Rock and Rule

Though it seems as if I've made a home of the Horseshoe Tavern lately, I still went back Saturday night for indie rock night. The first band may be indie but it'd be a stretch to call them rock. I saw Christien Summers last year at Sneaky Dee's and wasn't enamoured with their 80s Madonna sound. But I've been won over by other bands mining the 80s such as Rouge and Triple Gangers. So let's give them another try.

I'm still not feeling it for this band. The other bands bring something modern and fun to their songs. Christien, both lyrically and musically, is straight from the past. Their music sounds derivative after a few songs. The lead singer also needs to develop stronger stage presence; she didn't seem to know what to do with her hands and feet.

Stage presence is not something that Jacquie, lead singer and guitarist of the Balconies, lacks. I've seen other energetic shows they've put on, but they tore up the stage tonight. The drummer took off his shirt to keep pounding on the drums and the bassist hammered out sexy bass notes (evidenced by all the female hips that started swiveling). As for Jacquie, she kept flicking those jangling notes and power chords and constantly dancing. But tonight, she added wild head twirls, flinging her hair in all directions. There was also some suggestive hip gyrations accompanying her guitar playing.

The crowd ate up all that great music, cheering every song. The set ended with Serious Bedtime, a clap-along sing-along number with the catchy chorus "If you do it in the dark, in the dark, no one sees it." Cries for an encore had to be ignored since they had to clear out for the last act.

I didn't stay for Nightbox, though I've seen their brand of electronica-rock before. I had to get home to get my old man's rest. Also, I didn't think they could have topped that great set by the Balconies. The Shoe was filling up with people on the make as I made my way out.

Yay Pide

As a West-Ender, I don't know much about the East End of Toronto. On Saturday, I found a nice area at Gerrard and Pape. The Gerrard Square Mall provided some great amenities: Food Basics, Winners, and a Home Depot; though the rest of the mall was sadly empty. The street still had lots of shops with some evidence of gentrification: Blueberry Boulevard, Great Burger Kitchen, and Grinder Coffee. There was Projection Booth, reminiscent of the Royal of old, showing Hollywood films alongside old classics. I was tempted by the Sonny Chiba triple bill but had other plans. It was also walking distance to Little India,  Chinatown East, and Queen Street. The only downside was the distance to the subway and also the live venues that are mostly clustered in the West End.

Every neighborhood needs a unique destination place, and that was the reason I was here.  I've been seeing on twitter about Pizza Pide. Even Joanna Kates reviewed it. Turns out this tiny take-out with a few tables at Pape makes Turkish pizza or pide. Resembling a cousin of a calzone or stromboli, a pide is a long half-folded baked dough, filled with cheese and meat. The owner got me to try the Kasirik ($9.99), which is Turkish for complicated or in this case assorted. Each slice had different toppings.

The pide came out on a long wooden tray with some garnishes: pickled chilies and raw parsley, tomatoes, and onions. Other customers skipped the sides but I ate it all. The end pieces were stuffed with spinach and cheese, reminding me of fatayar. These would be better with the other pides that had feta and other spices. The chicken slice was all right but the lamb and Turkish beef sausage portions were delicious.

With other options on the menu and a movie theatre nearby, I shall have to make my way back to this corner of Riverdale.

Can You Name The Band With 4-Girl Drive?

It's country night again at the Horseshoe on Thursday. First up was balladeer Carleton Stone singing to a mostly empty room. His earnest songs had trouble winning over the crowd, though his self-effacing onstage banter got some chuckles. He finally got some participation with cheerier fare including Sheets an ode to some naughty fun and a new song that was a tribute to The Capri Cabaret, a bar in Sydney Nova Scotia, where singles go for that final 2 a.m. try to find somebody.

Next up was Ladies of the Canyon, a Montreal country band fronted by 4 women. The amount of gear on stage was astonish; they each had 3-4 guitars or other instruments. The 2 men in the band, a guitarist and a drummer, also had a pile of equipment. I saw a solo set by Maia Davis a few months ago and wanted to see the full band. I didn't like the songs that had too much new country flavour, but those that were more old country/rockabilly or veered into blues/soul/rock were outstanding.

Last up was Heartbroken. They opened with a powerful rock number with the female vocalist roaring out a full-throated scream. But the rest of their set sounded too much of top 40 pop with a twang for my taste.

