New Chinatown dance club has a tropical twist
Read my profile of Aruba Bar & Lounge in the bars section.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
New Chinatown dance club has a tropical twist
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Radar: Authors At Harbourfront, Post A Letter Social Activity Club, Cults, Toronto Erotica Writers and Readers Meetup
Radar: Authors At Harbourfront, Post A Letter Social Activity Club, Cults, Toronto Erotica Writers and Readers Meetup
Authors at Harbourfront returns tonight with another great spread of talented novelists sharing their work with an appreciative audience. Sadie Jones is a highly acclaimed British author whose latest, "The Uninvited Guests," takes place in the Edwardian era and involves more than a hint of the supernatural. Canadian author Owen Laukkanen's first novel, "The Professionals," is a riveting thriller about a group of friends who turn to kidnapping as a means to earn income. Scandinavian crime author, Liza Marklund rounds out this great literary lineup, and her recent novel, "Vanished," features the charismatic character of Annika Bengtzon, a reporter for the Stockholm Evening Post who is presented with a complex set of circumstances to decipher. This promises to be a riveting evening for fiction fans!
Harbourfront Centre (235 Queens Quay West) 7:30PM $10 (FREE to members/students/youth)
CULTURE | Post A Letter Social Activity Club
The Post A Letter Social Activity Club gathers this evening at The Holy Oak Cafe. This group holds the handwritten word in high esteem, believing that it has more impact than the modern digital version, and has more staying power. Handwritten letters, notes and cards are forever and have presence when held in ones hands and read. Emails... not so much. Handwriting is unique to each individual, and unless you invent your own font, you don't have a chance at standing out visually in an email. This group has been getting together at various TO locations for a while now, sipping drinks and writing for the sheer love of it. PAL-SAC will now take place on the last Wednesday of each month at The Holy Oak.
Holy Oak Cafe (1241 Bloor Street West) 7PM
MUSIC | Cults at The Phoenix
New York band Cults hit The Phoenix tonight. This new group has only been around for a few years, but has made a big splash in a short time, having garnered thumbs-up from Pitchfork right out of the gate for their debut EP, and being signed to Lily Allen's In The Name Of imprint on Columbia/Sony. Their sound is an interesting one, with strong melodies and a seriously retro approach that brings to mind The Pleasure Seekers and Phil Spector's work in his heyday. The band is a duo, but expand to a five-piece for their live shows.
Phoenix Concert Theatre (410 Sherbourne Street) 8PM $20
BOOKS & LIT | Toronto Erotica Writers and Readers Meetup April 2012
It's time once again for this month's Toronto Erotica Writers and Readers Meetup. This is a monthly gathering for those who are actively involved in erotic prose or poetry, and those who enjoy it as well. A discussion on the need to incorporate "safer sex" into erotic literature will get the ball rolling, so to speak, followed by an "interactive icebreaker", and then the centerpiece of the evening: an open mic that will be broadcast online.
Tequila Bookworm (512 Queen Street West) 7PM
OTHER EVENTS ON OUR RADAR
THE EROS CABARET!
Bad Decisions!!
Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO Toronto events calendar or contact us directly.
For Toronto movie showtimes, view our Movie Listings section.
Photo by DAN LAVOIE in the blogTO Flickr pool
Monday, April 23, 2012
Toronto through the lens of Chris Young
Toronto through the lens of Chris Young
Young was born in England and spent years working outside of Toronto, but finds that there is a better work balance here. We caught up with him to find out more about how he started as a photographer and to see if he'd dish any dirt on the celebrities he's shot over the years
What made you pick up a camera in the first place?
It was almost accidental. Photography is my second career. I used to run a reprographics company in London, but it wasn't really for me, and I left it one day. I took some time off and started idly playing with a camera that a girlfriend of mine at the time had. I sent in a couple of pictures I took into a competition that one of the papers ran, and it won. The competition was to qualify in another competition to vie for a place as a photographer on the Camel Trophy tour. I won the UK leg, but didn't quite make it in the worldwide selection.
One of the editors, Mark Whitfield, who at the time was working on the sports desk at the Mail on Sunday newspaper took an interest in my photos. Mark's one of those amazing guys who wants to help people on their way, so he had a chat with the picture editor for that section, Nick Wainwright, and they let me go and shoot lower league games using their pass. I didn't get paid, and to be fair the pictures at first were pretty awful, but I got the bug there. I kept plugging away, getting a bit better every week, and one day one of their shooter's cars broke down on the way to a game. I was around the corner and filled in. I got a picture used, and by-line, which was amazing. I don't think I stopped smiling all week. It went from there. It's all Mark and Nick's fault. I owe them everything.
