Toronto events on January 31, 2013

ART | Andy Kittmer: Bad Blood
Tattoo and skate inspired images by St. Mary's artist Andy Kittmer travels to Toronto to open Bad Blood at #Hashtag Gallery. Examining stigmas against those with unconventional beliefs, looks, opinions and those suffering addictions and mental illness, this showcase delves into the uncomfortable, the powerful, the emotional and the bad through bright colour and intricate details. The opening reception takes place tonight; the show runs until February 17th.
#Hashtag Gallery (801 Dundas Street West) 7PM Free

DIGITAL MEDIA | Euphoria & Dystopia: Book Launch, Symposium and Student Workshop
The digital concerns of the '90s are explored in OCAD University's Euphoria & Dystopia symposium, which begins tonight with a book launch and keynote address. The book focuses on the work of the Banff New Media Institute in the '90s, when it was ahead of the digital game, predicting technological, cultural, industrial and social trends in media. Preceding the book launch and reception will be a keynote presentation by the book's editors Sarah Cook and Dr. Sara Diamond, who is also OCAD's current President, as well as the former director of the BNMI, Susan Kennard. The event is free for all but requires registration.
OCAD University (100 McCaul Street) 6PM Free

POLITICS | Casino in Downtown Toronto? WTF?
Toronto pundits gather at the Tranzac to discuss the values and pitfalls of a downtown casino. These knowledgeable leaders will explain a lot of what the general public might be missing out on--including alternative options that are still available--while discussing the rationale and issues that come along with building a casino in the city. Urban planner Ken Greenberg, city councilor Adam Vaughan and Unite Here President Lis Pimentel make up the panel that will lead the discussion before groups will breakout into smaller discussions. Registration required through topoli02.eventbrite.com.
Tranzac Club (292 Brunswick Avenue) 6PM Free

ART | Keita Morimoto: Into the Wild
OCAD graduate Keita Morimoto opens her first solo show, Into the Wild, at The Gladstone Hotel 3rd floor gallery this evening with a series of 20 paintings that place an emphasis on wide, deer-like eyes on human faces. In portraits that could be mistaken for enhanced photographs, Morimoto's talent for creating life-like subjects is reminiscent of the works of Evan Penny, if Penny had a flattened canvas. A sweetly mesmerizing exhibit, Morimoto's talent is something that needs to be seen with your own eyes to believe. The opening reception is free and the works will remain displayed until March 3rd.
The Gladstone Hotel (1214 Queen Street West) 7PM Free

MUSIC | Arrington De Dionyso + Rebecca Fin (Sook-Yin Lee, Val Uher, Brandon Valdivia) + Odradek
Double Double Land gets a triple hit of local music tonight with three strong performances by upcoming bands and some recognizable faces. Arrington De Dionyso, an upcoming sax and clarinet musician whose music sounds like electronic manipulations, plays alongside multi-instrumentalist Andrew Timar before Rebecca Fin hits the stage with her band (which consists of notable names like Sook-Yin Lee, Val Uher and, Brandon Valdivia). Avant-garde instrumentalists Odradek will also be around to get playful with some new compositions while Arrington De Dionyso auctions off some artwork from Tuesday's 24-hour drawing performance. Doors are down the back alley of 209 Augusta and they open at 9PM.
Double Double Land (209 Augusta Avenue) 9PM $8

ALSO OF NOTE:

• Lisa Michelle Live at The Gladstone Hotel

MORE EVENTS THIS WEEK

For more Toronto event suggestions, check out these posts:

• This week in food
• This week in film
• This week in fashion
• This week in theatre
• This week in comedy
• Hot Ticket

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

Photo by asianz in the blogTO Flickr pool

Rob Ford says he's pleased the TTC's decision to award a contract extension to its newsstand supplier without seeking competitive bids is being reviewed by a third party. Ford told reporters in a rare unplanned press conference that he's "glad they've seen the light" as TTC chair Karen Stintz, who had publicly supported the deal, watched on.

The impromptu press chat was unusual because it was called inside the mayor's office, an area usually off-limits to the press. As if to illustrate the simmering tensions between the pair, Stintz's presence at the event was questioned by a Ford staffer. During the brief question period Ford claimed he had tried to reach out to the TTC chair about the controversial contract but been unable to get through. Stintz claimed a similar experience. Is this hostility troubling?

Speaking of the TTC, the Commission is hiring new bus, streetcar, and subway operators. Experience with large vehicles is an asset.

Three former mayors of Toronto have written an open letter to Rob Ford and members of council urging against a casino within the city limits. David Crombie, John Sewell and Art Eggleton, say "beware the sales pitch. The numbers don't always add up." Casino companies have been presenting their visions for a major gambling facility since late last year. Do you think Rob Ford will take the advice of his predecessors seriously?

The annual "coldest day of the year" bike ride - held every Jan. 30 - was decidedly lukewarm affair. This part of the winter is statistically sees the coldest temperatures but yesterday peaked at 14 C, the warmest end-of-January day on record. Organizer Jared Kolb told The Star's Katie Daubs the warm weather was "kind of a downer."

The TTC is now accepting debit and credit cards at all of its stations for Metropass purchases. Hooray! Plastic was previously only accepted for annual passes.

Mayoral possibility Olivia Chow says Canada needs a national transit policy if Toronto is to maintain the Gardiner and build the transit it so badly needs. Chow will outline her ideas in a speech at York University tonight.

Finally, A Revenue Canada employee has been fired after The Star ran a story on his video game creation, "I Get This Call Every Day," which is based on his experiences working for the agency. David S. Gallant from Brampton is taking the dismissal as a chance to work on his game career.

IN BRIEF:

• TTC loan fraud: Charges mount as numerous victims come forward [Metro]
• Axe murderer appeals, denies killing long-time boyfriend to be with lesbian lover [National Post]
• Ikea monkey lawsuit: Darwin's former owner returns to court [The Star]
• Sinkholes on East York street cut off water access for residents [The Star]

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

Photo: "O'Connor Bowl" by Dominic Bugatto/blogTO Flickr pool.

A familiar name to mate-enthusiasts on Queen St., this second incarnation cafe has opened with an entirely new concept: yerba mate, motorcycle gear, and vintage relics. And if you find those components just a bit hard to reconcile — well, that's entirely the point. Call it mate meets motorcycle.

Read my profile of El Almacen (Dupont) in the cafes section.

Love bacon? You're not alone, and you'll be happy to hear of a new, little company with an emphasis on locally and ethically raised, grain-fed bacon and pork products. This Little Pig strives to create "showpiece" bacon--the pigs are raised on local family farms in Perth County and St. Jacobs, Ontario, and then naturally dry-cured and hardwood smoked in Stratford.

The idea here is that humane conditions lead to "a richer flavour profile," while the artisanal-level preparation yield none of that nauseating oily runoff in the pan, and very little shrinkage. Not convinced? The bacon comes in such mouthwatering flavours as double smoked, apple cinnamon, black pepper, and Montreal smoke--elevating the hangover shame-eating staple to great new heights of both taste and relative environmental responsibility. They're also expanding into other products such as pork chops.

The product aside, check out their website for a lesson in sensitively avoiding any allusion to the animal itself (except for adorable piglets in the video above), with my personal favourite tagline being "happy, clean, and healthy bacon" (emphasis mine, for obvious reasons).

This Little Pig is available in a growing roster of fine groceries, including Hogtown Cure, Fiesta Farms, Stasis, and Hooked.

This 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

West of Memphis (Cineplex Yonge & Dundas)

Now that the West Memphis Three have been released from prison (spoiler!), it seems like everyone is making a movie about them. Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky serendipitously closed out their seven-hour Paradise Lost Trilogy right as their charges were being dropped, Atom Egoyan is dramatizing it with Devil's Knot, and just last January this one by Amy Berg showed up in Sundance. For those unacquainted with the specifics of the trial, its history, or Berlinger and Sinofsky's landmark doc trio, West of Memphis is a riveting and infuriating exposition of the manipulation and prejudice that took away almost two decades from these men's lives. While more a summary than art, this threatens to become the defining portrait of this case, if only for its all-encompassing, compact, and more conventional packaging.

