An Asian-inspired Toronto night market officially opens this weekend
The former Annex Food Hall got a huge revamp, thanks to Toronto food entrepreneur Trevor Lui. His latest venture, Superfresh, is a night market that will spotlight Asian cuisine, vendors and culture. It officially opens to the public on May 14.
According to a press release, the space offers a very open concept, perfect for the live entertainment Superfresh intends to host.
“Seven vendors encircle an open dining room complete with a full bar and bodega which seats 150 guests indoors and 50 guests on an outdoor patio,” the release reads. “The 4,000-square-foot space is an immersive experience from the moment one enters the space which is filled with an abundance of quirky signage and neon lights paying tribute to the origins of night markets across various East Asian countries. The bar top is made out of Mahjong tiles and a wall comes alive with moving fortune cats.”
Food options at Superfresh include Lui’s own Baobird, which serves Taiwanese fried chicken and bao, as well as Asian bodega Auntie’s Supply, Indonesian street eats from JaJan, and classic Korean bar snacks from SSam Cha.
The Superfresh cocktail menu was developed by drink expert Evelyn Chick and includes different programming at each venue within the market. The front bar boasts four crushable cocktails on tap designed to pair with the food offerings, while the Speakeasy menu gets a little bolder. The Superfresh Spritz, for example, is made with a lemongrass-infused Northern Keep Vodka and a house Pomelo Ginseng Cordial, and topped with sparkling wine on tap. The Speakeasy’s Punch Punch Peach is made with Brugal 1888 Premium Rum, Chum Charm Peach Soju, fresh lime juice, and a Tahini Cashew Orgeat. A curated beer, sake, soju, and Baijiu list brimming with Asian-owned or local purveyors rounds out the drink offerings.
“We are excited to bring this concept to life and add to the cultural fabric of the Asian community in Toronto,” Lui, a Superfresh co-owner, said in a statement. “Our intention is to support and uplift the many talented Asian creatives in the city and provide a hub to showcase their work.”
Superfresh is located at 384 Bloor St. W. and is open late Wednesdays through Mondays.
A tale of two Toronto music studios and a very conservative church
On Geary Ave, Main Stage Rehearsal Studios builds upon Rehearsal Factory’s legacy beneath the shadow of a megachurch. Meanwhile, the founders of Silverthorn Studios bid farewell to the community space they built and look toward an uncertain future.
Toronto musicians are losing rehearsal spaces. They won’t go quietly.
Saying goodbye to the Geary Ave Rehearsal Factory
In December, Rehearsal Factory president Chris Skinner gave a statement to Exclaim! confirming the sale of the Geary Ave location. This property is split between two separate buildings, 322 and 330 Geary Ave. Despite community outcry, the Geary Ave location was sold to the controversial C3 church which believes, amongst other things, that marriage “is exclusively between a man and a woman.”
Greg Fry, business director and location pastor with C3, said of the purchase, “We see the space on Geary as an awesome opportunity to do just that—create a place of resourcing, celebrating, and partnering with the community around us. We are very familiar with the city’s plans for the area in terms of the Geary Works study and are confident that our thoughts and vision for the space are aligned.”
Still, city planners have said that in general, city policy is not to have new places of worship in employment areas.
Although Fry did not have firm details about the timing, he expressed the church’s plans to operate the space as a community hub. In a 2021 “VISION BUILDERS” brochure, C3 stated that their next steps are to renovate the space at 322 Geary.
Fry said, “we understand the need for rehearsal spaces in our city.”
He noted the current tenancy of Main Stage Rehearsal Studios and said that “There are no clear plans beyond the current lease term for the space at 330, we are looking forward to being good neighbours to Main Stage and the rest of the community when the plans at 322 are fully developed.
Former church members have also raised issues with the church’s fundraising tactics and claimed that church leadership provides inadequate resources for congregants dealing with serious issues.
When asked for comment, Fry said, “We invite people from every walk of life to come experience God with the opportunity to start a personal relationship with Jesus.”
Tenants of 322 Geary Ave were served eviction notices on January 13th asking them to vacate their studio spaces by March 15. PUP guitarist Steve Sladkowski tweeted a photo of the full letter, which was signed off with the statement, “keep on rocking.” It was a hard knock for the music community.
