It's Cool In The Pool

Listening to Maylee Todd is always a fun experience so I went down to the Harbourfront Friday night to hear her play new songs from her upcoming 2nd CD as part of SoundClash 2012. It was a good-sized crowd but not full for the 8 pm set, and new listeners were bemused by this slight girl in an over-sized smock with a strapped on harp playing soft, tropical music (Summer Sounds) from Choose Your Own Adventure. But it was mostly new material (I Try, Hieroglyphics, Did Everything I Could, Baby's Got It) steeped in cool, sexy groove. It was so authentic to that aesthetic that on the 2-song encore, I thought her cover of the Isley Brothers' Work To Do was an original song.

A number of people came up to the stage to express their enjoyment afterward, but compared to her usual manic shows this was one of her more low-key performance . The crowd was in a bit of a stupor from the languid heat (no dancing for these people even with Maylee's encouragement); and the high fenced-off stage prevented the usual interaction between Maylee and the audience. Nevertheless, with the lake behind us and the air filled with sweet rhythm, it was more than good enough to get the toes tapping.

Bonus: Maylee plays an acoustic number after soundcheck.

Man, I Feel Like Emma Lee

I first caught Emma Lee at Andy Kim's annual Christmas show last year. Her duet last month with Peter Katz confirmed for me that she had a strong, husky voice. I finally got a chance to hear her sing her own material at an early show Wednesday night at the Dakota Tavern.

Playing with a full band, her live performance toned down the country-pop flavour of her CDs and amped up the rock. I thought her "new country"-esque tunes were middle of the road. But when there was a bit of soul to her ballad (Phoenix) or rough blues/rock accents on Not Coming By or Shadow of a Ghost, the songs had more spirit and verve. Emma also tried out 2 new numbers: a 21st century "Life Is a Highway" driving song called Better With The Top Down and a tribute to Tom Petty that incorporated a number of his song titles or lyrics called What Would Tom Petty Do. That second song was catchy, though most of the references were probably lost to the 20-somethings; but that song title/refrain reminded me too much of South Park's What Would Brian Boitano Do. She has to find another line for that tune.

Garage Sale

Just east of Keele and Dundas, a Sunday flea market has started. On the second Sunday of every month, numerous vendors sell their wares, typically old and vintage bric-a-brac. This seems a natural fit for the Junction as it not only has gentrified in recent years but contains a fair number of stores peddling similar items.

The food vendors did the briskest trade on this sunny afternoon. To combat the heat, I got a mango-raspberry "gourmet" popsicle ($3.50). Too much raspberry, not enough mango. Let's not even talk about the price. I also got grilled corn with goat cheese, chopped basil, and aioli ($5) from The Kissing Booth. The salty cheese went well with the sweet kernels, but the aioli's sweetness didn't add much to the snack.

Looking at the vinyls, record players, typewriters, film cameras, 60s kitchenware, and old leather bags and belts on sale, with both vendors and sellers mostly younger than 30, I thought of this recent article about the IRL fetish as a reaction to being "online".

BBQ

The long week-end is all about the BBQ with friends and family. But depending whether it's East or West, the spread may be different. For the Eastern BBQ, there is plenty of grilled goodness including vegetables, shrimp, and Asian pork skewers, and rice noodles to go with it. But we also have fresh rolls (goi cuon), stuffed with Asian sausage instead of the usual pork and shrimp mix, spring rolls (cha gio) and dumplings. There is also a green papaya salad (goi du du) with spicy beef jerky and chopped basil. The complication is that there is a different dipping sauce for every dish.

For the Western BBQ, we have toasted bread, fresh salad, salmon, and large steaks. Grilled corn adds a touch of sweetness to the meal. For dessert, a slice of chocolate cake from 3 tarts hits the spot. But to mix it up, some lychee and rambutan will do nicely.