by Diana WilsonTwo years of booking and promoting all ages indie concerts for ALL CAPS taught Ryan McLaren some hard facts: it’s hard to make money in the concert booking business when you can’t sell alcohol.After hitting 19, most music lovers forget how hard it is to make the scene. They forget to question why…

by Rat Velvet   Secret outdoor art parties like Against Life and its predecessor, Extermination Music Night, have been happening for years in this city, but recently, they have been growing in popularity. Communication about these events has gone from obscure message boards to Facebook, and from word of mouth to mainstream newspapers. Because more…

A Portrait of Toronto Art Collectivesby Sarah D'Angelo It’s always impressive to see a group of individuals working towards a common goal in synchronized beauty, like a collective of Borg swiftly assimilating an alien culture. Impressive, because it contrasts with the reality of everyday human interaction, which is typically riddled with miscommunication and emotional politics.…

the newsmagazine Arts Editor probes the brain of U of T graduate Alex Nursall about the existence of life after school.   Remember being a plucky high school graduate, flipping through the brochures of post secondary education? I do. The future seemed like such a warm place. But I’ll spare you the sentimental rehashing of…

"Mony Mony" - Billy Idol : From the late 80s, Billy Idol delivers a song charged with energy, great to get the party started. Improvisational dance moves can easily be incorporated to imitate the gold-digging woman mentioned in the song.   "Tipsy" - Chingy: Demeaning to women and in full embrace of pretty much everything…

The best films to watch whilst drinking a beer, or perhaps even while enjoying a 24 to yourself, goes as follows: 1) The Big Lebowski. Jeff Bridges is so cool and calm and suave in this film it will give you the most lovely buzzing feeling atop your already buzzing liver.  It is also uplifting and…

Photographers of the Hart House Camera Club will have you entranced by mystic moments suspended within their photos.

So just who was Roberston Davies? According to the play he was like an academic version of House M.D.—minus the grumpy attitude and evil scheming.

Today I was rummaging through a heap of papers on my floor in a flurry of lateness when I found a subway token. Clouds parted, the sun came out and my faith in the day was revitalized. This is precisely the same type of refreshment that gusts through the doors of Freedom Clothing Collective at…

“What do you want to talk about?” asked Kevin Smith at the beginning of a recent roundtable. “We can talk about the making of it, we can talk about me selling out.” Smith is referring to his switch to a major Hollywood studio (Warner Bros.) for his new film Cop Out. “I had a huge…

Entering the month of eternally frostbitten fingers, I suggest fun. Located at 587 College, a few steps above Strange Love, Whippersnapper Gallery has just that in store. This tiny gem offers up-and-coming artists a professional space to showcase their work through an established Toronto artist collective. Not only is Whippersnapper a gallery; it also functions…

If you’re looking for a departure from the beaten path of mushy cards and banal boxes of chocolate, the Sex and Violence Cartoon Festival may just fit your Valentine’s Day bill. The festival is the brain child of self-styled film buff Reg Hartt, who lit upon the idea as “a fun, off-the-wall thing to do…