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Radar: Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Hanna Barberic, Toronto WordStage, Quicksand, Superimposition

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toronto events january 9THEATRE | Hedwig and the Angry Inch
John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask's 1998 musical, Hedwig And The Angry Inch gets a new lease on life tonight at The Drake Underground. This musical tells the story of an East German singer's adventures and love life. Musically, the original score is strongly influenced by '70s glam rock and pop, and the 1999 LA production of the show was actually co-produced by David Bowie himself, which is a ringing endorsement of how nicely the creators nailed that aspect of this play. Toronto theatre company breathe.feel.love has put this production together, with Seth Drabinsky handling the title role.
The Drake Hotel Underground (1150 Queen Street West) 7PM $35 ($25 students/arts workers with ID)

ART | Hanna Barberic
Artist Alex Currie curates this month's new exhibition at Steam Whistle Brewery. Currie is the deft hand behind the beloved mural outside of Lee's Palace on Bloor West, and has put together a show dubbed, Hanna Barberic, featuring work by his contemporaries whom he describes as being "indie outsiders" just like him. Artists Mike Parsons, Menno Krant, Runt, David Irvine, and John Abrams will be featured, and tonight is the opening reception and party. This exhibition runs throughout January.
Steam Whistle Brewery (255 Bremner Blvd) 7PM

BOOKS & LIT | Toronto WordStage
Toronto Wordstage returns to Q Space tonight. This monthly reading series takes place on the second Wednesday of every month, and is put together by TO publisher, Quattro Books. This series is open to poetry, prose, and drama and a wide variety of talent is featured regularly. Tonight, Robert Colman, Sarah Beaudin, Jay Millar, and Jeannie M. Pitas will share some of their work, and you will experience a broad spectrum of styles and perspectives. There is no cover charge, but be prepared: a hat is passed around in support of the talent who will be reading for you.
Q Space (382 College Street) 7:30 PWYC

MUSIC | Quicksand @ The Phoenix
Quicksand hit The Phoenix tonight as part of their first tour together in a decade and a half. This band, with a heavy sound that falls somewhere between the post hardcore and alt metal camps, formed in 1990, and imploded for the first time five years later due to the stresses of constant touring. With one previous unsuccessful reunion attempt behind them, they are having another kick at the can, and going on tour. As of yet, there is no word of new recordings or material, but some time on the road together could easily make that happen.
The Phoenix (410 Sherbourne Street) 8PM $29 in advance

OTHER EVENTS ON OUR RADAR

Superimposition: Stephen Broomer and Dan Browne
In the Lobby at Thompson Hotel

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

Photo of Hedwig courtesy of breathe.feel.love


Morning Brew: Halted Gardiner study gets resurrected, Holyday seeks appointment, Stintz won't support Ford, OLG chief makes gaffe, and a new TTC tunneling video

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toronto queen streetToronto's budget committee agreed yesterday to restart a paused study into the Gardiner Expressway that could pave the way for part of the aging roadway to be demolished. The environmental assessment was halted at the design phase in 2011 and its $4.1 million remaining budget transferred to other projects. The decision still needs to be cleared by the executive committee and city council, but it's believed it could be six to nine years before any part of the road could be demolished.

If Ford is ultimately removed from office by a panel of Divisional Court Judges some time in the next few weeks, Doug Holyday says he's willing to seek council appointment for the job. In other appeal news, TTC chair and councillor Karen Stintz says she won't support Rob Ford if he decides to pitch a case for appointment. Is she right to do that? How would you feel about Mayor Holyday now or in 2014?

OLG chair Paul Godfrey pulled a Doug Holyday yesterday by suggesting no-one lives in downtown Toronto. The head of Ontario's Lottery and Gaming Commission made the remark while clumsily trying to clarify a comments he made before the National Club on Bay Street that suggested he wouldn't want a casino in his own neighbourhood. Councillor Adam Vaughan called the comment "stupid." Speaking of casino, the first public meeting on the subject is tonight.

A heroic act at St. Clair West station may have saved the life of a man who fell off the platform. Dwight Orchard, a George Brown student, jumped onto the tracks and lifted the man to safety as a train entered the station yesterday afternoon. It's thought the fallen man was intoxicated.

Two barnacled cars were pulled from Lake Ontario near the Port Lands yesterday, the first find for the Toronto police marine unit's new SONAR equipment. One vehicle, a Ford Taurus, was reportedly stolen.

Local director Sarah Polley's documentary Stories We Tell has won best Canadian film from the Toronto Film Critics Association. The movie explores the life of Polley's mother and includes interviews with her family.

Watch out, there's a scammer about. Toronto police say a man in his 40s or 50s is tricking Jewish women on the TTC into handing over cash, telling them he's from Israel and in financial trouble.

Finally, another boring video (haha!) from the TTC. This time the Holey and Moley, two tunnel boring machines working on the Spadina line extension, take a back seat to the segment erector machine that lines the newly-bored tunnels with concrete.

IN BRIEF:

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

Photo: "Woodgreen Discount Drugs" by Dominic Bugatto from the blogTO Flickr pool.

This Week in Fashion: TFI New Labels semi-finalists announced, Nowhereland settles down, Powder Puff Party, extended Boxing Week sales

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toronto fashion eventsNEWS

The semi-finalists of the Toronto Fashion Incubator's New Labels Competition have been announced - and it's littered with our very own local designers including Cara Cheung, Yvonne Lin, and Paria Shirvani. The competition aims to expose design talent across Canada, hosting a finalists' runway show on April 18th. The winner will walk away with $25,000, a feature in Flare Magazine, and the chance to design and sell a collection in collaboration with Target. Tickets to the finale show will be available soon.

Last week, Nowhereland gave up their days as an exclusively online shop "for the bad and beautiful," and nested themselves right inside Kensington's gem Pretty Freedom (167 Augusta Ave) - a shop inside a shop much like Fitzroy and BYOB. Now everyone has a chance to touch and feel Nowhereland's quirky and acid-trip-esque clothing before making a purchase!