Also opening in theatres this week:

• Bullet to the Head (Scotiabank)
• The Last White Knight (Bloor Hot Docs Cinema)
• Stand Up Guys (Carlton; Cineplex Yonge & Dundas)
• Warm Bodies (Rainbow Market Sq.; Cineplex Yonge & Dundas)

REP CINEMA

L.A. Rebellion: Creating a New Black Cinema (January 31 - February 19; TIFF Bell Lightbox)

It's February, which means it's again that time of year when TIFF brings us some brilliant, criminally under-appreciated cinema made by black filmmakers--of which there are far too few, even today, and even less than there are women directors, if you can imagine. This year we get a mini-retrospective on Charles Burnett's early career, which includes one of the best debut films of all time in Killer of Sheep, as well as seminal work from Julie Dash, Larry Clark (not that one), Billy Woodberry, Zeinabu Irene Davis, and short films by many others. Everything here is worthwhile, but I cannot stress enough the work of Charles Burnett, and that most definitely includes the Woodberry film he wrote, Bless Their Little Hearts, which is about as good as '80s cinema gets.

This week's L.A. Rebellion screenings:

• Daughters of the Dust w/ The Diary of an African Nun (Thursday, January 31 at)
• Cameron Bailey on Killer of Sheep (Saturday, February 2 at )
• Bush Mama w/ Daydream Therapy (Saturday, February 2 at )
• My Brother's Wedding w/ A Little Off Mark (Tuesday, February 5 at 9:15PM)
• Bless Their Little Hearts w/ The Pocketbook (Thursday, February 7 at 9PM)

More rep cinema screenings this week:

• Three Colors: Blue (Friday, February 1 at 6:30PM; TIFF Bell Lightbox)
• American Psycho (Friday, February 1 at 7PM; Innis Town Hall)
• Tokyo Story (Saturday, February 2 at 7PM; TIFF Bell Lightbox)
• Retaliation (Saturday, February 2 at 10PM; TIFF Bell Lightbox)
• Floating Clouds (Sunday, February 3 at 2PM; TIFF Bell Lightbox)
• Thérèse Desqueyroux (Sunday, February 3 at 5PM; TIFF Bell Lightbox)
• Confidentially Yours (Sunday, February 3 at 7:30PM; TIFF Bell Lightbox)
• Marnie (Tuesday, February 5 at 6:15PM; TIFF Bell Lightbox)
• Les Biches [AKA The Girlfriends] (Thursday, February 7 at 6:30PM; TIFF Bell Lightbox)

SPECIAL SCREENINGS

Amici Chamber Ensemble: Silent Film & Music (Sunday, February 3 at 3PM; TIFF Bell Lightbox)
Can I just say how happy I am that TIFF is screening silent cinema again? A couple of years ago, their grand piano disappeared from its station in Cinema 3, and along with it any and all pre-1930s films from their programming. After a change of heart, perhaps motivated by one or two angry emails, the piano is back, and so, too, the Silent era.

The piano, though, is only one of the instruments to be employed this Sunday by the Amici Chamber Ensemble as they accompany over an hour's-worth of short films by Buster Keaton, Man Ray, and Guy Maddin. Comprised of clarinetist Joaquin Valdepeñas, cellist David Hetherington, and pianist and composer Serouj Kradjian, this Juno Award-winning chamber ensemble will be performing original compositions for all three films.

FILM FESTIVALS

The Great Digital Film Festival (February 1-7; Scotiabank)
Last year, I had difficulty condoning a 'film' festival that presented a bunch of classics, which were all shot on celluloid, in Digital transfers. Calling it 'Great' seemed as oxymoronic as it would be to call a TV dinner 'Delectable.' And yet, here we are only a year later, and the prospect of projecting cinema classics from DCP hardly strikes a nerve; I'm alarmingly blasé about the whole thing, and might even check a few of them out myself.

After all, this week-long festival may have the most consistently solid film-by-film quality level among all of Toronto's festivals. You're practically guaranteed greatness no matter what you see. It's also dirt cheap to attend, with prices set at only $6 per film. If you don't want to wait for the Lightbox to screen some of these (hopefully) in 35mm, might as well check a few out - if only to get used to the idea.

Film still from West of Memphis

Sixty Colborne is a surprisingly stunted tower planned for King Street and Church. At just 25 storeys, you'd think this was midtown! Anyway, Sixty Colborne certainly can't compete with Aura, Ten York, or the Trump Tower in terms height (though it offers few breaks in price), but it does boast some boons to show that size doesn't necessarily matter. Right, ladies? Here's a closer look at Sixty Colborne.

SPECS

Address:60 Colborne Street

Floors: 25

Total number of units: 281

Types of units: Studio, one bedroom, one bedroom plus den, two bedroom

Unit sizes (in square feet): 440 - 1,422

Ceiling heights: 9'

Prices from: Low $300,000's

Parking: $45,000 (for select suites)

Locker: Waitlist

Maintenance fees: $0.57/sq ft

Developer:Freed Developments

Architect:architectsAlliance

Interior Design: Johnson Chou Inc.

Amenities: 24-hour concierge, fitness centre, pool, lounge, guest suite

Expected occupancy: Spring 2015

THE GOOD

Nuts to you, Ten York. Not every condo need climb dozens of storeys tall. Indeed, Sixty Colborne is a very palatable 25 floors, which is modest enough to not take over the architectural façade at King and Church. That said, this project (like all new development projects in Toronto) did come with its share of naysayers, though I'd say their attention is better spent on the 47-storey tower a few doors down. And while the aesthetics of this project will surely have armchair architects divided, it is refreshing to see something other than a sterile box glass tower. ("Hey look — orange!").

Now, if you ask Brad Lamb, Mirvish, et al., King West is undoubtedly where it's "at." After all, King West has, uh, nightclubs. And the TIFF Lightbox. And restaurants (for now). But if I had to pack up for either King end, I'd undoubtedly opt for east. Despite recent development, this stretch of King manages to retain a little visual and architectural interest (the nearby St. James Cathedral is just one example), with neighbourhood perks including the St. Lawrence Market, The Sony Centre, and plenty of shops and restaurants. The demographics, too, present as a little less homogenous, diverging more from the single/professional/urban profile that seems ubiquitous in the west end. Stereotypically speaking, of course. In short: good grab, Freed. You develop that former parking lot.

THE BAD

Sixty Colborne has some pretty wonky-looking layouts. There's the one-bedroom "L"-shaped unit with a bedroom cubby and kitchen corridor, step-in closets that seem fictitiously labeled as "walk-in," and the odd den cube that seems better suited to coats than a workstation. Granted, I suspect buyers will be allowed a certain degree of customization, but it does solicit a little head scratching upon first glance.

Units can be further improved upon, of course, if buyers spring for optional upgrades. Some those upgrades include partition walls, breakfast bars, and kitchen islands, all of which, naturally, come at a price. But considering that a studio unit in the tower can cost upwards of $730 per square foot or more (read: a pretty staggering price), I can see how buyers might be a little reluctant to fork over even more dough. And if you decide to treat yourself to a one-bedroom with a view? Uh, well, that's close to half a million dollars. But hey, that pool looks pretty nifty — worth it, right?

THE VERDICT

At these prices, I wouldn't opt for King Street — either end.

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

Specializing in Southern Italian cuisine, this new (and long-awaited) Parkdale restaurant doesn't disappoint with its creative menu, well-thought-out design and superlative flavours.

Read my review of Porzia in the restaurants section.

There's an updated version of the TTC's Toronto Rocket subway train circulating beneath the streets of the city this morning. In response to complaints about the lack of handles near the AC unit on the initial Rockets, Bombardier has added a new set of handles and several yellow plastic straps on one test train that the TTC will use to gauge customer response.

The door chimes have also been lowered in pitch and a speaker placed on the outside of the vehicle on the advice of the TTC's Advisory Committee on Accessible Transit, a group that directs the transit provider on issues relating to people with disabilities. The famous three-tone chime now plays at the same time as the automated "please stand clear of the doors" message. It's subtle, but it's there.

The TTC's Brad Ross says staff will travel with the tweaked train and gather feedback from riders but that there is currently no timetable for the rest of the fleet to receive the modifications. Frustrating issues with the Rocket's doors have been traced to a software problem and will be fixed separately. The precise cost of the retrofit, and whether the TTC or Bombardier foots the bill, has yet to be determined.

Do these changes make the Rocket a better ride? Have you caught this train? What did you think?

Courtesy of Reddit user laurenceYYZ, here's a video of the new door chime in operation:

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

Photo: Brad Ross/TTC

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

Who are they?

