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09/28/12
Back in 2005, I waitressed at the Comedy Cellar, a 150-seat comedy club in New York’s West Village, where a red-haired, goateed, portly comedian performed regularly. But thanks to belligerent customers and my poor serving skills, I hardly paid attention to his act. Well, the hefty ginger and I were reunited last night, along with 3,000 people, at the Sony Centre. But this time I did pay attention to Louis C.K.
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09/28/12
It might seem perfectly normal to cast dogs in musicals these days, but if history has taught us anything, it’s that dogs can be total prima donnas when it comes to fame and fortune (and fancy cars).
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09/27/12
Earlier this year, I rather shamelessly auditioned for The Bachelor Canada. Sadly, I didn’t make the top 25. I guess my having never dated Kris Humphries (thankfully) nor having a water-cooler-worthy occupation like a strip club server or pastor didn’t pass the litmus test of reality TV coolness. Ah well. Jocks don’t really do it for me anyway. Sorry, Brad Smith.
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09/27/12
It is an event that night owls and art connoisseurs circled on their calendars months in advance. Nuit Blanche (Sept. 29) will once again offer free art installations across downtown Toronto from Saturday night (starting at 7:03 p.m.) to sunrise on Sunday morning. You never really know the highlights of the event until you see them for yourself, but Geoffrey Pugen’s installation (100 Queen St. W.) and Yves Caizergues’ Green Invaders (150 King St. W.) look like standouts.
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09/27/12
Remember the days when juvenile football had nothing to do with city politics or a schmuck who peaked as a fifth-grade bully?
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09/26/12
Mark Andrew Hamilton chose to name his band Woodpigeon because, when written in cursive, it resembles a roller coaster. Rather fitting for the sweeping loops and orbital reverb of the Vienna-by-way-of-Calgary singer-songwriter’s brand of folk. Besides, anyone who can dedicate a song about gay pirates to Stephen Harper in a church is bound to deliver an awe-inspiring performance — and Tuesday night’s set at the Music Gallery was no exception.
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09/26/12
Who needs Bob Barker and the rest of the zoo drama when Toronto elephants can take to the open road with their best friends in the adventure of a lifetime?
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09/25/12
Nowadays cabs across the city are anxiously awaiting your call, while the cab drivers of the 1910s were just, you know, hanging out.
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09/24/12
When the line-up for Toronto’s Just For Laughs Festival 42 was announced, an unlikely jokester stood out from the regular throng of comics: David Suzuki. Yes, that David Suzuki. Almost immediately, buzz about the environmentalist’s show grew faster than a fruit fly (more about those later). Would he crack jokes on carbon footprints? Would he chaff on climate change? Anticipation started to mount.
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09/24/12
Before CDs replaced records and iTunes replaced CDs, Sam the Record Man on Yonge Street was pretty much the mecca for music lovers in the city. Sam Sniderman, the Record Man himself, died Sunday. We’re pretty sure, wherever he is, that he’s listening to some sweet tunes. RIP, Sam.
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09/21/12
A few decades ago, playwright William Inge was regarded with the same sense of respect and admiration as his contemporaries Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller. His play, Picnic, won the Pulitzer Prize in 1953, but it is rarely performed anymore. Inge was certainly not untalented, but he was always a sentimental playwright who lacked the wit, sharpness and insight of his post-war contemporaries.
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09/21/12
As you line up for hours for the new iPhone 5 like it’s Boxing Day at Wal-Mart, just remember that using a phone was once a privilege for Torontonians, and then have a good laugh at their expense because it totally sucked to be them.
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09/20/12
Let me flatly state my feelings about the Shaw Festival’s revival of Hedda Gabler: this one is for the ages. From Richard Eyre’s adaptation (more than merely a translation) to director Martha Henry’s grand direction to the blood-curdling artistry of Moya O’Connell’s astonishing title character to Jim Mezon’s inspired, evil Judge Brack, the production finally gives the magnificent playwright Henrik Ibsen his due.