EVENTS/PARTIES

Yesterday, Holt Renfrew and Emily Weiss of Into The Gloss launched their beauty collaboration on the Holts' website - a January skincare guide. But, the guide is only second to the beauty social extravaganza dubbed the Powder Puff Party, happening on January 22nd at the Bloor Street location. Guests will have a chance to meet Weiss, enjoy beauty makeovers, and preview the best Spring 2013 products. Tickets are $25 each, and are available through the website or in-store.

SALES

Nomad (819 Queen St W) is extending (and upgrading) their Boxing Day sale likely until all their fall/winter 2012 merchandise is out the door, because - let's face it - 2012 is so last year. Make a visit in-store or online to get 60% off the regular price.

Uncle Otis (26 Bellair St) is also upping their sale game, making additional markdowns in-store and online. Select merchandise is now up to 70% off - and apparently sizes are going fast, so take advantage of the serious savings right now.

Over The Rainbow (101 Yorkville Ave) is still having their 50% off sale on denim and select fashions. I know I'm eyeing their metallic J Brand skinnies ($147 marked down from $295!).

Photo from Nomad

Get to know a Chef: Monica Miller, Saving Grace

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Saving GraceAfter almost 13 years, chef Monica Miller still dazzles diners with her brunch offerings at Saving Grace. Her take on some globetrotting gems promise dedicated lineups not only during the weekend rush. Miller, whose middle name is Grace, shares her biggest influences in food, what she thinks of the city's obsession with brunch, and one breakfast favourite she may never cook again.

If you weren't a chef, what could you see yourself doing?

If I wasn't a chef, I guess I would like to run a little boutique hotel in a nice, hot country. I really don't like winter because I can't ride my bicycle when it snows. My bicycle is my car, and people think I'm crazy to run a busy restaurant without a car, but I transport everything I need that I can't get delivered on my bicycle.

Where did you learn to cook?

When I was about 19 or 20 years old, I was hired by a chef in a sort of classy, but not very good food restaurant. That gave me my first experience into cooking where my job was just to cut of vegetables. Then I became the garde manger and then I applied for a job in another restaurant where the chef kind of took me under his wing and just taught me everything. I read cookbooks like other people read novels, and when the internet came along, that just really changed my world so much.

Saving GraceHow did the concept of Saving Grace come about?

I was working at a job that I really hated. I would go to other restaurants that were kind of inspiring, like Aunties and Uncles and Mitzi's. I would go to those places and think, 'I'd really like to have something like this, but I think I could do it better!' I've been cooking all of my life, and I also waitressed, so I knew how to run the front as well as the back. I didn't come in here not knowing how to do anything, and had a lot of years under my belt.

Why a brunch restaurant instead of a dinner place?

I didn't really know I was going to do a brunch restaurant. I thought it would be more like coffee and sandwiches, and it kind of just evolved. It's all about eggs; we try selling other things but everybody just wants to buy eggs. And now it's become a place that specializes in it.

What would you say is your signature dish?

The dish I'm most proud of is Eggs Rajasthani. I got that from being in India, and I've been there nine times. I took a camel safari in Rajasthan, and the guide was a really amazing cook and he let me cook with him. He would make this for breakfast for us and it blew my mind. When I came back to Canada after that first trip, I decided I had to make it. We had it as a special first, but it became popular so we put it on the menu.

Saving GraceWhat other cuisines have inspired your eclectic menu? How did you develop the recipes?

I like Asian and a lot of Latin American - flavours that are really dominant, and nothing run of the mill. I want to be extraordinary. I try to have at least one dish on the menu for someone who's maybe afraid to try something new, but I feel like my customers trust me, and they'll order things that they won't see anywhere else.

Me and a couple of my staff went to Mexico a couple of years ago, so I came back with lots of ideas about Mexican food, and I've travelled all over the world. The internet also gives me lots of inspiration; sometimes I'll just look at a photograph and that will just inspire me. Even how things are layered, or the height; I'm really inspired by presentation just as much as the ingredients.

Is there a dish you dislike cooking for brunch?

Eggs benedict. We had it on the menu for the first couple of years that I was open, and one day I decided I didn't want to make it anymore. I haven't made it since. Even though we have a lot of people asking for it, I will probably never make it again. It's tedious and you can get it everywhere; I want to make things that you can't get everywhere.

Where are some of your favourite brunch spots in Toronto?

I haven't been to brunch it Toronto for well over 13 years, because I've had Saving Grace and I work every weekend, unless I leave the country to go travelling. I wouldn't know where to go.

Your restaurant often heralds long lineups. How long would you wait for brunch?

I personally wouldn't wait. I admire the people who stand in line and wait for an hour, but I wouldn't. I'd probably just go across the street and drink coffee, and if I wanted eggs, I'd just cook them at home.

What's next for you and the restaurant?

I have only just started thinking about moving to a bigger space. My building is so old that I would like to be in a space that a little less decrepit, and doesn't need as much maintenance. But if I do move, everything you see is coming with us and what you see in the restaurant is who I am: eclectic and kind of cluttered. I definitely would like to stay in the neighbourhood or not wander too far away; definitely not Queen St or College St material, I'd like to stay on Dundas, just maybe farther west.

If you had a day to do whatever you wanted, what would it look like?

I think my favourite thing to do is go Goodwill shopping, believe it or not. All of our dishes come from Goodwill, so I don't ever really stop working. Even when I'm shopping, I'm shopping for the restaurant. But I am the restaurant, so it's kind of one in the same.

Saving GraceRAPID FIRE QUESTIONS

Most underrated ingredient? Tortillas

Best culinary tool? Food processor

A chef that inspires you?Martha Stewart in 2000

What's one dish you can't live without? Rice

Favourite Toronto restaurant? I don't have one

What would people be surprised to find in your fridge? Freezer with liquor

One food trend that needs to end? Nose to tail dining. I think people need to eat less meat.