Jane Void, songwriter and singer, and beat maker/producer, Wayne Doe — two Toronto 20-somethings that came together when Void was seeking a new producer for her solo project. She thought Doe had a unique sound after they started working together, so they started to collaborate, and that's how they became Some Minor Noise.

They sound like...

There's an emerging trend that sees bands leaning towards moody, lo-fi sounds that conjure up images of cool kids wearing capes and doc martins, but nobody's dictating any fashion here. You might call them a grimey alt-rock band.

"If someone said that we're a modern version of 90s rock, then I think that my job here would be done," Void told me after a recent show at the Church of the Holy Trinity, where Some Minor Noise opened for Florida's XXYYXX. "We're modernizing the lo-fi sound by adding electronic elements to it. It's no longer shoegaze indie rock...it's electronic lo-fi fucking dance pop with a lot of moods and emotions," offers Doe.

What they think could change about Toronto's music scene...

"I think that rock music has moved into the electronic realm much more than before. Bands who are holding steadfast to the old ways of rock don't captivate young audiences...they have a really boxed in scene," Doe concludes. "There's people that dance, enthusiastic crowds...there's a shit tonne of music, but people don't want to play here because crowds just stand around," Void adds.

What kind of equipment do they use?

Their beats were written with the recording software Fruity Loops, but apparently it's a nightmare to use, so they do what any self-respecting electronic act would do and play through Ableton Live. The original tunes were made on a beat up laptop with no plug-ins, computer speakers and one gig of RAM. Sometimes it's the limitations that squeeze the creativity out of you.

Hear them / See them / What's next?

It's been an arduous process working on their upcoming LP. They were originally going to use the songs on their self-titled EP, but Doe has been on a bit of a writing spree. "He can't stop writing awesome new tracks," Void declares. "That's right, I'm a fucking machine. If you can't tell, that was sarcasm," Doe chides. It's actually not that easy. For every decent tune he writes, he tells me there are about nine others that don't make the cut. But an album is on the way. Watch out for it. In the meantime, check out their Facebook page for upcoming live dates and Bandcamp for their current songs.

Oxford Properties has released a new clutch of digital renderings showing its massive $3-billion casino proposal in significantly greater detail. Where as before the only visual clues the development company had provided showed the project as a whole from the air, these new images give a greater sense of what the company is planning for the Metro Toronto Convention Centre lands should it be allowed to build the sprawling live, work, and play facility.

Perhaps the most eye-catching image features a totally re-worked southeast corner of Front and John streets. In the place of the blocky MTCC, Oxford envisions a 175,000 sq. ft. gambling hall with a floating rooftop pool that looks like something vaguely similar to Chicago's famous Marina City towers, immortalized on the cover of alt-country band Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot album.

The other parts of the complex look decidedly less like the type of place one would gamble on blackjack or spend a night in front of a slot machine but are still no less visually striking. The angular glass residential and office towers located on the southwest corner of Front and Simcoe will be the tallest on the 11-acre site and will be split by a large podium and food court.

Yesterday, a group of former Toronto leaders delivered an open letter to mayor Rob Ford urging against building a casino in the city. David Crombie, John Sewell, and Art Eggleton warned that "the sales pitch" wouldn't match the reality of hosting a major gambling venue in the city. Ford said he "completely disagree[s]" with their advice.

Meanwhile today American gaming giant MGM and local real estate group Cadillac Fairview Corp. have announced they're joining forces to develop their own resort proposal for the CNE grounds. Rob Ford has previously said that he would prefer any development to take place on the city-owned Exhibition Place in order to reap the most cash.The company continues to tout a 5.5-acre park straddling the rail corridor to the south of the existing convention centre despite being told in October that it wouldn't own the "air rights" to the space over the tracks simply because it buys the surrounding properties, a snag that put the potentially deal-sweetening green space in question.

In terms of numbers, Oxford expects around 25,000 total daily visitors to the complex and, to cater for the extra traffic, is promising 2,000 parking spaces. Contrast that with the Eaton Centre, which sees 130,000 daily visitors and has a smaller 1,400-stall parking lot. It seems Oxford expects a spike in drivers on Front Street despite the site having good transit links.

To counter the potentially choking effect of 2,000 new vehicles vying for a parking spot on Front Street, a below-grade street is being worked into the plans that will be accessible from five access points surrounding the complex.

The result of extensive public consultations on the topic are due to be heard at city council in March.

No-one from Oxford Properties could be immediately reached for comment this afternoon.

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

Images: Oxford Properties.

Photo by martinho in the blogTO Flickr pool

Rob Ford (and the rest of us) may find out the results of an audit into his campaign finances today. If the document finds Ford broke the rules during his successful run for mayor in 2010 it will be down to the city's compliance audit team to decide whether to pursue non-criminal charges against the mayor. Down the road, if it's proved Ford breached the Municipal Elections Act in court, he could - yep, you guessed it - be removed from office.

Also in Ford, it turns out the mayor has been asking his staff to sign in to work since the summer. As Don Peat at the Toronto Sun says, Ford's policy for his thirteen-member team came into effect just weeks before the mayor was criticized for skipping out of an executive committee meeting to coach his high school football team. The sheet explains signing in will help Ford's executive assistant know "where staff may be during the business day."

So yeah, the Ikea monkey lady is still kicking around. Yasmin Nakhuda is fighting the Story Book Farm Primate Sanctuary in Sunderland for custody of the rhesus macaque that she says she was mislead into handing over. In court yesterday, Nakhuda's lawyer called a witness that could "speak macaque." A judge will rule on the case today.

Looks like someone expects the Ikea monkey to make a run for mayor when his court case is done, according to a sticker seen by Reddit user RaffyGiraffy.

Two Kensington Market stores closed due to severe rodent infestation will be allowed to re-open shortly. Wanda's Pie in the Sky and New Seaway Fish Market were closed by Toronto Public Health after a Reddit user posted a photograph of three rats busily chewing through a food package in full view of customers. The market received a conditional pass at its last inspection but had failed to prevent the infestation spreading.

You may remember during the last civic election that Rob Ford repeatedly cited the cost of watering the plants at city hall as a major cog in the so-called gravy train. Turns out, not so. The Grid's David Topping has dug up the dirt (sorry) on the real cost of keeping City Hall verdant.

GO transit riders will be a little lighter in the pocket this morning. A new year fare increase of between 35 and 55 cents came into effect today, though the rise will be lower for Presto users.

Finally, today is your last chance to snap up Robocop movie memorabilia at Pinewood Studios. A team of movie industry workers who didn't want to see the props from the recent Toronto-shot remake end up in a landfill are selling the items off at 225 Commissioners Street today. A second Total Recall event will take place on Feb. 13 to 15. Cash only.

IN BRIEF:

• Packed funeral grieves slain 15-year-old teen Tyson Bailey [The Star]
• Leafs overtake Capitals for 1st home win [CBC]

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

Photo: "Masts" by Empty Quarter/blogTO Flickr pool.

The 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 Jamie Hedworth

2.
Photo by martinho in the blogTO Flickr pool

3.
Photo by ronnie.yip in the blogTO Flickr pool

4.
Photo by jonathan.castellino in the blogTO Flickr pool

5.
Photo by -sina- in the blogTO Flickr pool

6.
Photo by cookedphotos in the blogTO Flickr pool

7.
Photo by ronnie.yip in the blogTO Flickr pool

Dupont Street is one of those chameleon city stretches that seems to morph at about every three blocks. There are some characteristics that might stand out to the occasional visitor — the seeming abundance of storage spaces, the one gas station that's always a cent or two cheaper than the rest, the surplus of brown buildings — but there actually is quite a vibrancy that might be missed by a quick commute. While the west end of Dupont has its churrasqueiras, the odd cafe, and plenty of sports bars, the eastern end is ever-expanding with brunch options, diner restaurants, and specialty shops.

Here are some places to check out on Dupont Street.

Cafe Con Leche (1571 Dupont)
One of the newest spots for espresso on Dupont and easily one of the favourites. Opened by the couple behind CocoLatte on St. Clair, this cafe is less lunch and crepes and more coffee and snacks, with ample room for WiFi surfing and cafe con leche (naturally) to go alongside. A friendly spot with a real "neighbour" feel.