Silverthorn Studios shuts its doors
On April 1st, another local recording studio announced that it was closing its doors. Taylor Abrahamse and Bryn Scott-Grimes, co-founders of Silverthorn Studios, disclosed through an Instagram post that a cash “bully offer” had swept in at the eleventh hour and bought the property.
Longtime friends and Silverthorn Studios co-founders Taylor Abrahamse and Bryn Scott-Grimes did not originally set out to create a recording studio. They were looking for a space to record personal projects but quickly realized that, as Abrahamse recalled, “You can either go big or go home, you know? There’s no point in doing a slapdash recording studio.”
They went big, spending two years turning a 600-square-foot living space into a professional recording studio with seven sound-isolated booths designed for live band recording.
“We created a really beautiful atmosphere,” said Abrahamse. “It was designed to be like this beautiful little cottage in the city […] something very special there that you feel as soon as you walk in.”
Abrahamse said, “We were the middle ground where emerging artists could have a community and develop and learn.”
Musician David Finneran recorded his song Tree Branch at Silverthorn Studios. “Definitely a pity,” he said about the closure. “Silverthorn was a unique place, professional with a reasonable price point. I don’t know that there are many places like it.”
Scott-Grimes and Abrahamse recall special memories like the massive art show that actor and visual artist Aron Tager held at Silverthorn Studios before his passing and the educational cartoon voice acting workshops taught by Abrahamse.
In October 2021, their landlords informed Silverthorn Studios of their intention to sell. Scott-Grimes and Abrahamse began the painstaking process of reaching out to potential buyers interested in preserving the recording studio.
Finally, they found a collection of serious investors willing to save the studio. They were excited about creating a space for future generations of creatives.
Two days before the presentation date, a cash offer came through with a string attached — accept by 11:59 that night, or the offer would be rescinded. Abrahamse and Scott-Grimes scrambled to put in a counter-offer. Their landlords accepted the cash offer.
“It just puts a ton of pressure on the homeowner to accept it,” said Abrahamse. He thinks a 24-hour grace period for other offers to be presented should be mandatory.
Both Scott-Grimes and Abrahamse regret not taking their landlords up on previous offers to purchase the property, which go as far back as 2016.
Scott-Grimes spoke with the buyers, who had no idea that the home served as a recording studio. The founders received a payout from the sale as part of their agreement to terminate the tenancy.
“I put everything in my life aside for months to try and save this place,” said Abrahamse. The stress caused him a lot of anxiety. The community loss was devastating on a personal and professional level.
Abrahamse and Scott-Grimes hosted a farewell party where community members could reminisce and say their goodbyes. They’re currently fundraising, which will go to preserving much of the technical equipment and relocation costs.
“That’s for the careful demolition of the space,” said Scott-Grimes, adding, “and it’s partially also just for the transition because the reality is we do have to basically shut down our business.”
Scott-Grimes said that although he’ll miss everything, “It was a great sendoff […] We just had jam sessions all night long.”
Going forward, Scott-Grimes plans to convert his Nissan Cube into a camper and tour around the United States for the summer. Abrahamse plans to record fifty songs before he has to vacate the space.
Still, they never thought they would have to imagine a future without Silverthorn Studios.
A new hope at 330 Geary Ave
Back at 330 Geary Ave., the studio is reopening as Mainstage Rehearsal Studios. The space is owned and operated by former Rehearsal Factory employees Alex Fazio and Justin Dobbin.
“We’re just really excited to be able to keep it open. Ultimately our goal is to make it more community-oriented,” said Fazio, “If we make it more inclusive to all art forms, there’s no telling as to where it can go creatively.”
Fazio is quick to note that Mainstage Rehearsal Studios is owned and operated completely independently from C3 Toronto. As for what will happen after their three-year lease ends?
“I have to go kicking and screaming,” said Fazio. “I’m going to stay as long as I possibly can.”
Although he understands the frustration and stress that the recent closures caused musicians, Fazio stresses, “Our hearts are in the right place.”
He has been involved with the Rehearsal Factory in various capacities since he was seventeen years old. Fazio has come a long way from his early days of scrubbing out bathrooms. Now, he is tasked with keeping the studio’s legacy alive.
