City Hall and sky

Photo by Marc in the blogTO Flickr pool.

by Derek Flack via blogTO

The top concerts in Toronto June 2014

The top concerts in Toronto in June will range from robotic, futuristic art installations courtesy of Detroit to Toronto's grand-scale SXSW inspired music festival NXNE. Festival season will get into full swing starting next week: Field Trip is back for another go, Luminato is bringing some music to the city, and the Jazz Fest hits us later this month. Whether you're looking for scuzzy NYC noise artists or bearded Mississippi rappers, June has your brightest day or blackest night in the sun.

Before we get started, I'm sorry to say May was a disappointing month in Toronto music missed connections. Is the music so good you creeps have stopped obsessively checking each other out? Lack of intrigue aside, there are still a fair number of hopeful why-the-fuck-not's: Tara from the Avicii show has a fan (who hopefully didn't end up in the hospital), a fit normie guy from Jack Johnson has an admirer, one sleepless Chad VanGaalen lover impressed last week, and a reluctant creeper from the Guvernment admits a MSTRKRFT crush.

Did you have gold/red/green hair at the Elbow show? A backpack at Bombay Bicycle Club? Chat up a stranger at CMW? French sparks were exchanged at Absolute Journey at Rockpile East, and someone wrote a lot about Sheezer playing "Hash Pipe" at Lee's in a post which for some reason I'm having trouble comprehending - guess you had to be there.

Here are the best places to have special musical moments no one understands in Toronto this June.

Die Antwoord / June 4 / 7pm / The Danforth Music Hall (147 Danforth Ave.) $41-$47

Should this be in fashion events? I don't know what this duo sounds like - and I've watched their videos.

Scarlett Jane / June 5 / the Drake Hotel / $15.00

From our folk writer Ryan Ayukawa: both Andrea Ramolo and Cindy Doire, aka Toronto's folk/noir duo, Scarlett Jane, have toured cross-Canada, bringing their "sultry, boot-stompin' magic" and haunting harmonies wherever they play. They perform at the Drake Sarnia's Andrew Austin.

The Unbearable Lightness of Bass / June 6 / 7pm / The Music Gallery / $10

Have you tried the Subpac yet? It's like those John Waters scratch and sniffs but for your body instead of your nose, and for music instead of film. If that doesn't make sense, this Thump article should bring you up to speed on the Subpac bass experience. Prince Nifty, Sunclef, and Bile Sister will perform.

BriefcaseFest 2014 / June 6 & 7 / Silver Dollar & Comfort Zone / $10 for day one, $12 for day two, $20 for both

Via Shazia Khan: after the success of last year's inaugural event, the organizers of BriefcaseFest have resurrected this two-day shindig for 2014 to properly celebrate the inventive, inspiring and often underrated landscape of extreme music in Southern Ontario. Once again, the madness begins at the Silver Dollar on day one - here, you can revel in the sludge-rock innovation of Godstopper, the deafening plod of Demonic Possessor and the harmonically adept prog styling's of Ayathuasca, among others. Day two sinks down to the Comfort Zone for a more out-of-province mix, such as Rochester grindcore Sulaco and Quebec black metal Ordoxe.

Apetechnology / June 7 / 8pm / The White House (277 1/2 Augusta Ave.) / $7

I'm stealing part of Tad's description it will be better at enticing people to this strange, futuristic show than I could be at this hour: "From the crumbling apocalyptic landscape of Detroit, electromechanical sound art collective Apetechnology breathes new life into the decline of the industrial age. Home made electronics, modular synthesizers and a new auto-kalimba birth warped rhythms & haunting drones. Building their own brand of Detroit Retrograde Futurism illuminating the last cries of a self destructed future." Whoah. Local experimental legend Brian Ruryk is opening, as are Giant Claw and Toblerone Boys.