Rose and Sons (178 Dupont)
In the former home of the beloved People's Foods, Rose and Sons is trying to ease the neighbourhood's wounds with matzo ball soup, club sandwiches, and chicken souvlaki for a little taste of the past. This spot is a little more refined than the former restaurant occupying the space, but it does offer old comforts in the form of classic bread pudding and bagel and lox.

El Almacen (1642 Dupont)
Part yerba mate cafe, part general store. Like the El Almacen on Queen, this spot offers deliciousness in the form of empanadas, homemade alfajores, espresso, and yerba mate, but they come alongside racks of printed tees and leather boots, as well as vintage furniture and memorabilia. This spot is more grab-and-go than sit and sip, but at least you can buy and take the bar stools home with you.

Leiria Bakery (1617 Dupont)
It's not particularly trendy or pretty, but Leiria Bakery certainly serves its purpose if you're looking for homestyle, nostalgic baked goods. Front and centre are Leiria's Portuguese custard tarts, but the bake shop also makes fresh breads, croissants, pastries, and sandwiches. Prices, especially on day-old items, are quite good here as well.

Hacher and Krain (256A Dupont)
Because what stretch of urban road would be complete without a place to pick up a Japanese cleaver? Hacher and Krain offers over 200 different knives in its tiny lower-level shop, with a special focus on Japanese, German, and French knives. Not for clumsy or accident-prone patrons.

Churrasqueira Arcuense (1595 Dupont)
A very casual spot for Portuguese chicken in the Junction Triangle. The restaurant itself doesn't really wow on first impression, but the chicken (which is, of course, the most important part) certainly does. Best to opt for take-out here, but since Churrasqueira Arcuense is open late every day of the week, hours will definitely accommodate evening cravings.

Thai Lime (1551 Dupont)
Yes, it's in a tired-looking strip mall, but Thai Lime really shouldn't be overlooked. Never mind the sleek and modern-looking interior design, Thai Lime offers some pretty tasty pad thai, spring rolls, and various types of curry, plus huge portions and incredible quick service. Score one for the strip mall.

Eduarda's BBQ (1507 Dupont)
Some love it and some, well, probably wouldn't be so kind. Granted, this churrasquiera isn't exactly upscale gourmet, but if you're looking for cheap, filling, and indulgent BBQ chicken (and aren't on any diet whatsoever), Eduarda's will surely suffice. And no one will look twice if you show up wearing sweatpants.

Farmhouse Tavern (1627 Dupont)
Just so long as you don't mind a giant moose head staring at you while you eat, Farmhouse Tavern is a choice spot on Dupont for a smoked oyster Caesar and fried duck egg brunch. This place goes beyond the standard bacon and eggs offerings with selections such as mushroom frittatas, smoked chicken crepes, and duck prosciutto. And while the menu does change from day to day, the moose stare remains a stagnant feature.

Boo Radley's (1482 Dupont)
For when you need a little pang of literary nostalgia. Or a beer — most likely a beer. Boo Radley's has a bit of that local watering hole-type feel, with great service, classic pub food, and a bartender that will probably remember your name the next time you visit. Wings and the Sunday roast are particular neighbourhood draws.

Picea 997 (9997 Dupont)
Neapolitan pizza for the Dovercourt village crowd. A much-anticipated area arrival in 2012, Picea 997 helps to ease the community's yearning for a classic, delicious margherita. Receptive to text-message ordering and complete customization, this pizzeria and bar also does a well-reputed pork ragu and classic lasagna.

Piri Piri (1444 Dupont)
This is Portuguese chicken with seating, table service, and 10z steaks sharing the menu. Piri Piri is a little pricer than some of the other Portuguese spots on Dupont, but it comes with a much more varied menu that includes options such as shrimp soup, grilled octopus, and cod. The piri piri sauce, naturally, is a customer favourite.

Sully's Boxing Gym (1024 Dupont)
You need some place to work off all of that barbecue chicken and custard tarts, right? Sully's Boxing Gym is a famous name worldwide, with notable alumni that include Muhammad Ali, George Chuvalo, and Fern Bull. Former Canadian Heavyweight Champion Tony Morrison helps to work would-be athletes (or just people who want to up their fitness) into shape, with plenty of programs for various ages and skill levels.

Pimlico (643 Dupont)
As you move further east along Dupont, you'll find this Canadian-centric design shop that's plush with colour and hand-blown glassware. Tahir Mahmood is a big name at Pimlico, along with Jennifer Grahams' ceramics and Timid glass and accessories.

Peaks and Rafters (585 Dupont)
Peaks and Rafters is a furniture shop for big and small, tackling huge interior design renovations as well as small refurbished or salvage projects. Peaks and Rafters will tackle any room in the house (or cottage) with a sister location out in in Port Carling.

Vinny's Panini (787 Dupont)
Yes, there really is a Vinny, but these paninis are based on his mom's recipes. While you might have to wait around for a bit for your sandwich to be prepared fresh to order, the veal cutlet panini and meatball sandwich are definitely worth a few extra minutes standing idle by the counter. Those who know call ahead to pick up their order about 20 minutes later.

Universal Grill (1071 Shaw)
Right at the corner of Shaw and Dupont, Universal Grill arguably makes one of the best plates of Huevos Rancheros in the city. This is a place with a no-fuss, diner-type approach to weekend brunch, with a menu of classic egg n' bacon options, and drip coffee that always outdoes its fancier espresso-based counterparts.

Body Harmonics (672 Dupont)
A pilates studio, a health clinic, and a training facility all in one. Voted among the best pilates studios in Toronto, Body Harmonics offers dozens of classes each week with everything from bootcamps to body sculpting, mat classes and post natal pilates. The Dupont studio also hosts welcome packages and one-on-one sessions throughout the week.

Marlene's Just Babies (631 Dupont)
Like Vinny at the panini shop, there really is a Marlene. And this Marlene knows a thing or two about babies and their gear. This shop stocks everything from strollers to car seats, toys, clothes, and more, with regular safety seminars hosted by Marlene Krybus herself. The staff here is usually incredibly friendly and knowledgeable, and prices are about on par with other baby shops in Toronto.

Faema (672 Dupont)
With a fantastic, expansive patio in the summertime and great cappuccinos throughout the year, Faema is an easy choice for a coffee on the eastern end of Dupont Street. The cafe caters to the lunch crowd with freshly made soups, pizzas, and sandwiches, but with a name like "Faema" Cafe, the espresso drinks are certainly the main attractions. Lots of room, too, to spread out and sip.

Stubbe Chocolate (653 Dupont)
This petite little chocolate shop has a remarkable ability to distract drivers and sidewalk pedestrians; blame it on those delicious-looking truffles and gift baskets in the window. This family-run shop offers handmade truffles, chocolates, pastries, tortes and more, with various classes and workshops available for those who want to try their hands at the chocolate-making process. Most just stick with eating, however.

Get to know more Toronto streets via our Toronto Streets Pinterest board.

This Week in Food rounds up the week's food news, restaurant openings and closings, chef movements and upcoming food events in Toronto. Find us here every Friday morning.

OPENINGS & CLOSINGS

• Bazara Asian Cusine has taken over the former home of Goed Eten at 188 Ossington Avenue and is serving up sushi and a pan-Asian menu.
• The Works Gourmet Burger Bistro has opened its newest Toronto franchise at 60 Wellington Street East in the former Pizza Pizza space at Church.
• 20-year-old mainstay, The Loose Moose (146 Front Street West) is newly reopened after renovations to the interior and a newly launched menu. This after-work watering hole also boasts 54 varieties of draught beer.
• Brazilian restaurant, Touro Churrascaria is set to open in March at 125 York Boulevard, north of Highway 7. The Richmond Hill steakhouse will offer up to 16 kinds of meat plus a salad and side bar.
• The Happy Hooker is soon to open its doors at 887 Dundas Street West (at Palmerston). The casual eatery plans to offer cheap eats like fish sandwiches and tacos.
• The Burger's Priest is slated to open its third outpost on Queen Street West at Spadina in mid-May.
• There'll be a new garage on Church St. in the next few months--Church Street Garage, that is. It'll be opening up in the old Big Johnson's space, and no, they're not affiliated with the Garage Sandwich Company.