Although he doesn’t want to sound “too corny,” Fazio rhapsodizes about his time working with a diverse community of music lovers. He’s excited to build a space that will mean as much to others as the Rehearsal Factory meant to him.
“I hope in the very near future, hopefully by this summer, to collaborate with local artists,” said Fazio about putting up murals to refresh the space. He views it as an opportunity to collaborate with local artists of all types, not just musicians.
“I’m just very happy that we’re able to contribute 21,000 square feet devoted to arts and culture in the city,” said Fazio.
Josh Trager, who was using the 322 Geary Rehearsal Factory space after his original Rehearsal Factory location on Richmond St closed, met Fazio the day he was evicted. “He gave me the rundown on what was going on, which definitely gave me some hope.”
Trager said that he’s relatively lucky, as he has other options for spaces to rehearse and practice his craft. Still, he expressed regret for those musicians who aren’t as lucky or connected.
“It’s a real shame because people like to consume music and the arts,” said Trager, “but when it comes to actually nurturing and supporting the musicians and the artists that are actually putting their heart and soul into their work, they’re on their own and shit outta luck.”
“I definitely feel for emerging artists,” he said.
Where does ‘music city’ go from here?
“The loss of this affordable space has created this real barrier for the arts to exist here,” said Abrahamse.
“Budgets are already so tight for musicians,” said Abrahamse. “You can’t have the new Tragically Hip or the new Beatles if you don’t provide the conditions in which someone can experiment and record.”
Abrahamse raised an interesting point about the future of music, noting that many musicians have adapted their sound to smaller recording spaces.
Trager raised the same sentiment, “The music that comes out of [recording spaces] we’re hearing less and less on radio and more and more, you’re hearing the types of music that can be produced by a single person in a small room on a laptop. The musical trends are also reflecting the realities in terms of literal real estate for music to be created.”
The realities of the real estate market have rippled across Toronto’s music industry. Still, there are glimmers of hope. Live music venue Hugh’s Room found a way to keep its doors open at a new location, although fundraising is ongoing in order to secure the property. A former SVP Sports building on Queen West is turning into a non-profit live music venue and rehearsal space.
Even Silverthorn Studios might not be saying farewell forever. In a statement to Streets of Toronto, Abrahamse said that the studio has entered into an agreement with Hugh’s Room.
If Hugh’s Room successfully secures the required funding, they will acquire Silverthorn Studios. The vision for this partnership is to preserve a space for emerging artists in Toronto and ensure that the city has a space where the next generation of musicians to flourish.
“Hugh’s Room only has three months left to be saved, and it’s truly a crossroads,” wrote Abrahamse. “As far as I’m concerned, if we don’t save Hugh’s Room, we will have truly admitted this isn’t a music city, and most arts & culture will gradually trickle out of here, with no foreseeable chance of returning. The arts are a fragile ecosystem — losing one part of it eventually causes the rest to topple, or worse — sink into agonizing, inescapable mediocrity.”
Scott-Grimes asserts that preserving the music community in Toronto requires a dual approach of passionate individuals taking action to produce the music they want to, but that it would also be great to see, “people who do have more capital […] preserving some spaces.”
Fazio said that it can feel insurmountable to be able to have these art spaces in downtown Toronto but adds, “it’s been a pretty good ride.”
Whatever happens, it is clear that the music community in Toronto isn’t going without a fight — they’ll do whatever it takes to keep on rocking.
Toronto rock artist SATE is about to make her mark at the Junos
After years of growing up in the entertainment industry, singer-songwriter SATE has finally been nominated for her first Juno Award, and it likely won’t be her last. Her sophmore album, The Fool, is nominated alongside records including Mustafa’s When Smoke Rises and Ruby Waters’s If It Comes Down To it for Alternative Album of the Year.
“To sate” means to fully satisfy a desire or hunger, which is what the Toronto performer aims to do, both on and off stage. With that, she also aims to be satisfied herself.
“It’s a give and take,” she says.
And there’s no denying that SATE, with her electrifying voice and powerful stage presence, does exactly that — she satisfies. Though she paves her own path, blending punk with rock and blues, her natural talents prove that she has music in her blood.
