Yoga In The Park

I have attended a few free Yoga In The Park on Thursday at Dufferin Grove given by an instructor from Kula Yoga. These sessions are popular with typically 30 or more people setting up their mats underneath a shaded area in the park. They are also interesting for me, as the practitioners are different from my usual classes.

First I was quite amused by all the shirtless men, a phenomenon not seen in our practice but remarked upon, with great humour, by my instructor who also teaches at other studios. It's true, "Western" yogis seem compelled to doff their tops when they hit the mat! Also of note, the large number of young yoginis in fashionable Yoga wear. In contrast, we have a variety of practitioners, spanning all age ranges and approximately even in gender. And you will find both Lululemon and cast-off t-shirts.

As for the session itself, it was enjoyable to practice outside. It was sometimes dizzying, in a fun way, to be in inversions and see not white ceiling or walls, but a wide expanse of green canopy or blue sky. Too bad the other practitioners had such poor poses, even from the advanced people. It makes me thankful for my two teachers, who have always been meticulous and attentive about correct alignment.

Last Of The Mo(nday)hicans

I have been feeling under the weather lately but I couldn't miss out on the final Case Of The Mondays. This 2-month weekly series hosted by country singer Emma-Lee had local musicians do short sets. Afterwards, her band would do a themed set of covers, often with the participation of the guests. Previous outing included "Guilty Pleasures", "One Hit Wonders", and "The 27 Club". Tonight was the last and we were promised "Best Of the Mondays".

Over two sets, Emma-Lee and her friends (many artists returned for a song or two) delivered great music. There was RnB (Ginuwine's Pony), one-hit wonders such as Tainted Love and More Than Words, psychedelic rock with Paranoid Android and White Rabbit, and country (Man,I Feel Like A Woman) and pop. It was like being at the best karaoke ever with everyone having a fabulous voice and can play a mean instrument. One great discovery for me was Jessica Mitchell, a local country singer. I missed her the first time round but she had a charming, goofy stage presence combined with a big voice. I'll have to check out her own material.A fun night like this had to end with Journey's Don't Stop Believing because, well, "Don't Stop".

We're Up All Night To Get Lei'd

Since I was going to a Tiki party on Saturday night, I needed to get myself a Hawaiian shirt. It was surprisingly hard to find tropical theme apparel in Toronto. I finally got an oversized cotton/bamboo shirt with large pastel flowers at Value Village. Combined with thin white pants and I was feeling quite beachy.

All the guests were game and came appropriately dressed. Although there is a popular image regarding the tackiness of men in flower prints but looking around the backyard with men and women in tropical colours, it was a stylish and upbeat scene compared to the dour wardrobes of everyday city life. With Tiki torches flickering, Hawaiian music playing, and a variety of food including tropical fruit salad and pulled pork sandwiches to munch on, it felt like we were much farther south than the 49th parallel. Add in some cool night breezes and an assortment of alcoholic libations including several tropical drinks, and it was a fun end to August.

Triple Play

On the corner of College and Spadina sat Tandoori, a long-time small Indian take-out place that caters to the student population. Recently, The Clubhouse Sandwich Shop has taken over the spot. Obviously the decor was done on a budget but the bright wood was a welcome change to the grey accumulation of years of indifference.

As per the name, this joint only offers sandwiches plus a few sides. For a Saturday lunch, I opted for the fried halibut ($11) and the fries ($4.50). The halibut was good and not too heavy with oil. It imparted a nice crunch, complemented by the house tartar and some spicy mayo. I was especially eager for the fries though. Its claim to fame: triple fried. Once, the day before in salted water. And then twice more in peanut oil. This was excellent fries. Thick-cut fries, though often invoking a home-made feel, tend to be too starchy and soft. These fries retained the chewy middle but packed a delicious crispy outer shell. It was a bit strange that such an offering came with Heinz ketchup packets. But with fries this tasty, it was better to go without condiments.

Full Mo(o)nday Fever

After a 3-week break, I was back to The Cameron House for the second last Case Of The Mondays showcase. First up was Todd Clark (Pilot Speed). His songs explored the disintegration of relationships whether it was infidelity (Come Home Tonight) or time (So Sick Of Dancing). He often sang away from the microphone due to his "white man screaming" singing style. Wayne Petti sang a mixture of songs from his solo album and his band Cuff The Duke. I preferred the country songs such as Alberta Bound though all his material painted small vignettes of life.

Emma-Lee showcased some her own music tonight and gave us some background on the genesis of her songs. For example, the spooky Shadow Of A Ghost ("Red light, red light please turn green") started as a spontaneous bathroom plea on the way to a gig. Appropriately, she also sang a new number called "What Would Tom Petty Do?"

Given her adoration, it was wall-to-wall Tom Petty songs tonight from Free Fallin' and Mary Jane to American Girl and You Wreck Me. Though it was a fun set, I wasn't as enamoured as in previous outings. The songs were a little rough around the edges and especially when winding down. And having heard them sung with gusto by Dwayne Gretzky, it was a slight let-down.

Night Court

On Saturday, I dropped by Performance Bar. During the SummerWorks festival, the downstair lounge at the Lower Ossington Theatre was a free venue where artists (primarily singers) could try out their material. The conceit: we were in a post-apocalyptic future . Artists attempted to revive forgotten traditions in an Art Court in front of stern black-robe judges. If their performance is deemed art, they win gold. Else they were sent off to be executed.

