Ghost of Christmas Repasts

For the last post of 2015, I'll cover meals that I've had over the last several weeks. Being the Holiday season, there was more group dining than usual. It all started with 4 lunches at work.

The first was a Thursday lunch at Sashimi House. Despite being a low-end sushi joint and tucked inside a  nondescript suburban plaza, it was packed for lunch. I had one of their "boat" ($17). It seemed like a good deal for miso soup, salad, ice cream, tempura and 14 pieces of sushi. But it really wasn't. Most of the sushi were maki rolls (12 pieces), and the extra sides were run-of-the-mill. For contrast, Mazz Sushi offers a similar combo for $14 with a selection of all nigiri rolls.

The following Thursday, we trekked to Richmond Hill to have dim sum at Dragon Boat Fusion Cuisine. It was a first for some people, but a second time here for me. Astonishly, 24 dishes only came to $130 with tax and tip. That was about $13 per person, an amount that you can't even get for a cheap brunch outside of an old-school diner. Yet the service was prompt and the dim sum top-notch: flavourful and huge.

For the 3rd Thursday, we decided to have an office pot-luck. There was the usual mix between store-bought (e.g., Portuguese chorizo rolls, samosas, latkes, veggie dip platter) and home-made dishes (e.g., chili, vegetarian lasagna, ice cream, carrot cake). The trick is to select options that complement each other. Finally and out-of-the-blue, we had Nando's chicken on Tuesday thanks to Corporate largesse. Perhaps it had something to do with the recent surge of staff turnovers.

Just before Christmas, I met up with friends at The Works in Ottawa. I don't think the gourmet burger trend has come to the Capital because this chain could use some competition. There was nothing wrong with my $15 patty, covered with horseradish and goat cheese. But for a joint that does nothing but burgers and the usual sides (fries, onion rings, etc.), it was decidedly bland. I suppose if I was the young teenagers on a double-date a couple of tables over, I might be more excited over the ambience.

There was no turkey for Christmas day. Instead, it was a pot-luck lunch of chicken wings, asian cabbage slaw, Ethiopian-style samosas (brought by myself from Toronto), Vietnamese rice rolls, sweet meatballs, and more. The variety made for a nice meal. But I did get my turkey after all. A few days later, I had leftovers at a friend's that included turkey, mash potatoes, gravy, and even cranberry sauce. There was also home-made salsa and a slice of savoury tourtière.

The rest of the Holidays was spent eating home-made food and sleeping the afternoon away (with a yoga class here and there to keep the weight gain reasonable).

National Arts Carols

On Friday, I was at the NAC for their Christmas show. The orchestra would typically play some Holiday-related music as well as collaborate with other performers. This year, it was folk singer David Myles and jazz vocalist Emilie-Claire Barlowe. It was an evening of hits and misses, though luckily more of the former.

In an effort to expand from the usual Christmas songs, the NAC played other music. Of the 3, I only enjoyed the Fantasia on Greensleeves. Kozaky (an 8-bar traditional song) was too slight to stretch to several minutes, and A Charlie Brown Christmas was nostalgic fun but seemed a bit anemic.

David Myles' music veered between bittersweet (It's Christmas) and silly (Santa Never Brings Me a Banjo). But though a genial and funny musician, the amphitheatre was too large for his quiet songs. Emilie-Claire Barlowe was a better fit. With her festive gown, soaring voice, and assured presence, she was at home on the stage. Overall, she was best with just her band. Their samba take on Sleigh Ride was the highlight, with its joyful complexity and fun. The slower tunes such as The Christmas Song made the best use of the swelling orchestral arrangement and Barlowe's bright voice. The other numbers bored me with their smooth jazz feel. I couldn't help but think of Bry Webb's collaboration with the "Massey Hall Band": a meld of pop and orchestra that didn't sound like elevator music.

Barlowe was raised an anglophone from English-speaking parents. But being gifted with such a "beautiful French name", she has lately begun to learn the language, even putting out a French CD a few years ago. So she thrilled the bilingual crowd with a few chansons including a cover of Diane Tell's Si j'étais un homme. At the end of her set, Myles joined Barlowe for a duet or two, ending the night with a crowd singalong of Silent Night.

What Child Is This

On Friday night, the monthly Long Winter show was bumped to the next day for Maylee Todd's Virtual Womb. This local musician has always dabbled in visual/performance arts and she has enlisted her friends to collaborate in an evening-long performance piece. The venue was packed and a number of people lining up outside couldn't score any last-minute tickets.

True to the title, Roxanne Ignatius has created a giant vulva, complete with patchy hair, to cover the entrance to the main hall. Inside, the audience was encouraged to remove their shoes, spread out blankets, and get cozy. Before the show, the ceiling projection played a CG gestation from fertilized egg to fetus while the speakers emitted a thumping heartbeat.

When Maylee Todd and her backup vocals (Maya Kiltron, Genevieve Marentette, Janelle Monique) came out, they stayed on the floor with the crowd. The stage was reserved for the string section and various dancers. Each song was accompanied by a trippy, funny, or psychedelic montage shown overhead. So some people chose to spend the whole evening lying back in relaxation. I switched between looking at the videos, and watching the band, especially the funkier numbers when Todd joined the dancers in some tight choreography.

Todd debuted some new songs (Poetry of Intuition, Lonely), older material (Successive Mutations), other projects (Downtown from her Maloo incarnation), and a couple of covers. There were some sloppiness and rough spots here and there. The projector cut out for one performance, some songs ended abruptedly, and for one tune, the strings fell completely apart and had to be conducted back in by Todd. Overall though, it was an interesting show with well-integrated music, visual arts, and dance. 

Samples In Distress

I haven't been to Sneaky Dee's for a long time, partly because they don't book as many live shows as other venues, and partly because it's mostly a dive with poor sound. Thursday night, there was a Red Bull-sponsored event, moved over from Adelaide Hall.

All three acts used pre-recorded tracks (or at least samples) augmented with live vocals. Bad Channels unfortunately lived up to their moniker. Sneaky's doesn't have great sound, and playing music through your Mac won't help. But it was the slightly flat, out-of-tune singing that ruined this set. I hope that it was due to mostly to lack of stage inexperience. They had equipment trouble and had to abort early.

Animalia had a similar set-up: a guy on drums, a female singer, and samples and tracks being triggered. But it was a night and day experience. Actual musical gear made controls easier, the drummer's manic pounding kept the energy high, and Jill Krasnicki was a force of nature. Belted  notes, low trance-y chants, random twitches, it was a theatrical performance but rooted in percussive synth music.

Head-liner U.S. Girls was even more old-school: Meg Remy manipulated samples being played through an old cassette player. Although she book-ended her set with more avant-gard, chromatic songs, her music wouldn't be out-of-place with 60s girl bands. That is, if you kept the sweet sound, but feed it through crazy electronic glitches, thumping bass, and make the lyrics a whole lot darker. Appropriate then, that her pixie haircut, and high-waisted denim outfit, seemed to invoke Joan Jett crossed with Lesley Gore.

Crazy In Love

On Friday, I was at the Burdock for a 7 pm early show. Performer Ben Caplan (and his Casual Smokers) had booked this space on short notice after they were invited to appear on CBC's Q. But despite being up since 5 a.m., Caplan was his usual manic self on Eastern European-tinged folk/pop songs like Belly of the Worm and Beautiful.

His antics seemed to have infected some of the other musicians as well. The capacity crowd ate up the great music. On this occasion, Caplan did do 2 unreleased songs that were pure pop: a "Bublé-style crooner" called On a Night Like Tonight and a hopeful ballad (Can't Hold Back Spring). But the most significant change is the recent addition of singer Taryn Kawaja, which I first heard at a First Play show. Her light alto, and piano riffs, provided a calm counterpoint to Caplan's wild singing. When she sang co-lead on tunes like Seed of Love and 40 Days And 40 Nights, she transformed them. I regret not being in town when he came through on an album release tour because she had an opening set that night.

The early start time and on-the-dot finish was due to the fact that they rented their backline for Q (and this set) and had to return the gears before 9. So they skipped the usual "faux encore". Caplan asked the crowd if they wanted "quiet" or "crazy". Crazy won, though he noted that "was an unfair question, crazy is always louder". But he gave the audience both: the aforementioned ballad and Stranger, a fan favourite complete with loud piano banging. I hope they didn't have to pay any damages on that rental equipment.

On A Steel Horse

A local radio station hosts a series of benefits Christmas concert called The Jingle Bell Series. On Thursday, I went to the Danforth Music Hall for the 1st show of the season. The headliner was husband-and-wife duo Whitehorse.

