry Beach, but there's something hauntingly beautiful about the lone man standing in a knee-length winter jacket in the background, seemigly staring into the camera, not out into the lake. Unintentional art in the municipal archives.
ELECTIONS
The approximate cost of finding a new mayor, if we actually have to, jumped to $9 million this week when city hall factored in the cost of campaign rebates it must pay to financial backers of candidates for council and mayor. Basically, individuals (corporations and unions are banned) can pay a maximum of $750 to a citizen running for council or $2,500 to a mayoral campaigner and receive up to $1,000 back after the election.
By comparison, 381 people gave the most amount possible to Rob Ford's election campaign in 2010, a total of $952,500, of which the city paid returned $381,000.
Contributions of between $25 and $300 attract a 75 per cent rebate while donors of up to $1000 get a flat $250 plus half of what ever amount was paid over $300. A similar flat fee and percentage is in place for checks over $1000.
Watch out though. No individual can donate more than $5,000 to multiple candidates without risking a fine of $25,000 and jail time. Election rules also state that individuals who pitch in more than $100 will have their name, address, and preferred candidate posted on the City of Toronto website.
At the last election the city paid out more than $2 million in campaign donation rebates.
ROCKET SUGGESTION BOX
Earlier this week TTC CEO Andy Byford met with top brass from Bombardier to discuss problems with the doors of Toronto's new subway trains. The trouble stems from a useful design feature that prevents the train moving if one of the doors has failed to close.
Problem is, if the doors fail to close three times the train panics (or whatever the computerized version of that is) and shuts the whole system down, meaning the train has to be taken back to the yard and reset like an aged SNES with an iffy cart.
We asked what other issues the two groups might consider addressing while they discusses ways of fixing the current fleet and ensuring the trans currently in production don't suffer from the same issue. Here's a run down of your responses:
MORE POLES: The air conditioning units mounted in the roof of each car take up a substantial amount of headroom and block hand rails passing underneath. Most of the comments requested more places rails or straps for use during busy periods.
VOICE/GUIDANCE: The voice of the train, a robotic woman who tends to make grammatical errors and avoid the local vernacular, doesn't seem to be sitting well with riders. The timing of the door chimes and the illuminated system map's choice of colours were also a gripe.
DOORS: It's already being addressed, but several people expressed annoyance at the two-second pause at each station before the doors are released.
LIGHTS AND SQUEAKS: The lights inside the Rocket cars are significantly brighter than the H-series trains they replaced, and that's a shock for some. Squeaky pull down handles also rubbed someone the wrong way.
COBBLESTONES
As archival pictures attest, the filler material between streetcar tracks in Toronto used to be assembled out of granite and limestone cobblestones before cheaper, pre-formed concrete slabs arrived.
These eight-inch stones, stockpiled in their thousands by the TTC after removal, were sold off in the 1960s for 10 cents a piece, less than the price of a subway token, as border stones for public parks, decorative features for private homes, and, surprisingly, the courtyard of a new library in Sault Ste. Marie. Washed stones were priced slightly higher at 12 cents.
It's likely some of these repurposed cobblestones that were originally shipped as ballast from Scotland or brought in from Gananoque near Kingston remain in parks and gardens around the city. Points for spotting one on your next trip to the park.
HELICOPTER CANADA
I'm slowly getting hooked on the National Film Board's online archive of films and this week I watched Helicopter Canada, a 1966 aerial tour of the country from Cape Spear to Vancouver Island (they didn't bother much with anything up north).
Apart from the occasional comical moment where the chopper buzzes a bewildered farmer or group of unsuspecting fishermen, the movie features some neat aerial shots of the Don Valley and an under-construction City Hall and Nathan Phillips Square. It starts around 19:50 if you want to skip the eastern provinces.
WHAT WE LEARNED THIS WEEK
Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.
Images: City of Toronto Archives, "Campaign Headquarter" by bigdaddyhame, "Long Train" by Stephen Gardiner from the blogTO Flickr pool.
At the intersection of Spadina Avenue and Wellington Street, in the busy downtown core, sits a little historic park called Clarence Square. In the summer, people sit or lay back on the park benches to read, nap or people-watch. Occasionally squirrels race down the enormous trees, chattering at each other, while small dogs, let loose by their condo owners, scrabble after them.
In moments like these, the park seems like a vision of what 19th century city planners sought to achieve - a green resting space amidst the bustling city. As one of the oldest parks in downtown Toronto, the square has been serving Torontonians a quiet slice of nature since before Toronto got its name, when it was known as the Town of York.
In 1833 Lieutenant Governor Sir John Colborne agreed to auction off part of the military reserve attached to Fort York to accommodate the growing Town of York. Eighteen lots went up for auction, and city planners and stakeholders snapped them up, building the quintessential city structures of the day (a church, burial grounds, a market, parks) based on the city planning models of the British Empire.