At least that's what the two judges (two funny comics) told the audience. Throughout the show, they would ad-lib quite amusing and often hyperbolic claims. Henri Faberge was the resident guest artist. Apparently, he has been doing a "10,000 song cycle" and tonight was his last 2. After which, with the judges being fed up with his extravagant but misleading project ("Many of the songs sounded quite similar"), he was to be killed regardless. After he sang his songs, a number of stand-up comedians came out to do their schtick.

Afterward, I headed over to the Cameron House for some live music. I was curious to hear Tyler Kyte's solo material, having seen him with indie pop band Sweet Thing and cover band Dwayne Gretzky. Turns out his own songs were a mix of country and Americana. From Canadian Quarters, Rocking It Out, to Midday Sun, it was story-telling with a hint of country twang. Appropriately enough, Kyte also sang a few songs by Steve Earle and Bruce Springsteen.

No Place To Be Flying

In the backyard behind the diner Rose & Sons, the owner has opened a second restaurant called Big Crow which specializes in grill and bbq food. I dropped by on Saturday to check out this slightly pricier cousin. The venue was welcoming and airy, with long wooden communal benches and entirely canopied. The large, wood-fired grill backs onto leafy elevated land where every now and then a freight train would come chugging by. It was like spending time at a friend who was serious about backyard dining and had the money to back his vision.

For appetizers, I started with smoked mozzarella and roast garlic bread ($9). The bread was nicely toasted on the outside, soft and oozing with cheese on the inside. Full cloves of garlic were found embedded in the cheese, though they were so well-cooked that there was much strong flavour. It was good bread though a bit too salty.

For the main, I opted for a 1/2 rabbit with honey butter and hot sauce ($18), and two sides ($7): pork and beans, and cubanello peppers and eggplant. This dish disappointed. The very small pieces were too bony and not worth the effort, while the large ones tasted like chewy chicken. Only one or two were perfectly sized to impart both a smokey flavour and a hint of sweetness and spice. The peppers and eggplant were tangy preserves; I would have preferred crunchy and grilled. The beans were soft and chewy, but the entire side was seriously under-seasoned and bland. A great-looking space but not a great meal.

Girls Gone Wild

Dwayne Gretzky, the ever-popular cover band, had a last minute show at The Dakota. I dropped by for 2 of the 3 sets. Tonight, there were several changes in the line-up with an older drummer, a different bassist, and guest guitarist James Robertson (Lindi Ortega, New Country Rehab). Appropriate to their cover of "The Boys Are Back In Town", it was mostly the lads singing. Allie Hughes wasn't there to show off her soaring vocals. She is currently recording in L.A., having caught the attention of some big-name producer. But Robin Hatch did step in front of her synth for a solo tour on Barracuda.

If it was mostly guys up on stage, there seemed to be more women than usual on the dance floor. And perhaps in defiance of the unusually cool weather, many wore short shorts and slinky crop tops. It made for a fun time boogie-ing in the crowd. Unfortunately, some of them couldn't hold their liquor: clambering up on stage to dance drunkenly, falling over, and even grabbing the ass of one of the singer. Douchey behaviour sucks, regardless if you're a "hot piece of work". But aside from this minor unpleasantness, it was your typical feel-good, sing-a-long crowd found at any Dwayne Gretzky show.

Sushi Meh

I was in Ottawa for a wedding this week. Meanwhile on Wednesday, I decided to head out to New Edinburgh, a neighbourhood just east of the downtown core. Similar to Toronto, there are trendy and urban areas in Ottawa: The Glebe, Westboro, and The Byward Market. But they are typically surrounded by "dead" neighbourhoods and so are more isolated. New Edinburgh is naturally quiet, being flanked by the Rideau river to the West and the Ottawa river to the North. The "happening" strip is a couple of blocks on Beechwood Avenue.

I stopped at SushiMe, which offers primarily Japanese food with a few Korean dishes. Taking the cutesy name a little too far, all the sushi combos end with "Me". I got a 20-piece order. It was a typical platter: lots of maki, especially a "spicy" avocado plus some nigiri: salmon, shrimp, etc. It was average sushi with the rice a little too densely packed. Perhaps the Korean offerings such as the bulgogi roll would have been more adventurous.

Give Good Face

It was a night of electro-pop and dance on Thursday at The Piston. Ken Park was up first. His music veered between noisy and poly-rhythmic and four-on-the-floor dance. The songs were long and often meandering, inducing a trance state. I preferred the noise, where multiple layers of beats created unusual time signatures.

Triple Gangers played more straight-forward dance-pop, with an 80s feel thanks to multiple synths. The 3 singers were into their music, with the 2 women often breaking into coordinated dance moves. They sometimes venture into more experimental compositions but the definite crowd-pleasers were irreverent songs with catchy choruses about Molly Ringwald look-a-likes, bunnies, plant sex, and smoking weed.

It was an album release (Face) for Light Fires: a dance collaboration between Regina (Gentleman Reg) and James Bunton (Ohbijou). Though the songs have been around for a while, there's finally an actual record. Tonight,  Regina went with a tough chick look of black jeans and printed T instead of her typical glam. But she kept the high heels and the mix of 80s Jane Fonda aerobics and karate punches and kicks. The songs invariably included sing-a-long chants (If You're Bored, Let's Get Divorced, I Like To Work) that got the crowd pumping their fists. Though Owen Pallett sang with her on the CD for Dependent, tonight that duet was done by Katie Richie (Vag Halen) who was all cool "disdain" compared to the manic Regina who shook and shimmied all around her guest singer.