Well, it's been ages, but here I am. Before I jump into what I've been doing, here are two quick forays into music:
First, here's a great interview I found with the late, great Desmond Dekker. RIP, self-titled King of Ska (who was a bit more of a Rocksteady guy, really). Ohhhh, Ohhhh, the Israelites! I had a chat about Desmond with the cable guy, a Jamaican native, last week.
Second, big news out of the Charlatans camp. With help from their new manager (creator of Creation Records and discoverer of Oasis) Alan McGee, they've partnered with XFM to release their new album... for free! The first single "You Cross My Path" is available for download here, with the full album coming early next year. Yeah, yeah, Radiohead, whatever. They still have a physical product coming out at some point. The Charlies' record will be MP3-only, and free of charge...
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Now, some news. I'm in love. I know, I know, I've been here for just a few months. But, it's true. The object of my affection is none other than La Hacienda, on Queen Street West. Now, good Mexican food is hard enough to find in Toronto anyway--we are rather far away from Guadalajara, no? But this place?
- suitably low-key decor in a cool neighbourhood? Check.
- great chicken quesadillas with black beans? Check.
- a fantastic range of music played, thanks to the former musician owners? Check.
- whiskey sours (even available by the pitcher) made with lemon juice and sugar instead of bar mix? Big check. The best I've had.
Needless to say, I'm happy it's a 10-minute walk away!
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So, what have I been up to? Well, my good friend Mr. Ta-Dow paid a visit not too long ago, which was great. We walked all over the city, made the obligatory trip up the CN Tower (my first since moving here), and went to some great spots new to me, including Fort York and Casa Loma. Ta-Dow also lent his mechanical expertise for some furniture construction, which was greatly appreciated. We also hung out in Little Italy, which is a fantastic area (and home to a great record store, Soundscapes).
Shows have been coming fast and furious, and in the last week I've seen Shout Out Louds from my favourite city on earth and also Figurines from the Kingdom of Denmark. Both good shows, especially the latter...
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On Friday night the building next to mine was the site for a movie shoot. The location manager put fliers in my building just to notify everyone (it lasted until 2 in the morning). It's called The Love Guru, and if I'd looked it up before Friday instead of after I might have done some prowling around. It's the new Mike Myers film!
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Also went to see the Raptors this week, courtesy of JM. They beat the Cavs easily, but it was cool to see LeBron James (and of course the Raptors too!). Hung out with JM for a few hours last weekend, and everything's going well for him with the team.
Think that's it for now...
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Monday, October 15, 2007
score!
This is crazy. In my last post, I mentioned somewhat randomly that I was bummed I still hadn't seen The Ponys.
Notice how I mentioned I was going to see Spoon on Monday? That's in a few hours. And I just found out that the opening band is... The Ponys! Nice.
The Raveonettes were great last night--more on that later.
Notice how I mentioned I was going to see Spoon on Monday? That's in a few hours. And I just found out that the opening band is... The Ponys! Nice.
The Raveonettes were great last night--more on that later.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Saturday, it's a Saturday
(semi-obscure De La Soul reference)
I had one of those Eddie Izzard "aaaah aaaah aah aaaaaaaaaah" moments today. After running through my new neighbourhood for the first time (cool), I walked a few blocks to a Subway (errr, the sandwich place, not the TTC subway) I had spotted for a quick lunch. As soon as I walked in, I thought, "Waaaaaaaaiiiit a second, this looks really familiar."
Now, I'm quite aware that Subway is not known for a tremendous range of decorative styles. That "old school NYC Subway diagram/map" motif is pretty much universal. Still, the place looked really familiar. And then it hit me: I'd eaten in that very Subway almost two years ago when I was here on vacation. Seeing huge buildings and famous spots again isn't really a big deal, but there was something about walking in to a sandwich place in my new neighbourhood and realizing I'd eaten there as a tourist two years ago that seemed strange. Not bad, just strange.
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I spotted Georgia AND Virginia license plates this week. The Virginia car was from Prince William County. It still seemed a bit cooler to see Nova Scotia plates this morning. Yeah, it's in Canada, too, but it's a LONG way from Toronto...