And Back Again

The modern Indian cuisine had Middle Eastern roots as the Mughal Empire brought their spices and techniques to South Asia. The cuisine has changed a lot since then and some of the Indian dishes have migrated back to the Middle East. Almost every shawarma place offers samosas but whether it's the low margins of these take-outs or their unfamiliarity, their offerings look much greasier and more unappetizing than even a hole-in-the-wall Indian convenience store.

Since African Palace, though an Ethiopian restaurant, also offers credible Middle-Eastern dishes I tried their samosas. Their version is less puffy and more compact. The usual potato and peas stuffing is there, but the Indian spices have been dialed back. It's a lot less greasy than the typical samosas, almost as if it was baked instead of deep-fried. They were good, but I do miss the tamarind chutney.

The chicken shawarma had better cut of chicken but there should have been more of those pickled condiments found in most shawarma. They contribute a nice tangy kick.

Pocket Rocket

When I don't know what to eat, I head down to Jumbo Empanada in Kensington Market. For more than a decade, this has been been my go-to place for tasty street fare. For years, they have kept their prices but due to rising cost, the jumbo empanadas have risen from $3.99 to $4.50. It is still a great deal for a pick-me-up of crusty dough stuffed with chicken (or beef/veggie), egg, olives and spices. Add a $2.50 cheese mini-empanada and you have a great lunch. The owner has dialed back the heat on her Chilean salsa (or aji) for the North American palate.

If I don't feel like empanadas, there are also wrapped humitas and corn pies. Various Chilean pastries are also available. On Saturday, there is the slightly sweet Chilean bread panamasado; these tend to be gone by early afternoon though. In the summer, you can sit on the front patio and watch the eclectic human traffic.

Melancholia

After The Royal on College St re-opened as a film editing studio and a movie theatre, sitting behind the edit board is a particular pleasure. Not only is there ample leg room, there is also no one sitting in front of you. But best of all, the elevated barrier separating the board from the seats means that you do not see any other movie goers or their glowing smartphones. On a sparsely attended night, you almost feel as if you have the entire theatre to yourself.

That deep sense of isolation also permeates Lars Von Trier's Melancholia, a movie ostensibly about people reacting to the news that a newly discovered planet will pass close to Earth's orbit. I can't speak to any deeper themes, since it feels to me like an artier Rachel Getting Married, complete with embarrassing wedding meltdowns. I did enjoy the tension created with the judicious use of simple CG and fine acting, wholly superior to the ineffective and bombastic spectacle of Hollywood disaster movies. On the other hand, how Kirsten Dunst won best actress at Cannes escapes me. Her acting in this movie is the same as her Spider-man roles, a two-note part comprising of winsome smiles to represent positive feelings and a heavy-lidded blank affect to portray negative emotions.

False Idol

It has always been a mystery to me why tiny Ethiopian restaurant Nazareth at Bloor and Dovercourt is so popular. There is always a lineup though there are lots of other Ethiopian alternatives in this area. Given the slowness of this style of cooking, it would be a longer than usual wait. It must be that the dishes here are exceptional.

Things started poorly Friday night with the owner making me wait though there was a table available. The reason? My friend had not yet arrived. When you are popular, you can act so obnoxiously to your customers. With only that table free, would I have ended up standing, having lost out to the next in line? I would have gone elsewhere if true; I should have done so in retrospect.

The vegetarian and fish platter came piled with food. It was generously proportioned but decidedly sub-par. The veggies were mostly variations of lentils: no collard greens, cabbages, and other Ethiopian staples. They lacked the subtle heat at other places. The fish was drenched in oil and ghee, I could barely taste the fish. I now appreciate African Palace's effort to cut back on the butter.

My previous skepticism was borned out. I will leave this place to trendy hipsters and return to my previous haunts with no lines, welcoming service, and superior fare.

Wood Bot

Thursday night at the Drake Underground, Lovely Killbots celebrated their 5th year anniversary with Triple Gangers opening and DJ Mix Chopin closing out the night with some French disco. The venue was still sparse when the synth-pop trio Triple Gangers took to the stage. I first saw them at a Maylee Todd fundraiser. They got people dancing to their quirky 80s-inspired songs.