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09/20/12
It’s time for Just For Laughs 42, an all-out comedy assault on the city of Toronto led by Louis CK. The star of FX hit Louie will be one of 42 comic acts to unleash war on the city’s funny bone during the eight-day festival, which begins tomorrow. Under the category of “Wait, they’re funny??”: David Suzuki and the odd-couple pairing of Elizabeth May and Raine Maida will also perform.
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09/20/12
Opulent clothing? Check. Token eccentric dude? Check. ‘Tude? Double check. Yep, these dudes have total Gangnam Style. We’re pretty sure they could ride that horse pretty well, too. Especially that guy on the left.
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09/19/12
We get it, kids: sometimes having to read for school sucks. But at least you didn't have to put up with the creepy old lady who ran this bookstore back in the day. She was reason enough to stay illiterate.
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09/18/12
If you’re looking for a laugh this weekend, The Primo Show should be your primo stop. With popular improviser Colin Mochrie, Canadian Comedy Award winner Nikki Payne and the hilarious Pat Thornton, laughs are pretty much guaranteed-a-mundo.
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09/18/12
There must be something in Baltimore’s water. For a city that has turned out surreal fantasy bands such as Lower Dens and Beach House, it comes as no surprise that Wye Oak’s melancholic droning sounds like something you would only hear in your dreams.
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09/18/12
A barrage of umbrellas? Irritable crowds? Long annoying lines? Yep, rainy days have always sucked in Toronto.
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09/17/12
A comedy veteran for almost 15 years, Laurie Elliott has made a name for herself as one of the most fun and versatile performers to watch in Canada. The winner of three Best Female Stand-Up Canadian Comedy Awards, Elliott has also appeared on numerous TV series, including The Red Green Show and Train 48. We chatted with Elliott about her “extremely supportive” parents, her big break and Jimmy Fallon.
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09/17/12
Before competitive eating was even a thing, Torontonians understood that healthy eating didn't involve shoving 40 folded pizza slices down your throat, and that one should eat slowly and chew slowly, and not wash food down with milk or water, let alone beer.
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09/14/12
Susan Coyne is an actor, a writer and a co-founder of Toronto’s Soulpepper theatre company, as well as co-creator and cast member of the acclaimed CBC series, Slings and Arrows. Oh, and she’s won three Geminis. So, letʼs just say, sheʼs kind of a pro on the Canadian entertainment scene. Now sheʼs back in the acting saddle with her latest turn in Between the Sheets, a new play opening September 18 from Nightwood Theatre.
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09/13/12
This weekend marks the tenth anniversary of the annual Queen West Art Crawl. Organized by the Parkdale Community Development Group, the Crawl puts Toronto’s most interesting (and often underground) visual talent in the spotlight within the bounds of the city’s most fixedly artistic neighbourhood. It’s a great reminder of the creative communities that exist all over Toronto. Here, we break down the most noteworthy (read: artsy-fartsy) events of the weekend.
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09/13/12
Looking for one last grasp effort to hold onto some shred of summer? Well, you can take comfort in knowing that the days of live music on the beach are not over – not yet, anyway. Echo Beach will host its final two concerts of the summer in the coming days, first welcoming prairie rock quarter, The Sheepdogs, to the outdoor venue on Saturday and then capping off 2012 with teen sensation Ed Sheeran on Monday.
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09/13/12
Sure, we’re probably going to have another TTC hike, but at least we don’t have to be herded like cattle aboard a roof-less truck in the pouring rain. Crummy roads plus sardine-like conditions? The TTC looks pretty good now, doesn’t it?
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09/12/12
While most Torontonians are celeb-spying and checking out the latest flicks, TIFF’s Festival Music House gig brought together movies and music last night at the very exclusive ‘invite-only’ three-day Canadian band showcase in which this reporter made an ass of herself in front of the legendary Brendan Canning.
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09/12/12
Canadian Football League wide receiver Brad Smith recently experienced what is probably every man’s dream (or maybe nightmare) — dating 25 women all at the same time. After 16 seasons, the American reality television dating series The Bachelor made its way north of the 49th, and the Torontonian was the first plucky Canuck to jump at the chance to expose his most private and base emotions to the entire nation in exchange for the chance to find lasting love on the small screen.