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There's a new quarter here highlighting the 2010 Winter Olympics, taking place out west in Vancouver, British Columbia.
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Finally hitting the concert scene again on Sunday, as the stellar Danish duo The Raveonettes are coming to Lee's Palace, a venue on Bloor Street. And on Monday I'm seeing Spoon at The Phoenix, the same place I saw Rilo Kiley a few weeks ago. Otherwise I'm just trying to get my place organized!
I still haven't seen The Ponys live, much to my chagrin...
I had one of those Eddie Izzard "aaaah aaaah aah aaaaaaaaaah" moments today. After running through my new neighbourhood for the first time (cool), I walked a few blocks to a Subway (errr, the sandwich place, not the TTC subway) I had spotted for a quick lunch. As soon as I walked in, I thought, "Waaaaaaaaiiiit a second, this looks really familiar."
Now, I'm quite aware that Subway is not known for a tremendous range of decorative styles. That "old school NYC Subway diagram/map" motif is pretty much universal. Still, the place looked really familiar. And then it hit me: I'd eaten in that very Subway almost two years ago when I was here on vacation. Seeing huge buildings and famous spots again isn't really a big deal, but there was something about walking in to a sandwich place in my new neighbourhood and realizing I'd eaten there as a tourist two years ago that seemed strange. Not bad, just strange.
---------
I spotted Georgia AND Virginia license plates this week. The Virginia car was from Prince William County. It still seemed a bit cooler to see Nova Scotia plates this morning. Yeah, it's in Canada, too, but it's a LONG way from Toronto...
---------
There's a new quarter here highlighting the 2010 Winter Olympics, taking place out west in Vancouver, British Columbia.
---------
Finally hitting the concert scene again on Sunday, as the stellar Danish duo The Raveonettes are coming to Lee's Palace, a venue on Bloor Street. And on Monday I'm seeing Spoon at The Phoenix, the same place I saw Rilo Kiley a few weeks ago. Otherwise I'm just trying to get my place organized!
I still haven't seen The Ponys live, much to my chagrin...
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
return to the red and white
As Marty DiBergi would say, my car finally lost its extradition battle today. That's right, I'm back in Toronto with my car, having left Buffalo behind. Blue-and-white Ontario plates are all I need...
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Last night I walked around after dinner, trying to find the movie theater showing Eastern Promises. Seven or eight blocks down Main St., and I turned right around. Hated to do it, but I wasn't liking the vibe, and I go with my instincts when I travel. A quick search on Wikipedia when I got back to the hotel confirmed what I noticed: Buffalo has a huge number of vacant buildings. In fact, the only US city with more vacant buildings is St. Louis. It makes sense, considering that in 1950 Buffalo's population was more than double what it is now. Still makes for a sad sight, as there are some sharp-looking buildings just collecting dust. I did like The Sidway, an old building with loft apartments over a bar.
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Does the term "Mod shower curtain" sound odd? Well I have one.
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The Ontario provincial election was today. The CBC is reporting that the Liberal Party has been returned to power with a reduced majority. Dalton McGuinty will be Premier for another parliament. The NDP is doing well, and the Green Party's support has risen to about 8% of the vote, although I don't think it will win any seats. Its leader Frank De Jong came in fourth in his riding of Davenport.
Rosario Marchese of the NDP has been re-elected in my riding, Trinity-Spadina, and George Smitherman of the Liberals was re-elected in Toronto Centre, where I lived last month.
Sadly, the proposed multi-member, proportional representation system for future elections was voted down in a referendum. Guess Ontario wasn't ready for Scottish-style proportional representation.
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I was pleasantly surprised to find biscuits among the hotel breakfast foods this morning. No grits, but this is Buffalo we're talking about! Southern beggars can't be choosers.
