Bigger Than Jebus

On Friday, I went to the 1st show of cover band Dwayne Gretzky's February residency at The Horseshoe. It's a bit incredible that they are now more popular than many "original" bands: witness their sold-out NYE show at the 2,000+ Danforth Music Hall. Unsurprisingly, there was already a line-up when I arrived at 9:30 and the bar was at capacity by 10 pm.

So Sam Cash and the Romantic Dogs experienced a rarity for most openers: playing to a full house. Though they played straight up rock, Cash sang like a young Bob Dylan. The first couple of songs sounded generic and didn't get much reaction. But the second half of their set had more interesting numbers (Steal My Car, That Was The Summer) that finally got some positive responses.

Tonight must be "Hits" night because Dwayne Gretzky packed both sets with crowd-pleasers: Psycho Killer, Under Pressure, I Want You Back. They have started to add more 80s numbers including Let's Dance and Sledgehammer. The crowd ate up all the tunes and even managed to dance despite the sardine atmosphere. For the music cognoscenti/hipsters, there was a 4 song Paul Simon mini-set including Boy In The Bucket and Graceland in the 1st set, and a couple of The Band tunes to open and close out the 2nd set.

Early Spring

Another year, another snowstorm on Groundhog's Day. So as per tradition, I made my way to Black Skirt for dinner. A day late, but they weren't open on Monday. This year, it was a seafood meal with spicy tuna crostini ($12.75) and grilled swordfish ($28). The crostini wasn't that memorable. First, there was the ubiquitous arugula. Second, the calabrese peperoncini was more acidic than spicy. More importantly, the mild tuna stuffing couldn't compete with that flavour. They should have chosen a stronger fish.

The generous swordfish main was better. Also a mild fish, and along with the firm texture, it was almost like eating chicken breast (or perhaps tempeh). The tomato and caper added freshness and interest. Tonight's vegetable was a bed of unassuming lentils. Unfortunately, that didn't add much to the entree; some roasted veggies or bitter greens would balance out the dish. As always, a competent but not spectacular meal from this Italian spot. We'll see about next year.

Lay Lady Lay

Wednesday night was another night of female-fronted music. I headed down to the Dakota for the last show of Kelly McMichael's January residency. First up was Dr Ew and Kelsey McNulty. Their soft, delicate pop was perhaps not a good fit for the chatty bar but they soldiered on. Dr Ew's (Drew Smith) songs were similar to his contributions to The Bicycles: sweet pop tunes about small events like getting married at City Hall. McNulty claimed inspiration from Twin Peaks for one song, but all of her numbers had romantic yet ominous piano and lyrics.

Terra Lightfoot changed up the vibe. With her tight band from Hamilton, she played rocking music. In some ways, it was similar to their hometown compatriots Arkells, who are starting to play big venues: radio-friendly, arena-ready pop. Lightfoot made it more interesting by adding it a bit of country or a dash of soul. She brought 4 guitars "just because [she] can", and made good use of them. The solos she left to the swirling "60s organ" of her keyboardist, giving us instead dexterous chords and riffs throughout the songs.

Kelly McMichael and The Gloss returned us to a quieter mode. This was 90s-esque, Belinda Carlisle pop to bask in. The harmonies added to that retro feel, especially when the 2nd female voice came in. There was an underlying sadness such as the refrain from This City: They want different things in the city//I don't know if they want me. So it was entirely appropriate that they covered The Cranberries' Dreams.

Have You Eaten?

Fat Pasha, a modern Jewish eatery, was declared to be the best new Toronto restaurant of 2014 by The Globe and Mail food critic. So I wasn't sure that I would get a seat Wednesday night. But although the space was busy even early in the evening, I was able to score a spot.

Similar to Essen, this restaurant presented a short menu with items from both the Middle-East and Eastern Europe. The pickle appetizer ($9) was a bowl brimming with all manners of acidic condiments: beets, black and green olives, as well as green and red chilies. It was good but quite mouth puckering, so I would suggest pairing with some carbs to moderate the taste. Sadly, the red chilies did not pack the punch I was expecting.

From the Middle-East, I got a harissa couscous plate ($18). And from Eastern Europe, it was your ubiquitous chicken schnitzel ($22). Both had excellent flavour though I gave the edge to the chicken. The couscous combination with apricot, chickpeas and olives was tasty but a little tangy. I think playing up the bittergreen stew or spiciness of the harissa would make a better balance. White chicken breast can be a bit bland, but the schnitzel was perfect. The breading was light and not too oily, allowing for that richness to come from the honey brown butter. Otherwise, it might have sat too heavy in the gut. The crunchy rutabaga and apple slaw added just the right amount of fresh crunch. This was an excellent meal, with generous portions too. I had enough leftover for a delicious lunch.