Tongue-Tied

I thought the chance of rain was over when I headed out around 7:30 p.m. on Friday for the Dundas West Street Festival or now more commonly known as Do West Fest. Since I was stuck in traffic the last time, I decided to try the subway instead. Luckily, the Greenwood bus, one of the less frequent route, came quickly. Everything proceeded smoothly until Ossington. The bus was at least a 20-minute wait so a large contingent of festival goers streamed out of the station to head south. As a long-time resident, I knew to avoid the car-heavy vibes of Ossington street by heading one block west to Concord.

When I got to Dundas and Dovercourt, about one-third of the way into the party zone (which extended from Ossington to Lansdowne), the street was packed. Do West has survived the street festival battles (there was a time when Toronto was crazy about having a street festival almost everywhere) and, being more or less the 1st one on the calendar, positioned itself as the official start of the summer. At first, I walked down the middle to check out the various food vendors. But like a good number of visitors, I then moved over to the sidewalk for the relatively lighter traffic. Though a crowd at a Baby G show just down the street was usually young, they do feel a bit indie. I haven't been among such a huge number of mainstream 20-somethings in their going-out clothes in a long time. I was struck by their youthfulness (eager, lively, joyful) and postulated that a large number of the hundreds of thousands coming here every year must be young folks. Given the expensive cost of living in Toronto, someone older might decide to save their money and avoid the big-city life.

My destination was a concert stage across from The Garrison. But with a new condo at the old LCBO parking lot, it was now placed right on the street. With the bar itself extending its outdoor patio to cover most of the other side, there wasn't much room for both concert and festival attendees. So the amount of listeners wasn't much more than at the Baby G. In previous years, it might have been several hundred.

Both bands were plagued by intermittent rain but they still did a bang-up job. Shilpa Ray and her band from NYC alternated between slow, broody numbers (reminiscent of a DIY Massive Attack) and fast-paced punk of furious chords and screamed lyrics. I was there for Mother Tongues, having skipped their concert last year due to a fever. I knew of front-woman and bassist Charise Aragoza, who started out as a back-up dancer with her brother for Maylee Todd, and later became a musician who played with acts like Luna Li. But somehow, for about a decade, I always missed them by a few hours.

I was pleasantly surprised by their set. The 90s dream-pop on their album rocked harder live. Aragoza light vocal still floated over the music, but now it was backed by driving drums and feedback-drenched guitar. Her bass kept a steady pulse though Mother Tongues liked to segue between languorous verses, driving refrains, and almost jammy extended codas. The older folks at the back by the Garrison entrance enjoyed this evolution of their era's music. At the same time, the young crowd at the front grew bigger and bigger, and even beginning to block the foot traffic. It wasn't quite a mosh pit, but there was definitely people (and sometimes umbrellas) bouncing up and down.

I stayed for Mother Tongues' entire show which lasted until 10:50 p.m. Afterwards, I walked back up to College St. Luckily the rain kept most people inside with Little Italy being noticeably empty. So my streetcar made excellent time to the East End. Compared to the 2.5 hours trek last Friday, I got back to my sublet in 40 minutes.

Bombs Away

On Thursday, the grim task of work continued. First, there was a poorly done interview on both sides. For their part, they struggled to reply to questions with confidence. There was a small language barrier but it was mostly lack of assurance and experience. But I could sympathize because my co-worker (and new Team Lead) didn't pose the clearest questions. I have encountered this before on both sides with leading questions: there were expected responses and anything else was considered wrong. Right afterwards, I had a live session with the scattershot co-worker where I had to show them everything. I admit I might have initially sped through the explanations but I had assumed a certain level of competency from people collecting a paycheck.

The session ran late so I wasn't able to eat lunch until 1:30 pm. I stopped off at Atomic Burger at Gerrard and Greenwood which replaced vegan shop Jinglepear Deli. With a 50s retro-futurism aesthetic, the inside was swooping curves, round portholes, a plastic fantastic orange palette and a menu with Space Cadet Burgers and (Onion) Rings of Saturn. I got a regular cadet burger ($11.99) and upgraded to a combo (fries and drink for $5.49). The front counter staff agreed with me that a savings of $0.50 (regular fries was $5.99) would have been a big deal 75 years ago.