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Without further ado, a completely random transition to a clip of the fantastic "Venus." Here is Shocking Blue, the pride of The Hague-->
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Last night I walked around after dinner, trying to find the movie theater showing Eastern Promises. Seven or eight blocks down Main St., and I turned right around. Hated to do it, but I wasn't liking the vibe, and I go with my instincts when I travel. A quick search on Wikipedia when I got back to the hotel confirmed what I noticed: Buffalo has a huge number of vacant buildings. In fact, the only US city with more vacant buildings is St. Louis. It makes sense, considering that in 1950 Buffalo's population was more than double what it is now. Still makes for a sad sight, as there are some sharp-looking buildings just collecting dust. I did like The Sidway, an old building with loft apartments over a bar.
-----------------
Does the term "Mod shower curtain" sound odd? Well I have one.
-----------------
The Ontario provincial election was today. The CBC is reporting that the Liberal Party has been returned to power with a reduced majority. Dalton McGuinty will be Premier for another parliament. The NDP is doing well, and the Green Party's support has risen to about 8% of the vote, although I don't think it will win any seats. Its leader Frank De Jong came in fourth in his riding of Davenport.
Rosario Marchese of the NDP has been re-elected in my riding, Trinity-Spadina, and George Smitherman of the Liberals was re-elected in Toronto Centre, where I lived last month.
Sadly, the proposed multi-member, proportional representation system for future elections was voted down in a referendum. Guess Ontario wasn't ready for Scottish-style proportional representation.
-----------------
I was pleasantly surprised to find biscuits among the hotel breakfast foods this morning. No grits, but this is Buffalo we're talking about! Southern beggars can't be choosers.
-----------------
Without further ado, a completely random transition to a clip of the fantastic "Venus." Here is Shocking Blue, the pride of The Hague-->
Monday, October 8, 2007
Art Deco = fabulous
Well, Buffalo is rather north from my perspective, isn't it? So, as I'll be here until Wednesday morning (long story), I thought I'd have a look round the place and post some thoughts.
I'm staying downtown, and walked a few minutes to the Theater District, on a stretch of Main St. with a train but no cars allowed. It was 7.00 pm, and it was a ghost town. Hardly a soul in sight. Kinda eerie, considering there are some fantastic old buildings. Shea's is an ornate, old theatre with bright white lights, and nearby is an old art deco theatre with rounded walls and everything.
Then I wandered over to City Hall, and was awed by its art deco splendor. (I'm a fan of art deco, if you hadn't noticed.) Finished with terrible timing as the Depression was in full swing, the building is really, really imposing in a city the size of Buffalo. It has 32 stories, and a whole lot of windows, all of which open inward. Read all about the building here.
I was pleased to see that one of the statues near the building is of Buffalonian Millard Fillmore. As you scratch your head trying to remember where you've heard that name, I'll give you the scoop: he was a US president in the early 1850s, moving up from VP with the death of Zachary Taylor. Fillmore was the last president from the Whig Party. He wasn't nominated by them after finishing Taylors's term, and the disastrous showing by Winfield Scott in the 1852 election led to the demise of the Whigs. Many moved on to the new Republican Party, but Fillmore ran in 1856 for the nativist, anti-immigrant American/Know Nothing Party, carrying the state of Maryland.
Why did I care to see a Fillmore statue? I did my grad school research on that political time period, and thought he was an interesting chap. There's no question he's thoroughly anonymous these days, so I was happy to see his adopted town honor him.
And now, after my brushes with the NFL's chief executive and a broadcaster, I'm watching the Bills-Cowboys game on TV (it's taking place 20 minutes away). The Bills, surprisingly, are ahead. Maybe I've brought them luck to western New York!
I'm staying downtown, and walked a few minutes to the Theater District, on a stretch of Main St. with a train but no cars allowed. It was 7.00 pm, and it was a ghost town. Hardly a soul in sight. Kinda eerie, considering there are some fantastic old buildings. Shea's is an ornate, old theatre with bright white lights, and nearby is an old art deco theatre with rounded walls and everything.
Then I wandered over to City Hall, and was awed by its art deco splendor. (I'm a fan of art deco, if you hadn't noticed.) Finished with terrible timing as the Depression was in full swing, the building is really, really imposing in a city the size of Buffalo. It has 32 stories, and a whole lot of windows, all of which open inward. Read all about the building here.