“I literally was born into this,” she says. After all, her mother is “Canada’s First Lady of Blues,” Salome Bey. Before her 2020 passing, Bey blessed Toronto with her soulful voice as a jazz and blues icon. Alongside her appointment as an honorary member of the Order of Canada and her more recent induction into Canada’s Walk of Fame, Bey was monumental in providing music and theatre opportunities for Toronto’s Black community. In April, Bey was commemorated with a new Canada post stamp.
With the legendary Bey for a mother and restaurateur, club owner and music collector Howard Matthews for a father (who was the owner of Toronto’s first soul food restaurant, the Underground Railroad), going into music and performing was for SATE like going into the family business.
“This was always my life. I didn’t see anything different,” she says.
Growing up, she was constantly attending concerts and was even onstage at Massey Hall at six years old while her mother performed.
“She put me in dance as soon as I could walk and onstage as soon as I could talk,” she says.
Music wasn’t SATE’s only artistic talent, as her devotion to the stage led her to major in dance while at Earl Haig Secondary School. There, she experimented with everything from ballet to modern, tap and West African.
Since then, all her focus has gone into her music. Now, SATE’s earning her stripes as a Juno-nominated artist for The Fool is well-deserved and long overdue after 10 years of being a creative force in the industry. The album, all 12 tracks of which were either written or co-written by her, was inspired by The Fool tarot card.
“It’s just realizing, after being a student of tarot and numerology and astrology and all the cosmic arts, that I’m very much The Fool, as we all are,” she says. “We’re all on The Fool’s journey, figuring life out, up and down.”
SATE says it was “emotional” to be back onstage in Toronto last month after a pandemic hiatus. For SATE, being onstage “is like riding a bike. It’s like breathing.”
From performing to songwriting and singing, SATE says everything she does comes from her mother.
“It’s always been an ancestral, spiritual, intentional act of communicating with music and art and God energy, Goddess energy, magic. All of these things — it’s all legacy work.”
Toronto is getting an immersive Bob Marley experience this summer
The Bob Marley One Love Experience exhibit is coming to Toronto in June, making its debut in North America. The exhibit was first featured this year in London, UK, at the Saatchi Gallery, from February to April.
“Toronto feels like the perfect place to make our first North American stop. Dad loved playing here and there is an incredible Caribbean community and reggae scene in the city,” Cedella Marley, CEO-Bob Marley Group Of Companies, said in a press release.
Toronto’s Lighthouse Immersive Artspace, located at 1 Yonge Street, will house the six-parts showcase that brings music, original art, and immersive experiences. The exhibit will take place from June 1 to August 14. Hours of operations have yet to be made available.
The One Love Experience is produced by the Marley family together with Terrapin Station Entertainment. Toronto Caribbean Carnival, which is making a comeback this summer, also contributes to the exhibition’s North American premiere.
“The Toronto Caribbean Carnival is excited to welcome Bob Marley One Love Experience to Toronto, which showcases our shared values of freedom and diversity,” Laverne Garcia, chair of the Festival Management Committee, said.
The One Love Music Room marks the first part of the exhibition. It celebrates Bob Marley’s achievements using accolades and art installations, including a wall-sized portrait of the singer created by French street artist Mr. Brainwash.
Through an area called The Beautiful Life, the audience can get a glimpse into Marley’s personal life, from football to family. The Next Gen Room celebrates Marley’s legacy through the next generation.
“We celebrate Bob Marley both for the music and for his ever-lasting impact on culture and humanity – it has been an honour to be involved in the development and curation of this experience,” said Jonathan Shank, CEO Of Terrapin Station, and director and producer of One Love Experience.
Tickets begin at $24.99 (+ fees) and will be on sale to the public beginning May 19. Fans can also submit art inspired by Marley and Only love to be featured at the exhibit. Visit www.bobmarleyexp.com for more information.
Toronto’s legendary Electric Circus is coming back for a special event
It’s time to dust off the butterfly clips and fanny packs, a two-day show featuring drag superstars and 90s dance divas is making its way to the Improve Canada complex in Vaughan next month.
The official Pride event sponsored by CHUM 104.5 and 99.9 Virgin Radio is set to take place June 24 and 25 and will kick off with Freestyle Friday, which will see some of the most iconic names of the genre hitting the stage.
