1812: Forged In Fire
I ran into an old acquaintance last week, @LaurynElanZuk a few weeks ago in Kensington Market and was questioned on my knowledge of the War of 1812. Naturally, I couldn’t resist getting a little silly on camera. Looks like I need to go back to my history books, because I got things a bit wrong, but it’s too bad they cut my Southpark Cowboys Vs. Aliens-inspired rant!
Lucky for Lauryn and her team, The Huffington Post picked up the promo piece and wrote it up below.
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/04/25/war-of-1812-video_n_1453556.html
Quick history quiz. Who started the War Of 1812? Who fought in it? Who won?
If you’re like many Canadians, chances are you don’t know the answer to these questions. Even though the war played a pivotal role in the eventual creation of Canada and would shape the development of the United States.
Or as writer Stephen Marche explained in the Walrus, “For the US, the war confirmed its status as a sovereign state and tested the limits of manifest destiny. On this side of the border, the matter is much simpler: if we hadn’t won the War of 1812, we wouldn’t be Canadian.”
The producers of 1812: Forged In Fire, an upcoming documentary about the conflict, took to Toronto’s streets and asked people what they knew about the War of 1812. The answer, not a heck of a lot. It’s a bit surprising considering one of the war’s pivotal battles took place right here in Toronto (then called York) and nearly destroyed the fledgling city.
People do remember that story about British (Canadian?) troops burning down the White House (sorta).
Toronto Jewish Film Fest 2012 (#TJFF20)
So this is me. No, not the stunt walkin Rabbi, but the Rabbi’s double. The guy who pulls the quick change and leaves the cabby at the end of the ad. Not exactly a masterpiece of modern commercial acting, but a piece of acting none the less that landed me my first ACTRA (actors union) credit, after banging my head against a wall to no avail for a good five years prior, to the point where I gave up on the whole endeavour and moved on to other things, only to return to my old agents in December 2011. Getting into ACTRA is no mean feat, and I like to call my entry an act of G-d. My casting for the role was pure serendipity — an application for a vague position posted on Jigsaw Casting Ltd.’s Facebook page that stated “Seeking!!! – Male, caucasian. To fit the following sizes. Height 5’8 / 5’9. Neck 16, Jacket 40, Waist 34. Possibly has curly hair but dont limit.”… and the decisive line… “does not need to be union.” I wrote in stating my stats which were in the right ballpark and forgot about it.
A day or two later I got the call to come in for the fitting and bingo-bango, I was in. To be honest, I was told very little about the role and almost didn’t show because I thought I was going to be used as a stand-in for the actual Rabbi (for no pay since the TJFF is a charity, making this a PSA). Good thing I sucked it up because little did I know that this was an ACTRA production, which meant that anyone on the set was elligible to join by default. And so, my life has changed as the little seed I planted, watered and nourished years ago, has now flourished. I wish I could quote some wise words from the Talmud or the Tanach because I’m sure there is a story in there that mirrors my experience, but I ‘ll leave that to the pros, and the more experienced Hollywood jews. I’m grateful for the blessings and my entry into the union couldn’t have been more fitting. Yes, G-d is great. :)
Henrik Vibskov Gestalten Book Launch
I’ve not yet met designer Henrik Vibskov, in fact, but I did get to chat with Danish rock star/dj/producer Anders Trentemøller whom he toured with last year during his phenomenal Coachella tour, so I guess that I do have 1 degree of separation, which is pretty damn cool. I’ve always been a fan of his abstract and avant garde fashion, so i was blown away when I heard he would be sessioning with the band. Here’s a little quote from Anders, on his time with Henrik.
“Its funny, I didn’t know he was famous when I met him. We were just jamming with friends one night, really drunk. It was later that I went to a local shop and saw his name on all the clothes that I realized. It was nice for him to take a break from fashion and have music as a creative outlet. The fashion world can be very superficial sometimes.”
From the release, “Henrik Vibskov is the first comprehensive presentation of his remarkably multifaceted creative vision. Many of the enlightening texts and project descriptions are written by Vibskov himself. They offer deeply personal insight into the twisted yet tantalizing worlds that he creates on a daily basis.