Field Trip / June 7-8 / Fort York: Garrison Common (250 Fort York Blvd.) / $65--$200

Of course Field Trip is coming back for year two: Arts & Crafts made tons of people happy last year at Fork York Garrison Common. Field Trip will return to the same sod June 7th & 8th, and Broken Social Scene are playing again - shocking, I know - along with Interpol, The Kills, The Constantines (back together!), Chvches, Shad, Austra, A Tribe Called Red, and more. Field Trip also promises the most free hugs per non-EDM festival in the GTA. Various ticket packages are available here.

Buffy Sainte-Marie and Tanya Tagaq / June 10 / David Pecaut Square / Free

There's nothing about contemporary Yellowknife throat singer Tanya Tagaq that isn't mind blowing. Her voice runs from guttural growls to sensual R&B hooks emphasized by high pitched notes and, eventually, bone chilling screams. You'll want to check her feet for effects pedals, but there won't be any - this is amazing magic, and it's free thanks to Luminato. Check out our review of her show with Lido Pimienta last month here.

Pharmakon / June 12 / 9pm / S.H.I.B.G.B's / 225 Geary Ave (Middle Door) / $10

Sacred Bones has posted one of my favorite quotes of all time in relation to a band on their page for NYC noise/experimental artist Pharmakon: "Her music may be as cuddly as a trepanning drill." Fans of the weird and all things scuzz, art, and underground will want to check this one out. SINS and Spore are also on the line up, so you know this night is going to be memories.

NXNE / multiple venues / June 13 - 22

NXNE (like SXSW but Canadian, possibly with the same amount of flannel shirts) will pull a ton of bands into TO including Spoon, St. Vincent, Ryan Hemsworth, Le1f, Swans, Future Islands, Perfect Pussy, Spiritualized, and way more for a week of multi-venue concerts here and the usual big free shows at Yonge & Dundas. Festivals of this scale can be a delirious and curious experience (why would anyone book the Pizza Underground?), but that's what alcohol is for. There will also be panels, film, comedy, and art. Learn all about tickets and wristbands here, and don't forget to brush up on our guide to staying sane at Yonge & Dundas Square. We'll post our full previews soon.

Elvis Costello / June 14 / 7pm / all ages / $35-99

Jazz.FM91 plays this jazz version of "Watching the Detectives" that is absolutely disturbing. I rarely ever say this about music that wasn't made by four plaid-shirt wearing garage-chillers but that song is awful, and it's all I can think about now when I see Elvis Costello's name (that and Bret Easton Ellis). This is getting personal so I'll quit griping here - Costello's in town and it's all ages, so bring your mini Elvis's (who might love that jazz re-do, who knows).

Rick Ross / June 15 / 8pm / Sound Academy (11 Polson St) / $65

Recent quote from beardly, Grammy-nominated hip hop artist Rick Ross' Twitter: "We good business." Nothing to add to that.

Black Flag / June 19 / CODA / $26

Via Shazia Khan: Well, this should be... interesting? Since their reformation last year, punk icons Black Flag have been mired in drama, attempting to sue their former bandmates in FLAG, firing their lead singer on stage and releasing an album (What The...) panned by both critics and fans. Let's see if new singer Mike Vallely can save this reunion from utter catastrophe at CODA on June 19 - he's already vowed to never perform any of the material off of What The..., so that's a step in the right direction. They'll be joined by Greg Ginn's experimental electronic project Hor and Brooklyn punks Cinema Cinema.

Lauren Hill / June 21 / 8pm / Sound Academy (11 Polson St.) / $60

Woman is a legend - like breath-catch-in-throat when she hits the stage legend. She's hitting Toronto during NXNE's big weekend, so show her some love.

Toronto Jazz Fest / multiple venues / June 19 - 28

Can't not give a shout out to Toronto Jazz Fest, where over 1,500 bands and artists will perform at 40 venues across the city. We'll post our full preview later, but for now check out the line up on their website for acts like Melissa Etheridge, Deborah Cox, and Chaka Khan.

Beck / June 27 / 7pm / Sony Centre (1 Front St. East) / $50-80

Opinions in my friends pool are divided on the quality of the new Beck album Morning Phase. I must have been born a little too late, because people having opinions on Beck strikes me as fishy.