Although there were lots of instrumentation on stage including the usual drum kit, synths, guitars, and bass, there was actually no backing band. They played it all themselves, with the help of loopers, by moving from instrument to instrument. This gave a lot of their music a rhythmic quality (Sweet Disaster, No Glamour In The Hammer). But even with just the two of them on guitar, there was usually a propulsive push in their songs. It wasn't a surprise that they will be putting out an EP of blues cover because numbers like Devil's Got A Gun (with guest throat singer Tanya Tagak) clearly showed their influences.

Whitehorse claimed they've never had guest performers for any show. Because being married and touring together, their set always felt like a personal moment between them. But tonight, in addition to Tagak, they brought on several performers: Dreimanis and Fay from July Talk (Tame as the Wild One), a lucky fan on guitar (Downtown), and Doucet's father (Little Walter's My Babe). For the final song during the encore, they covered Gun Street Girl. They flubbed a lyric but as McClelland pointed out: "I mean, Tom Waits' lyrics, damn". Whitehorse certainly aimed for the same sort of timeless story-telling quality in their work.

How The Light Gets In

After a delicious dinner at Rickshaw Bar, I headed down the street to the see the National Ballet's remount of Romeo and Juliet. I saw this Ramatsky production when it debut in 2011. I enjoyed the mixture of realistic dance and semi-abstract set then, but I wasn't blown away. I thought the main pairing didn't seem to exude sufficient passion.

Tonight was different. The company has mounted it several times since then; this is one of their signature piece when they tour. Also, it was the "primo" pair tonight of Guillaume Côté as Romeo and Elena Lobsanova as Juliet. The latter has climbed the rank and was just promoted this season to principal dancer. Their passion felt genuine, and the chemistry palpable. Notably, Juliet's exuberance seemed natural and unfeigned, especially in several pas de deux where she launched herself without reservation at Côté.

They were surrounded by a great cast. The stand-out was Piotr Staczyk (Mercutio) who had both insouciance and comic timing. His death was both funny and tragic. Evan McKie made a menacing Tybalt as he was physically bigger than the other male dancers. But the cast had some sloppy coordination now and then. Notably, the sword fights seemed less visceral and dangerous than before. But these small quibbles aside, it was a great show.

Pan-Asian

I've been eyeing newish restaurant Rickshaw Bar (Queen St. W and Bathurst) as I pass by, but I'm not usually down in this area at night. Given a great review from the Globe and Mail last week-end, I finally decided to make a detour on Saturday. I aimed for an early visit, only about 10 minutes after opening in anticipation of an uptick in customers. Good thing too, because the people who came just a little later had a 30 min-1 hour wait.

The critic claimed that this was a good "cheap eats" because of the small tapas-style menu. With tax and tip, my dinner came to $72, which isn't what I'd consider a bargain. However, chef Noureen Feerasta has drawn from her South Asian heritage as well as other Asian cuisines to deliver some outstanding dishes. Both the chicken ($6) and veggie fritter ($5) tacos were crunchy and fresh. Their shell of fried paratha added some unusual flavours. The fritter wasn't quite as good since the fried veggie had too similar a taste to the taco. I was on the fence about the scallop ceviche ($12). The taste profile was excellent: a coconut milk sauce, tangy line, bursts of herb, crunchy puffed rice, and delicate, thin slices of scallop. But it was a bit of a sticker-shock for such a small portion.

The chili fish ($13) had the best price/portion ratio. A nice piece of fish, barely seared, laid on top of a bed of rice. Along with hint of lemongrass, garlic, and a slight kick, this was a great dish. The Ismaili beef curry ($15) was also exquisite. Unlike both Thai and Indian curry, this thick almost chocolatey sauce hid tender potatoes and soft beef. It was sinfully delicious. It would have also been a great deal but the side order of rice ($3) pushed into slightly into the pricey side. Although if like the critic, your palate is refined enough to taste the dozen ingredients within it, you might consider it a steal.

As for me, I'll definitely come back. But I might grab a small bite at the Pizzaiolo across the street beforehand to make it a little easier on my wallet.

Hello, My Dear

Friday night, I headed over to Lee's Palace to see two bands, both of whom were often into "epic" songs, drawn out and full of changes. First up was local band Language-Arts, although the lead singer/guitarist Kristen Cudmore is originally from the Maritimes. This was their last show touring Canada for their latest album Able Island. As such, they concentrated on new numbers including Neighbour and Fight or Flight. Cudmore's propensity for hilarious but inappropriate revelation continued with her admission that one song (Tonight, At The Campsite) was about an ex who "never looked at [her] during sex". Though their songs are often wordy, their live set was more propulsive.

The head-liner was The Dears out of Montreal. Since their oeuvre spanned some 20 years, including a new release this year, there was plenty of (usually muscular and symphonic) material to choose from. Their set opened and closed with two different recordings of Que Sera Sera. Singer/guitarist Murray Lightburn came onstage, and accompanied by a string quartet, crooned Bandwagoneers. His smooth singing ranged from a deep bass to a sweet high note on songs such as Face of Horrors, 5 Chords, and Who Are You, Defenders of the Universe? Vocalist/synth Natalia Yanchak provided a light harmonic counterpoint though she occasionally took co-lead (Onward and Downward, 22: The Death of All The Romance).

For the encore, they were joined by ex-member Robert Bentley for two rocking numbers. The crowd tonight was obviously long-time fans who embraced the new stuff and cheered on old favourites. Some expressed disbelief that somehow The Dears never became huge. Certainly, they do seem to have the same anthemic feel as another Montreal band, the more "recent" Arcade Fire.

Exeunt, Ursus

On Thursday, I went to The National Ballet's newest production, an adaptation of The Winter's Tale by choreographer Christopher Wheeldon. It would have been an evening of all Eastern European ballerinas with Jurgita Dronina (Hermione), Svetlana Lunkina (Paulina), and Elena Lobsanova (Perdita). However, the latter's partner was injured and so the pair of Perdita and Florizel was danced by Rui Huang and Skylar Campbell.

The bulk of this Shakespearean tale of jealousy really rested on the shoulder of Evan McKie as King Leontes. In order to portrayed his descent into rage and suspicion regarding the alleged infidelity of Hermione, Wheeldon combined classical ballet, angular modern movements, and plenty of pantomine. This was the case for most of the characters: joy and happiness translated to jumps and spins, while anger and despair manifested as twitchy arms and fingers.

Like his production of Alice in Wonderland, Wheeldon also love stage spectacle and complex group choreography. Although the sets were fairly abstract: columns, staircases, and marble statues, the sea scenes especially the wild storms were vividly portrayed both virtually as CGI projections onto sheets  and curtains but also physically with these same screens billowing, gusting, and transforming into sails and waves.

I thought the non-stop choreography in the second act where every permutation of sheperds and sheperdesses, Florizel, Perdita, and Father Sheperd and son was just too much. There was no time to feel or think. The third act was abbreviated and weak, but that's from the source material.

The dancing was superb throughout, but there really was only 1.5 acts of interesting narrative. And did Antigonus run off-stage, pursued by that famous bear? Yes, in the form of a towering white wave.

Feeding Time

On Saturday, I went by College and Spadina for 2 reasons: to see some cats and eat a hearty breakfast. First, about the meal. I've noticed as I pass by The Old Laurel that they were advertising a "proper fry-up" (i.e., a full English breakfast). One of my pet peeves with your typical diner or brunch spot is that you have to choose between sausage and bacon. One place actually told me (rather disingenuously I thought) that they couldn't break up the standard servings. Well, if this place has the real deal, I won't have to pick.

Most of their English breakfast options came in at $15, but the actual fry-up was called The Full Monty. When it came out, it was indeed a full meal. I wasn't sure I could finish all the food, but I gave it the old college try. Everything was fried, of course, from the hash brown, to sausage, to the bacon, ham, and eggs. Even the tomato was fried. Then there was the proper addition of beans and black pudding. Finishing it all off was a couple of pieces of toast. The menu gave you a choice of fried bread, but I passed on that overindulgence. Everything was tasty, though a bit one note (i.e., fried). Amazingly, I wasn't overstuffed but this was a once-in-a-while meal, if you want to preserve your health.

As for the cats, well next door was Toronto's first cat café. But I was disappointed, to be honest. There was a small room by the window, closed off from the rest of the space via clear glass due to health regulations, where you can go inside to play with some cats on loan from The Toronto Humane Society. They should have turned that front space into a small "closed off" serving area, and made the remaining area a large cat-friendly zone along with the usual café tables and benches. As it was, most people were sitting around, waiting for their turn to go inside the "cat nook". So it wasn't a particularly inviting place and I can't see anyone visiting more than once out of curiosity.

