Timber Timbre’s tense music leads to a tense performance at Queen Elizabeth Theatre

By

-

1:26 pm

There’s a darkness swirling inside the mind of Toronto native Taylor Kirk. If you happened to be at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on Saturday night, you witnessed it first hand via an eerie set from his musical outlet Timber Timbre.

While some bands opt for a light show to accompany to their music, Timber Timbre relied solely on ominous red lighting and a black and white montage of still photos by a French filmmaker. In turn, the ambience and actual performance felt more like a live scoring of a bizarre art house horror flick than a traditional concert.

The band opened their set with “Bad Ritual,” and despite some noticeable guitar issues, Kirk’s distinct baritone vocals managed to remain the focus of the broody blues tune. The song segued seamlessly into “Creep On Creepin’ On,” the title track from their 2011 release. It was well played, with similar mid-tempo pacing, quivering violin and heavily processed guitar trills. These sounds and nuances tend to appear in most of Timber Timbre’s songs, and the lack of musical variety clearly had an impact on some folks in the audience. Kirk broke his “no stage banter” rule by calling out a guy who had fallen asleep during the show. He even proceeded to point and sing directly to the individual in an attempt to either engage or embarrass him; it was pretty hard to tell which.

During the slow-burning “Magic Arrow” (which some folks may recognize from a particularly tense scene of Breaking Bad), the crowd attempted to clap along to the song. This prompted some confusion from Kirk, who quickly mentioned that they had just added a drummer to the mix only a few shows prior to Saturday night’s. The band proceeded to re-start the song, and this time the crowd took the hint. Music of this nature does not lend itself to clapping.

After only an hour of playing, the quartet left the stage and Kirk reemerged by his lonesome to play an unfocused rendition of “Demon Host” before closing the show with the organ-heavy “I Get Low.” Even though the performance on the whole was pretty solid, the set was short, and Kirk’s stage presence and banter came off as awkward and at times unappreciative.

As Timber Timbre (and that one sleeping attendee) would probably tell you, sometimes the hometown crowd can be the toughest to please.

The Breakfast Hub: fast-tracking Port Lands development, the MSLE channel, getting students into the art gallery

By

-

6:27 am

0

Now that talk about mega-malls and Ferris wheels have simmered down, the man in charge of Waterfront Toronto, John Campbell, says he is open to new ideas for fast-tracking development of the Eastern waterfront.
[Globe and Mail]

The “for sale” sign has been taken down and MLSE is now looking at developing a regional sports channel to air Leafs, Raptors and Toronto FC games.
[Toronto Star]

The Toronto District School Board is pairing up with the Art Gallery of Ontario for a one-of-a-kind educational program that will allow 250,000 students free access to the learning wing of the gallery.
[Globe and Mail]

So many cuts across the board at City Hall, but garbage workers are receiving triple the gravy for their duties on Remembrance Day and other stat holidays.
[Toronto Sun]

Georges St-Pierre made a brief visit to Vaughan yesterday to sign some autographs for fans.
[Toronto Sun]

From farm to (board room) table: pilot project aims to get fresh food into office buildings

By

-

3:59 pm

0

Imagine a miniature farmers’ market that sells leafy heads of lettuce, fresh cheese and packaged meats inside your office space downtown. How convenient would that be? Located inside the Annex's Centre for Social Innovation, the Food Innovation Constellation is testing out that concept.

The group has just extended its farmer’s market pilot program for a further four months, wherein it intends to gauge interest from local office workers.

Aruna Handa, a convenor with the group, said it was a no brainer to continue pushing the farmer's market project.

“The market doubled in size and in revenue, so now we're going to spend more time templating the model, gathering resources and vendors and speaking to the downtown offices that have indicated interest for this program,” she says. “Eventually we want this to be self sustaining.”

Right as you walk inside the lobby at the CSI building, you'll notice a 10-metre stall full of fresh vegetables, chocolate and bread. During a typical lunch hour, workers from the CSI building queue up to sample local growers' produce.

Why? The food variety is abundant.