The burger was simple (sauce, pickles, lettuce, cheese, bun) and delicious. I actually found two patties (at 3 oz each) was too much meat. Next time, a cadet jr ($7.99) should suffice. There was also a lot of nicely salted fries. In fact, a cadet jr combo plus a second jr burger would be cheap and enough for two people.

Earlier in the week, I had planned to grab a slice from Fresca and hear two bands at Dina's Tavern: see what the passage of time has been for By Divine Right (last seen by me in 2014) and Casper Skulls (idealistically young in 2017). But with another full day on Friday, I was less excited to head West for some evening entertainment. I ended up staying home with a dinner of naan and aloo gobi ($17) from Lahore Grill.

I also skipped a concert on Saturday at The Burdock. That did seem like a good show: quintet Parade featured Laura Swankey and Joyshape had frontwoman Zoe Alexis-Abrams. Swankey was interesting and I have never heard Abrams sing. She was a Facebook acquaintance (when I used to be on there) after our paths briefly crossed. In 2014, we were part of a "flash mob" doing backup vocals for Maylee Todd. In any case, it rained all day and into the night. I stayed in and raided the fridge for such odd combination as rice and fries.

Wishful Thinking

I caught up on some remote work from 5:30 am since I was sick yesterday. I took a break at 8:30 and walked over to Uncle Sid's Deli for a sausage breakfast wrap ($7.75). Previous times, it was some random employee but on this Thursday, I recognized that it was the son-in-law. That first time, he told me about why they re-opened as a deli instead of continuing with the roti business. This time, I related that I had been a weekly customer at Vena's Roti for almost 20 years. The roll was warm and tasty but I struggled to finish it. I wondered whether it had extra filling or more likely (foreshadowing), I haven't been my regular self on the porcelain throne.

I was so full that I worked through lunch. Finally in the late afternoon, I went to visit my friend at her restaurant. Our brunch had been cancelled due my illness. I asked after her brother who came to Canada last year. The good news: he was working (even if only temporarily) as a carpenter nearby. The bad news: he abandoned his ESL studies and spent his hours hanging out with new friends watching sports. Goofing off might be acceptable but he doesn't help with rent or cleaning. Her own health was a bit touch and go either from recent accidents or something chronic from childhood polio. She might give up the business and move somewhere warmer with a slower pace of life.

After I paid for my veggie plate ($18.50) and bid her til next time, I thought about walking "the world in 10 blocks" back to my rental. But the heaviness in my belly from previous experience changed my mind. It was a good thing too that I took the 2-stop subway trip instead because I needed to visit the washroom right away. It wasn't quite as bad as other times, more of a case of a week's worth of stuff gone in a few minutes. Still, there were several flushes and in this older bathroom without a fan system, things lingered in the air. Luckily, the host was out until the evening.

Which is why despite how well-furnished and pleasant this apartment was, I won't rent this on AirBnB again because I need my own private bathroom. But in general, I'm surprised that this nondescript house at Lansdowne have 9 apartment units. If most of them were as nice and well-maintained as this one, the landlord was actually doing their job.

Most of the other units weren't likely to be AirBnB rentals since I only saw 1 lockbox at the entrance. I wondered if the owner knew that my host was renting out a room. She was a retiree from Winnipeg who recently moved to Toronto to be near her daughter. She professed not loving the Big Smoke yet but, in my opinion, treating her scoliosis with aquafit in the saltwater pool at the Miles Nadal and frequent chiropractic sessions on Richmond were big city perks. If she followed through on her Spring resolution to start biking on Bloor St (at least until Doug Ford tears up the bike lanes), I think she'll be a convert.

Though my digestive problem was mild compared to similar times in the past, I knew that I wasn't going to the concert tonight. It was already a long-shot when I purchased the $20 ticket a few weeks back. I couldn't stay out late because I was heading back to Ottawa early next morning. But I had been looking into short-term sublets and was hoping to close a deal so this trip would become a "permanent" stay by Friday. Then a late show wouldn't matter. Perhaps describing myself as a "middle-aged early riser" translated to "cranky roommate" because I got no replies.