Projection

When I think of ethnic food mart, I usually consider Mexican, Asian, or Indian stores. But there are other ethnicities and cultures in Toronto. So my further exploration of the strip mall at Sheppard and Consumers Road revealed another nice find on Thursday. This time, it was a small Balkan/Serbian market called Mercator Euro Mini Mart. They carry a variety of food stuff including Eastern European chocolate, spreads as well as a full deli. But I was interested in what they offered for lunch.

To that end, I ordered the 10-piece cevapi meal ($9.45). I thought it mean a kabob or sausage sliced up into several pieces. In fact, it was 10 full sausages (albeit only a few inches long)! I stared at the daunting portion of meat and then dug in. They were just grilled and had a great mouth-feel and scent. Luckily there was some bread (somun), cream cheese (kaymak), and onions to go with the sausages. It was a tasty but full lunch. For their lunch specials, Mercator also have moussaka, goulash, and other dishes. So I'll have to come back and try these other items.

Mome and Pope

On Tuesday, I was exploring the back of a little strip mall at Sheppard and Consumers Road when I came across a tiny Indian vegetarian take-out spot called Vatica. This was a family affair with an older couple at the cash register. The full meal special ($8) gave you a choice of 3 selections with rice and naan. I chose potatoes and eggplant, bell peppers, and spinach and cheese.

The naan was average. It was obvious they had no tandoor oven and was simply heating up the bread. However, the vegetarian dishes were excellent: fresh, tasty but not too oily, just enough spice, and a mild heat. This was more home-style than restaurant food, so you didn't get the aggressive seasoning. All in all, this was a good find. And they have other interesting items including a back of thumb-sized samosas at $3.50 for 24.

I Get Blotto

Cross-pollination has come full circle when I went down to Kensington Market on Sunday to Otto's Berlin Döner, which offers Middle-Eastern donair in the German style. Note that this wasn't somebody's crazy hipster idea, but "authentic" German food of at least 20 years vintage. As I didn't really want a shawarma, I opted for a "currywurst" instead. I guess the Germans have whole-hearted taken to South Asian cuisine like the British.

Mine was a pork-based bratwurst ($7.85) with a side of couscous ($1). This was a nice combination to update the typical meat-heavy Bavarian meal. The bites of salad and grain gave the dish more variety. The sausage itself was tasty and substantial. The fragrant curry had a small kick and made a good sauce. The only downside was that I thought the spices would actually be mixed into the sausage stuffing.

Three Speed

I felt groggy Saturday night from a lack a sleep. But I'm glad I was able to drag myself to Handlebar that night. The 3 bands that played tonight showcased different styles of pop in excellent performances. Opener Kelly McMichael (Rouge, KM and the Gloss) played a solo set from her new venture as Renders. Though she included a few old songs from her other bands which were more indie, her new music was chill and relaxing in keeping with her self-described "stoner pop". The first single I Am Gone is perfect for radio play.

Coronado turned it up several notches. Their songs from their 3 self-released EPs are synth-pop creations meant to get your butt moving. From A Line We Never Drew, Paralysis, and Lighter Than Air (plus several songs so new they were untitled),  this was fun music full of 3-part vocal harmonies, wah-wah guitar, funky bass, and lots of spacey synth.

The night ended with Paradise Animals. It was the release party for their first full-length album. They calmed things down with dark pop (Monday Morning, Tripping on The Rails). The deep, laconic vocals reminded me of 80s pop like The Cure. So appropriate enough, they covered A Flock of Seagulls' I Ran (So Far Away).

Out of Season

The monthly Arts & Music series Long Winter is turning into a Toronto tradition along the lines of Jason Collett's Basement Revenue or The Wooden Sky's Christmas show. Though it's been diminishing returns for me, I decided to give it another go this year. So on an unseasonably warm Friday evening, I dropped by The Great Hall.

The security has gotten more zealous. There are full pat-downs now, something I rarely encounter at any other shows. The musical performances were also sparsely attended; and almost nobody even bothers with the art exhibit and other artists. Each of the 4 different rooms was maybe 25-30% full. Of those, most were talking in the back instead of paying attention.

Opener Sasha Chapin had to explicitly ask people to come closer to the stage for his acoustic set. Then it was down to the Blackbox Theatre to watch Vish Khanna interview writer/journalist Desmond Cole for Long Night. The predominantly white audience was definitely uncomfortable with his statements about systemic racism in Canada.

The highlight of the evening was Hataw, a group of filipino dancers who combined traditional dances with modern choreography and music. From fan-waving, to jumping between bamboo poles, to their own variation of "sexy club beats", it was quite enjoyable to watch. Elaquent spun and sampled urban music for an hour. Then model/singer Mieke came on for an intimate set of confessional pop tunes.

As I was leaving, I realized that security may be not just zealous but over-the-top. How to explain the hundred or so waiting outside when the venue was mostly empty?

Do or Don't

After many years in the Annex, Dooney's Café closed down. But then the owner came out of semi-retirement and re-opened this diner farther West in Bloorcourt near Bloor and Ossington. On Friday, I dropped by to grab a late lunch.

Looking over the small menu, I ordered a Dooney's club ($9) with an extra order of fries ($4). The sandwich came out looking fresh and tasty. It was OK with its combination of aioli, bacon, and chicken. The main issue was the chicken, which typical of a lot of joints, uses white chicken breast. Without any fat or skin or it, you can't do much to add much flavour. The fries were more wedge than straight-cut, reasonable enough, but lacking the great crispiness of excellent taters. This was typical pub grub.

Repeat To End

It's probably been more than 10 years since I've been to Coda at Bloor and Bathurst. Back then, it was your run-of-the-mill bar venue. Recently, it has re-invented itself as a club catering to dance music and live DJs. I went there on Thursday for a free show sponsored by Absolut Vodka.

Inside, it was sleek and black. For tonight, everything was vodka-related, even the bottle service. Numerous Absolut hostesses tried to engage you with various corporate-sponsored "art". All the exhibits had to include their bottles in some way. The music was DJed (Ferenc Stenton, Jacques Greene) but there weren't actually too many dancers on the dance floor. Most were schmoozing and talking.

At around 11:30, synth-pop singer Allie X came on. Dressed in a pink-white tulle-esque concoction, she ran through the same set as her other performances. A small but vocal crowd sang along with every song. Unlike the rest of the tonight's crowd, they were more queer, diverse, and less shinily dressed. And just like her other shows, she once again ran into technical difficulties. This time, her wireless mic stopped working just before her last song Sanctuary. A quick switch to the venue's mic and off she went. The consummate professional, I'm not sure anybody noticed that with the mic change, Allie had to sing without feedback from her in-ear monitor.

Space Cadets

Another drizzly Tuesday night at The Mod Club. I was here for some psychedelic music. First up was SWIMM. This L.A.-based band played groovy music with a lot of swirling wah-wah guitars. The lead singer's mass of tousled blond hair seemed appropriate to the genre.

The head-liners Bright Light Social Hour were from Austin, but they've come through Toronto numerous times on a series of never-ending tours. They have a good fan base here (the bassist even said, winkingly, that he wants to replace Drake and rep for Toronto). But although the crowd would pack their usual haunt at The Horseshoe Tavern, it couldn't quite fill up this larger venue. But to make up for the size, most were jammed right up to the stage.

BLSH ran through a good chunk of material from their new album "Space Is Still The Place" starting with the echoey The Moon which segued into the groovier Sweet Madelene. The new songs sounded more pop (though still psychedelic) than rock. Infinite Cities was practically a dance number. But the older tunes provided the knock-out punches. The audience went bananas for bluesy hurting song Detroit and the super funky Back and Forth.

Someone in the crowd remarked wryly that there's "something not right" about this band.  I guess if you start talking not so obliquely about mushrooms, then mused about living cozily as a fetus in a womb, and finally ended the night playing shirt-less (and pants-less), some might think you're a bit odd. But their sweet hippie demeanour was warmly embraced, and the 10-min encore Garden of the Gods had everyone grooving out; even the roadies came on stage for clap-alongs and crowd-surfing.

Double A

I've been rewarding myself with pizza after my Sunday's vigorous workout classes. But this Sunday, I decided to try a different pizza joint than my usual. So I headed over to the small diner A3 Napoli on College St., which aims to bring Italian street food to Toronto. Looking over the menu, I noticed a lot of fried stuff. They also have a stone oven for their regular pizza. So I opted for 2 kinds of pizza styles: a Neapolitan Margherita ($8) and a small Montanara ($4).

