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Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Kim Kardashian and Kanye cause chaos in Yorkville

Kim and Kanye TorontoKanye West took to the Air Canada Centre yesterday evening for the first night of the Saint Pablo Tour in Toronto. In tow was wife Kim Kardashian and her best friend Jonathan Cheban. Before Yeezy hits the stage for night two of the Toronto leg of the tour, the trio decided to spend their downtime in Yorkville.

Hordes of Kimye fans descended upon the neighbourhood to stalk the star couple as they shopped. What looks like hundreds of fans eagerly waited outside of shops just to snag a selfie.

Here's what Yorkville looked like today when Kim and Kanye rolled through.

Kim and Kanye Toronto

Kim and Kanye Toronto

Kim and Kanye Toronto

Kim and Kanye Toronto

Kim and Kanye Toronto

Jonathan Cheban was also documenting their adventures through the 6ix on his Snapchat. After they were done shopping in Yorkville they stopped by Sweet Jesus for a quick snack.

Sweet Jesus TorontoSweet Jesus Toronto

Photos by @etalkctv, @aaronnilsen, @kellyyy_ku, @drakeshipway, @ginavuckovic and @santmg.


by Jaclyn Skrobacky via blogTO

The Best BBQ Chicken (Churrasqueiras) in Toronto

bbq chicken torontoThe best BBQ chicken places (churrasqueiras) in Toronto employ time-honoured slow roasting techniques and charcoal grills to achieve the perfectly cooked bird. Also crucial this food is the piri piri, that iconic blend of chili, lemon and oil that gives Portuguese chicken its addictive, finger-licking taste.

Here's where to find the best BBQ chicken at Toronto churrasqueiras.


by Liora Ipsum via blogTO

Do you want to create video for blogTO?

blogTO logoWe have an immediate opening for a Videographer to join the blogTO team. In this role, the successful applicant will create daily video content for the site and our social platforms.

This is a full time, contract position. The ideal candidate should be a strong visual storyteller with expert camera, sound and editing skills and the aptitude to create engaging and sharable content daily.

What you will be doing

The basic function of the role will be to create short Watch How to Make videos of food/drink items at local businesses similar to the format we've already established. You can find examples on our Facebook page.

In addition, you will be tasked with creating additional types of videos - concept and format TBD.

Requirements

  • At least 1 year of professional experience creating video for digital media.
  • Strong shooting capabilities and expert editing skills with Adobe Premiere and Photoshop. Bonus points for After Effects expertise and capabilities with animation and motion graphics.
  • You must have your own camera, sound and editing equipment/software.
  • A keen interest and expert knowledge of many of the subject areas we cover on the site, especially food, restaurants and nightlife.

Additional information

The ideal candidate will also be able to demonstrate the following:

  • You are flexible to take on evening and weekend work as required.
  • You are willing and able to travel to all areas of the GTA to shoot video.
  • You are highly organized and have a keen attention to detail.
  • You are willing to work independently and as part of a larger group.
  • You have a solid understanding of what sort of video content works for web, mobile and social.
  • You are able to quickly shoot and edit video content to meet minimum daily requirements.

How to apply

Send us an email to jobs [at] blogto [dotcom]. Include a link to your resume and video portfolio but we'd also like to get to know you a bit more.

  • Tell us why you're applying for this position and why you're interested in joining the blogTO team.
  • Highlight key experiences that have prepared you for this role.
  • Demonstrate to us why you'd be an ideal candidate for this role.
  • Send us some top line ideas of any additional types of video-based content you think the site should produce. Send us links, if applicable, to similar content from other digital media brands.
  • Let us know how long you've lived in Toronto and what neighbourhoods you've lived in.
  • Include your compensation expectations and earliest available start date.

