Total Request Live

Tuesday night, I headed to 3030 in The Junction for a rare show by 7-member a capella band Retrocity. There were plentiful of fun arrangements of 80s music including stunning closer Mr. Roboto, although lately they have been doing more jazz-style covers such as A View To A Kill. But there were a couple of special touches tonight. For the first time, they took audience requests at various points and tried to do a short rendition on the spot. The more successful ones lent themselves to harmonies and instrumentation mimicry such as Beat It (M. Jackson) and Wouldn't It Be Good (Nik Kershaw). They tried with ones like Whip It (Devo) and Welcome To The Jungle (Guns'n'Roses) but they were more amusing than inspiring. But it wasn't just requests for the audience. Apparently, it was also an opportunity for members of Retrocity to push for rarely sung numbers. So we got two inspired cover of Lover of Mine (Queen) and a gospel song: Cross Over Jordan. That exquisite "choir" sound also appeared in a gorgeous Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen).

It's no surprise that a lot of people in the audience at their concerts are singers, too. The vocal talent on display is just an embarrassment of riches. There's usually a moment at their show when you wonder why these great singers are singing in a bar.

Coney Ice Land

On Sunday, after some pizza at Pizzaiolo, I decided to head to Eva's near Bloor and Bathurst to try Kürtőskalács, a Hungarian treat. This is essentially ice cream with a thick doughy cone. I got the mini with chocolate ice cream ($5.25). The larger one is over-the-toppings, pun intended, if you want an instagram shot.

The soft-serve ice cream was average and nothing to rave about. But the thick, freshly baked, cone was a treat. I don't usually like crumbly wafers messing up my ice cream, hence my preference for a cup. But this cone was warm, chewy, and had an inviting cinnamon flavour. I quite enjoyed this combination although hot holder made for fast-melting ice cream. At the end, there was a hidden treat. The hole at the bottom was plugged with a chocolate-covered nut. Don't worry, this gumball-esque confection can be chewed on and not a plastic stopper as was my first reaction.

Diner Grub

Between Main St and Pharmacy, Danforth Avenue is still a vibrant street with numerous shops despite being far from trendy Greektown. On Saturday evening, I went to a new Bangladeshi joint just past Victoria Park called Mehman's Diner.

If the name doesn't sound South Asian, the food on the menu, including the breakfast items certainly are. I opted for a Beef curry and Khichuri main ($8.99), some Alu Bhaji ($2.50) and a Burhani drink ($2.50). All had familiar yet different flavour. The curry was rich with fall-off-the-bone beef but not as aggressively seasoned as most restaurants (though for good or bad, just as oily). The Khichuri seems to be short-grain pilau rice which gave it a texture different than biryani. The alu tasted like hash brown, given it was essentially fried potato strips. The most unusual flavour was the drink. At its core, burhani was another yogurt-based drink similar to a lassi. But the addition of cumin, mint, and chili quite surprised me with the first few sips. It tasted more like a chutney than an after-dinner drink. But the unusual flavour grew on me.

I quite enjoyed this meal. The only drawback, depending on your dining expectations, is that this seemed like family cooking. That is, enormous portions on the staples like rice, simple presentation and flavouring. Perhaps Mehman's Diner is an appropriate name, because this is in the same category of no-fuss stick-to-your-ribs food with curry instead of bacon.

K-Rice

The spot that hosted Mashed Bistro has now pivoted from Korean fusion to traditional korean, primarily the rice bowl dish Bi Bim Bap with a few appetizers, called Bi Bim Bap Riceteria. Same people or new owner? I can't say.

Friday for lunch, I got the chicken ($13.99). It was definitely prettier than similar offerings in Little Korea. The other innovation? Similarly to BBQ places, they gave you numerous sauces to try. I thought that the combination of the "suicide" gochujang with the apple version made a nice hot/sour mix. The entrée itself was ok, not a stand-out, but definitely better than average.

The Noodly Appendages

When I'm in the Spadina and College area, it's hard not to go to Fresca for a slice of Toronto-style pizza. But I noticed a Chinese noodle shop has opened in the last couple of weeks. I finally decided to try out Landing Noodles Tuesday night.