For more chef profiles, visit our Toronto Chefs Pinterest board.

Photos by Morris Lum

Meet the biggest hip hop fan in Toronto

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MindbenderIf there's a rap show happening in the city, chances are Addi "Mindbender" Stewart will be in the front row, going line for line with every song played throughout the night; and this has been the case for about two decades now. Apart from being a rapper and music journalist himself, Stewart also happens to be one of the friendliest, most enthusiastic Torontonians you'll ever come across. It'd be an understatement to say that Mindbender is the heart and soul of Toronto's hip hop community.

I recently met up with Addi at Play De Record, and as soon as we stepped through the doors, it came as no surprise to me that the entirety of the store's staff knew him on a personal level.

In a lengthy session of sheer knowledge-dropping, Mindbender shared a trove of insider stories that any rap enthusiast would be lucky to hear. From Andre 3000's centaur costume, to performing with Raekwon and Ghostface, to the rise of Chief Keef, to Ken Kaniff and Eminem's sexuality, to the city of Toronto, here's what we got into:

I'm sure you've seen Brown Sugar by now, wherein Sanaa Lathan asks Taye Diggs, "When did you first fall in love with hip hop?" Do you remember a particular moment, song, or artist that might have sparked the flame?

It feels like it was always there, but the veil was just lifted one day. But, I guess, if I had to narrow it down, I'd trace it back to 1982, when my big brother Dale was a member of the illest breakdancing crew in Edmonton. They'd break to early '70s roller skating jams, disco, funk... all that classic old shit, but I remember that year in particular because Rock Steady Crew came through. It was crazy to see those legends perform in their prime.

I also remember Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five's "The Message" dropping that year, and losing my mind over those "doo doo doo doo" laser sounds. As far as first rap heroes go, I'd have to go with LL Cool J and Run DMC. They inspired my twin brother and I to start writing a few years later. I didn't write my first rhyme until 1989.

mindbender rap torontoI've seen you mouthing the words to every single song, by every single artist, from Mos Def to Riff Raff, at over a hundred different rap shows in the city. Is there a single rap song that you don't know the lyrics to?

Oh god yes. If it's by one of these new crack/hustle/blog/fashionista rappers, I won't care. I don't really know the lyrics to any Wiz Khalifa stuff.

Still, it seems like your attitude toward hip hop is to at least try to enjoy it from all angles. How important is that approach to such a young genre, and are you proud of all its regional styles?

I treat hip hop like church school; it's a sacred experience for me to be at a concert. There's not much of a difference if you compare the two, other than being able to drink beer and swear at concerts. Generally, it's a person giving a message, and a crowd gathered to hear it. I learn from every rapper; conscious, ignorant, street, guys, girls, Canadian, American, what have you.

Over the years, I've leaned toward boundary-pushing, esoteric West Coast stuff, like Freestyle Fellowship, Project Blowed, and The Hrsmn. I also love New York. Wu-Tang is the best hip hop idea of all time. Tribe was my favourite duo until OutKast released Stankonia. Nas is my favourite rapper because of his content and focus on edutainment, the essence of rap. I could talk for hours about all the mistakes he's made in his career, which aren't limited to beat selection, but he's still the most important MC to ever come along.

addi stewart rap torontoAre you happy with the direction hip hop is going in? Chief Keef and Riff Raff are two unorthodox rappers that blew up this year; what are your thoughts on them?

I'll diss a guy like Chief Keef because, to me, he's the pinnacle of hip hop at its unhealthiest, least lyrical, and most self-destructive. I don't think I can ever be called a hater though, because, at the very least, I listened. I went to Riff Raff's Toronto debut partly because it's a big thing for me to be able to say, "I've seen that person once in my life." I was both impressed and disgusted with the Riff Raff phenomenon when I noticed him lip-synching halfway through the show, after the crowd began moshing and getting wild. I couldn't believe how much power, control, and mad hype he had, that people weren't even aware of him not rapping into the mic.

With contemporary rap, I feel that we're living in a production era, where amazing beats are overshadowing subpar raps. Rick Ross is a perfect example. That guy's the fakest thing ever. Andreas Hale said, "Hip hop went from 'keep it real' to 'it's just entertainment'," and I think that's the worst transition of all time. Plus no one's really scary these days, apart from Killer Mike. These new guys are weak.

That's why, with my own rap career, I really want to Wu-Tang it again, but with a personal spin. I want to incorporate all my influences, and be raw and confusing. At the same time, I really love women. I want to be revolutionary with respect to love and sexuality because almost all of my rap heroes have disappointed me in that regard.

How many rap shows have you been to, and what was your very first one?

Wow. I don't even know how to quantify these things--maybe around 10,000 live music experiences in my life. Sometimes I'd do five in a single night. For my first hip hop concert, I saw Public Enemy on their Fear Of A Black Planet tour in Hamilton. That was in 1991. The first one I caught in Toronto was The Pharcyde in '92, during the Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde tour. I think the only well-known rapper I haven't seen live is Fat Joe.

addi stewart rap torontoDescribe your favourite concert experiences.

OutKast and Moby at The Docks in '99 was pretty crazy. It was Andre 3000's last time in Canada, and he wore a centaur outfit. Like, he was shirtless, rocking horse legs. When they performed "Bombs Over Baghdad," my heart was beating like a jackrabbit.

One of the best concerts I've ever seen, though, was De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, and Souls Of Mischief at Carleton University in '93. I got to talk basketball with Phife Dawg before the show, but later, on our way to an afterparty, I hit up this greasy diner with De La Soul. And sure enough, like they say on 3 Feet High And Rising, Maseo definitely loved his ketchup. It was also cool standing three feet away from Eminem when he performed in Toronto after The Marshall Mathers LP was released. I met Proof, which, unfortunately, I didn't appreciate enough because I was too excited about Eminem at the time.

But the craziest feeling was performing with Raekwon and Ghostface Killah at Yonge and Dundas Square this summer, in front of 10,000 people.