We have an immediate need for a Videographer. The start date is as soon as possible but we will wait for the right candidate. Thanks in advance for your interest. We aim to respond to everyone who sends us a complete application as detailed above.


by Staff via blogTO

World Poutine Eating Championship returns to Toronto

world poutine eating championshipPoutine is an indulgent dish that tastes best after 2 a.m. But if you want to watch groups of competitive eaters down pounds of fries, gravy and cheese curds, you should probably head to Yonge-Dundas Square on Saturday, October 1.

Smoke's Poutinerie's World Poutine Eating Championship is returning to the public square in downtown Toronto for the seventh time.

This annual gross-out event is the perfect way to kick off your Halloween month - what's scarier than watching people stuff their faces with piles and piles of soggy fries and brown sauce?

The competition is free to attend and will feature both amateur and professional eaters as well as live entertainment from KISS tribute band DESTROYER Canada.

Photo by Hector Vasquez.


by Amy Grief via blogTO

12 must-see concerts in Toronto this September

toronto concerts septemberToronto's must-see September concerts will give you zero chance to recover from the sun stroke and $12-dollar-beer debts you've incurred from too many outdoor shows all summer. Get back out there, because there are some legendary greats and unique up-and-comers blessing us with tunes all month.

Remember when I said festival season was almost over? Yeah, that was a lie. The onslaught keeps rolling with everything from TURF to TIFF, the latter of which is is even getting musical with a Pharrell street concert.

There's also Quiet Before the Storm (a precursor to hardcore celebration Not Dead Yet), the brand new Kensington Market Jazz Festival, Manifesto and the annual Polaris Prize award gala.

Here are the top choices for live music this month in Toronto.

Blood Ceremony (September 2, Lee's Palace)
'70-style paganists and one of Toronto's best-ever metal bands completed Lord of Misrule this past spring - in between frontwoman Alia O'Brian's bouts of working toward a PhD at U of T, I might add, no big deal, what have you done with your year so far? The official release party finally goes down this month at Lee's.

Intersection (September 3, Yonge-Dundas Square)
This annual experimental music celebration actually gets started the day before, but Saturday's the big show: art-electro trio Absolutely Free, saxophonist Travis LaPlante, drone soloist Gates and plenty more sound, visual and performing artists will combine creative forces at this free, outdoor event, appropriately at the busiest physical intersection in town.

Frigs (September 8, Faith/Void)
The unkempt Toronto band has dropped the "Dirty" and signed themselves over to the Arts & Crafts overlords, but the new EP's definitely just as unpolished as ever. Plus, Faith/Void is a cool venue worth supporting in this post-S.H.I.B.G.Bs world.

Dolly Parton (September 9, Molson Amphitheatre)
"Pure and Simple" is Dolly's biggest tour in a quarter-century, named after her just-released 43rd (!!) studio album. Check out one of the greatest living songwriters at the Molson Amphitheatre.

Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins (September 10, Massey Hall)
Remember when Jenny Lewis took her first steps away from Rilo Kiley and did a solo LP? Remember Rilo Kiley?? Anyway, that recording, Rabbit Fur Coat, is 10 years old, which means - you guessed it - anniversary tour.

Slayer (September 12, Sound Academy)
The thrash legends continue to celebrate 2015's Repentless with a tour featuring Death Angel and Anthrax - the latter of which means you get a full 50 per cent of the Big Four on stage in one night. Pop a wheelie and ride your branded BMX bike over to Sound Academy (before it becomes REBEL).

Lauryn Hill (September 15-16, Massey Hall)
Enigmatic and elusive, Lauryn Hill doesn't have the best rep for showing up to perform, but when she does, it's pretty much always everything you'd want from a bonafide legend. Hill presents "MLH Caravan: A Diaspora Calling!" over two nights at Massey Hall.

Anderson .Paak (September 17, TD Echo Beach)
The 10th annual Manifesto Festival brings the L.A. rapper/singer and Dre protege to Toronto to showcase his new-school, soulful, upbeat style of hip hop - and where else is better to hear songs from Malibu than on a beach?

