Jesse Cook, Toronto’s own flamenco guitar phenomenon (a musician, composer and producer, to be precise), is busy working on a new studio album, and he’s set to take the stage at the Rexall Centre alongside Pink Martini and Chris Botti tomorrow evening. We managed to lob a few questions at Cook, who, along with being a Juno Award winner, also happens to be an all-round nice guy.
Real Estate (July 19 @ The Garrison) will either put you into a trance or put you into a coma — nothing in between. The New Jersey indie darlings know how to set a mood with their spacey surf rock, that’s for sure. Check them out if relaxed vibes and endless reverb sounds like your bag of Twizzlers, but take a pass if you expect your rock to register on the Richter scale.
From humour to horror, this week’s 3rd annual Shinsedai Cinema Festival brings entertainment from every angle by the best of Japan’s independent filmmakers. You don’t need to know anything about Japan to enjoy these subtitled films. We caught up with festival Co-Programmer/Co-Artistic Director Chris MaGee and asked him about the festival, Japan’s film scene and what makes Hollywood so predictable anyway.
The Live Green Toronto Festival at Yonge-Dundas Square this weekend will welcome all the peace, love and environmental friendliness you’d expect, but with an uncharacteristically stacked roster of musical talent. On July 16, both advice and entertainment will be doled out to Toronto residents looking to lead an environmentally compatible lifestyle.
As one of the world’s most expensive cities (59th, apparently, according to a Mercer survey), Toronto has surpassed Vancouver as Canada’s priciest place to live. One of the key indicators used in the survey: the cost of movie tickets. We did the math, and a date night at the movies —including popcorn and soda — runs close to $50.00. Yikes! With that kind of expense, films might as well be showing on a fancy yacht. Enter the Toronto Port Authority.
It may be unusual for someone to credit a guy by the name of Dr. Demento for launching his career, but then again, “Weird Al” Yankovic isn’t just a regular guy. As an awkward teenager in California, he would do parodies of pop songs for the amusement of his friends. On a whim, he sent in a very amateur recording to the Dr. Demento radio show. Dr. Demento liked it, and that was all the nudge Yankovic needed.
Toronto artists of the 80s are getting their time to shine once again. “Paradise Now,” a series of events and exhibitions along the once-underground cultural hub of Queen West, is honouring them as well as young up-and-coming artists. The first installment of the 80s expo is “This Is Paradise,” an art exhibit at the MOCCA gallery, which runs until August 21.
Toronto’s Junior Battles are a hard working band. In the last three years they’ve released three 7-inch records, toured extensively through Ontario, Quebec and the Eastern United States and recently released a full-length record, Idle Ages, on the upcoming American label Paper + Plastick.
Picture this: a lecture about Lars von Trier, the Danish film director who recently spoke of “sympathizing” with Hitler, held in Toronto’s downtown Jewish community centre, the Miles Nadal JCC. Having a reaction? Got something to say? Good. Film critic Adam Nayman chose von Trier to kick off the second round of his controversial directors series for that reason.
It would be understatement to call the team behind The Good Bike Project —Toronto artists Caroline Macfarlane and Vanessa Nicholas — busy. The duo are probably best known for their paint jobs on abandoned bikes, and after somewhat ironically receiving Rob Ford’s support, the women hit Regent Park earlier this month and held a bike-painting day in the community. They also debuted a bike in time for Pride’s festivities. We spoke with Nicholas about what’s next for the team.
Only a short distance from Millionaires’ Row on Lake Muskoka, this magnificent $5.95 million estate is currently the priciest property on the market in Muskoka. The two-storey cottage has three bedrooms and seven rooms, and enjoys 422 feet of frontage. According to the owner, it has remained in the Buttler family since Queen Victoria issued the original deed in the 1870s. The sprawling 114-acre estate was first farmed and later became a lodge. That it’s located in namesake Buttler Bay is not a coincidence. Situated high on the lake, facing southward, the cottage offers a tranquil retreat, complete with its own beach (listed by Michael Laceby of Laceby Real Estate Limited).
What should you say to those who tell you not to eat pizza because it will make you fat or that those who celebrate sexuality are promiscuous? “Bite Me!” Toronto’s International Body Image Film & Arts Festival is back for its second year. Celebrating body diversity, the festival commences tonight at the National Film Board of Canada.