I remember them asking two fans to come up on stage and perform ODB's and Method Man's verses on "Protect Ya Neck." A bunch of concertgoers were screaming your name, knowing it'd be a cardinal sin if you didn't get up there. Talk about that experience.

After missing an opportunity to do a verse at the solo Ghostface show three months earlier, I told myself that there's absolutely no chance this one security guard would stand in the way of my dream coming true. He was pushing me from the front because he didn't see Ghostface pick me out. I ended up leaning against the fence with my shirt ripped off in the process, but once I went off on the guard, he let me through.

After I got up there, I felt like I was possessed in that magical moment, like my brain shut off. ODB's son was up there too; I remember grabbing and hugging him. It was all pure adrenaline. I don't even have many memories of it all going down. When I look back on it online, I'm like, who is that guy? Oh shit, that was me!

What are some other crazy behind-the-scenes stories you have, like at a show, or hanging out with other rappers?

I've had so many crazy experiences. I want to sit down with a hypnotist and tell them to probe into my mind, because I smoke a lot of weed, and sometimes I forget things. But I definitely remember selling a half-quarter to Sean Price and Buckshot in the bathroom of the Phoenix Concert Theatre one time. Just this past year, thanks to my friend Perry P., I got to hang out in a car with Onyx, Tha Alkaholiks, and The Beatnuts. We got lost and were driving around for an hour. Because of Famous's generosity, I also met Nas on the Hip Hop Is Dead Tour. I gave him a Pound magazine, a blunt, and a bag of weed. He was like a child sitting in the corner, so humble and quiet.

Back in '97, I was hanging out with my homies Fritz The Cat, Styles Of Beyond, and Abstract Rude in Compton, L.A. I rocked Project Blowed, really murdered it that day, and even got props from this thugged-out Crip girl. I thought she was going to blow my brains out [laughs]. Not many people know this, but my hype man at that open mic was Aristotle The Hairless Model, the original Ken Kaniff on Eminem's Slim Shady LP. He's a phenomenal MC, but you could tell a lot of people weren't feeling him since he was pretty effeminate. There was a lot more ignorance back then.

addi stewart mindbender rap torontoHow ironic, considering Eminem's homophobia.

Yo! You can put this down on paper: I'm going to my grave far beyond convinced that Eminem is bisexual. I think it's the biggest untold secret in hip hop. Deep into his career, around Encore, the first thing that came out of his mouth in a Vibe Magazine article was, "I just want you all to know, I'm gay." He ends up playing it off as a joke, and the interviewer moves on, but my point is that, even if they've been tongue-in-cheek, he's dropped countless clues. Yet the rap community's still not ready to embrace one of their heroes as a homosexual. Dr. Dre's gay too. Tupac said so himself after he got shot. I wish they'd confess. It would mean a lot to black culture if the most famous rapper of all time and the godfather of gangster rap came out publicly.

What are the worst hip hop fads that have come and gone?

The Ice Age was shit. It didn't matter how good or bad you were; if you had diamonds, you were cool. I hate how Game always switches his affiliations and styles to whatever's hot at the moment. I actually liked the Kriss Kross era. In grade nine, there was a school strike, and three of us turned our clothes backwards and danced all day.

What are your thoughts on Drake, and him finally being that breakout mainstream rap star in the US that Toronto's been waiting for?

I'm a humongous fan of Drake. He's always been cool to me, he always says what up. He's one of the sharpest rhyme-writers around, and a brilliant songwriter, period. I think he's the logical evolution of everything that's been happening in the last ten years of hip hop, from his look, to his sound, to his production, to his sophistication. I'm not as much of a fan of his singing, but he's raised the bar overall. I love that he's made Canadians check themselves and be like, yo, we can have multimillion dollar superdreams up here and manifest insane history. Even 9th Wonder tweeted that Toronto's the hip hop capital of the world.

Who are your favourite Toronto DJs?

As far as cutting and mixing go, Starting From Scratch made Pete Rock and DJ Premier look bad at Circa in '08. I also love DJ Law, Fase, Nana, James Redi, and P-Plus. We've got some of the best in the world.

addi stewart mindbender torontoWhat's your favourite record store in Toronto?

Play De Record. It's been around since 1990, and has outlived all the other classic record stores on Yonge Street. I'll never forget all the Ryerson cats that would drop by to freestyle inside, or first listening to the "Protect Ya Neck" 12-inch that I bought from there in '92. All the new 12-inches would arrive between seven and ten o'clock, back when people actually had to leave their house, hunt for music, and play records for their friends. That connection is so lost now, with blogs and the internet taking over.

Do you have a big record collection?

Not too much vinyl, but I have a big collection of artifacts. If they ever do a Canadian Hip Hop Museum, I could fill it up with all my memorabilia. I've got 4,000 cassettes. I've got Canadian rap magazines that totally don't exist anymore: Mic Check, Peace, Origins, Rice, Twisted Linguistics. De La Soul and Souls of Mischief signed a five dollar bill for me at that concert in Ottawa since I didn't have anything else to give them.

2012 FAVOURITES

Rapper:Kendrick Lamar, although good kid, m.A.A.d city was overhyped

Producer:Rich Kidd

Song: Kendrick Lamar - "The Recipe" Ft. Dr. Dre

Album:Killer Mike & El-P - R.A.P. Music

Writing by Marko Orlic. Photos by Javin Lau

New in Toronto Music: Born Ruffians, Easyboy, Bob WiseMan, girlsNames, Sexy Merlin

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Born RuffiansBORN RUFFIANS / IN HER SHADOW / JANUARY 1ST
Until very recently I'd been under the assumption that the "Ruffians" in Born Ruffians referred to David Ruffin fanatics. I consider myself a Ruffian, though I wasn't born one — instead it took my tastes a long time to simmer into Motown before I was sufficiently ready for the "Ruff Stuff." To be a born Ruffian, well, artistically that would be like being born with a silver stereo cable in your mouth. Then I took the time to look up the definition of ruffian, which is still a cool word, but not remotely related to the former Temptations singer. I wouldn't say my whole world ended when I discovered this, because, you know, the Born Ruffians are just as talented in my books as they were before. Surely I'm not alone in welcoming a new album sometime this year, the single of which is now available.