Blood Orange (September 21, Danforth Music Hall)
Dev Hynes makes yet another one of his rare appearances this side of the border, this time on the heels of Freetown Sound, his second collection of retro-pop R&B tunes that's getting album-of-the-year type buzz.

Angel Olsen (September 24, Mod Club/September 25, Lee's Palace)
So far, Angel Olsen's sophomore album My Woman is looking (and sounding) like it's going to be way fun, amping up her intense country/folk-tinged rollicking further. You get two shots to see her: one at the Mod Club, then again at Lee's.

Russian Circles and Helms Alee (September 26, Lee's Palace)
Though fans of post-rock/post-metal/post-everything are likely well acquainted with Russian Circles, I'm actually more excited for their lower-profile Sargent House label-mates Helms Alee: a sludgy, 90s-obsessed trio that's powerful live and rarely comes Canada-side.

How to Dress Well (September 28, Mod Club)
Not 100 per cent sure, but I'm fairly certain the last time smooth, sensitive pop crooner Tom Krell was in town, it was when I saw him last summer, crowdsurfing with a slew of other metal-loving maniacs at Deafheaven's NXNE set. I assume this headlining return will be slightly more chill, in honour of forthcoming LP Care.

Thanks to Big Rock Brewery for sponsoring this post.

Photo via Lauryn Hill's Facebook page.


by Shazia Khan via blogTO

The city above Toronto just got a stunning new library

vaughan libraryHaving fun isn't hard when you've got a library card, especially in Vaughan, the city above Toronto.

The new Vaughan Civic Centre Resource Library, located next to Vaughan City Hall at Major MacKenzie and Keele (2191 Major MacKenzie Dr.), features a recording studio, video studio, media suites, green screens, a 3D printer and a cafe, along with lots of reading material.

vaughan libraryZAS Architects designed the glass-clad, 35,572 square-foot space, which takes some of its inspiration from the nearby Canada's Wonderland amusement park.

vaughan libraryAnd according to a ZAS design brief, this isn't just a library. It's "a visionary maker-space dedicated to community learning, gathering, creating and celebration."

vaughan libraryWith lots of windows and natural lighting, you'll actually want to sit down and cram at one the library's personal work stations or its study hall.

vaughan libraryThe Vaughan Civic Centre Resource Library soft-opened in May, but it'll have its official grand opening on September 10.

Photos via Zas Architects.



by Amy Grief via blogTO

There's a guinea pig picnic happening in Toronto

Toronto pignicToronto is getting a guinea pig picnic. Yes, you read that correctly, and yes you will likely die from cuteness overload if you attend this magical event. For my part, I'm already filled with emotion.

I'll never forget my first pet guinea pig. His name was Zipper. He was kind of useless, but in the most perfect way. He would purr when he was happy, he would eat all the left over veggies I would throw in his cage, and he would kind of squirm and run away whenever you actually tried to chill with him.

It's kind of like he loved me and hated me all at once.

That's the magic of a guinea pig. They don't actually care that much about you; they're just living their slightly frantic rodent life.

That's why this weekend's Guinea Pig Pignic is such a great thing. Pick up your tiny fur pig and head to Greenwood Park for an early afternoon hang out with dozens of other hairy piglets. It's a free BYO picnic type situation, but please leave dogs at home for this one.

Organizers have gone to great lengths to make this a fulfilling day for you and your pig. Everything starts at 10 a.m. with a simple registration (open all day) and then at 10:30 a.m. it's the red carpet event.

There's a pageant, grooming tips with CityPigs Caviary head honcho Pierce Grey, a mini-market and celebrity meet and greet with Poquito the long haired guinea pig.

The pigs may be mostly personality free, but this pignic is not. You don't even have to own one to attend, and all proceeds raised will be divided between Toronto Humane Society and Piggles Rescue. Yup, there's an organization called Piggles Guniea Pig Rescue.

Visit their Facebook page for rules and etiquette, and here's a list of what to bring.

Photo from the Pignic Central Facebook page.


by Phil Villeneuve via blogTO