It was harder tonight with the thin crowd. As such, although they tried gamely, there was a relatively tepid set with a good half of audience sitting around drinking. But I still enjoyed their frothy songs such as the "plant sex" number "Flowerbed".

When Lovely Killbots took to the stage, the crowd was filling up. They had upgraded their visuals from preset videos played on DVD to random clips and effects, triggered by the music. For "Hello My Dear", they showed the entire accompanying video on the back screen. Playing some new tunes, ones from their current LP, and some older songs from way back when, the synth-and-drum sound got the crowd into a more zoned out space than wild dancing. The drums were mic-ed particularly well tonight, letting all the syncopated beats and rhythms drive the songs.

Lovely Killbots

Triple Gangers

Behind The Green Door

Near Bloor and Christie, next to the last X-Rated movie theatre in Toronto, sits Tofu Village. It has garnered some praises in comparison to its rival a few doors down. Wednesday night, I checked out the competition. First up was 3 Korean seafood pancakes ($7.95). They were hot and greasy. The best parts were crispy and studded with shrimp, squid, and onions. The not-so-good areas had too thick batter, resulting in soft gooey centres.

For the main I ordered the bulgogi + soon tofu combination ($13.95). The sizzling beef platter was average, no better or worse than the other restaurants in Koreatown. The soon tofu had fresh tofu and the spiciness has been dialed back, but it was lacking in seafood: only 1 shrimp and 2 clams. The stand-out was the kimchi side dishes: a coarse tofu plate that was silky and fresh, and marinated potato chunks that dissolved into starchy tastiness.

The Wild Hunt

Coinciding with no-cover New Music Night at the Horseshoe Tavern, Hands & Teeth had their CD release party Tuesday. I came too late for opening band Sidney York from Vancouver. Sometimes the management is actually a stickler for schedules. The one song I heard was intriguing; not only do the 3 female leads of the 5-piece band sing, they also play bassoon, oboe, and flute! What unusual instruments for a pop band.

Army Girls was up next. The drum-and-guitar duo does mostly up-tempo rock with singer/guitarist Carmen Elle hopping and twitching across the stage. Her tendency to drop or throw her water bottle between songs was a source of amusement for the crowd, since rockers who do so typically use more potent potables.

Hands & Teeth was the head-liner at 11:00 pm. Their brand of pop had some strange arrangements but stayed solidly  within the standard pop structure, making it an easy sell to the audience. Their strength was their singing, most songs not only had 4 part harmonies but also several singers exchanging lyrics. Their good looks didn't hurt either: the women had their eye on the attractive male leads, and the men couldn't help glancing often at the blonde bombshell singer. Their set ended with Hunting Season, which is also the name of their LP, a great pop song with lots of hooks and choruses for sing-a-longs.

Cover Me

The last Young Lions Music Club show I attended was a sparse affair at the El Mocambo. This time round they got a hit at the Horseshoe Tavern. The venue was packed to the rafters with Saturday night revellers for cover band Dwayne Gretzky.

First up was opening band Rouge. Benefitting from a later start, they got an appreciable crowd bopping to their synth-pop. With presence in the gay community, there was a strong contingent of lesbians at the front. The all-girl trio also did covers tonight but have switched from Britney Spears songs also done pop style to rock songs with one of the keyboardist moving to bass and adding a guest guitarist. But their own songs were much more fun to dance to.

When Dwayne Gretzky took to the stage at 11:20, there were still lots of girls at the front, though these were now swooning over the hunky male singers. But there were also hipsters, bros, MILFs in tight dresses and heels, and middle-agers. The band was 10 strong tonight, with Allie Hughes and Robin Hatch on back-up vocals and keyboard. From the opening numbers "Let Me Roll It" and "The Boys Are Back In Town", the band was energized for the entire two sets. The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, and even some Can-con, it was a parade of hits. As usual for their concert, the cheesiness of cover tunes was missing due to the high energy, talent, and enjoyment exhibited by everyone on stage.

The sound at the Horseshoe was exceptional and the songs left everyone, on stage and off, drenched in sweat and in search of some liquid refreshments. A great night for some dancing to ward off that January freeze.

Cold Night, Hot Jam

After a mild couple of weeks, Toronto saw its first heavy snowfall and plunging temperature. But inside tiny Holy Oak, people were packed in to listen to some soul music with A Soul, a local cover band. Small tables were set up but with dancers filling the spaces in between, they were eventually moved out of the way for more dance room.