Photo of Tanya Tagaq by Alejandro Santiago

by Aubrey Jax via blogTO

That time Toronto got its first taste of the LCBO

David Blythe Hanna was confident the big day would go off without a hitch. As the first chairman of the newly-established Liquor Control Board of Ontario, the former railway manager was charged with making sure the province's loosened licensing laws would be followed to the letter. June 1, 1927 was to be the first day of public alcohol sales since the start of prohibition 11 years earlier. Before that, alcohol was dispensed by prescription only.

In 1916, Ontario partially nixed the sale of alcohol, partly as a wartime austerity measure. The Temperance movement became all-out prohibition when the restrictions were beefed up in the 1920s. Inevitably, bootleggers from the United States ran liquor across Lake Ontario and the Detroit River, sometimes in the false bottoms of small boats, to underground bars and blind tigers.

Notorious gangster Rocco Perri was one Ontario's bootlegging kingpins. Based out of Hamilton, the Italian immigrant rose to prominence off the back of a series of brazen smuggling missions in the mid-1920s. The self-described "King of the Bootleggers" saw himself as a sort of Robin Hood character, delivering alcohol to a thirsty province subdued by unfair rules.

"It is an unjust law. I have a right to violate it if I can get away with it," he told the Toronto Star in sensational 1924 interview. "Men do it in what you call legitimate business until they get caught. I shall do it in my business until I get caught. Am I a criminal because I violate a law that the people do not want?"

On the other side, The Globe was a supporter of the Ontario Temperance Act, the legislation keeping the province dry. "With all its faults, the [act] was a step in the right direction of eliminating the evils that have been associated with the liquor traffic and developing a generation of sober, temperate people," read an editorial on the eve of birth of the LCBO. "Government control makes for the breakdown of sobriety, aids drunkenness, and provides easy facilities for the obtaining an abundance of liquor."

But the majority of people in Ontario appeared happy for prohibition to end up on the scrap heap. In 1927, the LCBO, the government body charged with ensuring no-one had much fun as a result of the new rules, set up its first 12 stores, six of them in Toronto, and established the process by which liquor would henceforth dispensed.

On the morning of the first day of sales, hundreds of people queued outside the Toronto stores, hours ahead of the official opening time at 10:00 a.m. Some women brought empty strollers to use as shopping carts and, despite long waits, "there was very little jostling," according to the Globe. Some people showed up in taxicabs, others in limousines.

Procuring a tipple quickly proved a bureaucratic nightmare. Anyone wanting, say, a case of O'Keefe's Special Half and Half -- an "extra mild blend of O'Keefe's Special Ale and Special Stout for smoothness and flavor unequaled" -- would first have to apply for a license at the liquor store or at a dedicated outpost on King St. In Toronto, the store locations were: 1271 Dundas St. W., 154 Wellington St. West, Church and Lombard, 170 Danforth Ave., 1271 Queen Street West in Parkdale, and Queen and Woodbine in the Beach.

The crowd around the licensing window was tight, The Star wrote. "One had to be a contortionist to get one arm free to write out a slip." Once furnished with a license to buy alcohol, customers were allowed to proceed to the store proper, where there was a team of censors who checked and vetted paperwork. A pink slip had to be completed for delivery orders or a white slip for "cash and carry."

For reasons that weren't made clear, differing brands were not permitted on the same form. "This is absolutely the worst system I have ever seen," said one customer. "Me for the bootleggers," said another, departing. "where you can get fast service."

"Getting through Uncle Sam's immigration turnstiles was child's play compared with running this gauntlet," The Star wrote. "The crowd of purchasers moved as slowly as a great mogul engine being derricked out of a ditch."

D. B. Hanna's LCBO set strict limits on the amount each person could carry out. No more than a single six pack of beer was permitted to leave the store in the hands of a member of the public and mixing types of alcohol was also banned: no whiskey and wine on the same visit. Delivery was mandatory on larger orders, at a fee of 30-cents.

No "repeating," placing two large orders on successive days. Cash only.