The first came out hot and gooey, dripping with tomato sauce and cheese. The ingredients were tasty and rich. However, this wasn't in the top echelon of Toronto's offerings. It lacked that crispy (and crackling) crust and did not emit that wonderful baked dough smell. The Montanara had similar toppings: cheese, tomato, basil. But the crust was fried. It was a lot of dough if you are avoiding carbs. But it had a very intriguing texture and fragrance. Surprisingly, it wasn't too oily. This was a nice treat by itself, though perhaps a bit overkill accompanied by a regular pizza. Next time, I'll focus mostly on the fried stuff from here.

Lovers In a Decadent Time

Friday night, I went to the Four Seasons Centre for a performance of La Traviata by The Canadian Opera Company. The story was about the doomed romance between Parisian courtesan Violetta and bourgeois Alfredo, mostly due to the conservative views of his father Giorgio. The opera opened with a spotlighted view of Violetta as she dressed. When the lights came on, we found ourselves in a sumptuous room cavorting with her demi-monde friends: aristocrats and their high-class escorts. They (and her) aim for a life of "pleasure" as opposed to Alfredo who entreated with her that such a life lacks "love".

I'm not a fan of opera because of all the "singing". That is, the music isn't typically compelling between the arias. With this Verdi opera, it was almost the opposite. It was practically too much of a good thing because intriguing melodies followed one after another. Most beautiful were the duets. In contrast, I found the solos almost anti-climatic.

As for the story, I watched it with amused ambivalence. I had recently finished an academic polemic called "Single: Arguments for the Uncoupled". Professor Michael Cobb argued that many of the problems, most especially loneliness, are wrongly ascribed to singles. In fact, it's the couple who's to blame. So as La Traviata progressed to its tragic ending, I couldn't help but think Violetta would have been better off dismissing the moon-eyed attention of Alfredo. She would still die of consumption, but without all that drama.

Lunchable

I was in the Beverley and Dundas St. W neighbourhood around noon to grab some last-minute opera tickets, so I dropped by cheap Japanese diner Manpuku. Luckily, I just got before the lunchtime rush. Many OCAD students and other workers have discovered this little gem, though the surrounding food court has most of the traffic. This is always a bit weird because the food here is just as cheap and tastier.

It's been a year and I noticed that they have a few more dishes on the menu. I stuck with perennial favourite Tsukichi Udon ($5.49) but also went with the new Tofu Nugget ($3.99). I enjoyed the noodle soup with its mix of seaweed, fish cakes, and egg. The udon was a just a tad on the soft side, probably because the kitchen was rushing around fulfilling orders. The nuggets looked just like its fast-food counterpart (but vegan). With a crispy skin coated with slightly sweet sauce, you couldn't even really tell it was tofu. They were stuffed with various veggies. I thought the carrot one was a better fit than the asparagus.

Birch Jerk

On Wednesday, I headed over to Chris Jerk on Birchmount for lunch. Although there are a few small tables, most people do take out at this popular and busy Jamaican joint. As such, there were several cooks behind the front counter grill, and several more in the kitchen in the back.

I got a substantial jerk chicken dinner for $8.95. Overall, the dish was good. The freshly steamed vegetables and hot fried plantain added some variety. The chicken was tasty but not the best, partly because the skin lacked that crunchy crispiness. But the rice and peas was a bit of a head-scratcher. Instead of the usual plump and soft rice, it was a thin pilaf-like grain. This didn't really mesh well with the earthy and rich flavour of the other ingredient. I don't know if Chris Jerk is worth a trip for its typical Jamaican fare. However, it does carry other intriguing selection, especially the "sharwarma" that seems to use roti instead of pita, and more Caribbean-style chicken rotating on the spit.

Sweet Emotions

I was back at Burdock for another show on Tuesday. First up was a solo Lisa Conway, without her L Con bandmates. Tonight's set didn't showcase her talent. She told the crowd that to handle nervousness, sometimes she decides to play new songs on new instruments. This got some laughs but unfortunately, this approach resulted in a rough performance. Too bad since Conway is an unusual pop singer who write songs about myths like star formation and Medusa.

The second set had some off-kilter music too, but deliberately so. The band members of Bernice delighted in constructing songs where the various instruments seemed to wander in and out of synchronicity. But the harmonies of Robin Dann and Felicity Williams provided a solid foundation to anchor the swirling music. A very nice set.

Luka is pure pop though generally rooted in quiet melancholy. So he, backed by his full band, sang of lost love, found-and-lost love, and never-found love. But ultimately being a romantic, he ended his set with two affirming numbers: Love Is The Eternal Way and O, My Heart Is Full. Though the protagonists weren't necessarily better off, at least they remained optimistic about their chances.

Hallow Won't

I had a good dinner at The Steady, but it's been a while. So on Saturday, I ventured back to this low-key spot for some nosh. Looking over the brunch menu, I thought the Southern Skillet ($14) looked good. And it came out quite appetizing: a pile of brightly coloured ingredients (cherry tomatos, baby spinach, sausage) on a sizzling cast-iron pan.

Unfortunately, the entrée was bland and boring. Chef decided to leave out the salt, which is quite typical of breakfast items. But for some dishes, adding seasoning afterwards is not the same thing. There were also missed opportunities to add flavour by browning a few items including the over-easy eggs or hash brown. The onions were flaccid and limp, lacking both the strong hit of sautéed onions or the sweet flavour of caramelized ones. When it's the run-of-the-mill button mushroom that makes the biggest impact, it's a dull meal. Only the liberal application of some spicy salsa sauce made it palatable.

Songbird

I was at The Burdock on Thursday for a rare appearance by Ivy Mairi. First up was her friend Devarrow. She later confided that she organized the show because the latter wanted to play in Toronto during his tour. In both his music and banter, there was an earnestness to Devarrow's performance, accompanied by guitar, box drum, and a falsetto hitch in his voice. Unfortunately, the loud bar chatter rendered his softer songs like The Great Escape and Modern Ark almost unintelligible. He did better with bluesy, upbeat numbers like Fix and Down The Road.

Mairi came on stage and in a mock-serious manner told the crowd to keep it down: referring to her growing intolerance of bar noises in her "old age", even said her new album was called No Talker (it's actually Non Believer). The crowd did pipe down. Into that silence, her sweet voice gave us wonderful folk songs like Thrush, There Is A Thing, and Sad Man. For the occasion, she brought a few friends as a backing band: Kieran Adams (Diana), Caitlin Woefle-Obrien (Blunt Chunks), and long-time collaborator Matthew Bailey. She has been dabbling in pop music too so we were treated to sweet groovy jams like Julia and All Around Me. I've heard her doing backup vocals plenty of time (until I heard her last year in Kith and Kin) but rarely as a head-liner. This talented singer-songwriter need to step into the spotlight more often. Once a year is much too long between shows.

Gypsy Child

There was a downpour Saturday night, but The Mod Club had a packed house from country singer Lindi Ortega. First up was another local, Sam Cash, but without his band The Romantic Dogs. Interesting that Cash noted that his song Talk To Me came about because he was trying to write a "Tom Petty" song. This was the vibe I got from his set. In fact, he wryly noted that an online commenter had criticized his simple rhyming schemes. With most of his life taken place in booze joints: plays in bars, goes to bars, works in bars, numbers like Remedy and Marquee came from those experiences.

Though Ortega has moved to Nashville, a homecoming show is always special to her. Tonight, her folks were beaming down from the side balcony. Meanwhile, the full crowd was a mix of suburbanites, city cowboys, and tattoed hipsters. With a 20-song set (including encore), Ortega covered most of the songs off her new album including Ashes and the titular Faded Gloryville along with plenty of old favourites like Heaven Don't Have No Vacancy and Cigarettes & Truckstops. As evident in their titles, her music has a melancholic feel, evoking that old country sound, and perfectly complemented by the wavery tremolo in her voice. But with the bag of guitar tricks of "Champagne" James Robertson, there were plenty of boot-stomping jams too (I Ain't The Girl, Run Amuck, The Day You Die). A full band was a nice addition compared to her more stripped down show at The Great Hall. But honestly, Ortega and Robertson provided all the talent you'd want.

I spent half of the set front-row centre and the second half a bit further back and to the side. The problem was that the sound system at this venue are made for thumping club music. So near the front, I was up-close to Ortega (and her signature red boots) but could barely hear her. It was still not a perfect mix away from the stage but her big vocals were more audible.

Ironed Island

On Friday, I headed over to Roncesvalles for lunch at La Cubana. When I had dinner here at this Cuban diner, I recouped my cost by finding a $50 bill on the sidewalk. It was unlikely I would be as lucky again, but I'm sure my luck will hold for a Cuban pressed sandwich ($9) and some donuts ($5).