King of freestyle, Stevie B will headline the event. You may (or may not) remember his monster hit “Because I Love You.” Stevie will be joined by other dance party favourites including Lil Suzy, Cover Girls, Trinere, and Toronto’s own Joée who found success in the late 90s with dance anthems like “Feel it in the Air” and his cover of the Cutting Crew classic, “(I Just) Died in Your Arms Tonight.”
The headlining Divas and Drag Queens event is the first show of its kind in the area. Superstars from the drag universe will grace the stage including Tynomi Banks, Toronto’s Brooke Lynn Hytes, and RuPaul’s Drag Race winner, Symone.
The queens will be joined by an all-star divas lineup that includes performances by British rapper Estelle, Canadian singer Kiesza, plus more 90s favourites like Simone Denny of Love Inc., and Charvoni of Black Box.
The event is hosted by 90s Nostalgia, a company known for organizing throwback concerts in Canada. Past shows include a five-stop Electric Circus tour that attracted more than 25,000 concert-goers.
“We are bringing the first ever drag show to Vaughan and combining it with an amazing live music lineup and bringing an old school ‘Electric Circus’ vibe,” said 90s Nostalgia founder, Remo Palladini, “It’s got 90s, 2000s, and modern dance artists with top-level drag queens so it’s got something for everyone to enjoy!”
Tickets for the event can be purchased here.
An upscale seafood restaurant is set to open in a former strip club
Walking by the Mediterranean-style blue awnings and crisp white walls, you can hardly recognize the King West building. In its former life, it housed one of the more popular strip clubs in Toronto, For Your Eyes Only. Now, it’s known as Mademoiselle.
The transformation that has been in the works for a year is finally complete, and a raw bar and seafood spot has taken over. Operated by the team that runs MARBL, just down the street, Mademoiselle officially opens to the public tonight, showing off its new, upscale digs.
The restaurant‘s interior continues the white and blue from the exterior, in the form of intricate chandeliers and larger-than-life faux florals. The grand venue is similar to MARBL’s, in the sense that it offers a dark, moody dining room that turns into a lounge. One wall, dotted with tables, is decorated with a bird’s eye view of a beach. Another houses the Art Deco-inspired bar.
At the front of Mademoiselle, there’s a private Champagne Room, a private area for dining parties. It’s completely secluded and hidden from view, and available for the right price.
The entire space does nod to For Your Eyes Only, with mementos such as a stripper pole (held inside the Champagne Room), a worn-out sign, and some washroom trinkets making their way into Mademoiselle.
In terms of the menu, it’s seafood and raw bar heavy, including a massive seafood tower, several flavours of caviar, and sushi. The most showstopping sushi roll is called the FU roll, made with gold flakes. For vegetarians, there are truffle parmesan fries and a Nicoise salad made vegetarian. And, for carnivores, meat such as grilled lamb is also available.
The food menu at Mademoiselle is coupled with an extensive cocktail program, with drinks like the El Gobernador, made with Pisco, Blue Curacao, honey chamomile, lime, and ginger beer. There’s also The Madame, made with lemon-infused NO.3 Gin, Lemoncello, lemon Rum Chatta and lemon juice. Of course, bottle service is also available. It is King West, after all.
Mademoiselle opens tonight and is located at 563 King Street W.
Toronto’s Oyin Oladejo hits stage in the Tarantino-esque ‘Is God Is’
“When I got the script I was like, ‘Oh, shoot, I really like this,’ which I realized might be a problem if I didn’t get the part,” says Oyin Oladejo of the new play Is God Is, in which she will soon appear at Toronto’s Berkeley Street Theatre.
Oladejo, who originally hails from Nigeria, moved to Toronto when she was 16 years old, and although she originally thought she would study law, it was while working as a supervisor at the Canadian Opera Company that she saw her first opera and became captivated.
“They seemed like they were having fun and I thought, ‘I want to do that. I want a job that allows me to play and have fun,’” she says.
She attended the theatre arts program at Humber College and Toronto’s SoulPepper Academy, and it wasn’t long before she took to the stage, landing roles in theatrical productions, including an adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, as Ophelia in the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Hamlet and the male role of Lopakhin in Anton Chekov’s The Cherry Orchard.