"The purchase of the liquor required much ingenuity and patience," The Star said. Many left empty-handed.

Though permits had been available a week in advance, few people had claimed one, and lines moved slowly. The Star reported that 1,070 had been served as of 2:00 pm on the first afternoon across all of Toronto. The biggest purchase of the day was for "an assortment of wines and spirits" at the Dundas store. The bill was $68.50--close to $1,000 in today's money.

Customers unfamiliar with the complex ordering procedure scattered spoiled pink and white slips on the floor and tempers occasionally flared, especially when it came close to closing time. There were 200 people still waiting in line when the central store at Church and Lombard closed at 9:30, and police were called to escort the crowd away.

Hanna blamed the lack of organization on the public: the drinkers of Toronto should have applied for their permits in advance. "It was the people that came [to the stores] for their permits who caused the congestion," he said. Critics also bemoaned the narrow selection in the small stores.

The Toronto Star put it poetically: "Mr. Hanna can now appreciate the truth of the saying that the best laid plans gang aft agley. If he aimed at dignity he got a scramble and confusion and made many as they abandoned the hunt exclaim that after all prohibition was better than no liquor at all."

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

Images: "D. B. Hanna, Ontario Liquor Commission," Feb 8. 1927, Globe and Mail fonds, City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1266, Item 9936; "The great deceiver: water & alcohol alike in appearance, different is effect," 192-, Dominion Scientific Temperance Committee, Toronto Public Library, Item 9. M; "Out To-Day--A Great Day for Ducks," June 1 1927, Toronto Star.

by Chris Bateman via blogTO

Resto revamped with new interior, Spanish-tinged menu

Revisiting this restaurant after any amount of time away will likely conjure a sense of deja vu: the interior seems familiar though more comfortable than ever; the menu is not as meat-centric as it once was and has picked up a Spanish accent. While I can't pin down every difference, the patio is as glorious as ever and the bar menu is just as enticing ... likely why my last visit is a little foggy in the first place.

Read my profile of Marben in the restaurants section.

by Liora Ipsum via blogTO

City Hall and sky

Photo by Marc in the blogTO Flickr pool.

by Derek Flack via blogTO

Weekend events in Toronto: May 30 - June 1, 2014

Weekend events in Toronto is our guide to events happening this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Here's what's happening in Toronto this May 30 - June 1, 2014.

Ready, Set, DIE! Zombie 5K Obstacle Course Run

Toronto's hungry for brains, and charity-based zombie runs proved so insanely popular that last year's zombie run has been given a new name. Toronto will host this event benefiting the Heart and Stroke Foundation, the first out of six Ontario zombie runs, at Alpha Obstacle Training at Polson Pier. While technically more of a run than a race, this 5K team-based obstacle course pits zombies (decked out by professional makeup artists) against survivors (working hard to keep their free Ts blood free). Saturday, May 31, 10am, Polson Pier (11 Polson St).

PARTY

Ricardo Villalobos

Eccentric Chilean-German DJ/producer Ricardo Villalobos is a bit of a legend in certain circles, and for good reason. Unlike most big-name DJs, he doesn't play Toronto very often, so his Coda debut is highly anticipated. He could fill the club on his own without a problem, but they've also stacked the bill with Chicago-Toronto house icon DJ Sneak, Doc Martin, and Nitin. Friday, May 30, Coda (794 Bathurst St.), 10pm, $35.

Seth Troxler

Seth Troxler may be Berlin-based now, but his DJ sets still reflect his Detroit roots. His quirky sense of humour cuts through the tech-house thump with an eagerness to surprise and play with the audience's expectations. Friday, May 30, Maison Mercer, 10pm, $20

Mothership Tour 2014

We've heard your Skrillex jokes, and a lot of them are pretty funny, but the guy is a superstar for a reason, and it definitely isn't his haircut. Haters can hate, but the guy knows how to rock a giant festival stage. And really, what's wrong with bass lines that sound like Transformers puking? May 30-31, Echo Beach, $75.