Wellington Street (then called Wellington Place) was envisioned to be an impressive tree-lined boulevard that connected two parks in the east and the west. The park in the west became Victoria Memorial Square, which still exists today, and the park in the east became Clarence Square.
Like Toronto, the square has been transforming to suit its citizens' needs. For seven months beginning in May of this year the square was under construction. In mid-November, the newly revitalized square revealed its new features: a fenced-in dog run to accommodate the area's large dog population; a dedicated bike lane that zips through the park from Wellington Street to the crosswalk at Wellington and Spadina; a new bench-lined walkway and 22 new trees scheduled for planting in the new year.
The only part of the park that didn't get much TLC was its centre, marked by a large circular concrete slab. From as early as 1870, a grand classical fountain crowned the centre of the park, with paths radiating outwards in the shape of a modified Union Jack.
The fountain was later removed, but, thankfully, plans are underway to restore the park's centre to its former glory. According to Councillor Adam Vaughan's office, by next year that lonely concrete slab could be replaced by a piece of public art or a classical fountain relocated from the Art Gallery of Ontario.
The charms of Clarence Square are not limited to the park. On the square's north side, quaint 19th century row houses host an eclectic mix of shops. The newly opened French cafe, Le Neuf, neighbours the hostel, Clarence Castle, on one side and fashion designer, Pat McDonagh, on the other. On a cold, crisp Saturday, if you look out to Clarence Square from one of the row house patios, you can see the realized century-old vision of York city planners: a congregation of people and animals, strolling decadently, enjoying a small preserve of nature in the busy city.
Writing by Davina Choy
BOOKS & LIT | Dior, Poiret and Schiaperelli
Worn Journal presents author Ilya Parkins, giving a special talk and book signing tonight at the launch of her latest work, Poiret, Dior and Schiaparelli: Fashion, Femininity and Modernity. This book uses the memoirs of these three iconic figures to examine the cultural climate in the first decades of the 20th Century, and how fashion was slowly becoming "democratized". The complex attitude of the world of fashion towards women at this time is also closely considered. Refreshments will be provided courtesy of Perrier and Tealish.
Type Books (883 Queen Street West) 7PM
MUSIC | Free Japanese Film Screening: Villon's Wife
Tonight, the final of three free film screenings presented by the The Japan Foundation and the Consulate-General of Japan in Toronto takes place at the Bloor HotDocs Cinema. Tonight's feature, Villon's Wife, subtly celebrates what would be novelist Dazai Osamu's 100th birthday, and incorporates bits from several of his works in this tale of a dysfunctional relationship between a man and wife. Director Negishi Kishitaro won the award for Best Director award at the 33rd Montreal World Film Festival for his work on this film.
Bloor HotDocs Cinema (506 Bloor Street West) 6:30PM FREE
MUSIC | Elvis Monday
Toronto's original weekly no-cover underground rock showcase reconvenes tonight at The Drake Hotel. Elvis Mondays has been happening since the early '90s: before we started using the term "indie rock" to describe a sound... Back then it mean you simply hadn't been signed! By Divine Right, Peaches, Treble Charger, The Cowboy Junkies, Beck, and countless others cut their teeth on the Elvis Monday stage. Tonight, a jam-packed lineup awaits you, including The Lifts, The Bloody 5, Phil Dickson, Diamonds For Disease, Chris Hau, Jia Harlow and more.
The Drake Hotel (1150 Queen Street West) 9PM FREE
COMEDY | The Tasty Show
Start your week properly: make sure to have a good laugh. The Tasty Show will deliver the "best medicine" to you this evening with a great menu and an even better lineup of standup talent. Jeff Danson hosts this week, and tonight's lineup features Ron Josol, Alex Pavone, Amanda Brooke Perrin, Ernie Vincente, and others. The Tasty Show is now going to happen every Sunday at the Comedy Bar. Support local comics, and come out and enjoy this one.
Comedy Bar (945 Bloor Street West) 10PM $5
OTHER EVENTS ON OUR RADAR
GONE FISHING SERIES
Ingrid Betancourt at the ROM: Even Silence Has An End
FREE SHOW: REBEL REBEL YEAR END THROWDOWN
Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO Toronto events calendar or contact us directly.
For Toronto movie showtimes, view our Movie Listings section.
Things have been pretty bananas around Toronto recently but for the first time the mayhem actually involved a monkey. Yesterday a small, jacketed rhesus macaque, a native of south and central Asia, escaped from a crate in an unlocked car at a branch of IKEA near Leslie and 401. The "stressed" primate gave store security the slip but was eventually picked up in good health by Animal Services, who fed it grapes. Since exotic animals are banned in Toronto, the stylish little critter will be placed in a sanctuary.
