By Ron Johnson
Toronto writer André Alexis is teaming up with experimental theatre company Volcano to create a new audio drama Metamorphosis: a Viral Trilogy. The new production premieres on Aug. 17. In keeping with the times, Metamorphosis tells the story of a fictional global pandemic in Canada’s largest city through three fictional diaries from a 13-year old … Continued
By Ron Johnson
Last fall, Morgan Clamp, a singer and songwriter, opened up the Tonight Bar in Parkdale, what he calls a micro performance space for up-and-coming artists. It’s tiny with a high-end sound system for live music and a quality stage. “As a singer-songwriter myself, I’ve seen and experienced the reaction to live music over the last … Continued
By Ron Johnson
Starting tomorrow, one of the city’s longest running fine-dining institutions, Scaramouche, opens its doors to the public for the first time since March. The much-anticipated milestone of entering phase 3 has finally arrived for Toronto, and as of Friday, July 31, restaurants have been allowed to reopen for modified indoor service. However, as many of … Continued
By Ron Johnson
The 45th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is still slated to run Sept. 10-19 and now it has an opening night film. Today, the festival announced that the Spike Lee-directed film version of David Byrne’s American Utopia concert will kick off the festivities on Sept. 10. The film documents former Talking Heads … Continued
By Ron Johnson
At long last, acclaimed Canadian singer and songwriter Kathleen Edwards is set to return from what she calls a “working sabbatical.” Her new album Total Freedom is set for release Aug. 14 and her new single “Options Open” is out now. The new album is her first since 2012’s Voyageur, after which she announced a … Continued
By Ron Johnson
A new rental building will soon be proposed for Bayview and Millwood, adding another development to the area that is already seeing a major uptick in interest from developers. The application for 1466-1500 is planned to be submitted to the City of Toronto’s planning department by the end of August by developer Medallion Corp. It … Continued
By Ron Johnson
The Orbit Room on College Street in Little Italy has announced via social media that it will not reopen following an extended closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The news comes on the heels of the closure announcement for midtown’s Alleycatz as well as Queen West’s Rivoli being put up for sale. It is not … Continued
By Ron Johnson
The team behind the Vegandale Festival is back with a socially-distanced twist. The new vegan patio series will begin on Aug. 8 at The Grand Bizarre at Exhibition Place for four consecutive weekends (Saturday and Sunday) and includes seated lunch or dinner options. The Vegandale Festival is a summer festival focussing on vegan food and … Continued
By Ron Johnson
Mayor John Tory, Toronto musician Allan Rayman and Charles Khabouth, head of Ink Entertainment, were on hand to usher in the city’s latest live entertainment and movie venue, the CityView Drive-in. Guests and members of the media got a chance to check out the new facility on July 14, two days before the venue comes … Continued
By Ron Johnson
Bomou Artisanal Bakery had its grand opening on March 17, giving away 100 baguettes to the neighbourhood in order to spread the word about the modern Parisienne café arriving at Bayview and Eglinton. With alarming swiftness, however, sisters and co-owners Azar and Negar Sabzevari had to close up shop, as COVID-19 quarantined Toronto and most … Continued
By Ron Johnson
Just last year, the death of the drive-in movie theatre was just around the corner. But, not this year. Now, there are drive-in style movie experiences popping up all over town. Numerous parking lots and parks are hosting makeshift drive-in movies complete with snack delivery. There is even a new drive-in opening soon that will feature … Continued
By Ron Johnson
Midtown Toronto jazz club and restaurant Alleycatz is closing permanently. The announcement was made via social media. “It is with an extremely heavy heart that we say goodbye to the establishment many of us have called home for the last two decades,” the statement read, in part. All indications point to an inability to … Continued