Deep North Records Fundraiser ft. TX Connect, Douglas Carter & GCue

Deep North throw some of Toronto's best dance parties - and even though the show at Wrongbar on Saturday is a fundraiser for their record label, the promoters are so nice they're going to let you in for free/PWYC before 11pm. We're a lucky city. TX Connect is headlining. Saturday, May 31, 10pm, Wrongbar (1279 Queen Street West).

Summerdaze

Hello, summer parties (goodbye, sleep and hydration). This venue-hopping electronic music series will launch this weekend at Gossip with Kim Ann Foxman, Mayaan Nidam, Members Only, and Shea Marie. In the spirit of summer relaxation there will be plenty to eat and drink, plus art to look at too. Saturday, May 31, 4pm-2am, Gossip Restaurant (CNE Grounds, 50 Prince Edward Island Cres.)

See also

• Focus Friday with James Murphy (Hoxton)


• Yes Yes Y'all (Friday, The 519 Church Street Community Centre)


• DEATHWISH (Saturday, The Beaver)


• ITZSOWEEZEE (Saturday, Drake)


• Marcus Visionary (Saturday, Tattoo)


• Pacific High with Bruce Trail and DJ Colin (Saturday, Bambi's)

ART

Carly Waito

Narwhal's Toshio Saeki exhibit as part of TCAF was anything but a soft opening (hardcore soft opening?), proving the wandering gallery is out to wow us with their latest location at 2104 Dundas West. Toronto-based artist Carly Waito will show oil paintings, graphite illustrations, and video from tonight until June 28. Opening: Friday, May 30, 6-9pm, Narwhal (2104 Dundas St. West).

Pitiful Human-Lizard Launch Party at Silver Snail

A new comic book takes the typical superhero tropes and smacks them right down in the middle of Toronto. Cartoonist Jason Loo's graphic novel follows The Pitiful Human-Lizard from the Financial District and Y&D Square to Parkdale as he works some awful day corporate job by day and fights crime by night. The book launches in its hometown tonight. Friday, May 30, 7pm, Silver Snail (329 Yonge St).

See also

• Rosedale Art Fair (Saturday - Sunday, Rosedale Main St.)


• Walnut Studios Open House (Saturday)


• Queen West Gallery Tour (Saturday, The Drake)

For more art listings, check out our Top 10 Must-See Art Shows This Spring post.

FOOD

CraveTO

CraveTO happens tonight from 5pm at Wychwood Barns. General admission is $16.75 for the food fest, which features vendors like The Goods, Food Dudes and Asada Mexican Grill. Friday, May 30, 5pm, Wychwood Barns (76 Wychwood Ave).

CBP Launch Party

The Craft Beer Passport is launching at The Piston, and there will be many a sample to be had and prize to be won. If you're not in the know, these passports mean deals on beer. Need I say more? Buy an actual passport for $20, or wait until your last cheque clears. Sunday, June 1, 8:30pm, The Piston (937 Bloor St. West).

For more food events, check out our Toronto Food Events , Spring Food Events , and Spring Beer Events post.

MUSIC

Absolutely Free, Jason Doell, Swiss Dice

Mercer Union's gallery is always worth a visit, so long as the door price isn't a hundred billion dollars (for events, it usually is). Absolutely Free, composer Jason Doell, and Swiss Dice will start your night off right tonight. Friday, May 30, 8pm, Mercer Union (1286 Bloor St. West), $10.

Construction

Long Winter's summer event series is back with The Dirty Nil, Milk Lines, Billy Dre & The Poor Boys and DJ Cell Memory. Construction hasn't been getting as much attention as the massive Long Winter shows at Great Hall, but this is still a great all-ages event highlighting local bands. Friday, May 30, 9pm, Double Double Land (209 Augusta Ave), PWYC $5-10.

Roc The Mic

Hip hop rules this Saturday at the Phoenix: JD Era, Rich Kidd, A-Game (Chase and Nova), Tommy Spitz, Young Cake, Mad Poets, Spoiled Green and Billi D'Kid aka Black Sage will perform along with DJ's Christylz, P-Nutt, DJ Law and Andre 905. Saturday, May 31, Phoenix (410 Sherbourne St.), $25.