The bread hails from Nice Buns (try the fougasse) and the chocolate truffles from Boardwalk Chocolates (ask for the custom made truffles). There is also fresh produce from Fresh City Farms, while Earth and City makes soups and foods for home. Gabriela Ituarte's nixtamal tortillas are to die for.

According to the most recent report researched by the Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and Policy, the top three food retailers — Loblaws, Metro and Sobeys — supply approximately 78 per cent of the food distributed to consumers. That can make it hard for local growers to get their produce to consumers. No big surprises there, but this proved to be the catalyst for the farmers' market pilot.

Handa hopes the idea of a farmers' market will be have a ripple effect across the city's office locations and their lobbies.

“If we had better access and better food distribution, people could just grab it before their commute home — and less food equals less waste,” she says. “Do we want to choke on our scenery or eat our scenery?”

The Breakfast Hub: teachers not selling MSLE (for now), the “war” on riders, Canadian paychecks not cutting it

By

-

8:47 am

0

The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan has decided not to sell its stake in MSLE.
[Globe and Mail]

As the TTC announces reduced services and route changes, riders voice their anger.
[Toronto Sun]

Canadian paychecks are failing to keep up with the cost of living. Wages are growing at their slowest rate in nearly two years.
[Globe and Mail]

Mississauga is set to get a new radio station, AM960, after obtaining approval from the CRTC. The station will cover local news, community politics and social events.
[National Post]

Councillor Mary-Margaret McMahon wants the city get deeper into local food in a big way. She believes it’s time to let Toronto residents keep hens in their backyards.
[Globe and Mail]

The federal government is tightening family sponsorship rules in an effort to protect the most vulnerable immigrants from abuse.
[Toronto Sun]

Tacos, bourbon and beer: ex-Black Hoofers open a downtowner’s dream restaurant in Parkdale

By

-

3:37 pm

0

Earlier this month, rumours began to circulate that former Black Hoof employees were involved in an upcoming Parkdale restaurant. Over at Toronto.com, Sheryl Kirby predicted that it would be Geoff Hopgood, but it turns out that it's Colin Tooke, along with former Hoof manager Ian McGrenaghan. Grand Electric, their new project, opened quietly last night, and looks to be indulging the city in just about all of its recent culinary obsessions.

According to The Star, inspiration for the place — ambience-wise, at least — came in the form of Guu for its frenetic energy. The concept is Mexican, with a bourbon-heavy liquor selection. As expected from Hoof alumni, the new spot looks meat-heavy.

“I wanted to do something that’s like crack,” Tooke told The Star, “and at a price point that you can eat it again.”

We can’t wait to check it out.

Grand Electric, 1330 Queen St. W., 416-627-3459

[Toronto Star]

This article has been updated and edited from a previous version.

Honour the man, the legacy and the moustache at tonight’s Movember for Jack tribute party

By

-

1:57 pm

0

Time flies when you’ve sprouted facial hair for a good cause. With December around the corner, it’s almost time for all those well-meaning “mo bros” to dust off their razors and shave their Burt Reynolds wannabes down the sink (to the gratitude of supportive “mo sistas” and mo bro partners everywhere, we’re sure). But hold on. Before the bros get reacquainted with their upper lips, there’s an awesome tribute party to go to at The Great Hall tonight.

The event is brought to you by the ‘mo-sporting Kyle Iannuzi and Steven Fish, who are behind the Movember for Jack network, and it promises to be a good time.

There’s reason to celebrate. So far, the group has raised over $90,000 as part of a nation-wide homage to Canada’s beloved, perpetually-moustached Jack Layton, earning it one of the top rankings amongst Movember fundraising networks nationwide.

With performers such as Tanika Charles and The Wonderfuls, Guiness World Record-holding escape artist Scott Hammell — performing Houdini’s famous milk can escape — and a DJ set by Broken Social Scene’s Brendan Canning, the event stretches to the wee hours.

It all started, Iannuzi says, with a phone call to MP Justin Trudeau (who, it seems, can really rock the ‘stash).