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Culinary Battle; Lazio v. Puglia takes place at Terroni (57 Adelaide Street East) tonight, Friday, February 1st. Presented by L'Altra Italia, the menus from Executive Chefs, Giovanna Alonzi and Fabio Moro will showcase the food, wine and culture of both regions. Tickets are $85 (members) or $100 (non-members)
• BarVolo (587 Yonge Street) hosts A Night With Amsterdam & Friends this Saturday, February 2nd from 3pm to 2am. Admission is $10 and promises 'Dam good beer and nibbles from Hogtown Charcuterie.
• The 5th Annual Totally Fabulous Vegan Bake-Off kicks off at 2pm on Saturday, February 2nd at the Miles Nadal JCC (750 Spadina Avenue). Tickets are $8 each and guarantees admission and two sample plates of treats to taste and vote on.
• Also on Saturday, February 2nd, the Toronto Tea Festival is taking place at the Toronto Reference Library (789 Yonge Street) with a full day of tea-themed programming starting at 10:30 am. Tickets will be available at the door on a limited basis for $15.
• Seats are still available for the Rusholme Park Supper Club's Small Luxuries hosted by Emily Zimmerman at The Depanneur (1033 College Street) on Saturday, February 9th. This four-course vegan dinner draws inspiration from the tradition of the Tu B'Shavat seder which often features dried fruit and nuts.

OTHER NEWS

New York Subway has been re-named to New York Subs & Burritos, although there's been no change in the menu--doesn't quite have the same ring, though.

Photo from our review of the Federal

For all its differences, the Toronto of 1931 had a very relatable problem: traffic. Parked cars on major crosstown routes blocked streetcars and forced moving vehicles to share a lane with public transit. At the time, cars park on King, Richmond, Yonge, and other major routes without fear of a ticket.

New mayor William Stewart, who had arrived in office earlier in the year, changed all that by pushing a new parking by-law through council, banning or restricting parking on key routes through the city. During rush hour, curbside waiting was halted entirely in an attempt to keep streetcars and private autos moving. Speaking on April 27, 1931, days before the rules came into effect, Steward declared:

"The parking situation is particularly unsatisfactory. Too many of us have come to regard street parking, not as a privilege, which it is, but rather as a statutory right, which, decidedly, it is not."

In the days after the ban, as photographs attest, the weight of traffic on the most congested routes access roads to the downtown core was dramatically reduced. In a radio address, mayor Steward said the by-law would "assist our people to operate their vehicles in their own interests, in the interests of their fellow citizens, and for the good of the city."

Though it clearly was effective at unclogging Toronto's busiest streets, shopkeepers and business owners cried foul, claiming the city had inadvertently stymied trading. Pedestrians were not immune from regulation; traffic officers handed tickets to "jaywalkers" who crossed mid-block. Despite some confusion on May 1, the first day of the new rules, the Toronto Star "successful, even beyond the hopes of those concerned."

Interestingly, private parking lot owners who fiendishly inflated their prices in anticipation of a spike in demand found many drivers simply left their cars at home and hopped on the streetcar.

Many of these rules are still in effect on parts of King and Yonge, but is it time the city did something about the parking situation on Queen and other roads? Could restricting parking there improve streetcar service in peak periods or would that have a negative effect on local business?

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

Images: Toronto Star.

Last Tuesday New Orleans bounce superstar Big Freedia— "The Queen Diva" — elevated a Lee's Palace audience to a fantastic plane where butt shaking became as natural as buying a loaf of bread. I'm honestly hard pressed to remember a single song but that wasn't really the point. The point was to have fun, and I certainly had fun as everyone else seemed to. All of this is due to Big Freedia's superhuman ability to inspire butt shaking via the use of butt shaking music, lyrics about shaking butts, asking audience members to shake their butts on stage and, of course, two butt shaking backup dancers.

It felt like the venue was packed, though to be fair I stopped paying attention to the crowd behind me after the show began. My eyes were squarely focused on what was in front of me. And not just because of the butts (but mostly because of the butts). I wasn't just watching the show; I was participating in it as well. I was in congress with the performers, as were my fellow concert goers, feeding it with our enthusiasm for a large emotional return.

"Booty booty booty booty booty," Big Freedia would cry.

"Booty booty booty booty booty," the crowd would gleefully return.

And all the while Big Freedia's full-time butt shakers would be shaking their butts. They would shake their butts low, they would shake their butts high, they would shake their butts standing up, they would shake their butts squatting, they would even shake their butts upside down. When they weren't shaking their butts, they were strolling around the stage, taking stock and scoping out a new position from which to shake their butt.

Every once in a while they had this killer move where they would shimmy horizontally across the stage from opposite ends, shaking their butts like paint mixers the whole while. And being the Queen Diva, Big Freedia would selectively shake her butt, saving it for special occasions, which always caused the crowd to break out in voracious applause.

All that butt shaking on stage would have been enough, but Big Freedia was too gracious not to include the audience, inviting members on stage several times to shake their own butts. Near the end of the set, Big Freedia even tried to form a pyramid of butt shakers. It was the only time she lost the slightest hint of control, as the butt shakers wouldn't stop shaking their butts long enough to climb on top of one another. It was a runaway butt shaking train! When was the last time you saw one of those?

Of course I understand that some of you might be cynical about this experience. To you I thumb my nose. Big Freedia brought joy to my heart and that joy is real.

After the show everyone outside was grinning ear to ear with rascal-like smiles. It was as if we had gotten away with something. But the night was over and we were in the real world once again — you know, the place where buttshaking is seen as something coarse and rude. But those of us in on it shared our experience with nods and winks. If everyone else only knew...

Additional Photos

Photos by Alejandro Santiago

Exactly 30 years ago today, Pay TV arrived in Canada. As the clock struck midnight heralding February 1, 1983, duelling services fired their opening salvos and premium entertainment starved viewers were treated to an exciting and sometimes bloody David versus Goliath throw down between Central and Western Canadian companies who battled for the hearts, minds and eyeballs of consumers trapped in a miniscule 20 channel universe. "There could be only one."

Canadians had too long been denied the pleasure of dedicated, 24 hour uncut movie channels while south of the border services like HBO and Showtime had carved out a wildly successful business model and proved beyond a doubt the appetite existed for pay television. The promise of uncut movies on tap led to many Canadians investing in home satellite dishes which as well as being an expensive folly were notoriously unreliable, cumbersome and above all hideous blights. Most people in the early 1980s just made do with heavily censored movies on broadcast television (to be fair Toronto denizens had it a-okay with the likes of Elwy Yost's commercial free classic Hollywood fare on TVOntario, or CityTV's eclectic grindhouse meets Hart House selection of Great Movies.

Finally in 1981, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunication Commission(CRTC) held a hearing to licence Pay TV in Canada. One year later licences were doled out, and after a full court promotional onslaught during the Fall of 1982, the experiment was ready to begin.

While licences were granted for smaller regional services, all eyes were on the heavy weight nationals, led by undisputed yet untested champ First Choice (tagline: "Look out for number one! Look out for First Choice!"). First Choice promised a heady brew of contemporary Hollywood blockbusters, classic films, concerts, family fare, original Canadian shows and movies, and titillating late night scoops of Playboy programs. All this for only $19.95 per month!

On the opposite end of the cultural spectrum was the infamous C Channel, presided over by former Citytv founding partner Ed Cowan. C Channel reached for the discerning high-brow viewer, focusing on theatre, opera and ballet, as well as foreign art house films and mini-series, yet still retailed for the blue collar friendly sum of $15.95 a month. "People will buy one movie channel, and us" boldly predicted Cowan. By June 30, a mere 5 months later, The C Channel was off the air, the first casualty of the Pay TV war.

Finally, and most cunning of the new pay services was Superchannel (tagline: "Television's brightest star!"). Although initially only granted a licence for Alberta, by the time February 1 rolled around Superchannel had also acquired a second regional channel - lucrative old Ontario - which severely undercut First Choice's play for national dominance. Not only that, Superchannel kicked off on midnight February 1st with the very first Canadian broadcast of Star Wars (Han shoots first version), while First Choice limped out the gate with a re-run of The Who's "final" concert which had aired on Citytv the previous year, followed by brow king Roger Moore's rather pensive James Bond installment For Your Eyes Only (although by 7:00am they eventually had gotten around to screening Star Wars too).