The show certainly sounded interesting. Carlyn Bezic is simply sensational as Jane Inc. And seeing for the first time Charise Aragoza fronting her own band Mother Tongues promised a "full circle" moment. Our paths briefly crossed on College St almost 15 years ago. Being my usual early self, I was chatting with Maylee Todd and her crew including Aragoza since they recognized me from various shows. Some behind-the-scene brouhaha with the promoter or venue caused Maylee Todd to pull out at the last-minute and I helped her pack up her gear. Todd invited me to a roof-top party instead but as an introvert who was decades older than likely everyone else, I politely backed out.

The Weak-end

Saturday morning was sunny but there was an unseasonal nip to the wind. Along Monarch Park Drive, a neighbourhood garage sale was taking place. It was mostly young families so the main wares were children's items such as toys, clothes, and books. The kids' were selling lemonade, cookies, and freezies. Some older folks laid out decades-old dinnerware and small furniture.

I didn't find anything useful that could fit into my travel bag. The best community yard sale for me is the one along Palmerston Boulevard. First, it was a well-off neighbourhood so there were always unique and catchy items on display. But at the same time, it had (or used to before gentrification) a good number of young renters. So they were always off-loading clothes and other household goods before moving. A decade ago, I got a mini-desktop computer and a 25" LCD monitor for $30. I brought my finds back to Ottawa where this cheap upgrade was perfect for my Mom's needs.

I then walked to Pape and then doubled back to Coxwell. This stretch encompassing Greenwood and Donlands were relatively underdeveloped though some construction was already taking place for a massive development. I was looking for a shawarma joint that could supply me with a veggie/falalel plate. There were none so it was a bianca slice from the Pizzaiolo near my stay.

Lunch actually made me a bit nauseous. Since I also had a concert in the evening, I cocooned myself underneath a blanket for the rest of the afternoon. I was in a semi-conscious state where fragments of dream meant I did occasionally doze off but it never felt like I was ever asleep. Somewhat recovered, but not at 100%, I got a veggie combo ($17) takeout from Ethiopian restaurant Abugida.

But I ended up staying in for a 3rd night. Yes, unlike the other "potential" shows, I had already bought a ticket. I also hadn't seen headliner Allie X since 2019 and opener Maylee Todd since 2017. Torontonians before they moved to L.A. for better opportunities, these musicians held special spots in my heart. A show with the both of them would be a treat. Energy-wise though, I was drained despite my afternoon rest. It was going to rain all night and the thought of getting back after the show while cold and wet was unappealing. Finally, my stomach was grumbling after dinner. It turned out to be a milder case than the episode in Montreal but I usually cancel plans after these intestinal bouts.

Music Soothe The Savage Breast

The last live show I attended before the first pandemic lock-down was at The Tranzac in March 2020. I remembered the performers offering prayers to hard-hit Europe. I still went to a few restaurants the following week but by the week-end, cancellations and closures were escalating rapidly. Friday night was my first visit to this venue in 2 years.

The opener was Alex Samaras. I knew of him from his stints with The Big Sound and very briefly as a vocal coach for a Maylee Todd outdoor show. I had foolishly replied to her request for background singers (no experience necessary). He was very kind to me but let's just say I can barely sing a melody let alone do harmony.

Tonight his original material (The Map, Time + X) was somewhere between musical theatre and experimental pop. It didn't engage me until Samaras covered Rufus Wainwright (Dinner at Eight). Afterwards, he invited a guitarist collaborator named Sean Donald. The latter's songs were folk-pop (There Within, Caving In, Pretty Cyril) and their voices blended beautifully.

I stumbled upon Zinnia (Rachael Cardiello) on Instagram during the pandemic so had only seen her performances online (often pixelated and choppy). So I was curious to finally see an in-person concert by her. Accompanied by Chris Pruden on a baby grand, and joined by Sam Gleason on guitar through the middle section, she blew me away with her set. Cardiello's voice ranged from soft and quiet to a full blown diva-esque blast that reminded me of Sarah Slean, then Cate le Bon, then My Brightest Diamond. Lyrically though, her dense thoughts was in The Weather Station territory. But whereas Tamara Lindeman's emotional landscape is hidden behind a cool and analytical visage, Zinnia was raw and unfiltered. Her viola and guitar were the cherries on top. I haven't been this flabbergasted by a first show in a long time.