“I said, look, we’re running a network,” Iannuzi says. The call got other MPs to join the network, and, once word spread, city hall’s moliticians signed up too. Mike Layton and Olivia Chow, Iannuzi says, are happy about the event.

What a great way to fight prostate cancer while honouring the man and the moustache.

Movember for Jack, The Great Hall, Nov. 24, 9:30 p.m.

Three autumn cocktails from three awesome restaurants

By

-

11:57 am

0

It only seems natural that in a city where excellent cuisine and diverse flavours are a source of cultural pride, purveyors of fine cocktails are becoming much easier to find. These days, restaurant bars in Toronto are mirroring their kitchens’ offerings by taking a seasonal, artisanal and signature approach to cocktails. This season, dark spirits and autumnal flavours inspired by crisp citrus, wood fires and syrupy preserves are gracing the drink lists of some of Toronto’s best restaurants. Here are three perfect-for-autumn cocktails.

Autunno a Belluno, Buca, $13 (pictured above)

It’s rich, it’s sweet, it’s classy and it’s accompanied by a single preserved chestnut cradled in an etched spoon. A blend of scotch, lemon juice, black walnut bitters, cinnamon and the house-made fig preserve featured in Buca’s sanguinaccio dessert, the Autunno a Belluno (named for autumn in a northern Italian town) makes an elegant liquid dessert.

Autuno a Belluno, like all of Buca’s cocktails, is intended to “reflect the philosophy of the restaurant and complement the menu,” says bar manager Christian Petronio, who is is developing Buca’s list alongside bartender Dave Mastromatteo and sous chef Daniel Janetos.

Together, the Buca crew uses fresh, seasonal ingredients while putting its own twist on things.

Think of this autumnal treat as a teaser for the liquid goods at the anticipated Bar Buca, which plans to open at 75 Portland Street early in the New Year. Petronio predicts that Bar Buca will be more “cocktail friendly” than the wine-heavy libation list at its parent location.

Buca, 604 King Street W., 416-865-1600

The Velvet Glove, Splendido, $16

A customer once likened Christina Kuypers’s cocktails to an idiomatic velvet glove. Her resultant namesake concoction reveals why. The smooth initial sip — a complex blend of honeyed, bitter and burnt flavours — is quickly followed by a firm slap from the cocktail’s deep rum base. The Velvet Glove, a blend of El Dorado 12-year-old rum, Cynar and Amaro Montenegro garnished with burnt orange cheek, is a balanced, bittersweet sophisticate.

The lovely lady behind Splendido’s bar takes a pragmatic and detailed approach to mixing, stressing the importance of having “a clear vision of what you want to accomplish” when it comes to cocktail creation.

The Velvet Glove is a great appetite-primer. The inclusion of Cynar — a bitter Italian aperitif made predominantly from artichokes — helps build gastronomical anticipation. All the better to enjoy the sumptuous dishes that have contributed to Splendido’s deservedly excellent reputation.

Splendido, 88 Harbord St., 416-929-7788

Admiral MacCutcheon, Campagnolo, $14

A smoky-sweet blend of Bowmore scotch, vanilla-infused Cointreau, fino sherry and angostura bitters, Campagnolo’s Admirial MacCutcheon is what you picture yourself drinking in front of a blazing granite fireplace, swaddled in a brocade bathrobe with your feet propped on a gold-encrusted ottoman. It kind of makes you feel like you’re the most interesting man (or woman) in the world, sipping a sultry scotch alternative because it just isn’t the time or place for a Dos Equuis.

The vanilla and orange notes from the infused Cointreau bestow a smooth potability, and the orange peel is a refreshing complement to the cocktail’s smoky nose.

Bartender Josh Lindley tries to keep his cocktail menu seasonal and local to parallel the kitchen’s offerings while taking a playful approach to his craft.

“I want to get people as excited about booze as I can,” he says.

He pulls the wool over my eyes with a high tale of Admiral MacCutcheon’s great legacy — only to admit that his cocktail is actually named after a running whisky reference on Lost.