I don't think there is an average day. That's why I consider myself to be very lucky. I might shoot for CP, or the Globe or the New York Times, Macleans or for a corporate client. It's all totally different, and no day is the same. I love that. Having worked in the corporate world and coming into this, I can appreciate how lucky we are as photographers. We go to interesting places, meet interesting people and get the best seats in the house at sports games. It's not so bad.
Do you find that you're still able to shoot in a recreational capacity?
Totally, that's the beauty of the digital age. It's accessible to everyone, all the time. You can pick up your phone and take a photo. You can be impulsive. It doesn't have to be a work of art, but if you feel it, and you see it, you can take a picture of it.
Working in Toronto is great. If I'm absolutely honest, I think as a rule, Canadians have a much better approach to work/life balance and are generally nicer to each other. Working in the press environment in Europe can be a little crazy. Maybe it comes down to saturation and density. In London, for example, there are nine daily national newspapers and six major wire agencies, not to mention smaller agencies, entertainment photographers, etc.
That's a lot of dogs after the same bone, and photographers are competitive by nature, especially in a 24 hour news environment. I literally had a photo editor once watch me get a picture on a live TV feed, call me up and make me file it that instant, even as the subject was still getting chased down the street by TV crews. Here I think there's a better perspective. It's something I find in Canadian society as a whole.
Just on a personal level, the ROM. I know architecturally it's not everyone's cup of tea, but I love it. I use any excuse to go there. They also have a great cafeteria, so I can grab lunch there too. It's a win win. That and at home, as it's where my kids are, and I love taking pictures of them.
Do you have horror story about a portrait subject you've shot?
There's been a few. One high profile British politician literally gave me 30 seconds. I walked in the room and he set his watch running. As soon as the second hand hit 30, he got up out of chair and walked off, without a word.
There's been a few "hollywood divas" too. I don't want to go into names, more out of respect for the outlets I was shooting for, but one star insisted that I could only shoot one type of picture of her, as it was "the picture." I think i filed a picture of her having her hair pulled around by the stylist, which probably wasn't "the picture" she had in mind.
I've also had to shoot a portrait of the Queen and Prince Phillip a couple times. That's a tough one. They're perfectly lovely, but it feels like a lot of pressure at the time. When you walk away, you realize it's just a picture, and it's not exactly as if you're performing brain surgery, but at the time...
Would you say you have a particular style that you've tried to develop?
Not really, I'm just trying to develop. I'm self-taught, so I always try to learn something new and improve. Coming to Toronto has been great for that, as I pretty much had to prove myself all over again, which means starting from scratch. Some people may think I do, but i'm just trying to do the best I can.
On average we get two minutes to take a portrait of someone who has been sitting there all day, in the same hotel room, getting asked similar questions, and then have a camera shoved in their face by different people. So it's fast and dirty.
Personally I think it's important to try and get a connection with someone quickly, so they're engaged, and you can communicate any ideas that you have. I try and find out something interesting about the people I get to photograph, so we have something to chat about that's maybe not what they're expecting or we have in common, and hopefully that gives you a better chance of getting an interesting picture. It can be personal or innocuous, but if it helps you connect, then it's great.
RAPID FIRE QUESTIONS:
Where do you get your caffeine fix? Tango Coffee Palace
Favourite Toronto building/landmark? My house / the ROM
First camera you owned? A Minolta point and shoot film camera
Digital of Film? Digital
Canon or Nikon? Canon
Favourite lens? Canon 50mm 1.2
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS:
9 awesome almond milk cappuccinos in Toronto
9 awesome almond milk cappuccinos in Toronto
Once mastered though, the combination of high quality espresso and perfectly steamed almond milk makes for a truly unique cappuccino that everyone should experience. Here are my picks for the best places to get a quality almond milk cappuccino in Toronto.
Crema (all locations)
Crema's almond milk cappuccinos are made with their 49th Parallel espresso blend and unsweetened almond milk. At any of their four locations you can expect a consistently bold-flavoured cappuccino made with perfectly foamed unsweetened almond milk and a rich, velvety foam.