First, I appreciated their short menu. They have noodles here: as soup or stir-fried. I opted for a large beef noodle soup with wheat noodles ($9.99). A nice big bowl came promptly out. There was a fair hit of sodium in the broth, though it was less than most ramen offerings. There was soft, chewy noodles, and tender, roast-beef-style slices of beef. Overall, it was a good, satisfying meal.

Bella Vita

Monday night, I made my way to non-descript Davenport for dinner, not as industrial as Dupont to the south, but not as pretty as St. Clair to the north. Annabelle Pasta Bar, a petite bistro at the corner of Davenport and Dupont, offered daily fresh pasta. The kitchen/pasta bar sat on the main floor with 2 tiny tables, with some additional seating upstairs.

I ordered some Po di Pane Bianco ($8), spicy pork meatballs with romesco ($8), and pappardelle with beef cheeks ($10). The cheese-covered puffy bread reminded of Eastside Mario's, the meatballs were serviceable and the pasta was all right. It was a step above Sugo, an Italian eatery at Lansdowne. I wouldn't go back to Sugo but if I lived in this neighbourhood, I would make Annabelle a regular joint. In the summer when the tree-lined hillside across the street would be cheerfully verdant, it would be an especially great view. But for better pasta in the city, and not much more expensive, there are better choices.

La Musette

Saturday night at Gallery 345, I was a bit apprehensive about a Jazz show there. First, I was expecting a sparse crowd and thus low energy. Second, as I've mentioned before, I don't enjoy all that solo wankery. Both concerns were unfounded tonight and I was blown away by the vocal talent of Jessica Lalonde.

Most of the repertoire was in French, appropriately accompanied by accordion (as well as sax, guitar, and double bass) with a couple of detours in English and Italian. All were sung with delicate feeling by Ms Lalonde. But the highlights were from other traditions. One was perhaps best described as a classical jazz composition by saxophonist John MacMurchy: a pure vocal interplay between him and Lalonde. Although barely 6 weeks old, it was pure music. The other was twice when she stepped away from the mic, drew on her bel canto training, and projected her voice to the very back on Valse de Musette (La Bohème) and Torna a Surriento (Come Back To Sorrento).

The packed house gave her a standing ovation for 2 enjoyable sets. For the encore, Lalonde channeled the great French singer Edith Piaf with an a cappella cover of La vie en rose.

Grace and Tender

The Friday night show at the Burdock was one of the rare show there that ran quite late. This venue is one of the few in Toronto that typically runs a tight ship. To compound it, it was standing only (they usually put out chairs). The line-up tonight was mostly sub-par. Although I'd probably feel more generous if things had gone on time or I had a place to sit.

Family Dinner played a rather loose set of whiny nerd folk. I thought the singing was weak except when the women took the lead. Sigrun Stella told stories through her folk music. I liked the lyrics in general but wasn't feeling the arrangements. Sandy Martin seemed too young of a band to write a song called I Wanna Marry You. It was Top 40 soft rock with a slight country twang.

Given the late night, the surprisingly packed house had dwindled by the time ostensible head-liner Emilie Mover sat on stage with her classical guitar. For my troubles, I was rewarded with a great set from one of, if not my favourite, singer. Although she did some oldies including Chove Chuva and Fishes, it was all new songs like Dorothy, Walking Through, Decade Blues and a gorgeous Stevie Wonder cover (You and I). After an ode to New York, it turns out that her rare appearances here were likely due to her move there (again). But now that she's back in Toronto, hopefully there will be more shows.

The remaining crowd, mostly musicians and friends, seemed to appreciate the depth in the deceptively simple songs. You appreciate the music, especially her warm voice. Then you notice the subtleties in imagery, the unusual and surprising rhymes, the way she changes a song, without resorting to funky time changes, by stretching or compressing sections. Then you finally realize that Mover uses complex "jazz" chords and not the usual pop/rock ones. Finally, if you're like me, you wonder how can this great musician not be more well-known.

Slow Then Fast

I was at The Dakota for an early show on Thursday. All 3 acts featured strong female singers. Ky Charter had a light sweet voice that was a bit weak in the upper register. She sang mostly, in her own words, "sad" songs like Fairy Tale and Petty. Unfortunately, her set was plagued with instrument problems.