The sandwich came out hot and gooey. But it's best to wait for it to cool down. This allows the flavour of the salty ham to come through. In my mind, what makes this dish are the little tangy bursts provided by the pickles. The donuts were a nice combination of sugar and fat. They were larger than the version offered back at the parent restaurant Deluxe in the old days. The bigger size wasn't an improvement as it made the centre too doughy. Overall, this was a tasty lunch for a crisp but bright afternoon.

Days of Future Past

There were lots of screening for the "Back To The Future" movie around town. But on Wednesday, I went to the one at The Royal (after a big dinner at Hapa). It was the only independent theatre that was allowed to because they had reserved 8 months before. So Universal couldn't back out of the deal and make it a Cineplex exclusive.

That same nerdy foresight was also evident with the event organizers. Apparently, they had created a Facebook event some 10 years before. I don't know how many in the capacity crowd was part of the original invite, but we were all here now to enjoy the first two movies. Everybody had a great time with the first film. During intermission, I debated about if I should skip the 2nd movie. But I decided to stay.

After all, we were all here on October 21, 2015 because that was the day Marty McFly travelled 30 years into the future from 1985. And now the future was here. Well, he only spent about 20 minutes in 2015. My memory didn't serve me wrong, the rest of the movie was a jumbled mess. It was fun to look at their predictions, outside of the flying cars. Even in 1985, no one would seriously suggest  there'd be flying cars in 30 years. That was just a fan-service to the throwaway line from the first movie: "Where we're going, we don't need roads." Interestingly, the rest of the futuristic stuff was just an exaggerated version of the original 1985 trends including the day-glo business clothes, punky "gang" outfit, and (the fear of) working for a Japanese boss.

Hapa Days

I was in Little Italy to see a special screening of Back To The Future at The Royal. So I took advantage of the cheap "Hapa Hour" at Hapa Izakaya to grab some dinner. It's not half-price anymore, but you do save a couple of dollars per dish. Looking over the menu, I selected Saba ($7), Agedashi ($4), Ika ($6), and Ishiyaki ($7).

There's a lot of interaction with the waitress. When she brought out the Saba dish, she completed  the process by doing a quick sear of the mackerel with a portable torch. The fish itself was reasonably tasty with an earthy flavour. Unlike other restaurants, the fried tofu of Agedeshi was coated with a spicy sauce. So there was a nice kick to the dish. The tofu had a nice crisp skin providing a nice contrast to the soft interior.

The Ishiyaki, a stone bowl filled with rice, came topped with a fried egg and other ingredients. But the waitress quickly mixed it all together, primarily so that the prawns would finish cooking. So I was warned not to eat right away. While waiting, I tried instead the grilled squid (Ika). The mayo that came with the dish didn't do much for me. But the squid was soft and chewy. Next time I'll ask for extra grill time because the end-pieces that got a bit more flame had a nice fragrant taste. Finally, it was time for the rice. I chose the Nasi Goreng version of the Ishiyaki so there was a definite Thai/Malay feel with its spiciness and slight hint of cilantro and other curry spices (and plenty of crispy shrimp). It was slightly too much food but I couldn't leave off all that deliciousness.

Equals Awesome

In North America, there's not much exposure to Japanese music except through the prism of J-Pop and Idol bands. But like any music scene, there are bands exploring genres outside the mainstream. So on Saturday, I was at Lee's Palace to see Tricot.

To cut to the case, this was the most accomplished band I've ever seen. These 4 women on guitars and bass with loaner Yamaguchi (Detroit7) on drums out-rocked everyone. Given the typical designation of of Tricot as math rock, I was expecting intricate techniques and shifting time signatures. There was plenty of that, but I was blown away by the fiery performance. This explains why they are the only band I've ever seen to do stretches and warm-ups before their set. It was an hour plus sweat-drenched work-out.

They weren't alone though. From the first song, the usually staid Toronto crowd went absolutely bonkers. Every song had enough propulsive passages to fuel delirious mosh pit ramming, arm-raising jumps, crowd-surfing, and spontaneous "hey, hey, hey" stadium chants. The ones in the back may have avoided the frenzy for their own safety but they had plenty of "yeah!" screams for the fancy guitarwork, trippy bass runs, and explosive drums. Singer Nakajima told the crowd: "Do you like dance? Do you like party? Fuck your body!" and they agreed. I've never experienced a show this wild.

There were only 2 minor downsides. One, the venue should have been full instead of 2/3 because Toronto missed out on an electric performance. Two, the merch table was cleaned out. People were standing in line for merchandise from the moment the doors opened. So many of us hoping to score an album or a t-shirt was out-of-luck.

Opener New Design with their tapped riffs had a proggy feel that was a good fit, but Hey Rocco's jokey grunge didn't find many converts.

What Lies Beneath

Saturday was the first truly nippy Fall day. So for lunch, I headed over to Runnymede and St. Clair to Pho Son. This Vietnamese restaurant serves your usual beef noodle soup (pho) and other typical dishes. But it was the "blood congee" (chao long) that I was interested in eating.

The $8 bowl came out looking both large and deceptively placid. But it was the content hidden in the soup that was the star. Although the idea of eating organ meat and blood sausage may deter the squeamish, these were delicious. And they didn't really have a strong flavour to turn off a picky eater. For example, there was no liver. The congee was warm and filling. Unlike Chinese congee, it was less gloopy. Though the portion seemed enormous, I didn't really feel overstuffed. In fact, I had room for a couple of fresh rolls ($4).

On The Road Again

Friday for lunch, I headed over to Sukho Thai at Dundas St and Dufferin. This is the western-most outpost of this food mini-empire. The room was large but felt cozy with dark wood and a copper ceiling. Too bad the giant TV sets ruined the ambiance.

I ordered some fried spring roll ($6) and the "Sukho Thai" pad thai ($13). The spring rolls were hot, crispy, and tasted great dipped in the slightly sweet sauce. The pad thai had quite a bite (I asked for the thai spicy option) and lacked the usual ketchup taste. But on the downside, it seemed a touch oily. It had good flavour but not particularly outstanding. It's strange that with the recent renaissance in Thai spots, we're getting yumy new choices like Khao Soi but no one can do a good job on a standard dish like pad thai.

The Thorn Bird

Wednesday night, I headed over to The Phoenix to see Quebeçoise singer Beatrice Martin (Coeur de Pirate). There was traffic diversion because of a bomb scare at Yonge and Bay so when I arrived opener Kandle was already several songs into her set. Unlike some "bad shows" she had done, there were already several hundred people there staking out a prime spot for Martin. So she was able to showcase her bluesy torch songs including So Bad, Control Me, and Not Up To Me. Her 3 piece band did a good job replicating the psychedelic feel of her debut album. Given the heavily francophone audience, too bad she didn't do her cover of Effeuille moi le coeur.

Martin has an emotional spot for Toronto (as she eluded to tonight as well as at her Massey Hall show) given that she mostly sings in French. But her set tonight contained quite a few English songs  (Carry On, The Way Back Home, Undone) from her latest album Roses. These were more pop and she also spent more time standing in front of a mic. Well, doing some flowy stream-of-consciousness dancing. They were warmly received but lyrically lacked the richness of her older material. It wasn't entirely due to the language change, even French songs like Crier tout bas were simpler. Her gamine, sweet voice couldn't quite carry the new material. So when she sat down at her piano for old favourites including Saint-Laurent, Place de la République, and Comme des enfants, the rapturous reception went up a notch.

She has some dedicated fans including one gentleman who flew from Paris. Incredulous, Martin told him that he must know she was playing there in 3 weeks. As for that Toronto fan support (the home opener between Leafs and Habs happening across town notwithstanding), Coeur de Pirate rewarded the crowd with her own wistful version of Drake's Hold On, We're Going Home.

In The Ghetto?

There are food biases that determine that some "ethnic" food have to be cheap while mainstream (some of which were "ethnic" a few decades back) can charge more. So after returning to Kabab House near Bloor and Dufferin on Monday, I'm conflicted about my lunch there.

On the one hand, halal meat probably costs more as an ingredient. Also, the beef curry I had was fragrant and tasty. And yet the dish was a small bowl accompanied by a huge pile of rice. There definitely wasn't enough entrée, and the presentation was a bit unappetizing. From a food/price ratio, you can get more bang for the buck at several other places along this block. So do I keep supporting this new restaurant or go back to those cheaper joints? It's a dilemma.

Al Thee Weed

I was in Ottawa for a wedding on Thursday. This was slightly unexpected since I thought my wedding-attending days were over for the next little while. This particular mah-wiage took place on the campus of a post-secondary school for two reasons: one, to take advantage of the gardens maintained by the botany department; two, to rent out the restaurant ran by the hospitality department.