While Oladejo continued to find theatrical success, she became increasingly frustrated at the lack of film offers and was told she wasn’t booking roles because of her accent.
“In order to fit in on some level, I felt like I would have to give up a certain part of my African heritage, and one of those things was my accent,” she says. “I hired a coach to help, but I felt like I was giving up too much of myself to be an actor.”
On the verge of quitting, she landed the role that would change her life – playing Joann Owosekun on the hit television series Star Trek: Discovery.
“I didn’t understand the magnitude of what I was a part of until I went to Comicon – I didn’t even know what Comicon was,” she says. “I thought, ‘We’re just acting; this is not a big deal,’ but I soon realized it was a big deal. Star Trek was so groundbreaking on so many levels and we were telling stories and bringing things to the forefront that may help save people’s lives or give them hope or just entertain them — that’s what we do as performers. Sure we were having fun, but we are serving a greater purpose.”
Is God Is, she says, is “unapologetically violent.” Think a stage version of a Quentin Tarantino film. And although this is not something she condones, Oladejo says the violence in the play is rooted in “something real, in deep pain.”
Written by Aleshea Harris, the plot concerns twin sisters Racine (played by Oladejo) and Anaia who, upon the request of their mother, journey to the California desert to exact revenge against their father who left them disfigured in a fire when they were babies. The play is a mash up of Greek tragedy, the spaghetti western, hip hop and Afropunk and has been called “terrifyingly funny and absurdly violent.”
Oladejo says she’s always been drawn to mythological tales and Greek mythology but never heard the Black voice in these stories until she read the script for Is God Is.
“Usually Black women, we’re prided on being strong and resilient, and this play is saying, what if we don’t hold back, what if we get revenge on everything we’ve been through,” she says. “As Black women, we carry generational pain and we are told to be quiet, or if you show anger, it doesn’t belong in this world. So where does that anger go?”
Oladejo has had to step out of her comfort zone to play the role of Racine.
“Racine has been a fun character to play because I am the cheesiest person you will ever meet,” she says. “I love rom coms. I’m a lover not a fighter, so being able to go to the depths of rage that we all suppress and being able to bring it out and make it authentic and have it be rooted in truth has been really cathartic.”
Is God Is runs May 3 to May 22 at the Berkeley Street Theatre.
A Toronto brewery is hosting its own carnival complete with a high-wire act
On Saturday, May 28, Henderson Brewery will be hosting a beer festival and carnival extraordinaire to celebrate the 250th birthday of Robert Henderson. The event is called Under the Big H and will commemorate Toronto’s first-ever brewer with a beer festival designed to showcase international breweries and offer carnival events throughout the day.
Starting at noon, the event will offer beers and food from various breweries and restaurants across the world. Toronto-based breweries like Steam Whistle and Rainhard will be joined by many others, including Rodenbach from Belgium.
The experience will feature hourly carnival performances, starting with a high wire act, silks and tumbling. Attendees can also expect stilt walkers, jugglers and many other forms of carnival fun.
Steve Himel, Henderson Brewery’s general manager, says the event is more than just a birthday celebration.
“We’ve had to work through COVID. There have been many, many low points,” he says. “And as the snow was just starting to melt…it’s like a bunch of friends who are, you know, you’re in a basement after the winter. And finally, somebody says, hey, let’s throw a party.”
Himel notes that the festival will be about more than just beer, focusing on a carnival-like atmosphere. “Even if beer is not your thing, there’s so much to do, and we just hope people show up,” Himel says. “It’s why we’ve made it a free event. It doesn’t cost you anything to walk through the door. Anybody who wants to show up and just feel a part of the neighbourhood, come on by.”
Himel also says that a recurring event will be based on this year’s success. “Everyone here is chomping at the bits to have a party,” he says. “So that’s what we’re going to do.”
Under the Big H is free to enter, but requires attendees to be of legal drinking age. It will be held at 128a Sterling Road on May 28th.
Toronto swimwear brand Bather opens flagship store in Parkdale
Bather, the Toronto-based swimwear brand founded in 2013, is opening its flagship store on Friday in the city’s west end.