EASYBOY / RICKEY'S PRIVATE FLEX / JANUARY 1ST 2012
Let's cut the shit, either you're someone who initially really responds to a mixtape called Rickey's Private Flex by an artist named Easyboy or you are an asshole. You know where I stand...

BOB WISEMAN / GIULIETTA MASINA AT THE OSCARS CRYING / JANUARY 24TH
The official release for Bob Wisemen, most notably of Blue Rodeo Fame, isn't until January 24th but it's somehow available now. Call it a trick of black magic or some sort of time paradox, depending on whether you hang to the metaphysical or the scientific-fantasy side — either way you're totally delusional because release dates don't mean very much these days [tell that to my editor, yeesh!]. The point of the matter is that it's here now, and it is magical, but just in the metaphorical sense. Really, don't over think it — just listen to the track "mothface@yahoo.ca" which may be the best titled song of 2013. And hey, why not check him out along with Maylee Todd and others, at the Album Release on January 24th at the Tranzac.

GIRLSNAMES / PASTEMAKER / JANUARY 4TH
I'm sure there are some of you who prefer your music a little heavier then most of the offerings presented in New Releases. I hear you dudes (genderless term, btw), so I offer this selection called girlsNames which is fast, heavy and sorta abbrasvie, but also an oddly pretty lil' EP. If you're a soft ear, I would encourage you to give girlsNames a go because it's good to bang around once in awhile to clear out some of the cotton in your head. Plus, you can listen to the whole EP in a matter of minutes, so the only thing you have to lose is a little time. And, really, how busy can you be if you're reading this column? Come on, dude!

SEXY MERLIN / SEE YOU IN THE DARK / DECEMBER 17TH
Fine. This one came out in December but, shit, dog — just watch it OK? I've never met this Sexy Merlin character, but judging by this video alone I can see him taking on a drum teacher / yogi / Bagger Vance role in my life.

ON A PERSONAL NOTE
Hi. Are you in a toronto band? Do you have a new release? If so, send it my way, and I will most likey throw it on here 'cause that's a hell of a lot easier then looking "online."

Photo of Born Ruffians by Irina No

Late night Korean eatery is the latest buzz on Ossington

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oddseoulThe boom on lower Ossington isn't over yet. Opening in December after an extensive construction period, this late night Korean eatery and bar from the team behind Swish By Han is already generating serious buzz for its mix of Philly-inspired Korean fusion served up until 2am.

Read my profile of Oddseoul in the restaurants section.

The Best New Design Stores in Toronto, 2012

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design stores torontoThe best new design stores in Toronto in 2012 were more about little treasures than big statement pieces. With the exception of the odd warehouse-sized boutique (I'm looking at you, Metropolis), many of the design shop hits from 2012 were all about the ornamental faux-antler coffee-table-topper or vintage pop-art print. These design stores wouldn't necessarily help you furnish your barren new condo living room, but they might help supply those pretty finishing touches that can transform a space from student-chic to grown-up complete.

Here is the list of the best new design stores in Toronto in 2012.

See also:

The Best New Design Stores in Toronto, 2011
The Best New Design Stores in Toronto, 2010


Ben Gold at the Veld Music Festival

Radar: YLMC and NASH75 present Sheezer and The RAA, Like A Generation, Odd Future's Syd Tha Kid, New Development, Clint Neufeld

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toronto events january 10PARTY | Young Lions Music Club and NASH75 present: Sheezer, The RAA DJs and Summer Fling
Music and journalism join forces with the awesome Young Lions Music Club and NASH75 presented show at Lee's Palace tonight. Sheezer, the all-girl Weezer cover band, will perform music from the Blue Album and Pinkerton and the Rural Alberta Advantage will play a DJ set of everyone's favourite music followed by the YLMC resident Summer Fling DJs. Come out and party after the Canadian University Press' NASH75 conference--the party is free if you attend.
Lee's Palace (529 Bloor Street West) 9PM $10

THEATRE | Like A Generation
A dissection and articulation of Generation Y's place in history is the objective of the creators of Like A Generation, the Theatre Passe Muraille's latest performance piece, which opens tonight. Defining themselves through pop culture and their connections to multimedia, Blue Bigwood-Mallin, Susannah Mackay, Max Tepper and Eric Welch bring their personal experiences, and their worldview and its many influencers, to this play. Running for just three days, there are a limited number of performances but be sure to check out the Saturday matinee (it's pay-what-you-can).
Theatre Passe Muraille's Backspace (16 Ryerson Avenue) 7:30PM $20 general, $12 student/senior

MUSIC | Odd Future's Syd Tha Kid Live
Syd Tha Kid, the lone female figure of Odd Future, headlines her own show at Cheval tonight. The 20-year-old whiz kid beatmaker will rap and DJ the evening with kungfucandy opening. Tickets are available at the door, with prices jumping to $20 after 11PM. Syd will hit the stage at 12:30AM. This is a 19+ event.
Cheval (606 King Street West) 10PM $10-$20

PHOTOGRAPHY | New Development: A Photography Show
As young photographers develop and grow, Creatures Creating unites them for the love of art. Opening tonight, New Development may sound like a boy band but it's really all about the young boys of photography (and two girls) showcasing their talent and love of creativity. Works by Tom Ridout, Matthew Volpe, and Danika Zandboer will be on display at tonight's reception and will remain as part of the exhibit until January 16th.
Creatures Creating (822 Dundas Street West) 7PM Free