Forty years ago Henrik Vibskov was born in the backcountry of Denmark. Ten years ago he founded his fashion label whose acclaimed collections are now shown regularly at international shows such as Paris Men’s Fashion Week. In addition, Vibskov keeps himself occupied touring as the drummer of various musical projects. His art has been exhibited in museums and galleries around the world including MoMA PS1 and Sotheby’s Gallery in New York, Palais de Tokyo in Paris, Akira Ikeda Gallery in Nagoya, and the ICA in London.
One does not need to understand Vibskov’s work in order to instinctually grasp how relevant it has become for the future of art and fashion. Capturing his incomparable skill at melding and staging concept, space, and object, this monograph is inspirational for anyone working creatively.”
Little Burgundy Spring/Summer 2012 – Dog Days Of Summer
A Short History of Canadian Whisky – Infographic
Canadian Club Dock 57
If you’ve been to the LCBO lately, you’ll see the whisky companies are going gangbusters with their displays so it makes perfect sense for the iconic Canadian Club to be joining the race in the latest trend of spiced dark liquors, started by the likes of Sailor Jerry Rum and piggy-backed by brands like Kraken and Cruzan 9.
The taste of blended scotch is not one that people tend to flock to, so why not step up the game a bit with some new dimensions. Dock No. 57 was inspired by the historic Prohibition era shipping dock where Canadian Club’s export manager Bill “The Real” McCoy shipped the Canadian Club whisky that quenched the thirst of Americans during the dry years.
With a nod to Canadian Club’sProhibition roots, Canadian Club Dock No. 57 Spiced and Canadian Club Dock No. 57 Blackberry infuse spice and flavour respectively, with the classic smooth character of Canadian Club. The regular “Spiced” version is a Canadian whisky take on the trend that has captured the imaginations of rum drinkers over the past decade while Dock No. 57 Blackberry offers a unique new fruit flavor profile in the brown spirits category.
I’m quite a fan of most spiced rums. finding the sweet vanilla and berry undertones to be quite balanced and delicious, but the spiced whisky category is entirely new to me and Dock 57 is the first that’s come across my palate.
I really wanted to like it, but I’ve found the flavour profile to be more on the sugary, syrupy side of the alco-pop market not leaving much room for subtelty, unabashedly geared more towards female newcomers to the liquor store aisles (as stated in the press release) “The brand is poised to capitalize on recent growth trends in ready-to-drink and flavoured spirits that are giving Canadian whisky a boost and helping to open the door to new consumers – namely younger adults and women – while bartenders are also coming to value flavoured spirits for cocktails.”
After all, I can’t imagine too many dudes making mad dashes for Blueberry whiskey. However, in all fairness, I did not get too crazy with my mixes involving Dock 57, and it could add some interesting character to classics like a Caesar, or the suggested Maple Manhattan (Dock 57, maple syrup, dash of cherry bitters).
The sugary formula makes sense for their (also) new line of pre-mixed cola and ginger ale cans, but for a premium bottle, they might want to re-jig things a bit.
As I’m not an expert on these things, I’ve lifted the flavour profile from CanadianWhisky.org.
Nose: Rye spices and all the old familiar Canadian Club whisky smells. Black fruit, then licorice cigars and vague hints of vanilla but this is clearly Canadian whisky. Suggestions of citrus fruit underlie a surprisingly well balanced potation. This is no one-dimensional concoction, but rather the first spiced whisky that still puts the whisky aromas out front. The nose shows fewer toffee notes than the standard CC Premium 6 year old and develops some elements of artist’s canvas after a few minutes in the glass.
Palate: Sweet, very spicy, and peppery with slight hints of pulling oak. Full bodied but with a feeling of citrus pith though not a lot of citrus notes. Hot cinnamon hearts and hints of vanilla with more toffee than on the nose along with suggestions of sour rye. The blenders have managed to resist the urge to overdo the spices so it retains a pleasant whisky flavour, that with the added sweetness strays vaguely into liqueur territory. The nose is more complex than the palate.