Known for its colourful and ethically made designs that embrace patterns and prints, the new space, located at 450 Dufferin St. W., will carry the brand’s lineup of leisurewear including lightweight sweats, camp shirts and tees, and of course, the signature swim trunks and surf shorts that more often than not, lands the brand on a plethora of “best-of” lists curated by swimwear experts.
The store will also stock a selection of lifestyle products that compliments the brand’s products including artisanal ceramics from California, home accessories from Copenhagen, as well as a collection of surfboards from Nova Scotia company, Whit Surf, known for their custom shapes and freshwater boards. Bather’s capsule collection, Parkdale Yacht Club, will also be carried, which pays homage to the neighbourhood.
In partnership with Toronto café, 135 Ossington, the space will also house a coffee shop aptly named, 450 Dufferin.
Bather Founder, Kyle Kaminsky initially launched the brand to create the perfect swim trunk after an “ill-fitted” trip to Croatia led him to realize that accessible, high-quality men’s swimwear was missing in the market. By 2019, the brand was available in more than 70 locations across North America, Australia, Japan, and the UK.
“Bather launched nine years ago as a passion project with no real long term expectations. Swimwear in Canada seemed like a long shot,” said Kaminsky. “Nine years later, against all odds, it’s pretty remarkable to see how far the brand has come from one surf trunk to a full menswear brand.”
The store opening coincides with the final drop of Bather’s Spring/Summer ’22 collection, designed and manufactured in Toronto and inspired by everything from vintage fashion design and athletic clubs, to retro postcards and swim teams. The collection includes nine new swim trunk designs in homespun shades and eclectic prints.
“We’re incredibly excited to bring our online experience to the real world,” said Kaminksy.
The flagship store will open on Friday, May 13 from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
New Music Wednesdays: The laid-back summer vibes of Niall Mutter
Singer-songwriter Niall Mutter just released his debut EP, Pass Me By. On his new recording, Mutter’s country roots shine through alongside his penchant for dreamy low-key dance vibes to create quite a unique and compelling sound.
Looking for a soundtrack for a lazy and sunny summer afternoon, look no further.
Mutter released his debut five-song EP at the Drake last month.
Let’s meet Niall Mutter.
How has it been for Niall Mutter as a musician trying to find a way through this pandemic?
Tell us about the new Niall Mutter project.
How has the pandemic influenced your music?
It gave me a lot of time to myself. I set up a very congested studio in my tiny bedroom and was recording and writing everything on my own. Initially my plan was to record demos in my room and then record the final versions at a studio in Montreal with other musicians. By the time I had all the songs together I thought “well this all works just the way it is!”
What are you hoping people take from the new album?
Nothing really! I guess if people like it that’s great. The feedback I’ve received so far has been amazing and I never really had any expectations.
What is your background in music and when did you decide to pursue it?
One Christmas when I was 11 my parents bought my older brother and I our first instruments. I got a drum set and my brother an electric guitar. From there on they were just things we had and I had no intentions of ever pursuing music as a “career.” I taught myself guitar when I was 16 and started playing piano some years later. I went on and off playing in bands for fun and it wasn’t until I was in my early 20s that I decided to go to school for music. There hasn’t been a specific time when I decided I was pursuing music. It’s always just been a thing bouncing in and out of my life and right now it seems to be working.
What keeps you motivated to create?
Staying motivated is something I struggle with a lot and it comes in waves. For me I can never force creativity and it really depends on what’s going on in my life at that time. The best thing for me is spending time with friends and being outside in the sun. If my mind and the space I work in isn’t cluttered then it gives me the space and capacity to feel like a conduit for my creativity.
Where is your favourite place to play live?
Bacon Fest in Lucan, Ontario.
What message do you have to those eager to check out the Niall Mutter EP and see you live when possible?
I think the album and live show are two completely different things. I wrote and recorded the album all on my own so when it came time to perform it live I called on my closest friends who happen to be some of the most talented musicians I know. They really bring the live show to another level and I like to think they hold me on their backs. I think the recordings are pretty tame and relaxed and the live show is exciting and more rock n roll, if you will.
Come and find out for yourself!