ART | Clint Neufeld
Osler native Clint Neufeld uses the tools of Saskatchewan trade to create sculptures that are deeply personal. His ceramic, porcelain and wax pieces are combined with tools like engines, excavating buckets, and other mechanical devices to approach
topics like identity, gender politics, and aesthetics in Pipe Dreams of Madame Récamier. Tonight's opening reception will see the artist in attendance at his first solo Toronto show; an artist talk will take place on Sunday at 4PM at General Hardware Contemporary.
Koffler Gallery Off-Site at General Hardware Contemporary (1520 Queen Street West) 6PM Free

OTHER EVENTS ON OUR RADAR:

Method Man at Sound Academy
Spore: Fictions of Biology

Photo courtesy of The Rural Alberta Advantage

Morning Brew: Ontario teacher walkout looms, casino meeting favors "no," sending messages to space, ferries could get ad wraps, and Leafs want better with Nonis

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toronto st patrickHigh school teachers planning to strike over controversial Bill 115 tomorrow could be fined more than a thousand dollars each, according to the Toronto Star. If the strike goes ahead, more than 400,000 students will be forced to stay home from school, an outcome Premier Dalton McGuinty is hoping to avoid by going to the Ontario Labour Relations Board today. The union believes the action is allowed under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Judging from the crowd at City Hall last night, the public isn't willing to gamble on casinos. The first of five public consultation sessions on the subject ended with momentum firmly in the "no" camp. A splinter group broke from the official event shortly after the start to discuss ways of keeping a major gambling facility out of the downtown core.

Speaking of consultations, Metrolinx is gearing up for its own series of public meetings on how best to fund the next phase of Big Move transit projects for the province. There's currently a shortfall of several billion dollars that needs to be plugged. The first meeting is in Oakville on Jan. 15 at the Halton Regional Headquarters between 6-8pm.

Commander Chris Hadfield has been snapping pictures of the Earth from his position aboard the International Space Station, including a few of a snowy GTA and Lake Ontario region. Now, there's a plan to signal the astronaut next time he passes by. CBC Metro Morning's Matt Galloway floated the idea of a mass wave, possibly using lights, yesterday.

Toronto's ferry fleet could be wrapped in gigantic advertising banners to help raise much-needed operating funds. Back in 1999, Heritage Toronto killed plans to cover the Sam McBride in bright green Kool-Aid wrap for a summer after several councillors raised concerns the move could hurt the city's image. More than a decade later, is this a good way to raise revenue?

Finally, the Toronto Maple Leafs are hoping for a fresh start under new GM Dave Nonis. The team's owners fired Brian Burke as president and general manager yesterday afternoon but decided to keep coach Randy Carlyle. Surely Stanley Cup number 14 is just a few slapshots away...

IN BRIEF:

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

Photo: "365 - 322" by yedman from the blogTO Flickr pool.

This Week in Film: Amour, Zero Dark Thirty, The Ambassador, and Jean-Louis Trintignant & Emmanuelle Riva

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

NEW RELEASES

Amour (TIFF Bell Lightbox)

Michael Haneke's latest, Palme d'Or-winning film is about as hyped up as a French-language film about old people dying can get. And there's good reason, as it's one of the most soul-crushing movies to come around since Leo McCarey made stones cry with Make Way for Tomorrow in 1937. That film was also about the tragedy of losing your loved one in old age, but - tonally speaking - it's practically a slapstick farce in comparison to Haneke's rigid and precise meditation. Known for his finger-wagging scolds, the Austrian master has been roundly praised for getting in touch with his tender side here; I wouldn't go that far, but do pack some kleenex before you're out the door.

Zero Dark Thirty (Varsity, Cineplex Yonge & Dundas)

Kathryn Bigelow finally out-muscled her ex James Cameron when her film The Hurt Locker KO'd Avatar in their Best Picture Oscar face-off three years ago, but that hasn't stopped her from once again making one of the most macho films of the year. Not that Zero Dark Thirty is some action blockbuster 'splosions extravaganza, but the gal has a knack for crafting some of the toughest and most realistic war films ever made - with ideas to boot. This picture may depict the real-life hunt and annihilation of Osama Bin Laden, but what it's really about is what Zodiac was also really about: an obsessive, counter-productive pursuit for closure. Oh, and there's also about ten minutes of waterboarding in it SO DON'T SAY WE DIDN'T WARN YOU.

The Ambassador (Bloor Hot Docs Cinema)

When it comes to stunt documentaries, I think it'd be best to adhere to a rule which dictates that the director and the 'protagonist' can't be the same person. Morgan Spurlock and Michael Moore have thoroughly demonstrated that an interesting topic and landing on the correct side of a debate don't necessarily yield a successful film if you're going to badger your witnesses and/or wink at the camera every four minutes.

Mads Brügger is an exception in some sense, as his new film The Ambassador features him neither winking nor badgering, yet he nevertheless proves the rule sheerly on account of the fact he's still improbably annoying in every minute of this. Posturing as a Liberian diplomat, what he uncovers on camera is incendiary enough, but not even his vague vocal likeness to Werner Herzog is able to redeem him from supreme unlikability.

Also opening in theatres this week:

  • Gangster Squad (Carlton, Rainbow Market Sq., Scotiabank)
  • A Dark Truth (Cineplex Yonge & Dundas)
  • The House I Live in (Bloor Hot Docs Cinema)
  • Matru Ki Bijli Ka Mandola (Cineplex Yonge & Dundas)
  • The Patron Saints (The Royal)
  • Saadi Love Story (Cineplex Yonge & Dundas)

REP CINEMA

A Man and a Woman: Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva (January 11 - February 24; TIFF Bell Lightbox)

After you see their brilliant performances as dust bunnies in Amour, TIFF invites you to spend the next month and half watching Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva basking in the prime of their lives with a tour de force French cinema retrospective. With one of the richest résumés in cinema history, Trintignant worked with everyone from Claude Lelouch to Costa-Gavras (not to mention Rohmer, Bertolucci, and Truffaut).

Riva, on the other hand, has an almost Malickian vacancy in her filmography, starring in zero films between 1967 and 1993 despite her landmark, star-making roles in major films by Alain Resnais, Georges Franju, and Louis Malle; only something as monolithic as Kieślowski's Blue could bring her back to us. Like Summer in France all over again, this is just the kind of warm blanket I needed to get me through this (admittedly mild) winter.