Finish: Short to medium with pepper, hints of white grapefruit, and a nice warming glow.
Empty Glass: Dry grain, clean oak.
$25.95 at LCBO.
Little Burgundy Magazine Spring/Summer 2012 – Planking & Leisure Diving
The Grid (print) x Whippersnapper Gallery x Angel Chen’s Candid Call Centre: Money Talks
So, What Do We Think About CMW? – Torontoist
Another CMW has come and gone. See what guys like me had to say about the festival before it launched in Carly Maga’s Torontoist article. http://torontoist.com/2012/03/so-what-do-we-think-about-cmw/
So, What Do We Think About CMW?
Canadian Music Week kicks off its 30th festival tonight. But is it showing its age?
BY CARLY MAGA
Janelle Monáe goes crowd-surfing at the 2011 Indie Awards, while audience members snap pictures and a creepy man wears a black mask. Ah, CMW. Photo by Roger Cullman, from the Torontoist Flickr Pool.And so it begins! Canadian Music Week, which is part of the Canadian Music Festival (CMW or CMF, respectively). Aren’t we excited? Well, aren’t we?
Yes, this could be the first CMW in recorded history that won’t have coat checks or cursed umbrellas hindering intrepid concertgoers, and there’s a pretty great film docket and comedy lineup to boot. But for those who watched as a few anticipated acts cancelled their appearances or failed to show up at all, or who are still recovering from SXSW, or who are simply saving their money for NXNE, vigour for the fest could be waning in the event’s 30th year.
So, how do we feel about Canadian Music Week? Torontoist asked some local music writers, bloggers, and lovers to share their thoughts.
Frank Yang
Chromewaves/Polaris Juror
They have real trouble attracting any kind of talent to play it, and what they do get they stack onto a single lineup such that there’s one show that everyone tries to get into and dozens that no one bothers with. This year, an astonishing number of international acts have cancelled appearances after being announced—not sure what to make of that. I feel obliged to cover it but am hardly excited. There was a time that CMW and NXNE were on about a level playing field but NXNE has gotten astronomically better and CMW…has not.
I’ve had to delete so many bands I was genuinely keen to see from my calendar that it’s hard to get remotely excited. And moving it from before SXSW to after is an inexplicable logistical pain in the ass. I touch on this in my festival preview post from last week. but the fact that they’ve not made comment on their website or Twitter about one of their ostensible headliners—Childish Gambino—cancelling his show, and that Jeff Beck is still listed in the big graphic on the artists page despite cancelling over a month ago is telling.
Jesse Ship
Assistant Editor, Tribute Magazine, Freelance Writer for AOL Spinner
It’s so easy to jump on the jaded hate-wagon but come on.… It’s still a huge opportunity for tons of bands to get exposure and love and an international business conference for the industry.
Scott Honsberger
President and Founder, Toronto Music Industry Association
In my opinion, Canadian Music Week is an integral part of the music industry of Toronto as well as Canada. Venue festivals/conferences such as CMW are chances for the music industry to come together, meet, collaborate, and enjoy an enormous amount of live music. It also offers a chance for us to show off our venues, our talent, and our city to people from all over the world. It’s a permanent part of my yearly schedule.
Ashley Carter
Editor, AUX
Mostly it’s just annoying that it butts up against SXSW, which would be fine if it seemed like they were taking advantage of booking bands touring back from that festival. But judging by the lineup, that can’t be the idea. Maybe it’s a conspiracy to burn out journalists that have to cover both?
Joe Strutt
Mechanical Forest Sound
CMW is extraordinarily draining because of the merch/corporate slant. There are so many bland bands that want to become cogs in “the industry” that it’s painful to try and sift through them to try and find something interesting to see. (For proof, look at my troll through a sampling of artists’ bios.)
It also seems like a big scam inasmuch as they’re peddling $75 wristbands for bands that you either a) can’t get into or b) could go see around town for 10 bucks or less during the other 51 weeks of the year. More rambling in my festival preview.