With a divorce that happened during Covid, she had plenty of material for harrowing new songs like Rebound. But there was also unflinching honesty in older numbers like Blueprint and Requiem. Zinnia had a strong stage presence, cheerful enough that it didn't seem weird to the audience to sing along to a song about her ex bringing his new lover to their old spots or the ups and downs of a bipolar episode (Lithium). I don't know when this Montanan made her way to Toronto, but I'm sad that I won't be around to see more of this dynamite musician.

Spring Free

With a bright and sunny first day of Spring, and a loosening of restrictions despite climbing COVID cases, it seems that all of Toronto was outside on Saturday. I had planned for a walk around several neighbourhoods but I ran into a friend with multiple shopping bags. She was filling up a literal barrel of goods to ship back to family in Eritria via an import/export business catering to the local Ethiopian diaspora. I helped her carry them home and we had a nice lunch of avocado sandwiches.

Afterwards, I continued my walk and saw workers building makeshift patios or just plopping out some chairs and tables. And people were eagerly waiting for a spot. Other stores from the record shop to the bakery had line-ups. Down a garage lane, a giant plushed cat basked in the crook of a tree. Later on, I decided to have a meat dish for dinner, a rarity for me. While waiting for my jollof rice from Afrobeat Kitchen, I noticed that the patios were still in full swing along Bloor St. W.

This dish was a great choice. I had eaten this dish a while back in the East End. That main was good but nothing like this fragrant, smoky version. Even the white, boneless chicken meat was savoury and rich. So I justified to myself that I had a light lunch and finished off the whole entrée.

With Spring already here, it seemed odd to watch the final Youtube stream of the arts festival Long Winter. But there wasn't much else to do at night. In any case, I have a soft spot for Laura Barrett, one of the first local musician I followed. Long Winter online was in numerous ways better than the live version. For one thing, it ends around 9:30 instead of just getting started at that time. Also, they have always hosted art installations along with the musical acts. But at a venue, these tend to be ignored. Finally, even if the crowd has dwindled since its hey-day, there was still enough chatter that most performances are drowned out.

Online, the chatter moves to text chats which you can participate in but can also easily tune out. The art pieces were all videos but you can watch them with less distraction. Even the musical performances were mostly video collaborations. So Barrett debuted a new video made with Jared Sales for Museum Tour Guide, a track from her upcoming album. After a 10 hiatus before releasing new material in 2019, this was a surprising announcement. Zinnia showcased a quirky pas-a-deux shot at Bloordale Beach during the winter. There were also more art-heavy videos from Maylee Todd and most striking of all, one called Molecular Meditation from Mexican-based artist Orly Anan, all undulating and fractal images, built around a shimmering soundscapes of Spanish poetry and Asian instruments (Brandon Miguel Valdivia). Local collective Uma Nota was also able to highlight several Brazilian acts. These additions were welcomed since I find past Long Winter shows, like many other indie shows I have attended, rarely included non-white artists.

Tight Corner

On a pouring Wednesday evening, I headed to the CBC headquarters for a free First Play show to see Rich Aucoin play from his upcoming album. I have heard about his manic shows, but the closest I've come to it was the tail-end of an outdoor concert. Several times before, I was already heading home because he comes on so late.

It was a smaller crowd because likely some people bailed due to the weather. But given the small studio, and a nine member band, there really wasn't much room anyway. This specially-formed band was full of local musicians including Maylee Todd (vocals), Robin Hatch (keys), Anna Ruddick (bass), and Christine Bougie (guitar). Aucoin was grateful for the occasion, as he usually plays with more samples and tracks and less live playing. Over the course of the next hour, the audience got some wonderful music from this band.