The war of Wars screenings highlighted one of the major problems in the early days of Pay TV - overlapping blue chip titles. Superchannel president Stephen Harris told Starweek magazine "It's like two radio stations. If you listen to either CHFI or CKFM, you're going to be hearing a lot of the same music, but you know they're two different stations and you probably prefer one over the other". Superchannel was more geared towards movies and sporting events (pre-TSN they screened NHL, NBA and Expo and Blue Jay games, for example), and avoided some of the shorter material favored by First Choice. They also famously shied away from adult themed movies with gratuitous nudity for a short while before coming to their senses and providing an important service to curious young males across Canada.

At a mere $15.95 a month, Superchannel quickly got the rep as being a poor man's First Choice, but truth be told both services were exorbitantly priced compared to the cost of basic cable at the time, roughly $12-16 a month. Over at First Choice, programming wizard Phyllis Switzer, another co-partner of the original Channel 79 Citytv gang (along with Cowan, Jerry J Grafstein and Moses Znaimer exclaimed "I came on with terror in my heart because everyone was going out with independent producers around the country spending millions of dollars on programs" Coming from the relative shoe string, scotch tape and glue operation of Citytv, no wonder she was shocked. In its first year alone, First Choice spent upwards of $10 million before a single punter had subscribed. And that was 1983 money.

After C Channel flopped, First Choice and Superchannel's rivalry became more survival of the fittest, while fat cat Hollywood studio execs bowled over in laughter as the two Canadian services' competitive bidding drove the cost of licencing even B-grade pablum sky high. Meanwhile the Canadian press, after an initial period of cheerleading the services (no doubt while they were on free previews), turned and began to ask tough questions about the whole enterprise. Would Pay TV survive in 1984?

Freeviews, or Free Weekends began to appear with more frequency, and with better quality films lined up to showcase each service. First Choice even hired consumer advocate Lynne Gordon and legendary funny man Billy Van to host some of these weekends, stressing that hefty subscription prices were easier to swallow if you broke them down and thought of each film as costing you roughly 60 cents.

Superchannel attempted a much more folksy outreach to viewers in contrast with the slick commercialism of First Choice, hiring well-spoken Western gentleman Fred Keating to appear for all intents and purposes as the face and voice of the station. Keating amusingly hosted a weekly feedback interstitial titled "Mailbag" where he calmly responded to a variety of viewer questions about the nature of Pay TV. "The thinking behind Mailbag was threefold" recalls Keating. "It was meant to be a promotion for the network, an acknowledgement of viewer's concerns, and a way of dealing with the tremendous amount of mail Superchannel received".

Superchannel also hosted a popular monthly interactive special titled "Superchoice", wherein the station offered up four new possible movie titles to be screened on the last Friday of the month, then invited viewers to call a 1-800 number to vote for their favourite. Such interaction may seem positively 8-bit worthy now, but at the time was revolutionary (and probably a nice side revenue line as each call cost $1!).

One of the most lasting and memorable aspects of those early wild west days of Pay TV were the program guides, high end glossy film magazines which were closer in style to Variety than TV Guide. The arrival of a lush new issue in the post was indeed a special occasion.

While both First Choice and Superchannel may have been primarily desired for their A-list Hollywood features, or sleazy T&A sex comedies, both services proudly embraced their Cancon quota requirements. Both channels financed and aired an abundance of home grown Canadian films which to this day remain mostly lost, unavailable in any format: The Terry Fox Story (1983), Sudden Fury (1975), Funeral Home (1980), Mystery of the Million Dollar Hockey Puck (1975), Highpoint (1982), Love at First Sight (1977), The Dog Who Stopped the War (1984), Mark of Cain (1986), Self-Defence aka Siege (1983), to name but a few. First Choice co-produced the notorious TV series The Hitchhiker (1983), a repellant horror anthology that wallowed in cruel violence and degrading nudity when shown on Pay TV, then was later edited into incoherence when screened on basic cable.

Coincidentally it was created by Riff Markowitz, one of the original applicants of the First Choice licence and producer of the much loved and revered The Hilarious House of Frightenstein (1971).

As 1984 wore on, both stations found themselves in a stalemate. Through some imaginative wheeling and dealing, Superchannel had tied up much of the desirable A-list studio fare, while First Choice was forced to drop all Playboy content if they hoped to acquire Walt Disney titles. Around the same time, MuchMusic and TSN had been granted licences so music and sports programming was gravitating away. However First Choice held the best card of all - National exposure. It was time for an arranged marriage.

Owing to a near ruinous freshman year, the two Pay TV networks had little choice but to merge into one, imaginatively titled First Choice*Superchannel. Bundled with new cable kids on the block Much Music and TSN: The Sports Network, "the Satisfaction 3-Pack" retailed for $15.95 per month and finally gave viewers a little more bang for their buck. All of Frist Choice's branding was abandoned in favor of Superchannel's more colourful fanfare, but sadly Fred Keating's "Mailbag" was given the boot in favour of letting the content speak for itself, a portent of the grey, no frills approach taken by most modern day Pay TV services.

First Choice*Superchannel's marriage of convenience was really just a holding pattern until the kinks of a splitting up two monopolies could be ironed out. Innovation during this drawn out period included the interactive shot-in-Toronto Sci-Fi whodunit Murder in Space (1985), which ended on a cliff-hanger and invited viewers to solve a murder mystery and win trips to Florida. Unfortunately the resolution to what should have been a by the numbers bit of fun Agatha Christie pulp proved to be so convoluted that no one correctly guessed the multiple identities of the murderers, and the much hyped event was never repeated (never mind the film becoming yet another buried cult classic, with stand-out performances from a shouty Michael Ironside and pre-Diabeetus meme generator Wilford Brimley.

Ironically the most interesting programming on First Choice*Superchannel at the time was proto YouTube "The Great Canadian Shorts Contest" which ran for almost a decade and invited budding wannabe Spielberg's to enter their short films for consideration. Finalist's short films then ran nationally between features, while viewers filled out a ballot in PRIME TIME magazine and voted for their favorites. Winners could receive cash prizes up to $5,000.00, an encouraging amount for young video and Super 8 enthusiasts.

By the end of the 1980s, First Choice*Superchannel finalized their divorce. Ontario and all provinces East were given a tweaked First Choice: The Movie Network (later, bizarrely shortened to just The Movie Network, and then finally the totally uninspired "TMN"), while Manitoba and all provinces West received Superchannel, later renamed "Movie Central" after being purchased by Corus in 2001.

Now that accessing Pay TV is about as exciting and ground breaking as getting water from a tap, it is easy to forget what a buzz all this was 30 years ago. With all of the selection we have now in a 1000+ channel universe it's hard to get excited about new services, however rarely it does happen. In 2007, the Allard family (who in 1983 originally launched Superchannel) broke the National monopoly when they ushered in a new and improved Superchannel.

More recently in 2011, Hollywood Suite launched 4 commercial free, uncut HD channels specializing in a mixture of studio classics and Canadian pictures, with a lot of titles that would have aired on First Choice*Superchannel back in the day. If you have an HD set, the service is offering a free preview on Rogers until the end of March. It has been suggested that the package will probably end up costing roughly $6 per month, a far cry from the $19.95 range early Pay TV charged. Now if only they could air Star Wars at midnight...

Special thanks to Fred Keating, Joan Schafer and Robert Richardson.

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.

Toronto concerts worth knowing about in February, 2013.

I know these things about February: 1) it's the month of purification (that's why Purity Ring are coming through town), 2) SAD reaches its peak, 3) Valentine's Day is a Hallmark holiday and thus a complete waste of time, and 4) "leaplings" are the luckiest people around as they age far more slowly than the rest of us. Man, who wouldn't want to be a leapling? Doesn't it just sound so cool?

Anyway, here's what else I know. February is not the greatest month for live music in Toronto. While not as sparse as January, we're not totally out of the rut yet. That'll have to wait until CMW arrives in March. Can somebody wake me up when it's spring? Thanks!

HOT TICKETS

PURITY RING/YOUNG MAGIC / FEBRUARY 1 / 8PM / THE PHOENIX / $15
Great start to the month and a really great pairing. Way to go, Phoenix bookers! Purity Ring are a duo from Montreal and Young Magic come from all over the globe — both make electronic pop-ish music though the latter band is especially strange. One of my highlights of last year's NXNE was stumbling (literally?) onto a Young Magic show at The Garrison and being totally mesmerized.