See also

• 100 Years of Hugh Le Caine (Friday, Music Gallery)


• Sheezer Spring Fling (Friday, Lee's Palace)


• Pinball Sessions 1 Year Anniversary Show (Saturday, Handlebar)

For more music listings, check out our This Week in Music , May Concerts , Spring Concerts , and Spring Music Festivals posts.

FILM

Inside Out Web Series Showcase

Inside Out LGBT Film Festival is highlighting their favourite web series. Look for the minds behind Fminin/fminin, F to 7th Web Series, Gay Nerds, LESlieVILLE, Little Horribles, and Other Men. Sunday, June 1, 3pm, TIFF Bell Lightbox (350 King St. West).

See also

• Inside Out: Closing Gala Party and Awards (Sunday, Hotel Ocho)

FASHION

Fat Girl Food Squad & Friends Plus Size Pop Up Shop

This Sunday (June 1), head to Sneaky Dee's upstairs space for Fat Girl Food Squad's plus size pop-up shop. Find vintage and second hand gems including clothing sizes 14 and up, a smattering of shoes, and handmade jewellery all in one place. Sunday, June 1, Sneaky Dee's (431 College St.).

See also

• Midnight Market (Friday, 2nd Floor Events)


• More Than Just a Yardage Sale (Friday, Textile Museum of Canada)


• CAFTCAD Movie Wardrobe Sale (Saturday, Pinewood Toronto Studios)


• Artisans of the Metropolis: A Junction Bazaar (Saturday, 50 Edwin)


• The Post Market (Saturday & Sunday, Queen East & Winnifred)


• The Leslieville Flea (Sunday, Harbourfront Centre)

For more fashion listings, check out our This Week in Fashion post.

COMMUNITY

Festival of Social Innovation

The Centre for Social Innovation wants to celebrate their 10th birthday with you. Details are scarce on what the party will actually be about, but social innovation might be explained once and for all (it involves parties? Or it should...) Saturday, May 31, 2-6pm, CSI Annex (720 Bathurst St.)

See also

• MEC Toronto Bikefest 2014 (Saturday, Trinity Bellwoods Park)


• The Bellwoods Blockparty (Sunday, Walnut Lane)

GAMES

Free Board Game Afternoon at the Eaton's Centre

If zombie runs are too much for you, head to Richtree Natural Market to play board games. Not as fun as Snakes and Lattes, but it's free! And there will be prizes. Saturday, May 31, 1-9pm, Richtree Natural Market, Eaton Centre (14 Queen St. West).

COMEDY

BeerProv

So straightforward. Beer. Improv. The venue is actually called Comedy Bar. The show is tonight. Friday, May 30, 10:30pm, Comedy Bar (945 Bloor St. West), $20.

Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO Toronto events calendar or contact us directly.

Contributions by Benjamin Boles, Liora Ipsum, Bianca Venerayan, Libby Roach

by Aubrey Jax via blogTO

The Best French Restaurants in Toronto

The best French restaurants in Toronto might deal in a relatively limited quantity of dishes, but they show off a wide variety of approaches to the country's much-loved cuisine. There was a time when it might have been possible merely to divide the city's French offerings into the categories of casual bistro and upscale dining room, but as the list below shows, there's a growing middle ground where some of the most exciting cooking is happening.

To a great extent, one's mood will dictate what qualifies as the perfect French meal. While establishments like Auberge de Pommier and Ici Bistro offer the most refined of fare, neighbourhood bistros like Batifole and La Palette offer diners a butter-soaked experience that's tough to beat. Oh, and do make sure to order some wine: it wouldn't be a French meal without it.

These are the best French restaurants in Toronto.

See also:

The best steak frites in Toronto

The best baguette in Toronto

The best crepes in Toronto

The best croissant in Toronto

Photo from Auberge Du Pommier

by Derek Flack via blogTO