Three councillors who said they never saw a list of preferred candidates for civic appointments from Rob Ford's office were, according to emails seen by the Star, recipients of "the mayor's choices for shortlisting tomorrow" document. Rob Ford criticized city ombudsman Fiona Crean earlier this year for concluding that the appointment process to city boards has been compromised.
"Making up lists," Georgio Mammoliti said before council. His and the assistants of councillors Michael Thompson and Jaye Robinson received, though they may not have forwarded, the list.
A city bureaucrat says it's not worth finding out what happened to millions of dollars in repair and maintenance cash budgeted for the Gardiner expressway that appears to have been misdirected to other projects. According to the National Post, the city has consistently spent less money on the aging highway than was allocated - in one year there was a difference of $17 million. Should the city follow the money?
Metrolinx might be about to revise its plans for the Eglinton-Crosstown LRT to include a longer tunneled section at either end of the line. A proposed for the east and west ends could extend the tunnel slightly to Don Mills Road and Weston Road.
Tim Hortons knows how to park when there's a bike lane on the street. [via Reddit]
Rob Ford says closing a west end fire hall won't effect response times in the neighbourhood. Station 424 on Runnymede Road can be closed because its catchment area overlaps those of surrounding stations, according to officials. Ford made the comments on his weekly radio show.
Finally, it might be a little late to the party, but here's Rob Ford (well, his head) starring in the Gangnam Style video.
IN OTHER NEWS:
FROM THE WEEKEND:
Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.
Photo: "Fairview Cleaners" by Dominic Bugatto from the blogTO Flickr pool.
Live music picks for TUESDAY DECEMBER 11 through SATURDAY DECEMBER 15, 2012.
TUESDAY DECEMBER 11 / JAPANDROIDS / THE PHOENIX / 410 SHERBOURNE / $25.75 / 19+
It's been quite a year for Vancouver's Japandroids - between the release of their critically-acclaimed album Celebration Rock, to being named "Band of the Year" by Spin, 2012 was a year to remember for the indie rock duo. This show is part of Edge 102's Jingle Bell Rock concert series, and $1 from each ticket sold will go to the Daily Bread Food Bank. You can also bring non-perishable food items to the show. Great music for a great cause - you can't go wrong with that.
WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 12 / JOEL PLASKETT EMERGENCY / HORSESHOE TAVERN / 368 QUEEN W / $25 - $30 / 19+
The Horseshoe continues to celebrate its 65th anniversary with a series of awesome shows. One of Nova Scotia's favourite sons, Joel Plaskett, will be playing five nights in a row at the Horseshoe, along with his band. Plaskett is one of the more popular musicians of his generation, and he's been a staple of the Canadian indie rock scene for the better part of two decades. These shows will definitely sell out, so if you want to go, get those tickets fast.
THURSDAY DECEMBER 13 / ELUVEITIE / THE OPERA HOUSE / 735 QUEEN E / $33 / ALL AGES
There seems to be a lot of melodic folk metal acts coming to Toronto lately. Has there been some kind of resurgence of the genre, or has it always been this popular? Regardless, Eluveitie, out of Switzerland, has been together for ten years and has gained quite a following. They've released five albums, including this year's Helvetios, which was sold quite well and it was very popular with critics.
FRIDAY DECEMBER 14 / MONSTER TRUCK / LEE'S PALACE / 529 BLOOR W / $20.75 / 19+
This is yet another entry in Edge 102's Jingle Bell Rock concert series, and it could be the best one yet. Hamilton's Monster Truck has absolutely exploded in popularity in 2012, and it's not hard to see why - they have a very classic rock and roll vibe, and although I can't attest this, they're apparently unbelievable live. The ticket price is very reasonable, and part of the proceeds go to a good cause, so this is one that you'll want to check out.
SATURDAY DECEMBER 15 / TOKYO POLICE CLUB / SOUND ACADEMY / 11 POLSON / $32.75 - $45.75 / ALL AGES
Since this week has been filled with concerts from some awesome Canadian bands, it seems only fitting that we end the week off with another one. Tokyo Police Club, out of Newmarket, have been remarkably consistent since coming together in 2006. They've gotten extensive radio play across Canada, and they gradually gained a following the the U.S. too. They're pretty awesome live, and they're performing with Hollerado, so this one is definitely worth your time.
For more music listings, check out our events calendar.
Looking for tickets? Check out Rotate This or Soundscapes to avoid Ticketmaster robbery.
Have an event you'd like us to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO events calendar.
Photo of Japandroids courtesy of Lauren Monaco on Flickr.