After a long sip of the stiff and smokey Admiral, my embarrassing ignorance of pop culture just doesn’t matter anymore. Besides, everything tastes better when accompanied by a narrative.

Campagnolo, 832 Dundas St. W., 416-364-4785

Grab of the Week: an illustrated set of fashion-inspired holiday cards

By

-

11:05 am

0

Three French hens decked out in Chanel, four fashion bloggers sitting in front row, five Gucci handbags and a Prada-clad model in a pear tree. Wondering what the heck we’re talking about? We’re singing “The Twelve Days of Christmas” with a fashion spin! But we can’t take the credit for the lyrics: we got them from Toronto-based illustrator Monica Smiley of Eighty Seventh ST.’s fashion-inspired holiday greeting cards.

Her limited edition box set, “Twelve Days of Fashion,” has suddenly got us all pumped up for the holidays and excitedly writing out greeting cards to every glam person we know and love. All together now: “on the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me…”

Twelve Days of Fashion, limited edition box set by Eighty Seventh ST., $30.

Grace Carroll is a Toronto-based freelance writer whose work has appeared in ELLE UK, ELLEcanada.com, Plaid magazine and FILLER magazine. Keep up with her daily blog at www.graciecarroll.com.

The Breakfast Hub: Maple Leaf Gardens loses its logo, St. James Park gets unoccupied, the Wi-Fi protest

By

-

9:00 am

0

The iconic Maple Leaf logo atop Maple Leaf Gardens has disappeared as the building undergoes its transformation into a supermarket. There are no plans to replace the logo.
[Toronto Star]

St. James Park is officially unoccupied. Police removed the last yurts from the area yesterday.
[CBC]

York Region parents pulled their children from classrooms and picketed outside the district school board offices yesterday in Wi-Fi protest. Parents are concerned that Wi-Fi could be exposing their children to radiation.
[Globe and Mail]

A report commissioned by Environment Canada has discovered that Canadians would be willing to pay $508 per household per year to help save polar bears.
[Toronto Star]

GTA Sports and Entertainment is looking at opening a 20,000 seat, $300-million arena in Markham.
[National Post]

Be careful with snow removal this season! Researchers at Queen’s University have confirmed what anecdotal evidence had previously suggested: snow shoveling causes heart attacks.
[Toronto Sun]

Putting up your Dukes

By

-

4:00 pm

0

Growing up and playing music in sleepy Oshawa, Wayne Petti and Paul Lowman, the two founding members of Cuff the Duke, thought they stumbled upon the next big thing by combining their love of punk rock with the good old-fashioned country grit of singers such as Hank Williams and Johnny Cash. Alt-country, they’d call it. They’d be stars. Ahem.

When they started playing shows at the venerable Horseshoe Tavern, they caught on when they heard people comparing their sound to bands such as Wilco, who’d pioneered the sound years before.

“It was Craig Laskey (one of the owners), and he said, ‘You guys are like Wilco meets …’ and he rattled off all these bands. We were like, ‘That’s amazing…. Oh wait, so we didn’t come up with it? Oh, OK,’” says Petti, vocalist and guitarist for the band.

Maybe they didn’t invent alt-country, but, as their newest album demonstrates, they do it very well. Their latest effort is the band’s strongest statement to date and has been a long time coming.

“Essentially it’s been done for months,” Petti explains.

“We signed to Paperbag, sorted out that whole deal, so it’s been a long time coming, and it’s great to finally get it out there.”

The album is called Morning Comes, the band’s fifth album, and it’s easily their most ambitious both vocally and musically, with complex harmonies and layers of sound that take the band into new sonic territory.

“To us, that’s the most important thing. With this record, we were really expanding, and that was a goal of ours: really just expanding on the foundation we already had,” Petti explains.

Morning Comes is billed as a “concept album” in the band’s press materials, but really the songs are similar thematically and constitute part one of a two-part album series.

Part one explores love and loss and loneliness — fine material for a country-tinged band — and part two will come out the other side and be more hopeful and energetic.

“It was just the easiest way to put it [using ‘concept’]. Personally, we felt we were on the brink of something and that everything that has happened in the past helped us get to this point,” says Petti.