Here’s how to get in on the urban gardening boom in Toronto
No matter how many local organic produce shops you visit, nothing quite beats the taste of a homegrown cherry tomato. In a dense city like Toronto, it can seem impossible to bring agriculture into your backyard — especially if you don’t have a backyard — but that isn’t necessarily the case. Most people in Toronto have small, multi-use outdoor spaces and the new urban gardening trend is all about growing more with less.
During the pandemic, Canada experienced a massive boom in urban gardening, with over half of Canadians reporting they’re growing at least one fruit or vegetable and one in five doing so for the first time.
It seems as if every corner store in the city is overflowing with multicoloured shoots of lettuce and basil as people flock to grow fresh produce using their kitchen counters, balconies and backyards. Here are a few tips to consider when starting your urban gardening adventure.
Unbelievably easy-to-grow plants
Leafy greens like kale, swiss chard, arugula and lettuce are the perfect fit for a beginner urban gardener. These dependable plants will flourish with lots of water, and are shallow-rooted so they grow well in garden boxes or hanging planters on balconies.
Mint is an impressive homemade mojito ingredient that’s nearly impossible to kill. Beets are misunderstood, along with parsnips and radishes. These underrated root vegetables will grow in the shadiest of backyards, and their shoots make the perfect salad base.
You can also grow veggies vertically using peas, beans and tomatoes. Use stakes to support the plants, or grow them along a trellis or fence. Make the most out of your space by growing ground cover produce like strawberries along the base of other plants.
If you’re still worried about a lack of green thumb, don’t stress. Apps such as Planta and From Seed to Spoon Gardening make urban gardening a breeze by offering watering reminders and tips on optimizing sunlight.
Where to find plants: local plant nurseries, garden centres and swaps
It’s easy to germinate seeds using a jar, some water and your living room windowsill. If you’re unfamiliar with agriculture or just don’t want the hassle of germinating, it might be easier to purchase shoots from a local business rather than sprouting them yourself. Fortunately, there are tons of options across the city.
Parliament Smoke & Gift and Jamestown Milk are two Cabbagetown convenience stores offering an incredible selection of plants. Bloor & Kennedy Flower Shop is another amazing option located near High Park.
Purchasing produce from a local garden centre or plant nursery is a great option for beginner urban gardeners. The Davenport Garden Centre offers delivery and pick up from three locations, alongside a massive selection of produce options ranging from sweet strawberries to ghost peppers.
Fiesta Gardens in Christie Pits features a selection of organic produce and seeds for delivery or pick up. Other garden centres include the aptly-named East End Garden Centre and Down 2 Earth Garden Centre in Etobicoke.
You can also hunt for shoots at local farmer’s markets such as the Leslieville Farmers’ Market, starting May 15 (their vendor City Girl Greens offers space-friendly microgreens) and the Junction Farmer’s Market, starting May 21.
If you’re feeling thrifty, you can trade through communities like BUNZ, where you can find tons of people offering up free plants.
Getting imaginative with upcycling and companion planting
Assess your space before picking plants, as you probably don’t want to grow stalks of corn inside your studio apartment. Consider hanging baskets or vertical gardening if you’re pressed for footage.
Go uber-green by using upcycled takeout containers as indoor planters. You can put all the quarantine ramen you ordered to good use by planting easy-to-grow kitchen herbs such as basil, chives and oregano in leftover containers.
You can repurpose almost anything into a planter. Upcycle a teapot for a succulent display, fill the storage bin from your last move with potting soil for your balcony or reuse old bookshelves as vertical planters — perfect for city dwellers with limited space.
If you have a backyard available, companion planting can help you maximize the space. Companion planting can seem complicated at first, but it’s based on the simple concept that some plants grow better together. Certain plants are complementary (like basil and tomatoes), improving flavour and preventing pests when paired together. Planting pollinators such as butterfly milkweed next to your produce attracts produce-pollinating bees and butterflies.
One important choice to make when planning your garden is between beans and tomatoes. Typically, plants will flourish with one or the other, but not both. Cabbages, cauliflower, beets and broccoli prefer beans while peppers, garlic, herbs and onions get along best with tomatoes.
Urban gardening is all about making the best out of what you have, whether you’re sprouting pea shoots in your kitchen or growing kale in your backyard. It’s incredibly rewarding to watch your produce grow, so indulge your inner farmer, get creative and enjoy the fruits of your labour.