There were more singers than usual. A parade of vocalists made their way to the front with standouts being Maylee Todd and Emilie Mover. For whatever reasons, it was mostly slow jams tonight. From "Let's Talk It Out" to "Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing" and "The Message", the bass was slow and the jams were long. On the last song though, Maylee finally let loosed those pipes and sent everyone home on a high note with an energetic "I Was Made To Love Her".

Outside The Box

Thursday at Supermarket on Augusta was Nice Friends 5 where a bunch of local bands showcase their sound inside a small space at the back of the restaurant. First up was Elos Arma. They tried hard to do concept songs with a lot of unusual rhythm, melodies, and harmonies. Unfortunately, it didn't work for me. The drummer, bassist, and the band didn't seem to be in sync for most of the songs. The singers were off-key. It didn't help that the sound guy was still fiddling with the mix during their set so there was fluctuation in the levels. Sometimes the vocals were loud, then they suddenly dwindled. There was background feedback throughout the evening which was distracting.

The Box Tiger was up next. Similar to my first exposure last year, they were wild on stage. The singer comes from the long yelps school of singing, but most of the time it went well with their up-tempo style. The drummer was the back-bone of their live act, keeping things tight and high-energy. Like other local bands, they have to edit some of their songs though, veering through 4-5 changes in tempo and melodies.

The Inlet Sound was the final act. I wanted to hear live this atmospheric pop group from Hamilton, they sounded a little twee on video. But sleep and work beckoned.

On Top of Spaghetti

Replacing a convenience store at College and Crawford, Hey Meatball offers comfort food in two variations: pasta and meatballs or meatball sandwiches. Their pork, beef, and chicken are antibiotic and hormone free, though you can always try the vegan meatballs.

Stepping inside Tuesday night, I saw a row of small tables at the front, a high bar top with juicers for your fresh soda needs, and shelves with jars of pasta sauce. Stepping up to the counter in front of an open kitchen, I ordered a spaghetti and (beef) meatballs ($11) and a side-order of roasted root vegetables ($5). After receiving my order number, I waited for about 5-7 minutes before I got the call.

The roasted vegs were drenched in oil and were tasty. Some of them were a little too crunchy and could have used a little more time in the oven. They all tasted much better the next day. I had eaten so little of the roots because the spaghetti was generously portioned. The large meatballs were soft and juicy, the packed meat came nicely apart after a chew or two. The spaghetti was al dente and toothsome. It would have been enough but the tomato sauce was mixed with lots of ground meat. This is filling and delicious food served amiably though some of the earlier reviews online were not as positive.

So Bad It's ... Average

We have guilty pleasures for favourite movies or music that are recognizably awful but we still love to revisit them. Unfortunately, deliberately trying to be bad enough to be good can have mixed results. Two shows Saturday night fell short of their goals in that regard.

The Tiki Bikini Beach Paradise Party A-Go-Go! was one of the buzz-worthy musicals at last year's Fringe. It's back for a longer run at Fringe's Next Stage week. Based on the beach movies of the 60s, Jeannette (Sarah Kuzio) and Freddie (Thomas Duplessie) and their gang of barely clad friends planned to have one final summer bash, if they can avoid run-ins with The Big Tuna (Evan Dowling) and his side-kick. The cast tried for that innocent "golly gee" mood but I doubt that even these fluff films had such hammy acting. Only Amelia Sirianni as dorky Widget and Nick Nasrallah as uber-nerd Slim Melvin added a touch of realism to their scenes.

The show also injected some ironic winks for other nostalgic memories including references to Scooby Doo and Gilligan's Islands. Some of it worked but others got old; attempts to play the modern meaning of "woody" against the old meaning of a "surfboard" ("Can I give you my woody?") got diminishing returns. By the way, a "woody" was a car not a surfboard. The difficulty of "acting dumb smartly" was most apparent as original beach tunes including "Hawaiiannette" and "I Think You Think" came off catchier and wittier than the 3 new songs.