“We’re getting older, going through life, and as you get older, people in your life go away or pass away or grow apart, and the songs have that element of coming to grips with becoming an adult and that shift that happens.”

No, it’s not a total downer, dudes. There are a few sombre tracks, but the mood is more reflective and understanding than stewing in a pot of discontent.

“It’s not conceptual in an obvious way,” Petti explains.

“We hope people can read into them what they want and get something out of it. My favourite songs have always been like that.” Back as producer is Greg Keelor, of Blue Rodeo, continuing in their collaboration that began when Cuff the Duke toured with the Toronto stalwarts years ago.

“He’s very passionate, and it’s really inspiring when a guy like that is getting behind what you’re doing,” says Petti. “I wouldn’t say he’s intense, but you get in there and he knows what he wants. And he really respects our vision, so he was great at bringing those two things together.”

The name of the band, says Petti, is from a T-shirt he wore while performing in his hometown, as a solo artist, and it stuck. Cuff the Duke released their debut album, Life Stories for Minimum Wage, on Three-Gut Records in 2002.

Morning Comes hit stands on Oct. 4, and the band is now on a cross-Canada tour that will bring them to the Horseshoe Tavern on Nov. 25 and 26. For information go to www.cufftheduke.ca.

So what, exactly, does Loblaws have planned for Maple Leaf Gardens anyway?

By

-

2:59 pm

0

While construction crews continue to chip away at the Ryerson athletic facility on the upper level of the former Maple Leaf Gardens arena, Loblaws is preparing for its grand opening next week. Sure, Maple Leaf Gardens has been sitting idly for nearly a decade, but really, a grocery store? That’s the best we could do? Still, we can’t help but wonder what the big box giant has planned. Below, a sneak peak into some weird and wonderful features of the new Loblaws.

1. The Amazing Wall of Cheese. It sounds like the eighth wonder of the world, only for foodies. This is a staggering, 18-foot high wall of cheese that will stand between you and safety. What do you do? Eat it, of course. And while you’re at it, sample the 400 other cheeses from around the globe that lay stacked on shelves. Then, when you’re done digesting that, tackle the 100-pound wheel of Stilton, one of 100 in the world. You’ll be a cheese connoisseur in no time.

2. Hand-chiseled chocolate. Loblaws’ patisserie will have chocolate made by hand, chiseled in chunks. You can stand behind the glass and watch them make it, or you can take home a bag and eat it. Your choice.

3. The Tea Emporium. Sample one of 10 different flavours that will be brewed throughout the day, or make your way through 100 flavours of loose-leaf tea, like white tea, pear and apple, ginger or black tea. The only tea flavour that’s not here is beef, apparently — but nobody drinks that anyway.

4. In-house chefs. Watch on as these food ninjas — 14 of them, mind you — chop and dice take-out meals. We can’t tell you who these chefs are — I mean, we could, but we’d have to kill you. But really, we just don’t know yet, since Loblaws hasn’t disclosed them.

5. Free Wi-Fi. You know, just because.

The Breakfast Hub: pricey leaf collection escapes cuts, police enter Occupy site, the boons of global warming

By

-

9:02 am

0

Residents of Etobicoke and parts of Scarborough may enjoy fall a bit more than people in other areas of the city this year. Despite rampant budget cuts, leaf collection in those areas has managed to escape the axe.
[Toronto Star]

With a number of diehard protesters remaining, Toronto police moved in on Occupy Toronto protestors in St. James Park early Wednesday morning. The teardown and cleanup is expected to take all day.
[Toronto Sun]

Councillor Norm Kelly, chair of Toronto’s parks and environment committee, says that global warming will thicken the city’s tree canopy.
[Toronto Star]

The City of Toronto is getting into the condo business as an investor for the 75-storey tower proposed at 10 York Street.
[National Post]

While branch closures and reduced hours are no longer options, job cuts and the elimination of adult literacy programs are now being considered to reduce Toronto’s library budget.
[Globe and Mail]