I wasn't sure what I was expecting from Aucoin though hopefully not the "white man whining" genre. It turned out to be a cross between Bahamas and Arcade Fire: sometimes funky, sometimes anthemic, always with a catchy groove and interesting sonic layers. Aucoin alternated between a light voice and a sweet falsetto. He admitted he wasn't good with banter, though I enjoyed his joking insistence that some of the new songs were Glenn Gould covers. Given the tight surroundings, it probably wasn't the same as his usual concerts though a small parachute did come out for some audience participation on Are You Experiencing?.

Definition of Boombastic Jazz

On a pleasant Sunday evening, after grabbing a quick bite, I went to an early show at The Burdock. The two openers, Canadian musicians based out of New York, did a combined set including playing and singing backup on each others' songs. May Cheung leaned toward folk-pop with songs like Hushed Forest, 2 Little Birds, and Go By The Water. Kari van der Kloot added Jazz compositions including Hide and Seek and Caution. The audience responded a little more warmly to Cheung's music, only because Kloot's songs were more complex. I've noticed that most Jazz composers seem to have a pathological aversion to writing a straight-forward melody. It was a complementary and interesting set for me. They ended with a cover of Sheryl Crow's Strong Enough.

The mixing of musical genre continued with headliner Maya Killtron. I've heard Maya before, singing with The Big Sound and Maylee Todd, and knew of her love of 90s R'n'B. But I didn't know she was also a violinist and composer. Tonight, she melded the two sides, enlisted the help of an all-women string quintet, and gave a varied set of "classical" R'n'B music, both covers and her own songs from her debut album Never Dance Alone. This 90s inspired release (Red Dress, Bad Decisions) had just come out on Friday. Unlike the typical swelling, lush but simple arrangements when strings are added as accompaniment to a pop song, when they are front and centre as the main band, the music was complex and layered. Killtron joined in on her violin now and then. But she mostly stuck to wowing the crowd with her big voice and range. She was also an engaging hostess with a natural banter that got several big laughs.

Having Fun Being Young

I liked Luna Li's short set at Luanda House a while back. So on Friday, I went to The Baby G to see what a headliner show would be like. If the other evening had a first time in da club feel, tonight was full-on hipster. That is to say, young people enjoying themselves with low budget DIYs.

The small venue had stations set up along the walls. You can get shots with your besties at the photo booth, write and post a haiku, or apply glitter make-up. There were 3 professional-looking (in the home-gear sense) videographers wandering around all night filming.

Amelia Made (Mum's Kitchen) started the evening with a synth-drenched Clair De Lune. Her music was a bit off kilter and the electronic arpeggios reminded me of video game music. She sounded like early Bjork with the hitch in her voice.

For the first few songs, Hannah Bussiere (Luna Li) asked people to sit down to fully enjoy the spectacle. Draped in a flowy, silver costume, she played a few of songs on the harp while two dancers did modern dance choreography in the tight space. Then we all got up for the rock part as she swapped harp for electric guitar and the full band launched into quite a rock show. There was definitely some ethereal Maylee Todd 2.0 vibe. The band even has Charise Aragoza, one of Todd's former backup dancers, on synth and guitar. But with Bussiere's facility in spinning out guitar riffs, and a muscular drum and bass combo, there was more of a rock feel to the sound.

Safe and Sound

On Sunday, I headed over to The Great Hall to see Maylee Todd's Virtual Womb show. Since there was quite the line-up at the last incarnation, I was there right at the "door opens" time. Unfortunately, we were still packed cheek to jowl in the stairwell as the organizers didn't open until 20 minutes later. The show's conceit is that the hall is a womb, which you enter through a giant fabric vulva (designed by Roxane Ignatius). Inside, you are encouraged to lie down on the floor with any blankets you have brought while the thump-thump of a heartbeat played in the background, and psychedelic projections cycled on the ceiling and walls.

You could stay that way for the entire show or you could sit up and experience Maylee Todd, a string section, backup singers, and dancers work their way through Todd's repertoire. The set was an equal mix of new songs from her album release and old songs drastically reworked. Somehow, the show straddled both soothing and funky.

It was, both the show and the new releases, a therapy session for Todd. It became clear through her stories that she has been doing some exploration of meditation and mindfulness and psychological self-analysis. She has chosen to share these discoveries, sometimes painful or embarrassing, with her fans/friends through music. It was a wonderful and elaborate show. I don't know if Todd even broke even on ticket sales, given how many people were obviously involved, but I'm glad she made it.