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09/12/12
Whether you agree with bike licensing or not, we think we can all agree that we would love to arrive at work like this guy: fancy, sweat-free and, oh yeah, safe.
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09/11/12
So what if it’s a depressing play? Arthur Miller’s 1949 classic is a must for all theatre-lovers. As a revered theatre critic once told me, “you’ve got to eat your spinach.” Besides, Justin Ziegler’s portrayal of Willy Loman earned him a Dora Award for Outstanding Performance, so that’s reason enough to go.
Young Centre for Performing Arts, 50 Tank House Lane, 416-866-8666. Now - Oct. 6.
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09/11/12
So what type of GO rider are you? Do you take it because it beats sitting in traffic for hours, or are you like one of these guys who make riding the train look totally badass? Forget the poor manners of your fellow commuters - go ride this crazy train like it's Train 48.
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09/10/12
Toronto duo Snowblink, Daniela Gesundheit and Dan Goldman, are releasing their new album Inner Classics on Sept. 11 via Arts & Crafts. To celebrate the release, the band is offering interested parties the rare opportunity for a singing telegram from Daniela. This might require an explanation. In a fit of marketing brilliance, the band is offering up complimentary singing telegrams via their website. Parties can send a telegram to a friend, or book one for themselves.
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09/10/12
The Sketchersons, with its revolving door of local funny people, has been making audiences laugh for eight years and earning tons of accolades along the way (they’ve been nominated seven times for best Sketch Troupe at the CCAs). The troupe, along with its weekly Sunday Night Live show, are so ingrained within the Toronto comedy scene, that it’s actually quite shocking (read: embarrassing) we’ve never featured them before for this column.
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09/10/12
Swanky restos and hoity-toity hotel bars are all the rage with the folks at TIFF, but we still think nothing beat a grisly, all-you-can-eat buffet, like this one from back in the day. It's cheap, it cures hangovers, and you're not surrounded by lame-os who debate the pros and cons of Twilight vs. Hunger Games.
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09/07/12
Who needs a $99,000 built-on-unicorn-tears custom bed in your hotel suite when you can squeeze into the same dumpy one with your brother and have your personal lumberjack mini-bar.
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09/06/12
A roadie strategically placed fresh towels around the stage before Divine Fits played their sold-out show at Lee’s Palace last night, foreshadowing the sweaty mess that was about to follow.
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09/06/12
TIFFed out? Then how about TUFF? The Toronto Urban Film Festival might be smaller than TIFF standards, but it still packs a powerful punch, reaching over one million daily commuters by showcasing 60 short films on 300 screens on TTC platforms across the city.
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09/06/12
Forget Kristen Stewart. Back in the day, Toronto’s own Mary Pickford was America’s first sweetheart, and this year she’s even making a comeback at TIFF — proving that you’re never too old, or too dead, for Hollywood.
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09/05/12
As if you didn't already know, TIFF is upon us (less than 24 hours and counting). When we're not holed up in theatres watching movies all day, we definitely want to be out schmoozing and celebrity-gazing because, hey, it only happens once a year (and the Gosinator isn't married yet). Below, our 2012 TIFF Party Primer.
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09/05/12
When Apple launches a new product (like the new iPhone 5), we can expect a big hoopla. But, really, nothing beats holding a phone in front of a blank piece of paper. Simple, and to the point.
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09/04/12
A little while back, we told you that if you aren't following any Canadian comedians on Twitter, then you really should be. Steve Patrick Adams is one of those people. It's not because he won Best Stand-Up Newcomer at this year's Canadian Comedy Awards or that he likes to post pictures of his fat cat. It's mostly because he's, well, funny. And he's on the rise. We chatted to Adams about dinosaurs, his cat Chub Chub, and a man with a peg leg.
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09/04/12
One-man-shows have never been my cup of tea. That goes for one-woman-shows as well. Dialogue between two or more characters is such an essential part of live theatre that I find it glaring when it’s missing.
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09/04/12
First impressions are important on the first day of school. In the ’60s, kids made sure to wear their best fedoras and striped shirts, and made sure their bicycles were looking super fly. Nowadays, we just call these people hipsters.
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