TY SEGALL / FEBRUARY 6 / 8PM / THE PHOENIX / $16.50
He's touring on the back of his fifth studio album Twins, and the show is sure to be a greatparty as usual. K-Holes, Ex-Cult and local favourites Teenanger will all open. He's gone from The Shop to the El Mo to The Hoxton and now The Phoenix — catch him before he's playing at an even bigger venues.

FUCKED UP'S LONG WINTER VOL.4 / FEBRUARY 8 / 8PM / THE GREAT HALL / PWYC
The last installment! All previous nights have been amazing and I have no doubt this one will impress. Fucked Up is playing again (they opted out of playing Vol.3), along with The Sadies, Holy Fuck, Kids on TV, Maylee Todd, Odonis Odonis and Rituals. Tons more music, food, art and "etc" will be happening too. I'm particularly excited for the premiere of Marvin Seth & Stanley— an "insecure comedy" about a father and two sons reconnecting on a camping trip after years of estrangement. It stars Alex Karpovsky from GIRLS fame (?).

YO LA TENGO / FEBRUARY 9 / 8PM / THE PHOENIX / $25
The last time they were in town it was to perform scores alongside undersea films and now they're here to promote their 13th full length Fade. No matter what they do it's awesome so get out to The Phoenix to see this band.

WAVELENGTH 13:LULLABYE ARKESTRA / FEBRUARY 14 / 9PM / PARTS & LABOUR / $10
The first of four nights of music spread between Parts & Labour, The Great Hall and The Garrison to celebrate Wavelength's 13 years. Night one features Toronto's bass and drum duo Lullabye Arkestra along with Ell V Gore, Fresh Snow, This Messand Slow-Pitch.

TEEN / FEBRUARY 15 / 7:30PM / THE DRAKE / $11
Made up of three sisters from Brooklyn (one formerly of Here We Go Magic) TEEN play disinterested 60s-tinged droney pop-rock. It's pretty much a surefire recipe for "cool." Beyond that, their lead single is catchy and I can totally picture myself shuffling along to it while high on psychedelics (New Year's resolution!).

WAVELENGTH: DO MAKE SAY THINK / FEBRUARY 16 / 9PM / THE GREAT HALL / $15
Oh look it's the next night of Wavelength 13! Headliners DO MAKE SAY THINK will be joined by Evening Hymns, Sarah Neufeld, Doom Squad and Bernice. What else to say? It'll make you think? And say stuff?

BY DIVINE RIGHT W/COUSINS / FEBRUARY 16 / 9PM / LEE'S PALACE / $10
Does Halifax's Cousins ever stop touring? I've happily caught them about five times in the past year and will be happy to see them again opening for By Divine Right. The headliners are a Toronto institution and are in the middle of something of a rebirth with Mutant Message released in 2009 and Organized Accidents out soon on Hand Drawn Dracula.

WAVELENGTH 13: COOKIE DUSTER / FEBRUARY 17 / 9PM / THE GARRISON / $10
with The Magic, Henri Faberge & the Adorables , Cell Memory & Castle If and Legato Vipers
Last night of Wavelength 13! Brendan Canning's new/old band Cookie Duster finally make their live debut after LYING to me and saying they'd play shows in NOVEMBER. If everyone can get over that devastating breach of trust I think it'll be a cool show to check out.

SOLANGE / FEBRUARY 22 / 7PM / THE HOXTON / $23
How much cooler is she than her older sister? Answer: a little bit, I think. When she released the video for "Losing You" I was like "WHY HAVE THEY KEPT YOU IN THE BASEMENT?!" Those moves, those outfits — it's time to give this girl the attention she deserves.

TRUST W/DIANA / FEBRUARY 22 / 9PM / LEE'S PALACE / $17.50
Trust are like a big deal now, huh? I'm happy they're bringing along little old DIANA for their show at Lee's. Even though they've only released a single with no hints of when a full length will be coming out, they are kinda exploding.

MARDUK / FEBRUARY 25 / 6:30PM / ANNEX WRECKROOM / $22
Moonspell, Inquistion, the foreshadowing and Death Wolf are all opening. This show is worth mentioning because A) the names of these bands and B) upon visiting their sites they are all TERRIFYING. Sidenote: Moonspell is now the name of my first born.

IMAGINE DRAGONS / FEBRUARY 27 / 6:30PM / SOUND ACADEMY / $25
"Imagine Dragons is a four-piece rock band based in Las Vegas, Nevada.[1] The group's name is an anagram, the original word(s) for which are unknown except to the members of the band.[2]" WIKIPEDIA.COM Maybe you can try and get backstage and get them to tell you the secret anagram code?! Anyone want to take a crack at it?

BEACH FOSSILS / FEBRUARY 27 / 8:30PM / THE GARRISON / $14.50
Guitarist Zachary Smith's "side project" DIIV almost seems to have eclipsed Beach Fossils but I'm excited to hear their new album. Out February 19th, Clash The Truth is only their second studio album and I'm sure you'll be hearing a lot of it at the show.

OTHER NOTEWORTHY CONCERTS

• HANNAH GEORGAS / FEBRUARY 1 / 6:30PM / THE MOD CLUB / $15
• THE DIRTY NIL / FEBRUARY 1 / 9PM / THE HORSESHOE / $8
• DAS RAD / FEBRUARY 2 / 9PM / POLYHAUS / $7
• THE VACCINES / FEBRUARY 4 / 7PM / THE PHOENIX / $18
• LADY GAGA / FEBRUARY 9 / 7PM / AIR CANADA CENTRE / TBA
• OF MICE AND MEN / FEBRUARY 10 / 6PM / SOUND ACADEMY / $23.50
• KISHI BASHI / FEBRUARY 11 / 8PM / THE GREAT HALL / $13.50
• THE MACCABEES / FEBRUARY 11 / 7PM / THE MOD CLUB / $20
• FIREXFIRE / FEBRUARY 12 / 7PM / THE MOD CLUB / $15-20
• WU BLACK FEAT. GHOSTFACE KILLAH&SHEEK LOUCH / FEBRUARY 13 / 8PM / THE SOUND ACADEMY / $29.50
• THE TRAGICALLY HIP / FEBRUARY 14 / 7PM / AIR CANADA CENTRE / $35-89.50
• With The Arkells
• MAGNETA LANE / FEBRUARY 14 / 9PM / THE RIVOLI / TBA
• THE PLANET SMASHERS / FEBRUARY 15 / 8PM / THE OPERA HOUSE / $17.50
• RIVAL SONS / FEBRUARY 15 / 9PM / LEE'S PALACE / $17.50
• QUEST FOR FIRE / FEBRUARY 15 / 9PM / THE HORSESHOE / $10
• THE WEATHER STATION / FEBRUARY 15 / 7PM / THE DAKOTA / $10
• TORO Y MOI / FEBRUARY 17 / 8PM / LEE'S PALACE / $20
• EMILIE AUTUMN / FEBRUARY 17 / 7:30PM / THE MOD CLUB / $20
• BON JOVI / FEBRUARY 17 & 18 / 7:30PM / AIR CANADA CENTRE / $38-236 (Yuck.)
• MESHUGGAH / FEBRUARY 19 / 6:30PM / SOUND ACADEMY / $28.50
• MAROON 5 / FEBRUARY 19 / 7:30PM / AIR CANADA CENTRE / $66-106
• INDIGO GIRLS / FEBRUARY 20 / 7PM / DANFORTH MUSIC HALL / $29.50-39.50
• ALLSTAR WEEKEND / FEBRUARY 22 / 7PM / MOD CLUB / $25
• BA JOHNSON W/WAX MANNEQUIN / FEBRUARY 22 / 9PM / THE GARRISON / $8
• SWEDISH HOUSE MAFIA / FEBRUARY 22 & 23 / 8PM / ROGERS CENTRE / $29.50-79.50
• SPARTA / FEBRUARY 23 / 9PM / LEE'S PALACE / $18.50
• EELS / FEBRUARY 25 / 8PM / THE PHOENIX / $29.50
• THE RUBY SUNS / FEBRUARY 26 / 8PM / THE GARRISON / $12.50
• FISHBONE / FEBRUARY 27 / 8PM / LEE'S PALACE / $22.50
• MAJOR LAZER / FEBRUARY 28 / 9PM / SOUND ACADEMY / $30

Weekend events in Toronto is our guide to events happening this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Here's what's happening in Toronto this February 1-3, 2013.