Manic Coffee
Here, an almond milk cappuccino is made from a single shot of Intelligentsia coffee and creamy steamed unsweetened almond milk that is served in an adorable branded cup. This cappuccino is mild in flavour and goes down smoothly. This cappuccino pairs especially well with one of their hazelnut and chocolate croissants that are baked in-house.
Little Nicky's
Little Nicky's takes a no-nonsense approach to their cappuccinos. Almond milk cappuccinos made for stay-in visits are served in small clear glasses. The almond milk complements their fantastic espresso and hits you immediately upon your first sip. It's hard to resist adding an order of their tiny homemade donuts.
Merchants of Green Coffee
Despite its relatively remote location, Merchants of Green is always worth the visit. Their espresso has a hint of sweetness to it and is fantastic with the unsweetened almond milk that they use. This exceptionally smooth cappuccino needs no added sugar as it's perfect on its own.
Mylk Uncookies
Mylk Uncookies does many things well, and making their own almond milk from scratch is at the top of the list. The almond milk cappuccino comes in a generous cup, almost resembling a latte but the slightly sweet almond milk combined with a pleasantly mild espresso make it a worthwhile treat. Ordering an Empowered or Chocolate Peanut Butter cookie (both made in-house) is highly recommended.
Café Pamenar
Located slightly south of College on Augusta, almond milk cappuccinos here are guaranteed to deliver a strong caffeine kick with their bold and slightly bitter espresso. Made with expertly steamed unsweetened almond milk, this dark cappuccino can be enjoyed on its own or with a little sugar for those who prefer a slightly milder coffee.
The Grind House
Just a few doors down from Café Pamenar, the Grind House offers a lighter-tasting almond milk cappuccino thanks to the use of sweeter almond milk and a slightly bigger serving size. The end result is a smooth-tasting cappuccino with a pleasant aftertaste that always tempts me to order another.
Jimmy's Coffee
The coffee at Jimmy's is good, and their almond milk cappuccinos are even better. Tucked away on Portland just north of King, the cafe has a casual neighbourhood feel and this carries through with their almond milk cappuccino offering - a simple, strong espresso that's well balanced with steamed almond milk and foam.
R-squared Cafe
Near Queen and Palmerston, R-squared has earned a reputation for serving high-quality coffee. Almond milk enhances, rather than overpowers the espresso in their cappuccino. With lots of seating, free WiFi, and a wide range of sandwiches and baked goods to choose from, it's also an ideal location to linger and get some work done.
Writing by Alison Ku
Friday, April 20, 2012
Weekend events in Toronto: April 20 - 22
Weekend events in Toronto: April 20 - 22
Posted by Staff / April 20, 2012
Weekend
events in Toronto is our guide to events happening every Friday,
Saturday and Sunday. Watch for it here on Fridays around midday. Here's
what's happening in Toronto this weekend, April 20-22, 2012.PARTIES
Friday Night Live at the ROM
There is a party happening at the ROM tonight. Yeah, you heard us. To put it in their words, "history just got hot." This is the kick off to ROM's themed programming happening every Friday for the next 10 weeks. Check out more details on the events that'll follow this one. Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen's Park, April 20, 6 p.m. - 11 p.m., $9 general cover, $8 for students and ROM members free entry. Food and drinks start at $5. Visitors must be 19 years of age and provide ID.
There is a party happening at the ROM tonight. Yeah, you heard us. To put it in their words, "history just got hot." This is the kick off to ROM's themed programming happening every Friday for the next 10 weeks. Check out more details on the events that'll follow this one. Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen's Park, April 20, 6 p.m. - 11 p.m., $9 general cover, $8 for students and ROM members free entry. Food and drinks start at $5. Visitors must be 19 years of age and provide ID.
Hip-Hop Karaoke
What we can only imagine will lead to embarrassing yourself after having one too many drinks - hip-hop karaoke is happening tonight at Revival. Hosted by Abdominal & More or Les with DJ Numeric & Ted Dancing. There will also be over 600 rap anthems to choose from. Revival Bar, 783 College St., April 20, doors open at 10 p.m., cover is $10 before 11 p.m.
FESTIVALWhat we can only imagine will lead to embarrassing yourself after having one too many drinks - hip-hop karaoke is happening tonight at Revival. Hosted by Abdominal & More or Les with DJ Numeric & Ted Dancing. There will also be over 600 rap anthems to choose from. Revival Bar, 783 College St., April 20, doors open at 10 p.m., cover is $10 before 11 p.m.