I was pleased to see that one of the statues near the building is of Buffalonian Millard Fillmore. As you scratch your head trying to remember where you've heard that name, I'll give you the scoop: he was a US president in the early 1850s, moving up from VP with the death of Zachary Taylor. Fillmore was the last president from the Whig Party. He wasn't nominated by them after finishing Taylors's term, and the disastrous showing by Winfield Scott in the 1852 election led to the demise of the Whigs. Many moved on to the new Republican Party, but Fillmore ran in 1856 for the nativist, anti-immigrant American/Know Nothing Party, carrying the state of Maryland.
Why did I care to see a Fillmore statue? I did my grad school research on that political time period, and thought he was an interesting chap. There's no question he's thoroughly anonymous these days, so I was happy to see his adopted town honor him.
And now, after my brushes with the NFL's chief executive and a broadcaster, I'm watching the Bills-Cowboys game on TV (it's taking place 20 minutes away). The Bills, surprisingly, are ahead. Maybe I've brought them luck to western New York!
we always hang in a Buffalo stance
Well, well, today's post finds me in sunny Buffalo, New York, mere minutes from the Canadian border.
I've been back in the States for a half-week or so, and drove up last night to be able to export my car from the US and import it in to Canada this morning. Slight problem. It's Columbus Day (gee, what a fantastic guy to celebrate), so when I got to the border the US Customs guy politely informed that I'd have to wait until tomorrow. D'oh. I knew weekends and "holidays" were non-export days, but hadn't really thought of this as a "holiday." (On a side note, it is Thanksgiving in Canada today.)
So, I turned right around and headed back into Buffalo (just 10 minutes away). Went back to last night's hotel. Sold out. Went to the Hyatt. Sold out. Why, you ask? Multiple hotel sellouts in downtown Buffalo? This is why. The Bills are hosting the Dallas Cowboys. As I left the Hyatt roomless, I walked past a bloke in a suit who said "hello." I returned the favor. He was heading into an ESPN luncheon at the Hyatt, and his name is Roger Goodell. He's the commissioner of the National Football League! Crazy.
The Hampton Inn had an opening, so here I am, writing away in its business center as I wait for my room. And who was next to me in the business center? This guy, who works for Fox Sports. Nice guy. I'm having all sorts of NFL sightings.
My plans for getting into Toronto early today so I could get lots of things unpacked and put up in the new apartment were definitely thwarted, but there's nothing I can do about it. So I'll enjoy my day in Buffalo (never been here before, except late last night). Maybe I'll wander over to Niagara Falls and sing Interpol's "Pioneer To The Falls"...
I've been back in the States for a half-week or so, and drove up last night to be able to export my car from the US and import it in to Canada this morning. Slight problem. It's Columbus Day (gee, what a fantastic guy to celebrate), so when I got to the border the US Customs guy politely informed that I'd have to wait until tomorrow. D'oh. I knew weekends and "holidays" were non-export days, but hadn't really thought of this as a "holiday." (On a side note, it is Thanksgiving in Canada today.)
So, I turned right around and headed back into Buffalo (just 10 minutes away). Went back to last night's hotel. Sold out. Went to the Hyatt. Sold out. Why, you ask? Multiple hotel sellouts in downtown Buffalo? This is why. The Bills are hosting the Dallas Cowboys. As I left the Hyatt roomless, I walked past a bloke in a suit who said "hello." I returned the favor. He was heading into an ESPN luncheon at the Hyatt, and his name is Roger Goodell. He's the commissioner of the National Football League! Crazy.
The Hampton Inn had an opening, so here I am, writing away in its business center as I wait for my room. And who was next to me in the business center? This guy, who works for Fox Sports. Nice guy. I'm having all sorts of NFL sightings.
My plans for getting into Toronto early today so I could get lots of things unpacked and put up in the new apartment were definitely thwarted, but there's nothing I can do about it. So I'll enjoy my day in Buffalo (never been here before, except late last night). Maybe I'll wander over to Niagara Falls and sing Interpol's "Pioneer To The Falls"...
Monday, October 1, 2007
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