Some may question having students in charge of the kitchen for an important event, but there there were perks. When the back-of-the-house came out for acknowledgements, it was clear you get access to a large kitchen fairly cheap, unlike your typical caterer. The waitstaff was also eager, but not as polished as they were working there for pay (even if they were also students) and not credit.

The 4-course meal itself was average. But then I've rarely had memorable food at weddings so it was par for the course. The presentation itself was "fine-dining". I suppose all those chefs-in-training wanted to show off their skill. It was all pretty to look at but most restaurants in Toronto have stepped away from this level of fussiness.

I Want My New CD

After nearly 10 years since their debut album, a cappella band Retrocity has finally released their sophomore album entitled Mixtape. For the occasion, they had an early show on Tuesday at clubby Mod Club in Little Italy instead of their usual haunt at Lula Lounge. It was a good decision as they noted halfway through their 2nd set: "You guys are the best audience we've ever had, maybe we should make you stand more often." Darn right. It's hard to get people really excited with the sit-down dinner-and-a-show feel at Lula.

They also hearkened back to their livelier bar-playing days. The 80s get-up didn't return (though I saw a few over-sized clothes and hair in the audience), but Retrocity did resurrect cheesy TV themes including MTV and Family Ties in their set. For the occasion, they also included some basic but fun choreography which encouraged the lighting guy to play around with the stage lights. The Mod Club's massive sound system also made all the great harmonies and sound effects came out crystal clear.

Retrocity's repertoire is so much more than what they've recorded so for every "classic" tune (Human Nature) and new song (Need You Tonight, Father Figure), there were also live-only numbers. Tonight that included Mr. Roboto, Go For Soda, and a guest appearance by Martha Johnson (of 80s band Martha and the Muffins) on Black Station, White Station. She wasn't the only singer in the audience for the evening. There was a grinning Emilie-Claire Barlowe enjoying the music, and a "flash mob" from City Choir who joined in on The Parachute Club's Rise Up.

King Pigeon

Not sure how middle-of-the-road Aunties and Uncles always have people waiting 20-minute in line for brunch while better local spots, including Windup Bird, get less foot traffic. But it does mean that there was a free table on Sunday after a strenuous yoga class.

Looking over the menu, I finally settled on a baked egg dish ($11). It came out in a hot cast-iron pan overflowing with a tomato-based sauce. So the toasted baguette slices came in handy to soak up that sauce. A slight hint of spiciness from the harissa gave a kick to the chickpeas. But I didn't detect much of the preserved lemon. And the addition of chicken ($4) was a non-event in taste or portion-size. I like the space but they need to turn down the music. It's a lazy Sunday afternoon, I don't want old-school hip-hop (as catchy as it was) blaring at full volume.

Watch This Swing

On Saturday, I was at the Fleck Dance Theatre for 3 world premieres from dance company proartedanza. Their recitals often combine contemporary choreography with classical technique and tonight showcased this forte.

The first piece, "(don't) follow the instructions", started with a dancer cleaning dishes. Or rather, her movements were forced on her by another person until she did it herself: an abusive partner, a cold-hearted boss? This theme was carried out throughout the piece as dancers came and went: their interactions and movements sometimes seemed spontaneous, but usually resembled coercion and disciplinary punishment. The company's typical inclusion of props had the performers spinning, sliding, and skating on white bath towels.

The second piece, "Replace/me", also had many mirroring sequences. But its exploration of duplication and mimicry had dancers swapping in and out of each other's routines and entire sequences danced both forward and in "reverse". One section involved a male dancers whose yearning embraces toward another dancer were redirected by her to a stand-in until, perhaps in desperation or maybe in unknowing reinforcement, he accepted the substitute.

Unlike the first two pieces which immersed themselves in ambient soundscapes and industrial music, the last piece used the propulsive music of Beethoven's 9th - 2nd movement to drive the choreography. This was the completion of the company's trilogy based on this work. The row of chairs have returned in a nod to the other two compositions. It was also the most "classically pleasing" of the evening as the music lent itself perfectly to long stretches of physical, unison dancing. There's something about a large group of people executing identical movements (see also band marches and drum-lines) that's inherently thrilling. So in that way, it may also be another reflection on tonight's themes.

Oldies But Goodies

Just recently, there were remembrances and a final show for defunct Rancho Relaxo. But it wasn't a regular haunt for me so I wasn't caught up in the nostalgia. In any case, it seemed to have just rebranded itself as The Old Laurel instead of gentrifying into some other business. So I found myself back there on Friday but for another oldie reason: a public birthday party for singer Maylee Todd.

Compared to us derelicts, Todd is hardly an "old goat". So there were lechon (roasted pig) and pancit, mascot wrestling (people donning Mr. Pringles had an unfair advantage as it was only his giant head instead of a full mascot outfit), and a soul train line as DJs spun vinyls or played on Macs. But the major celebration happened after midnight. When you're a musician and have musician friends, 10 of them from Motown band The Big Sound cram into the tiny nook in the back of the bar to blow away the packed crowd with a free show.

I used to be a regular attendee for their shows until they began exploring lesser known songs. Great for the performers to fight off boredom, not as compelling for us casual listeners. But it was wall-to-wall hits tonight. Todd started the set off with I Want You Back, then the other singers took over with a parade of classics including River Deep Mountain High, Reach Out (I'll Be There), Tears of a Clown, and Respect. The dancing was non-stopped even as people trickled out with the clock approaching 2 a.m. and beyond.

Spice World?

I enjoyed my recent Mexican lunch at Latin World so decided to head back on Friday. I like its unpretentious bodega feel, but unfortunately the down-side is that service is hit or miss depending on your visit. This time around, there were a couple of mis-steps that would get the stink-eye from a typical restaurant: table wasn't cleaned, the spicy salsa was left over from the previous diner, and the complimentary fried nachos wasn't delivered to my table.

The spice level was also uneven between dishes. The tamales ($4) was soft and practically fell apart in your mouth, but its chicken stuffing was bland. The barbacoa tacos (4 for $10) were balanced and tasty but the chorizo version was mouth-puckeringly salty. I am becoming hesitant about its status as a regular dining spot.

Sum of Dumplings

It's a truism that all the best "ethnic" restaurants are in the suburbs because that's where most minorities have settled. On Thursday, that was borne out by a trip north on highway 404 to Dragon Boat Fusion Cuisine. First good sign, the place was packed and without a reservation (for lunch!), it was a 10 minute wait.

These newer Chinese restaurants combine the best of both worlds: service remains brisk and efficient, and prices are astonishingly low; the bill came to $18.50 per person for 13 dim sum dishes. But unlike the tired old places, you get smartly uniformed wait staff and nice table settings instead of indifferent servers and plastic covered formica tables. But what about the food? The steamed dumplings whether your classic shrimp (har gow) or pork (siu mai) or new concoctions involving salmon came with soft, delicate shells and plump juicy stuffing. There were interesting dishes such as a baked dumpling filled with curry chicken. Non-dumpling fares included baby octopus and sweet spare ribs. The only bland dish was the fried rice. But as filler to round out the meal, it was an enormous portion. There was no need for it though, because there was enough food to swell all bellies.

Hurdy Wordy

I didn't make it to see any of the acts at the Bloor Ossington Folk Festival on Saturday due to both Riot Fest and an afternoon rain deluge. But with the sky clearing up later on in the evening, I did make it out to Christie Pits park to hear the lyrical gymnastics of The Burning Hell.

They quickly won over the crowd with their clever songs, infused with Eastern European flavour (Realists), retro 60s feel (Wallflowers), sweet (Fuck The Government, I Love You), and lots of They Might Be Giant/Cake drollness. It helped that a group of their local friends had crowded right up to the small stage, lending energy, intimacy, and humour to the set. Too bad these folks came at the last minute and blocked the views of people who had already sat down. If they had arrived earlier to stake their spot, there would have been a few less dirty looks. But I suppose the hipster credo of "live your best life" is sometimes more narcissistic than civic.

Unquiet Riot

Once again, I won tickets to Riot Fest this year. So on Saturday, I headed north to Downsview Park just before noon. Instead of the hipster uniform, most guys and girls today wore primarily black with plenty of metal logos. There were still plenty of beard, though more unkempt than neatly trimmed.

I can't speak to the big names who played later on including Alexisonfire because I only stayed for a few bands. In generally though, I found the music pummelling and repetitive. For the "heavy stuff", I thought last night's Yamatanka show was more compelling. As such, I'll just make general observations.