Suffering from the same "it's hard to be bad" was The Sell-Out at the Comedy Bar for the New Format Festival. The premise of this stand-up is a group of has-been comics would embarrass themselves with inane and hackneyed jokes. The drunk emcee got semi-famous on a tired catch-phrase ("Kiss my apple-cheeks"), a lady comic with a predictable NBC sitcom "Am I right, ladies?" told lame gendered jokes ("Crimson Tide = my period"), an edgy comedian telling us why he made a family-friendly flick, and a Carrot-top-like prop comic whose every prop is actually a product endorsement. With a different audience and energy, it may have worked. But tonight, the jokes elicited only a few chuckles.

50 CC Of Yummy, Stat!

Years ago, this corner of Queen and Shaw was home to a Singaporean restaurant. Lately, it has transformed into The County General, a rusty home-cooked eatery that can be found in numerous Top Ten lists for 2011. Stepping inside on Saturday, I encountered dark wood and exposed brick. The old open kitchen has been transformed into a happening bar serving cocktails. About 6-7 small tables are arrayed at the front.

I ordered a vegan potato and leek soup ($5) and a fried chicken thigh sandwich ($10). The soup was smooth and fragrant, nice and warm for a brisk winter evening. But as a personal preference, I prefer these pureed soups to be much creamier. The sandwich was delicious, the chicken crispy and tasty without being too oily. The milk bun perfectly toasted and fragrant. The chutney sauce and coriander complemented the meat.

Like numerous restaurants nowadays, the entree was served on a wooden cutting board. I'm not a country boy, but I doubt that's how they do it back at the farm-house. What an odd affectation. With its reasonable prices, communal atmosphere, and generous hours from lunch to past midnight, this tiny resto is a great place to nosh.

Blast of The Past

To celebrate the 3rd anniversary of their promotion company Audio Blood Media, The Balconies held a 60s-70s cover night with a number of guests. Spread over 2 sets that ran into past midnight on Friday, Sneaky Dee's was rocking to the usual energetic performance of this band.

Typical of their shows, most eyes were drawn to singer Jacquie Neville. Whether blasting out guitar riffs or singing, she provided the manic dancing and rock-star postures; not to mention 70s jewelry and high-waisted jeans. Most at ease with the rock numbers, she was good but not outstanding on Motown and Soul. Her channeling of past female rockers included The Runaways' Cherry Bomb, Hearts' Crazy on You, and Janis Joplin's Piece of My Heart. A rotating gallery of back-up singers, guest leads, and saxophonists crowded the stage.

The diverse crowd comprising of grey-haired geriatrics, bearded hipsters, wispy pixies, and tattooed punks enjoyed every moment.

Everybody Wang Chung Tonight

Catch-23 is a regular improv show at the Comedy Bar pitting multiple teams over 4 rounds of improv. Each team has 23 minutes in total for their sketches and are voted on by the audience and judges. For the Festival of New Format on Friday, there was a special edition where local musicians including Robin Hatch (Sheezer), Laura Barrett, and Tyler Stewart (Bare Naked Ladies) competed in the Battle of the Bandz. Turns out improvising song lyrics is hard.

Word-Burglar and the Little Cats were in last place from the get go. Being fronted by a rapper meant that musically, they weren't as catchy as the other two bands. But as the night progressed, it became obvious that Word-Burglar was lyrically stronger; it was hard to free-style rap especially with inane audience suggestions such as "Chestertits the intergalactic spaceship". With an inspired rap about "Shopping at Ikea" and "Wookie Love", they overcame their point deficit and sneaked into 2nd place by 1 point.

Quantum Depiction was the 2-girl band of Hatch and Barrett. At first, they were one of the favourites with a promising start on an "Ode to the ROM". But they gradually fell behind since they weren't as strong musically as Vizzion Christ and of all 3 groups, they struggled the most with the lyrics. This was surprising as Barrett is known for her clever, quirky songs.

Vizzion Christ (Christian rock) had a ringer in Stewart on drums, with bassist Morgan Waters (Sweet Thing) and vocalist David Dineen-Porter (comedian) as "Pastor Dean". They improvised the catchiest tunes and had sufficiently amusing lyrics include a love ballad a cannibal wrote about his ex-girlfriends. They lead from post to post and won by 4 points.