Anupa Mistry
Regular contributor to NOW Magazine
I think it’s worth getting excited over any festival that gives local and international artists a chance to perform. CMW/CMF might not have as many “big name” acts but I think it can function as a nice throwback to the lost art of “discovery”! I’ve got a show, or multiple, every night of CMW that I’m really looking forward to. It’s a nice mix of local and not-local acts too: The Get By, Cold Specks, Dabrye, BADBADNOTGOOD/Lunice/Zodiac, Spoek Mathambo/Cadence Weapon, Nicolas Jaar, and Georgia Anne Muldrow.
Ricky Lam
The Panic Manual
[I] have no idea why they would put it after SXSW, when most people are tired from seeing shows.
Lisa Lagace
TurntheRecordOver.com
There isn’t a huge difference between the two, so I’ve never quite understood why so many people seem to prefer NXNE. Generally, both events have great conferences with similar keynote speakers and workshops, and the quality of bands that play are of the same level. I love both festivals for the same exact reasons. I get a week of nonstop amazing live music and fun parties, and I get to see all the bands I love play during that short time. There’s also a really great music documentary film festival attached to both, that seems to be getting get stronger each year.
If everyone is talking about what a great place for music Toronto is right now, it’s because of what happens at festivals like CMF. It may never feel as significant as the bigger festivals south of the boarder, but within Canadian music, it will always be an important time for discovering emerging bands. Bands I can’t wait to see play CMF this year are Teenage Kicks, Attagirl, The Dirty Nil, Pat Wright, Poor Young Things, Cold Specks, Wildlife, Topanga, The Sweet Mack, Zeus, Eight and a Half, The Darcys, Bright Lights Social Hour, and Jane’s Party.
Dave Jaffer
Freelance Music Writer/Polaris Juror
It’s not a festival for music fans as much as it’s one for the industry. It’s not very well organized either, and, in the places that it is, it’s hyper-managed to the point that incredible performers will get like, 25 minutes and then get the hook. The first time I did CMW I had a lot of fun, and some of my friends—who were from Toronto and who had been in the industry longer than I had—referred to that year as an anomaly. I was like, “No, you guys are jaded, etc,” but they were right.
Jessica Lewis
Roundletters/Static Zine Editor-In-Chief
It’s still relevant in the sense that it’s a music festival and that’s always needed whether it’s for the music industry or fans. People are still greatly benefiting from it whether they enjoy it or are making money off it, and isn’t that good? I’ve seen a ton of people on Twitter saying they’re really excited about it. Sure the lineup’s not great this year to our standards, but it’s a fest and I think it’s good we can still even have two big ones let alone a ton of small ones in this city. It has decreased in relevance this year in the sense of putting it after SXSW, the lineup’s not as big, and NXNE has definitely revved it up.
Aviva Cohen
Photographer/Static Zine Managing Editor
NXNE has started to do things that make the festival feel special—big shows at Y&D Square, Booze Cruise, utilizing smaller indie venues, etc. The best thing about CMW are the in-stores at Sonic Boom.
Crackerjacks and Cereal Boxes: Free Toy Inside?
I spent the last three weeks working as an Assistant Editor at Tribute Magazine, putting my time and efforts into the March/April 2012 issue. With the way things are going in the print industry, it’s rare these days to be working on site in a magazine office so I cherished every moment of the experience.
Their office was decorated by framed movie posters, some of them testaments of the company’s started in the movie licensing industry like their original Clash Of The Titans poster printed on film sheets with die-cut windows for the little actors headshots. But the real cherry on the cake was the executive boardroom loaded with old cereal boxes with movie promotions from the 80s and 90s enclosed in lucite cases along with movie stickers, Garfield paraphernalia Star Wars toys, Star Trek (original motion picture) gummy candy, and other random “free toy inside” type toys.
The room was a fanboy’s wet dream that is not so different from my own living room, so, naturally, I had to capture it in all its boxy glory.