This week's A Man and a Woman screenings:

Also in rep cinema this week:

Lead still from Amour.

New in Toronto real estate: Union Lofts

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union lofts torontoUnion Lofts is the former Perth Avenue Methodist Church turned residential; because youngins don't go to church anymore, and other modern tragedies. Situated at the corner of Perth and Wallace avenues and dating back to 1913, this George Miller-designed structure will maintain its exterior facade (save for a few stained glass windows) and welcome an adjacent "Vestry annex" with room for an additional 14 suites. Atheists (with a $5,000 deposit) welcome. Here's a closer look at Union Lofts.

SPECS

Address:243 Perth Avenue

Exterior: Church & Vestry building

Total number of units: 40 (26 in the church, 14 in the vestry)

Types of units: One bedroom, one bedroom + den, two bedroom, two bedroom + den

Unit sizes (in square feet): 552 - 1,202

Ceiling heights: 9'

Prices from: $249,900

Parking: $25,000 (For select suites)

Locker: $2,500

Maintenance fees: $0.54

Developer:Windmill Development, One Development

Architect:Caricari Lee Architects

Interior Design:Andrea Kantleberg

Expected occupancy: November 2014

union lofts torontoTHE GOOD

I imagine downloading naughty material whilst inebriated and cursing is just that much more enjoyable from inside a church, for those who like their dwelling spaces to come with a healthy helping of irony. The condo-by-way-of-church is, apparently, the latest "it" loft du jour, with similar projects slated for Leslieville and over just east on Dufferin. And like both other projects, Union has been designed with maximum tenancy (read: monies) in mind, with adjacent "new" buildings to house additional condo units. But Union is unique in that its supplementary structure isn't a glass-clad fright (I'm looking at you, St. Clements), and has actually been designed to complement the aesthetic of the church, rather than starkly juxtapose. Granted, the "Vestry" doesn't exactly carry the same charm as the shell of the former Perth Avenue Methodist Church, but it doesn't present with ostentatious modernity à la ROM Crystal (no, not over it yet) and other Toronto attempts at heritage restoration.

Back to Union; it's not just the outside that presents impressively well. These suites, on the whole, are smartly laid out, with kitchen islands standard in each unit and upgraded gas cook tops. Where applicable (i.e. larger, two-storey units) stairs are out of the way as to not impede the flow of floor space, and walk-in closets and semi-ensuite bathrooms have been integrated wherever appropriate. Consider the specs of one of the mid-range Union units: currently priced at about $400,000, this 741-square foot unit in the church structure is a two-storey, one-bedroom unit characterized by a lower-level terrace and upper-level balcony (totaling 212 s.f.), one upstairs bathroom, his and her closets, and defined kitchen and living spaces. Perfect for a couple, and totally reasonable at about $540 per square foot. And no, I am not on the Windmill Development payroll (but would welcome a bonus cheque).

There are a few exceptions, of course (such as the one-bedroom with the window-less bedroom and Juliette balcony), but Union's layouts certainly impress.

union lofts torontoTHE BAD

The suites are one thing, the area is another, and the two are sort of hard to reconcile. That's not to say that there's anything wrong with Perth and Wallace — quite the contrary, actually, what with its heavy presence of families and a school just down the street. But it leads me to wonder; who is going to buy Union's 852 square foot one bedroom unit, with its ideal-for-entertaining 1,102 square foot terrace and direct elevator access? A King West bachelor hotshot? A Financial District power couple? Will they really abandon the wine bars of the downtown west for the Graco Quattro Tours of Perth Avenue? The incongruence is not necessarily a Union Lofts drawback overall, mind you, but it is a point to consider.

What might be an actual drawback, however, is proximity to train tracks. Ask a longtime Junction Triangle resident and they'll tell you the noise becomes background, but a sound-sensitive new resident might find the distraction intolerable. Especially if and when another project akin to the Diamond Grade Separation pops up. And while there are a few nearbygems to sweeten the potentially noisy deal, this area (especially Dupont to the north) is long overdue for a restaurant and bar reinvigoration. There are only so many broken bread sandwiches one can eat without feeling as though they've exhausted neighbourhood options. Maybe by the time November 2014 rolls around?

union lofts torontoTHE VERDICT

Gotta say, I like it. (And if anyone from Windmill has that cheque ready, I'll send you my mailing address.)

What do you think? Would you live here? Add your comments to the thread below.

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

This Is War shines critical light on the Canadian military

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this is war theatre torontoRarely are the stakes as high as they are in conflict zones like Afghanistan and Iraq, where a wrong move under siege could mean life or death. Hannah Moscovitch's This Is War certainly drives that point home and then some. Not simply a play ripped from the headlines, the playwright explores the pressures of the war zone through a consideration of gender, sex, and trauma on the base.

The scene is set with an investigation underway over an incident involving Canadian forces in Panjwaii, Afghanistan. Through the questioning of an offstage interviewer that prompts scenes from the front lines, we learn from those involved how it all went down. Shouldering responsibilities for the actions of that day are Master Corporal Tanya Young (Lisa Berry), a lone female soldier among her male counterparts, Jonny Henderson (Ian Lake), a young private fresh into battle, and Captain Stephen Hughes (Ari Cohen), who is the head of the operation.

The scenes that play out after questioning almost always contradict given answers. Those complicit in the events, we learn, lie about their actions in order to save face. The effect serves Moscovitch well. There are a lot of puzzle pieces revealed the deeper we delve. The dialogue is often raw and aggressive, and many of the misogynist taunts and gruesome descriptions of death seem to hang in the air.

The playwright has made an effort to dig deep into the environment of the Panjwaii base, imagining how our human concerns (such as desires for sex, alcohol, and power) play out amidst isolation and artillery. Sex is the tipping point that brings trauma to the surface, and it proves to be a unique lens through which to consider the pressures of war.