Other Voices

As noted previously, Wednesday's Silver Dollar Room line-up was unusual in its diversity. So the Friday night show at The Drake Underground with both performers being Filipino and women was a rare booking. The crowd was also diverse, closer to the official multicultural percentages touted by Toronto, as opposed to a typical evening out on the town. Funny how that works.

Opener Char Aragoza has spent the last few years occasionally supporting local acts like Maylee Todd, usually as a back-up dancer. I guess the performing bug has bit her too. Her set had a chill vibe, almost Lana Del Rey-esque, with multiple guitar and vocal loops on numbers like Astral Traveller and Rooftop Baby. I liked that even with her youth, she is already exploring more interesting guitar techniques. She'll want to get more comfortable on stage and not bury herself in her pedals.

It was quite a large crowd for a musician with a single album. But it wasn't just friends and family here for Casey Mecija. I suspect many were also fans of defunct band Ohbijou. And why not, several ex-members were here tonight in her backing band along with some new faces (Johnny Spencer, Kieran Adams). Mecija was also "retiring" the album, although it was barely 1 year old, so we got to hear it front to back.

To be honest, Psychic Materials didn't grab me when I streamed it. But it was more visceral and immediate when she played it tonight. The dreamy, repeating lyrical fragments now floated above a solid foundation of synth, bass, and drums. This was more immersive music, and along with video projections, and made for an interesting set.

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. 

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.

Star Gazing

This year, TIFF has decided to close down King St. for the 1st 4 days. This has been a controversial decision since this street sees heavy use during rush hour from both cars and public transit. But the pedestrians strolling along or waiting around to see celebrities in front of the Princess Of Wales Theatre were having a good time. The restaurants also took advantage to expand their patio space, which were filled up with festival goers. Too bad they all serve middling food.

But Thursday night, I wasn't there for movies or munchies. I dropped by the open-air stage for some music. First up was the chameleon Maylee Todd. Tonight, Todd and her dancers were dressed in short black outfit with multi-coloured foam strings and bangles. Her brand of neo-soul gradually drew a crowd as they listened to Baby's Got It, Hieroglyphics, and I Tried. Even the laid-back or schmoozing boozers in the beer section on the side got into the groove. She even got a Soul Train started, though perhaps a bit more reticent than usual.

The night also had on the bill the energetic Rich Aucoin and cerebral guitarist Adrian X. But unfortunately I could not stick around for these performers.

Dance Me Inside

Despite the club name of Tattoo Rock Parlour, Saturday at this NxNE showcase was all about dance-able music. In fact, its big sound system and crazy lighting was perfect for the genre. I had RSVP'd to sponsor Red Bull for a spot on the 1 a.m. secret show. But upon showing up for the 1st act, it gave me entry without paying a cover charge.

The early 9 pm slot had a respectable showing (most were probably staking a spot the head-liner) for Paradise Animals. Many did dance to the band's mix of groovy tunes with some introspective lyrics. Any band with a cowbell (used judiciously) is one to watch. Things slowed down for Laurel, a 19-year-old blonde from England who has been compared as the next Lana Del Rey. Lovelorn lyrics backed by piano, cello, synth, and drums gave a quiet chill vibe to her set. Clad in a white babydoll dress, she seemed astonished at the packed crowd. Things sped back up with Ark Analog, a duo all about synth effects, heavy beats, bass, and Maylee Todd's high voice. Tonight, she added tireless dancing to the mix. It's probably why she's packing that flat six-pack stomach.

Finally, Future Islands came on stage to the roar of the crowd. Ever since their appearance on Letterman, they've been on a roll. It was also mostly due to lead Samuel Herring, who seemed to be some sort of Frank Sinatra punk rocker, alternating because sweet croon and deep growls and screams. Their performance was both better and worse than expected. Herring was true to form: dancing, stalking, emotive. Several times, it looked like he might kick or punch somebody from his antics. That didn't happen, though they were likely sprayed with the sweat pouring down his face and drenching his shirt. Yet the wonderful sound mix for the other bands was abandoned to volume. With Herring's voice and the regretful lyrics lost in the noise, the tunes weren't much better than any middle-of-the-road band.