Lydia Persaud also kept things sweet and smooth, at least in the early going. Tonight, she concentrated more on her groovy numbers including Low Light and Honey Child instead of her country/folk songs.

After her video debut, Danielle Duval and her band revved up the night with a hard charging set of rock songs, dance songs, and dance-rock songs. From Undercover, Subway Wall, to Whenever You Want It, it was wall-to-wall upbeat tunes. Even her covers, joined on stage by Persaud and Charter, were uptempo (I Feel Love, Call Me). It was almost too early to party this loud.

Unhappy Returns

On Tuesday night, I went to The Horseshoe for a live show. It was almost packed though it was not the week-end. Both New Zealand acts were disappointing to me but for different reasons. It's been almost 4 years since band Tiny Ruins played twice in Toronto in 2014. Given the distances, I never expected them to be back. This was a shame since they were one of my favourite discoveries, anchored by Holly Fullbrook's delicate songs.

I didn't realize it was an early start for Fullbrook's solo set until I was out the door. I arrived as she was more than halfway through her set. But the disappointment I felt faded away in the noisy crowd. Her sonic gems were being drowned by the chatter so I wouldn't have enjoyed it anyway. In fact, a couple who were Tiny Ruins fans were visibly angry. I felt bad for another fan attending her first show after discovering her on Spotify.

Obviously then, the majority were here for Marlon Williams. I used to wait for the show to experience an artist for the first time. Nowadays, I cheat a little as I listen to some of their music online first. I really enjoyed Williams retro vibe: smooth falsetto alternating with a crooner's tenor, over 50s-style love songs. A recording usually seems anemic in comparison to the full blast of a live show. But it was the opposite with Williams' numbers. Maybe it was the sound mix tonight or a 4-member touring band can't reproduced the same multi-layered sounds. But the set sounded thin and I quickly grew bored of that retro touch. I did enjoy a true oldie though: his cover of Yoko Ono's Nobody Sees Me Like You Do.

Gravity is a Harsh Mistress

On Saturday, I was at the Bluma Appel theatre for celui qui tombe, another dance-circus hybrid show. Certainly the Globe and Mail dance critic liked it more for its artistic ambition and dialing down the spectacle (ie, big tricks) than triptyche. For the entire show, the stage was dominated by a wooden platform, balancing on various mechanical engines or hung from ropes.

The first scene had the platform tilted with the performers scrambling to stay on. Once it was lowered to level, probably the most famous section of this show transpired. As the platform spun, the centrifugal force channeled the performers into various configurations. Its propulsive strength, depending on a dancer's distance from center, created several interesting personal and group movements. As Sinatra's My Way played, courtship, competition, cooperation, and finally unsurprisingly failure occurred.

These themes would repeat through the night, whether with the platform as seesaw, precariously hung several metres in the air, or swinging dangerously back-and-forth. The most pleasant surprise for me was one sequence where the performers were helping to pull each other onto the platform while singing a cappella harmonies. It was not only a beautiful scene, but humbling to realize that these circus artists have not only demonstrated immense strength and balance, as well as dancing (including respectable hip-hop moves), but they can also sing?! Though the message of the show may be sobering, it's hard to feel negative with such talented people in the world.

Groové?

There seems to be a mini-trend of chill R&B-vibe music from female-fronted acts including Charlotte Day Wilson here in Toronto and Men I Trust in Montréal. On Thursday, I went to the Mod Club to hear two such acts also from those two cities.

Officially, Dizzy is actually from Oshawa. But they proved that chill vibes don't have to originate from the big city. All 4 members kept the slinkiness going through their set but I thought the highlight were the Lorde-esque singer Katie Munshaw and the guitarist who played some very "synth-y" chords.

In contrast, Milk & Bone (Laurence Lafond-Beaulne and Camille Poliquin) are from Montréal. Since there were only two of them, both singers stayed mostly behind a bank of synths, samplers, and drum machines. Now and then, they did venture to the front to dance to cheers. But stage pyrotechnics weren't needed as their music was made for swaying. Well, the cool beats may also inspire some shoulder movement. Perhaps as compensation, I've never seen a small(-ish) act like this touring with such a professional light show including a dedicated tech.