The three perspectives, while mostly compelling, are unevenly balanced. It's refreshing to see monologues replaced with an alternative format--maybe a journalist or an investigator asking the questions--but the third and final retelling is shorter and brings us only one revelation. As well, the fourth character, a gay medic named Anders (Sergio Di Zio), feels a bit out of place as a lone witness standing idly by.

Director Richard Rose transitions between interviews and scenes of battle well, although the final testimony from Anders seems an odd footnote. Rose has worked with designers Camellia Koo and Thomas Ryder Payne to charge the space. Koo envelops the action in camouflage netting that transforms the Tarragon's Extra Space into a desert-like hovel, no doubt creating lighting challenges for Rebecca Picherack. Meanwhile, Payne's composition crackles and pops with the sounds of war.

Of the three, Lake finds the most layers in Jonny's youthful fragility and PTSD ticks. He's the most fleshed out of the characters by far. Cohen also finds some moments as the tough Captain, with the story about his daughter Bella chief among them. Berry's staccato Master Corporal is the one we know the least about, and it's a missed opportunity to help anchor her role among the men on the Canadian base.

There are a few missing pieces and some structural challenges still to overcome, but Moscovitch manages to bring some compelling human elements out from under the rubble.

This is War, written by Hannah Moscovitch and directed by Richard Rose, runs at the Tarragon Theatre until February 3.

Photo from This Is War

Twitter roars over Rogers Internet outage in Toronto

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Rogers Internet DownLast night wasn't a good night for Rogers home and cellular customers: a major outage affecting much of Southern Ontario and possibly parts of New Brunswick cut home and mobile Internet services to cellphones and computers. In the age of ubiquitous connectivity, that's a big problem.

This morning, the company confirmed it had restored service to its customers but not before hoards of disgruntled Twitter users had a chance to unleash their collective fury on the microblogging site (presumably after finding another way of getting online.) No reason was given for the prolonged issues.

Much of the rage stemmed from the lack of information from the company, possibly because it was having problems getting online itself. Messages on Twitter and Facebook explaining that customers should stop dialing its tech support lines were unlikely to have been seen by those endlessly rebooting their computers in search of a solution.

Here's the best of the #rogers and #rogersfail hashtags from what remained of the Internet last night.

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


Kensington Market is now even more kick-ass

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Krudar Muay ThaiThe influx of new businesses in Kensington Market continues unabated. One of the latest entrants moved from previous digs in Chinatown and are now offering muay thai and other fitness classes in a sparkling new two-storey space.

Read my review of thew new Krudar Muay Thai in the fitness section.

The Best New Bars in Toronto, 2012

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best Bars torontoThe best new bars in Toronto in 2012 marked a continuation of Dundas West's seemingly unstoppable boom, with a disproportionate number of top bars cropping up in the area. 2012 was also the year of the craft beer bar, and saw the opening of a slew of establishments that touted local microbrews on tap.

Several popular bars also brought off-shoot (or drastically different) projects to other areas of the city. From casual, sit-down spots for drinks and the odd antipasto platter after work, to easy-on-the-wallet pints, to full-fledged dance floors, Toronto's diverse tastes continue to promise that we'll find something to quench our thirst around every corner.

Here is the list of the best new bars in Toronto in 2012.

See also:

The best new bars in Toronto, 2011
The best new bars in Toronto, 2010

GO twilight on the Railway Lands

Morning Brew: Budget committee approves $9.4 billion spending plan, teacher's strike is unlawful, Gardiner by numbers, Jack Layton Way, and an Ikea monkey game

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toronto food standToronto's budget committee has approved an $9.4 billion operating budget for 2013 that includes money for new firefighters, paramedics, and curbside leaf collection in Etobicoke and Scarborough. The team also approved $6 million of arts funding using cash from the city's billboard tax coffers. "We're working as a team today," Rob Ford told reporters. The spending plan still needs to be approved by council. Are you in favour of the budget councillor Josh Colle is calling "a really positive step"?

There's confusion this morning as parents with school-age kids try to decide whether to send them to school. The Ontario Labour Relations Board ruled a planned walkout by elementary school teachers is illegal around 4 am this morning, causing some schools to reverse decisions to stay closed. Most bus services, however, remain cancelled.

The Grid has a useful primer on the protracted saga of the Gardiner Expressway that details the amount of cash spent keeping the elevated roadway standing and the various replacement methods pitched and tossed over the years. So far the city has spent more than $313 million on the highway, excluding a whopping $505 million in repairs needed to overcome the problem of falling concrete being kicked around city hall. How best can we solve this issue?

A street in the new Bridgepoint Health complex could be named for late NDP leader Jack Layton. If city council approves, a portion of what is now the Don Jail Roadway would be renamed Jack Layton Way in honour of the former city councillor who died of cancer in 2011.

A hot dog stand at the Air Canada Centre has become an odd victim of the change in leadership at the Maple Leafs. Burkie's Dog House is now, simply, The Dog House following arrival of new GM Dave Nonis. Should MLSE rename the high-end wiener stand for another member of the team?

If, when you heard about Ikea Monkey, you wondered what it would like to run through a furniture store parking lot in nothing but a shearling coat and a diaper, read on. A team of animation students at Seneca College have put together a Frogger-meets-Mario Bros. platform game that allows players to take an excursion as Toronto's most famous primate, with the addition of poo. Enjoy.

QUICK LINKS:

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

Photo: "Open All Night" by cookedphotos from the blogTO Flickr pool.

The photos of the week: January 11-18

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

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

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

Lead photo by Jack Nobre.

2.
Railway TorontoPhoto by Ben Roffelsen

3.
Ben GoldPhoto by Constance Chan

4.
Gardiner ExpresswayPhoto by SnapHappyExpat

5.
Toronto WaterfrontPhoto by DdotG

6.
East End TorontoPhoto by Stephanie Fysh.

7.
Subway tunnel torontoPhoto by Proletar1at.


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