Yo La Tengo Presents: The Sound of Science (Image Festival Closing Night Gala)
The closing night gala for the Images Festival is happening Saturday. The gala will feature the Sounds of Science alongside an original soundtrack composed and performed live by Yo La Tengo. Toronto Underground Cinema, 186 Spadina Avenue, April 21, buy your tickets online or at Rotate This and Soundscapes for $25.
The closing night gala for the Images Festival is happening Saturday. The gala will feature the Sounds of Science alongside an original soundtrack composed and performed live by Yo La Tengo. Toronto Underground Cinema, 186 Spadina Avenue, April 21, buy your tickets online or at Rotate This and Soundscapes for $25.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Hot Docs 2012 preview
Hot Docs 2012 preview
The festival runs from April 26th through May 6th, so it might be time to start thinking about getting tickets. If you aren't too sure where to start, here is a short rundown of this year's festival, and a few docs you might want to hit.
What's new this year?
Well, the festival's own year-round digs: The Bloor Hot Docs Cinema. The Annex landmark just reopened in March 2012 after a slick reno job, with an upgraded projection and sound system, and pretty comfy seating.
And in what sounds like very cool initiative for film buffs outside of the downtown core, the festival is introducing Hot Docs Live! this year. That is, simulcast screenings and interactive q&a's of two of high-profile movies at Cineplex theatres all over Canada, and wide-spread across the GTA (including the Eglinton Town Centre, Mississauga, Hamilton, and many more).
The first to go live from The Bloor Cinema is China Heavyweight, in which Yung Chang (Up the Yangtze) takes a peek inside the lives of young boxing recruits in rural China (on May 2, 9:00 p.m. ET). Also likely to be a crowd-pleaser, the video game makers profiled in Indie Game: The Movie have captured the imagination of HBO heads, who have already acquired remake rights for a fictional TV series based on the film (on May 3, 9:00 p.m. ET).
What to see
In terms of the various programs, Rise Against and Nightvision have some of the edgier titles. Rise Against is a very timely set that includes a profile of the online activist group Anonymous, in We Are Legion: The Story Of The Hacktivists, and citizen-journalists in China in High Tech, Low Life. Stay up past midnight to find out all you ever needed to know about 80's female wrestling comedians at GLOW: The Story Of The Gorgeous Ladies Of Wrestling (tip: tickets are $5 after 11pm).
Canadian highlights include the father-son martial arts film Legend Of A Warrior, The Boxing Girls Of Kabul, Herman's House, and Najeeb Mirza's Buzkashi!, that goes into the world of a horse-riding battle sport played in the Tajikistani mountains.
Tchoupitoulas got my attention with the trailer above. It follows three teenage boys running around in the French Quarter of New Orleans, while Canned Dreams follows a can of ravioli through 8 countries at every step of its production. Academy Award-nominated Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (Jesus Camp) take us through modern day Detroit with Detropia. Mads Brügger (The Red Chapel) takes us undercover with a diplomatic passport to expose corruption in Liberia with The Ambassador. Oh, and of course there is LCD Soundsystem's last concert movie, Shut Up And Play The Hits.
I for one am hoping the following mysteries will be solved: Will Iceland's Penis Museum finally get a human specimen? (The Final Member) Is the teenager found in Spain really a boy who disappeared from Texas three and a half years earlier? (The Imposter) What was James Franco really doing on General Hospital? (Francophrenia (Or: Don't Kill Me, I Know Where The Baby Is))
Still not sure? The programming team has offered to help you decide. Hot Docs announced on Twitter yesterday that they would offer up personal recommendations if you tweet "Show Me" with 2 themes using the hashtag #hotdocs12 (e.g., Show Me music + skateboarding #hotdocs12).
Get tickets
Tickets are $14.50 each, $115 for 10, or $205 for 20 and are available online.
Or drop by the documentary Box Office:
783 Bathurst Street (1 Block South of Bloor)
Open 7 Days a Week, M-F: 11am-7pm, S-S: 11am-5pm,
April 26-May 6: 11am-9pm
(P) 416-637-5150
Last I checked, 28 films had gone rush, which leaves us with 161 options still available.
View the rush list here. According to Hot Docs, more that 80% of rush liners got into to screenings in the past. Lineups start to form about an hour before each screening.
Still from We Are Legion: The Story Of The Hacktivists courtesy of Hot Docs.
What Will Director James Cameron Do In Outer Space?
What Will Director James Cameron Do In Outer Space?
Published on Xbox Kinect Review: It's a Brand New Console | shared via feedly
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