The giant line-array speakers really do keep the sound concentrated with distance. No matter how far back you sit, the volume was about the same. But it was affected by air movement. Any gusts of wind will drastically mute the sound. These harder bands still often use the soft-loud-soft dynamics of pop but for the "loud" part they just have more growling (Safe To Say). The drummer is the primary driver of this genre. Without his heavy percussion, the vocal harmonies could belong to any boy-band (Bayside). In contrast, most bassists must be bored repeating root notes all the time. Perhaps that's why they tend to resort to playing "bass chords" for variety (Ritual). The lead singers love to do over-the-top poses and vocals (Die Mannequin).

Afterwards, I made my way to the ethnic bazaar for some fruit smoothies and a roti. This was dal puri style, with a double layer stuffed with grounded lentils. The older owner proudly stated that this was genuine roti à la Trinidad. He was right. It was rich and flavourful unlike shops downtown like Pam's Roti. The bone-in chicken was a bit surprising, but didn't detract from the meal.

East Beast

Friday night, I headed over to The Garrison to see Yamantaka Sonic Titan. It wasn't as full as their 2013 show which played to a packed crowd. Since then, the band itself has gone through several personnel changes including the departure of the lead singer/founder. I was curious to see if anything was lost.

They sounded just as powerful as last time. It was strange to see some many POC performers on stage. But that simply showed how lily-white the music scene is in Canada. Covered in white make-up with individual designs in black or red streaks, they ran through a set full of driving numbers thanks to unearthly vocals (which sometimes ascended into high-pitched howling), furious drumming, and chunky guitars. In fact, they only had one extended stage banter where the drummer exhorted the audience to go out and vote in the upcoming election.

Though the numbers came mostly from their first 2 albums, there were also a few new songs. These tend to be more instrumental with only a smattering of wordless vocals. These were still primal yet seemed diminished from before. Yamantaka stood out because they incorporated non-Western rituals, gestures, and ideas into their music and show. It looks like with the loss of some old members (Ruby Kato Attwood, John Acheta), they are turning into an excellent, but "typical" heavy-rock band.

Pai Thai

On Friday, I was down at the King and Spadina area so I stopped off at Pai restaurant for lunch. This Thai spot (part of a growing "empire") was as busy as ever. So much so that I settled for a table outside at the "impromptu" patio. Which is to say, a couple of tables placed outside the entrance. But it was a sunny day so I wasn't complaining.

The musuman curry ($13) was a simple affair: beef and potatoes in a thick curry sauce. With a nod to the Muslim population in the South, it had a slight tang from the tamarind. The beef was tender and moist. And the curry was extremely rich. You really need that bowl of rice to soak up some of that extravagance. It was a good meal, but I wouldn't fight the downtown crowd for it.

Been There, Dundas

I really enjoyed my lunch at Dundas Park Kitchen, so I returned on Thursday for another lunch-time meal. This go-round, I ordered the pot pie special ($13). For the soup, I opted for a curry stew. It was rich and fragrant, almost a meal in itself, with big chunks of carrots. There were also chickpeas and fresh garnishes. The chicken pot pie was delicious: chewy crust, tender chicken morsels. I have a soft-spot for pot-pies because we ate them for special occasion when I was growing up. Of course, this savoury entrée is in another league compared to the $0.79 supermarket version. The chocolate chunk cookie (with a small pretzel embedded on top) was just the soft decadent dessert to finish off the meal. Another excellent outing here. I would suggest to arrive here just a little early to beat the lunch crowd, especially if you want a seat at the handful of spots that are available.

Wheel Goes Round and Round

It has been raining on and off all week-end. But with early Sunday evening looking drier, I ventured out to Christie Pits Park for the tail-end of the Toronto Bicycle Music Festival. Not only are the electronic equipment powered by volunteers on stationary bikes, they also play at various parks throughout the day, commute between venues (via bikes of course), and even has a moving stage where bands can play during the trips.

But not being a granola-eating hippie, I refrained from all that consciousness-raising stuff. I did contribute some money to the cause. In any case, it was near the tail-end when I arrived at Christie Pits. Soul singer Tanika Charles was grooving about good love (Silly, Happy, Wild), bad love (Soul Run), and city living (Parkdale). Apparently, her long-awaited album is nearing completion. I've missed her singing now that I don't go to Big Sound anymore: that lady has got cool vibes to spare.

Before the final act, a pair of hip-hop dancers squared off in a dance battle. I didn't think it was fair to pit a (usually flashy) break-dancer with the subtler pop-and-lock-er. Yet I was still surprised that the break-dancer won. I thought the popper had cleaner moves.

The final band of the festival was Bry Webb and The Providers. There were some feedback issues at the beginning which got resolved before Webb got too irate. I guess if you're a professional musician, it would bug you to play with a problematic sound set-up, even for a low-key community festival. They book-ended their set with two driving numbers: Ex-Punks and Receive Me. In between, it was a folkier set (Asa, Big Smoke, Rivers of Gold) that matched the laid-back park mood and the soft and colourful sunset.

Head Over Heels?

On Friday I was in the Little Italy neighbourhood. So for lunch, I decided to try new Korean resto Masheel Bistro. Despite the odd name (it means fellowship), first appearance was welcoming. Gone was the frumpy décor of unloved Pho Hung and replaced with trendier dark stones and tables. Looking over the menu, it looks like this bistro is offering a mix of traditional and fusion dishes. I opted for some fried beef dumplings ($5) as appetizers and a spicy pork burger ($12) as my main.

The dumplings came out looking like Japanese gyozas. The skin was full of "blisters" which was a good sign that these were fried in really hot oil. Sure enough, each dumpling was crispy and stuffed with ground beef. A nice start to lunch. The main looked even better although the salad was your typical boring kale. The burger was much nicer: slices of marinated pork belly stir-fried with korean chili paste (Gochujang) meant that the "patty" was spicy and flavourful. The stand-out were the fries, a dish that restaurants usually fail at when compared to fast-food joints. Well, thanks to that hot oil, these potatoes were golden and extra crispy. So much better than the other gourmet burger places. All in all, I really enjoyed my meal here. Hopefully, it won't suffer the lack of traffic that sank its predecessor.

Who's The Boss?

Thursday night, I went early to Smiling Buddha for some live music. But maybe I should have been fashionably late because opener The Walls Are Blonde was an acquired taste. They started with a quavery rendition of Dancing Queen. I could handle a little faux-irony if not overdone. But then came the odd costume change, shouty exhortations, and other "arty" gestures and I just zoned out. To be fair, some members of the audience got into the DIY aesthetics.

Triple Gangers were more my cup of tea: 3-part harmonies backed synth beats and chords. Now and then, their songs got a bit skittering. But overall, there was a 80s vibe to their set. The crowd was growing and there were even a few who got into the dance groove.

Everybody was here for Bossie, Anne Douris' (Stella Ella Ola, Hollerado) solo effort as a glam-pop singer. Though the venue wasn't packed, the entire crowd was pushed right up against the stage. It's strange how buzz happens. So for a first show, Bossie had a large eager audience that some other bands may be unable to build even after several years. In any case, they took advantage by decorating the stage with tinsel, projections, and even a fog machine. Douris herself came out in a black velvet top, tight black shorts, purple hair, and body glitter.

She started with a song that had more of a Stella Ella feel, but the 2nd song was her break-out pop hit Meteor. From there, she alternated between upbeat numbers and slower pop tunes. Her voice has a nasal bite that wasn't a great fit for the faster numbers. On slow "torch songs" like So What and White Town's Your Woman, her vocals was warmer and better for that pop feel. But generally speaking, her set was enthusiastically received. Bossie finished off with Gowan's Strange Animal for an encore. I approve of the new trend of doing covers as encores.

Model Behaviour

On Tuesday, I went to the Drake Underground to hear two new-comers to the local music scene. Both were obviously "indie" (i.e., unsigned) but were more pop than experimental. Opener Good Ghost had an electro-pop meets Lana Del Ray vibe. As they pointed out, they had "one dance song". But they played a nice set: understated beats, quiet guitar, and mildly plaintive lyrics. It was low-key but not snooze-inducing. I was impressed with the quality of these young musicians.

It was a large crowd for Mieke's EP release. This alias was the musical nom-de-plume for model Elissa Mielke. She played most of her set with just her and a piano. From photos online of her artfully tousled blond mane and sloe-eyed gaze, you might be expecting soft, airy pop. But with her strong jawline, assertive voice, and penchant for confessional, prose-like lyrics, she oddly reminded me more of Carrie Underwood or Shania Twain even if there was nothing country in her music. Mielke said that this EP was a big step for her, and not only because she "spent all her money on it". It was an admission that music was her main passion, even if it was a "career that makes no money". To that end, she was joined on stage by a growing number of musicians to play through her EP. These songs had more "pop production" and I could see mainstream radio play for them especially crooner Sleeping Alone.