Apres Le Deluge

Tuesday night, Red Bull Select was hosting a show at The Drake Underground. If you RSVP ahead (convenient way for them to collect email addresses and other info), you can get in for $3. There were hundreds of name on the list, but only about 60 people showed.

Paradise Animals was first on the bill. When I first saw them at Mill St. Brewery, they had some good songs but were scattershot in their musical genres. They have since tightened up their approach and provided a lively set to get the crowd dancing. Now solidly in the electro-pop/dance, they nevertheless had some interesting arrangements. They usually have a basic foundation, whether it's 4-on-the-floor dance or 70s-style funk, and transition in and out of sections with odd time signatures or poly-rhythm. It made for a enjoyable set especially when the cowbell came out and also a cover of Vitamin C (Can).

Two-man band Ark Analog (Dan Werb, Maylee Todd) was next. With a phalanx of synth machines, they were more electronic dance. In fact, they were at their best doing "experimental EDM" where, over driving bass and beats, they layered and played with many effects, including manipulating live vocals by routing it through a synthesizer keyboard ("auto-tune" gone mad). With Todd's hair in a blonde mohawk, rhythmic dancing, repeating phrases, and pounding beats, at the end there was a real electric pow-wow vibe to the music.

With trio I Break Horses coming from Sweden, perhaps the dancing can continue a la Ace of Base. But singer Maria Lindén pointed out that outside of upbeat songs like Faith and Denial, they were bringing "Dark Sweden". So despite her often up-raised arms and flying hair and the frantic drummer, it was a moodier, quieter atmosphere: with lots of reverb, sustained synth chords, and layered vocals. The crowd had thinned, but there were obvious fans who stuck around.

L.A. Story

Local comedienne Inessa Frantowski is moving to Hollywood. On Friday, the Comedy Bar hosted her annual Christmas variety show/send-off party. Things didn't start so well with the show being late by about an hour. Since we were lined up in the crowded bar area outside the comedy room, people were not as forgiving as a late set from a live band. Some left and others were grumbling about how "this better be the funniest show ever". Not a great mood to create for your audience.

It was a funny show although there were a few loosy-goosy moments. Some were simply concepts that didn't work such as Henri Faberge's masked Kanye rant about Frantowski's imminent departure: "We should never have let her make the video" (in reference to her comedic role in this popular video.) Unfortunately, others were simply indulgent half-baked "let's put our friends on stage" acts. Fun in a low-key show, not so great when there were people paying $15 due to the hype from the local media.

Luckily, most of the acts were great. Maylee Todd provided some chill synth-pop. Alana Johnston and Pat Thornton gave us a couple of funny sketches. Oddly, there were 3 dance numbers including an opening "flash mob", Semi-Gold's gyration to Rasputin (Bony M), and Sarah Hillier's emotive "contemporary" number set to "Nothing Compares 2 U". Though the laughs came from the dorky, white-people-dancing moves, it actually highlighted that some of those dancers, especially the women, could actually wind their body. The audience wasn't left out though, as our "7th inning stretch" involved learning the sexy "skanky legs".

But the highlights of the night belonged to Frantowski and Buddy Cole (Scott Thompson). She made for an engaging and quick-witted MC alongside Hillier, her comedic co-host. Her alter-ego as "the best entertainer from the future" got some major laughs. As for the gay lounge lizard from Kids In The Halls, Buddy Cole delivered a gut-busting story that started with a knee fungus ailment (from kneeling in too many bath-houses) and ended up in Egypt during the recent demonstrations.

Uplift

Wednesday night, I went to the Great Hall for a charity event (Project Uplift PH) organized by the Kapisanan Centre. The aim was to raise money for the recent typhoon Haiyan disaster in the Philippines. In addition to some musical guests, there were food kiosks, raffles, and a silent auction. I bought some raffle tickets hoping to win but struck-out 0 for 17 items.