MARKET

Midnight MRKT
It's the weekend already and to kick off February, 2nd Floor Events is hosting the Midnight MRKT, a new monthly market where music, drinks, fashion, street style food and art make it a late night. Vendors include local designers and craftsfolk from Diptych, The Anchored Social, Carte Blanche Creations, and Nozo Toronto with artists and designers showcasing their work, as well. Neoteric, Lucie Tic and Johnny Hockin will provide music with Toronto's regular round of pop-up food shops providing the fuel. Vendors will accept cash only but the event is free to enter.
2nd Floor Events (416 King Street West), February 1, 2013, 8PM Free

PARTY

Motown Party
Motown parties are all the rage these days and no one does it quite like the Good Kids. Inviting you over to their place to get drunk and dance to the Motown oldies, with DJs Brett Millius and Reverend Throwdown, Good Kids will fill the air of their Queen West spot with the sounds of Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Jackson 5, The Temptations and more this Saturday night, all for the price of $10. There will be videos and prizes to be won, courtesy of Eyesore Cinema. Get in before midnight and pay just $5.
Good Kids (751 Queen Street West), February 2, 2013, 10PM $5 before midnight

SPORT

Bloor Broadcast: Super Bowl XLVII
If you don't own a TV and don't know anyone who does, Bloor Hot Docs Cinema invites the neighbourhood over to watch Super Bowl XLVII for free on the biggest screen possible. Sponsored by Steam Whistle Brewery, there will be plenty of booze and snacks to make the afternoon a legitimate Super Bowl party but with several non-cash prizes to be won. (Sorry, no betting at this party!) Tickets will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors open at 5:30PM.
Bloor Hot Docs Cinema (506 Bloor Street West), February 3, 2013, 5:30PM Free

For more places to watch the Super Bowl, check out our round-up of Super Bowl events.

MUSIC

Toronto 2013 Winter Dance Party
The Toronto 2013 Winter Dance Party is the ElMo's biggest and most historically themed party of the year, with performances by Jittery Jack, The Millwinders, and Tennessee Voodoo Coupe playing old rock n' roll and rockabilly tunes. Modeled after the 1959 Winter Dance Party Tour at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, also known as the final performances by Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper before their tragic plane crash, this concert seeks to commemorate their final show on "the day the music died." The '50s themed night of music takes place in the El Mocambo historical ballroom with DJ Rockin' Dave Faris and Montreal's DJ Matchbox playing vintage vinyl between sets.
El Mocambo (464 Spadina Avenue), February 2, 2013, 9PM $15

Live Music at Caplansky's Delicatessen
As if Caplansky's Deli could get any more awesome, doors are now open for live music shows on Saturday afternoons! Musician Barry Shainbaum plays a three-hour set on the first Saturday of each month at Caplansky's, performing a variety of hits from the '50s to '90s on his harmonica and guitar to entertain customers in line and eating in the deli. Stop by for a classic hot deli sandwich and rock n' roll classics, beginning this weekend.
Caplansky's Deli (356 College Street), February 2, 2013, 3PM Free

Ontario Independent Music Archive Launch Party
The IMDb of Ontario indie music launches tonight with a party hosted by the National Campus and Community Radio Association (NCRA) and the Music Association of Canada (MAC). It all takes place at The Garrison, where the people behind the OIMA (Ontario Independent Music Archive) repository will gather with a diverse selection of performers, like Simply Saucer, The Highest Order, Jay Douglas and the All-Stars, and Lido Pimienta. Learn and listen to Ontario's indie musicians, and pick up a copy of Liz Worth's book Treat Me Like Dirt: An Oral History of Punk in Toronto and Beyond, 1977-1981 while you're there.
The Garrison (1197 Dundas Street West), February 1, 2013, 9PM PWYC (suggested $5)

For more music listings, check out our Hot Ticket post.

ART

February 2013 exhibitions at XPACE Cultural Centre
Three exhibits each using the objects found in every day life in vastly different ways make up XPACE Cultural Centre's February programming. Opening today, Artists Felix Kalmeson, Zoe Solomon and Melissa Fisher launch The Archivists, an exploration into daily routine through personal collections while Janine Miedzik's Window Space looks into repairs and facades, and how they affect our interactions with architectural space. Rounding out the three new exhibits is Kate Szabo's Project Space, a series of sculptures made from recycled materials that produce sound. All artists and curators will be in attendance at Friday night's launch party and reception in XPACE's new location on Landsdowne.
XPACE Cultural Centre (303 Landsdowne Avenue, Unit 2), February 1, 2013, 7PM Free

Reggae or Not: The Birth of Dancehall Culture in Jamaica
Beth Lesser celebrates the modern reggae tunes and dancehall culture of Jamaican musicians in the '70s and '80s with her first public art exhibition, on this month at the Gladstone. Drop by the opening reception tonight at 7 p.m., then return to the Gladstone's ballroom on Saturday for a night of music and dancing courtesy of DJ Dave Kingston. The exhibit itself runs until February 28, 2013. For more info on the exhibit and related programming, check out the Gladstone's event page.
The Gladstone Hotel (1214 Queen St. West), February 1, 2013, opening reception at 7PM

FOOD & DRINK

Feast in the East 22
Polyhaus' popular monthly food and art series Feast in the East returns for the 22nd installment, which will feature more bands, a new art installation and, of course, dinner. FitE's February line-up looks a little something like this: Das Rad, Bruised Knees, John Milner You're So Boss, and John Smith, with Adrienne Crossman displaying her installation Environs. Dinner is included with advance tickets, which are available at Circus Books & Music, The Film Buff, Soundscapes, and Grasshopper Records. Arrive hungry and ready to dance.
Polyhaus (388 Carlaw Avenue), February 2, 2013, 9PM $7 advance, $10 door

Toronto Tea Festival
We have a festival for everything else in this city, so why not have one for tea, too? Toronto Tea Festival is the city's biggest tea party, featuring hundreds of teas from around the world and knowledgeable exhibitors who will school drinkers on everything from processing techniques to where tea flavours originated. A raffle and silent auction will take place at this Saturday's festival opening at the Toronto Reference Library. Tea and books--sounds like the perfect cloudy Saturday.
Toronto Reference Library (789 Yonge Street), February 2, 2013, 10AM $15

For more food listings, check out our This Week in Food post.

FASHION

Guilty Pleasures
Who says fashion and food can't go together in one dirty little pile? Not The Drake Hotel, where the arts, both sartorial and culinary, combine this weekend for Guilty Pleasures, a Canadian designer fashion market where a 3-course brunch will be served. As well, local designers and jewelry makers will showcase Canadian-made duds while a silent auction plays out, offering an opportunity to "win" some of the wares at heavily discounted prices.
The Drake Hotel (1150 Queen Street West), February 2, 2013, 9AM $38 pp

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

THEATRE

Shakespeare's Nigga
In Joseph Jomo Pierre's bold, new play, the young playwright exposes Shakespeare by confronting him through two of his greatest characters. Shakespeare's Nigga tells a story of two of Shakespeare's strongest black characters, Othello and Aaron, as they face their creator to question their motivations, their actions, and their fates. Directed by Philip Akin and starring Sascha Cole, David Collins, John Jarvis, Joseph Pierre and Andre Sills, this subversive and challenging play opens Saturday for a three-week run as part of the Black History Month festivities.
Theatre Passe Muraille (16 Ryerson Avenue), February 2, 2013, 7:30PM $15-$35

For more theatre listings, check out our This Week in Theatre post.

CULTURE

TD and BAND present Then & Now Black History Month
February 1st marks the beginning of Black History Month, one of the most important cultural celebrations in the city of Toronto, with TD and the Black Artists' Network and Dialogue offering a range of activities, festivals and showcases throughout the month. Beginning tonight with the weekend-long Kuumba festival at Harbourfront Centre, Then & Now's programming includes art events like Beth Lesser's photographic exhibit Reggae or Not: The Birth of Dancehall Culture in Jamaica and Toronto at the Gladstone Hotel (February 1-28), Canadian Film Centre's Q&A event with Boyz N The Hood director John Singleton at TIFF Bell Lightbox (February 12) and the iconic story of Harriet Tubman onstage in The Power of Harriet T! (February 4-22). Check out Black Artists' Network and Dialogue for more details on programming.
Various locations and events across the city

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

Lead photo from our coverage of Feast in the East 21, second photo from Beth Lesser's exhibit