The evening also had Dan Werb (Woodhands) guest-spotting with all 3 bands for rounds 3 and 4 and Globe and Mail critic Carl Wilson (Let's Talk About Love: A Journey To the End of Taste) doing his best as a snobby judge with insufferable taste ("I only like stuff nobody else likes"). But what kept the evening lively and fun was the two emcee: Tony Terror and Vic Ricewine of "80s hairband" Napalm Baptism. They played has-been rockstars perfectly, deft and quick with comedic lines in reaction to audience responses.

A Little Bit Country

Thursday night was alt country at the Horseshoe Tavern as 3 country bands took to the stage. First up was The Pining. This 5-member all-girl band had beautiful 4-part harmonies and lyrics. Whether it was a slow number such as About The Truth or the toe-tapping Call It Quits, these gals got my attention from the first song. Each singer had a distinctive voice and you could almost match the mood of a song to a particular lead, as they each seemed to consistently gravitate toward a particular style. I was impressed and picked up their 2011 debut CD.
Next up was New Country Rehab. I first saw them opening for Basia Bulat last year. They were an energetic band with the blazing fiddling and guitar licks firing up the crowd. Lyrically, however, their original songs weren't quite up to par with their take on classics such as Effigy (CCR), Too Many Parties, Too Many Pals (Hank William Jr.), Fire On The Mountain (Grateful Dead), and Image of Me (Conway Twitty). But their murder ballad The Bank and The Army, poker ode Last Game, and road song Rolling Down The Road were fun tunes eliciting loud cheers and applause.

Last on the bill was Rattlesnake Choir. With midnight looming, I had to skedaddle home. That's the way things are until you tell your boss to take this job and ... well, you know. On the way home, I took a picture of a local church turned condo. The neighbouring houses have recently been demolished revealing the beautiful stain glass windows on the side. Once the modern condo building goes up next door, you won't be able to get this view from the street anymore.

Improv-er's New Clothes

During the first week of the new year, Comedy Bar held its 3rd annual New Format Festival where local comedians can try out new material and experiment with different comedy formats. With 4 free shows a night, it's the cheapest fun in town.

Wednesday night, I checked out 2 improv shows from ITC (Impatient Theatre Co). The first revolved around acting out a scene based on the answers given by an audience member such as "Who is your favourite historical heroine?" or "What is your favourite Virtue?" The show had some funny moments but there were problems that made the show drag. First, there were too many questions asked. It was upward of 13 or more. Two, the emcee did not keep the pace brisk: the interviewee had either long pauses while they searched for an answer or ramble on about their choices. Finally, too many members of the troupe were dead weight. Out of 8 or so on stage, only 4 had the quick-witted acumen to improvise funny situations and dialogue. (C+)

But that first show was a laugh riot compared to the second. This show had the format of "Remember That Time". Based on the suggestion of a "concert", the 5 improvisers were 5 concert goers who weren't having much fun. Then for the next 40 minutes, we saw scenes leading up to that concert and afterwards. Turns out they were all co-workers. Like the TV show "The Office", these office drones spoke in monotone voice, often trailing off or pausing querulously. Unfortunately, this made for long stretches of unfunny silence. It's hard to improvise when your partner doesn't speak or interacts very much. (F)

The best part of the evening was a cute pixie-hair girl named Molly. She made a great interviewee in the first show and emceed the second show. Too bad we didn't see more of her comedy chops.

Shoot and a Miss

Tuesday, Toronto experienced its first extremely cold day of 2012. In the mood for something warm and hot, I decided to check out Tofu Village in Koreatown. This fairly recent addition to the Bloor/Christie area made it onto Joanna Kates' Top 10 Restaurants of 2011. Unfortunately, I only vaguely recall the address and ended up a few doors down at Buk Chang Dong Soon Tofu.

This large space also offered the soft tofu soup as well as Bi Bim Bap. All tofu soup here goes for $7.53 + tax. The numerous Korean patrons here was at first encouraging, but the Seafood Soon Tofu was mediocre. Unlike Song's Cook, the soup came with a generous order of rice. But the soup only contained 1 clam and 2 shrimps (that's hardly a galaxy) compared to the latter's generous helping of seafood. The tofu was average, lacking the freshness of Chodang Soon Tofu. Best was the bean sprout kimchi, crunchy with a slight hint of oil, and the soya bean kimchi, sweet and chewy.

You get cheap, filling food in a convivial atmosphere but otherwise, Buk Chang doesn't stand out much from the rest.