Damon to host first MLG concert in 8 years in support of children's charities

Damon to host first Maple Leaf Gardens concert in 8 years in support of children's charitiesWell, it's been almost a decade since anyone's brought the rock to Maple Leaf Gardens, but come Monday, September 8th, the Gardens plays host to a veritable pantheon of superstar talent in support of ONEXONE, a charity dedicated to enriching the lives of children in Canada and around the world.

TOMI-KRO Speaks the Universal Language of Yum

TOMI KROAsian-fusion tapas may seem passe. That is, until you come across Leslieville's TOMI-KRO. Check out my review of TOMI-KRO in the restaurants section.

Canadian Opera Company Announces 2008/09 Season

COC Fall 2008Now fully settled into its stunning home at the corner of Queen and University, the Canadian Opera Company (COC) is set to launch into its 2008/09 season with a host of incredible performances kicking off October 5th.

With bonus program features like pre-performance Opera chats, the Free Concert Series, and Opera 101 sessions for those new to the art (including $20 tickets for 16-29 year olds!), the upcoming Fall season promises to bring the opera experience to a more diverse crowd than ever before.

Call & Response: Keys N Krates

  • Posted by Gary
  • Filed in Music
  • August 27, 2008
Call & Response: Keys N Krates
Live remix band Keys N Krates have been mashing up music to new heights since I first talked about them back in February. They have played all over Western Canada, down the US West Coast and they even rocked some parties after the Juno Awards.

Their biggest audience though seems to be on YouTube. DJ Jr-Flo (a former Canadian DMC Champ), Matisse (keyboards) and Tune (drums) have taken full advantage of their band's visual strengths and their YouTube channel gets heavy traffic with some of their more popular performance clips drawing nearly 10,000 views.

Their last show in Toronto was a sell out. They play this month's edition Shuffle at Revival this Friday night. I spoke with Matisse about the crazy shows they've played out West, their new mixtape project, and converting Lindsay Lohan.

Keep reading for the complete interview.

The Remix Show

Remix ShowAnother day another gallery reception missed - how am I to keep up? All is not lost though; The Remix Show at The Gladstone is set to stay until September 1st. And praise be to that - I think everyone should swing by and check out some of mad-cool art from the show.

The weird thing about the unconventional setting, in the passageways of the hotel's 2nd floor, was that I kept expecting guests to burst out of their rooms to inquire why I, with camera in hand, was lurking around their doorways. With TIFF just around the corner I may just have to do it all over again.

Abraham Inc. at Harbourfront's Ashkenaz Festival

abraham inc ashkenaz festival at harbourfront.jpgOy Vey! I can't believe this weekend will be the final festival of Harbourfront's summer World Routes series! I have to give kudos to all the organizers for doing such an amazing job this year.

To close it proper, Ashkenaz Festival, a celebration of Yiddish and Jewish culture, will ensure (like a good Yiddishe Mama) that you get enough culture and food that will last you all winter long.

The Ashkenaz Festival is one of the world's largest public celebrations of Yiddish and Jewish culture. The festival brings a full spectrum of multidisciplinary artists/groups in music, dance, theatre, literature, visual arts, food and craft from all around the globe.

But what I'm most excited about at this festival is the Canadian premier of Abraham Inc., a unique band featuring the titanic trio of klezmer clarinet master David Krakauer, legendary funk trombonist Fred Wesley (formerly with James Brown's band) and Canada's own Yiddish Hip-Hop star So-Called.
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