Both of these young acts have strong material and talent. It will be interesting to see their progress in the days ahead.

Summer Harvest

On Saturday, I stopped by Harvest Kitchen at Harbord and Spadina for brunch. This eatery claims to use locally sourced ingredients as much as possible. It was mostly empty inside because everyone opted for the back patio. I ordered a small "elixer" ($3.95), an omelet ($11.95) and two slices of peameal bacon ($1.35/each). From the description of the juice which included kale, spinach and celery, I was hoping it wasn't too grassy like a real-life "Veggie Boy". But it was smooth and refreshing, made palatable by the ginger and lemon.

The omelet was stuffed with mushrooms, eggplant, and cheese. It was tasty but well-cooked whereas I prefer the softer French-style. The cold soup based on puree apples made a fine complement to the eggs. The bacon was excellent: fatty, smokey and meaty. Even the slaw was good, not overly acidic and soft without being overly moist. All in all, the meal had a nicely balanced combination of flavour.

Space Is The Place

Thursday night, I went to Burdock for some live music. First up was L Con. The more I hear their "experimental space folk", the more I enjoy their airy arrangements but anchored by solid bass and beats. To be fair, those drums come from cheap pre-programmed synths. But when you have excellent music on top, they don't sound so cheesy. Tonight was no different. The only downside was that the newer stuff like the bluesy song about "getting rid of ghosts" and a funky "space jam" wasn't available for purchase.

The head-liner was Paper Beats Scissors. This band, augmented with some extra players on french horn and violin, is fronted by Tim Crabtree. Although based in Halifax, his English burr could be lightly heard in his stage patter. I've found the sound here to be excellent but tonight I was partially defeated. Crabtree comes from the "white man screaming" school of singing, and I had trouble making heads or tails of his lyrics. The arrangement themselves were Arcade Fire-ish anthems. That is, sparse and slow passages that grew in sonic layers and then gradually diminished. Unfortunately, with the majority of the dozen or so songs having the same characteristics, I zoned out after a while.

Almuerzo

On Thursday, I was feeling a bit low. I had just found out that a recession will likely have a negative impact on my future. Maybe a good lunch can raise my mood. At Bloor and Dufferin, there's a "mini-mexico" with several businesses including two dining spots. But just a bit away from this spot, nearer to Lansdowne, Latin World also offers food.

Similar to Tierra Azteca, it's a combination small ethnic grocer with a few tables for dining. I guess this is Toronto's version of a bodega. Latin World is a family business, with Mom in the kitchen and the teenage daughters taking orders and serving food. I ordered a small pozole ($5) and a chilaquiles ($10). Before my mains arrived, there was complimentary tacos with 2 kinds of sauce.

The tacos were freshly fried and crispy. The red sauce had more kick while the milder yellow sauce provided a palate cleanser. Along with Mexican coke, made with sugar cane, it was a nice start to a stultifyingly humid day.

For my soup, I chose chicken instead of the more traditional pork. The bowl was also filled soft hominy or white corn kernels. The flavouring was mild and not too salty. After the addition of lettuce and raw onions, I was practically full. The plate of chilaquiles had tacos soaked in sauce, topped with the usual cheese, refried beans, and beef. It was a bit bland but only because the portion was huge. This seemed more like a family-size dish than for 1 person. So after a while, it just got tiresome to eat. This was a filling, no-fuss lunch in a cozy, laid-back store.

Out of Africa

Though I have been to the Danforth and Donlands area, it was usually for dinner parties. So on Saturday, I decided to walk around the neighbourhood. There was a good mix of restaurants and other stores along this stretch of Danforth. But there wasn't actually a lot of foot traffic. I claim that this was due to the fact that the street was too wide. It felt more like a thoroughfare than as an area for strolling around.

I finally stopped at Le Plato, a restaurant serving West African food, that opened last year. Unfortunately, being located in the basement, you can't really see it. Even the sign is tucked away above the stairwell. In addition, it was hidden around the corner at the bottom so the first thing you see is a boarded up store.

Inside, the restaurant was small and cozy, though the lighting was perhaps too dim. As West Africa had primarily French colonies, the menu was in "la belle langue". The server also spoke fluent French so feel free to practice yours with him. For dinner, I ordered Makayabu ($10), a fish dish, with Jollof rice ($5) and Alloco ($5). While waiting, I also got a glass of Bissap ($2). The drink, made from hibiscus flowers, was fruity. The salted cod came grilled with onions and bell peppers and a mildly spiced sauce. Its saltiness wasn't too strong, though it definitely overwhelmed the sauce and veggies. The rice itself, from the one-pot-meal family of dishes, similar to paella and possibly the ancestor to jambalaya, was red and fragrant. It was on the dry side, so I found it was tastier to soften up the rice by mixing in the sauce and sautéed veggies. The Alloco, or fried plantain, was crisp and chewy. It was a delicious meal from an under-represented part of the world.

The Big Sound

Friday evening, I went down to the Roy Thompson Hall patio for a musical collaboration. As part of their summer music series which highlighted local musicians, they had also formed the "Massey Hall Band" composed of 18 players: trombones, saxes, trumpets as well as percussion, bass, and so on. Tonight, they were showcasing 10 songs from Bry Webb, each arranged by a different band member. Webb himself was also there to provide vocals and guitar.

Any thought of Kenny G smooth jazz or even Motown funk disappeared with songs like Asa and Big Smoke from Webb's recent solo efforts. It was modern arrangements that augmented the pop roots of these tunes. Highlights included the shimmering harmonic swell of Rivers of Gold and the cinematic Low Life. But as Webb comically noted before Ex-punks, his 15-year-old skateboarding self would have sneered at him.

But how did they do on heavier songs including those from his old band The Constantines? Actually even better. The arrangements captured the distortion and feedback of a rock back with Colin Stetson-esque solos, controlled cacophany, and propulsive bass and drums. Webb looked thrilled to be able to let loose with raging vocals despite standing in front of horns instead of cranked up amps. Young Lions was great and The Constantines' unofficial anthem Shine A Light was a KO punch. Well, perhaps under other circumstances. Because amazingly, Love In Fear, a song that Webb hasn't performed in 10 years, was even more jaw-droppingly powerful. I honestly thought they out-rock The Constantines when I saw the latter at Massey Hall last year.

Bry Webb released a vinyl of his own solo performance at Massey Hall. With the concert being professionally recorded tonight, I wouldn't be surprised if there was another release. This was an unexpected but astonishing collaboration.

Seat and Eat

On Friday, I went to the Howard Park and Dundas St W area for lunch. This area is still a bit down-at-the-heels but gentrification is happening along this stretch. One of them is Dundas Park Kitchen which the Globe and Mail restaurant critic raved about last year. Since this husband-and-wife team isn't open on the week-end, I haven't had a chance to try it.

Inside, the space was surprisingly large. But since it was almost entirely taken up with an open kitchen and prep area, there are only a few seats by the store-front window. Everything looked great but I decided on a "summer intern" sandwich ($10.75) with a cookie for an extra $1. It was a big sandwich stuffed with roast chicken, sprouts, pickled green tomatoes, red onion jam, sweet corn, and bacon mayo. The chicken was moist but not out-of-this-world, I would add a bit more fattiness perhaps in the form of crispy skin (which you'd probably get with the chicken dinner). But what made the sandwich excellent was the perfect balance of flavour. But if Alex Tso's chicken is good, Melanie Harris' chocolate walnut cookie is amazing. I am not a sweets person but I inhaled that dessert. I've never had a richer confection. It had a wonderful moist chew, closer to a cake than a cookie. This was a wonderful lunch. I'm looking at my calendar to see when I can come back and try their pot pies or galettes.

East Meets East

On Wednesday, I went to Great Eastern for lunch. This small restaurant at Sheppard and Victoria Park serves Indian Chinese (Hakka) and Thai as well as Halal meat. So it wasn't surprising that most of the clientele were from South Asia rather than farther East. From the lunch specials, which came in 2 groups: the $6 and $7 options, I chose the sambal chicken ($7).

The sambal sauce was interesting. It was slightly spicy, tangy, and with just a peanut-y hint. Along with the thinly sliced vegetables, it went pretty well on top of the steamed rice. I enjoyed the chicken as well but it had an odd texture. This was the softest chicken I've eaten. If I wasn't told, I would think it was some sort of bland fish. Not really sure I want to know what they added to make the chicken that tender. In any case, it was a cheap and filling lunch.