Wandering past the food tables, I started with a slider and calamansi slaw and a green raspberry ginger smoothie ($5 for both) from Chef G catering. The slider was crunchy with a slightly sweet sauce though the pork berry was bit too rich. The smoothie sounded like an odd combination but was actually quite tasty. Then it was next to Lamesa for a chicken arroz caldo ($5). This was chinese congee soup given a filipino twist. With flecks of crunchy fried scallions, seaweed, ginger, and chicken, this was warm, comforting, tasty food.

The musical act started with the Mecija sisters (Ohbijou). They played atmospheric shoe-gazey pop from Casey's new act Warm Myth and some old favourites from Ohbijou. But it was perhaps a little too chill for the noisy crowd, who were energized from the food, booze, and excitement from the raffle. There was a moment of silence when Casey gave a rather emotional speech about the current situation in the Philippines. Things got dancey with Abdominal and The Obliques, whose rap has a funky vibe from an upright bass and jazzy guitar. They were a last minute replacement for Maylee Todd who had to pull out. I was getting tired and left before Datu took to the stage with Scratch from The Roots, though the prospect of hip-hop combined with gamelan and South Asian percussion sounded intriguing.

Eastern Crescent

Though I was enthused about the Gerard and Pape neighbourhood in East Toronto, the area was simply far enough to make travel inconvenient. But Friday, I finally made it back. First, I stopped off once again at  Pizza Pide. Though most of their choices were different variation of the pide, they did have 1 other item: the thin-crust lahmacun ($6.99). This came hot with ground-beef and spices and the usual array of raw onions, tomatoes, and parsley. This was a filling dish and quite cheap. Despite the dozen orders on the go, both sit-down and take-out, the service was prompt.

Then it was a short one-block walk to the local cinema. Tonight, some local film-makers were showing a few shorts. Inside the theatre, even more run-down than the long-gone Paradise, congregated mostly Sheridan College folks eating free cake pops. The first 3 shorts was a mild comedy filmed for a 24-hour film challenge and two trailers for commercial films cut locally.

The main film (trailer) was a 20-min fantasy directed by Alvin Campana inspired by the Maylee Todd song "a lullaby for my fictitious children lucious and sumat". The Moon descended to Earth and took up a domestic life with a young woman. Unfortunately his absence had grave consequences for lovers, werewolves, pagans, and astronauts who all depended on his luminous light. Reminiscent of Bjork's Human Behaviour, the story combined physical effects, puppetry, and CGI into a charming fable. Todd's (who played Moon's lover) ethereal harp and clear voice added to the dreamy feel. I was impressed by the quality of the indie work. When you can call on artistic friends to help out, you can stretch your meager budget.

Whistle While You Twerk

Craft brewery Steam Whistle hosts a concert series called "Steam Whistle Unsigned" to profile local bands. I went on Friday to its small plant located near the Rogers Centre (Skydome). An old building next to a small park with a heritage, but non-functional train (sitting on a short section of track), the site was picturesque if you ignore the condos, highway, and surface parking that surround it.

The work areas were obviously down and silent for the night, but you could peer through the glass windows at the machinery. I was impressed with the stage, which was better than most local (bar) venues. Not only were there plenty of lighting rig and a video screen backdrop, they had array speakers mounted above, large ones on either side, and even a front speaker up at the front of the stage. Along with the unexpectedly large sound board, this meant that tonight's show was nicely mixed even if the warehouse-like area was not acoustically great.

The opener was Paradise Animals, a new endeavour from Green Go drummer Mark Andrade. This trio, which also had another drummer, played beat-heavy dance-pop. All three musicians swapped places often, moving between synth, drums, guitar and drum machines. They sounded technically good but a little rough in concept. Andrade's laconic voice seemed at odds with the punchy and layered looping music.

Maylee Todd was up next and she delivered her usual high-energy set. Although after one particularly vigorous song, she lamented jokingly while panting that perhaps the crazy antics were getting too hard for "this old goat". Don't worry about it, just look to James Brown and Tina Turner for inspiration. There were some fans up at the front, but it was mostly a new audience. They warmed up to her retro-soul style and powerful voice soon enough. By the time the Soul Train set-up was laid down by Todd on the last number, there were plenty of eager participants.