EVENT: Toronto Roller Derby MAY 24th

I heard about this about a year ago but forgot in the depth of moving to downtown T.O fear that was gripping me at the time. Advertisments have recently popped up in NOW and EYE magazine for the years first match which is The Gore Gore Girls VS The Bay City Betties. It looks like a fun little jaunt to pull off on a Saturday Night. It's May 24th, doors open at 7:00 PM, match starts at 8:00. You can pick up tickets for 10$ (or 15$ at the door) from Rotate This and Soudscapes.

The event is taking place at
215 Ryding Ave. South of St. Clair between Runnymede and Keele

What is Roller Derby?

The Official Website of the Toronto Roller Derby

A video of a past bout between the Gore Gore Girls and The Bruisers

PLACES; Toronto Zine Library

From Answers.com
zine (zēn)
An inexpensively produced, self-published, underground publication: I often contributed cartoons and essays to other people's 'zines, so why didn't I just buckle down and start my own? (Pagan Kennedy).

Come on kids! Drag your cyber polluted eyes off from the screen and hit the pavement in the direction of the coolest word sanctuary in town. Don't let the its one roomed white walled drabness fool ya, the Toronto Zine Library is literally packed to the brims with impossible to find self-published rags from the 70's on. You'll find old Punk Rock newsletters printed on dirty third hand newspaper, personal zines written by mopy 16 year old girls amd glossier publications from the mid-90's that are all but forgotten today (Ben is Dead, Bitch, Fact Sheet). There's all manners of goodies nicely split up into different sections for even the most casual browser (Perzines, Fanzines, Sexual Politics, Angry Hermaprhodites Who Love Pands.) The only reason for you not to check it out is you where born without a brain. Ande even then, make your buddies carry you there.

LIBRARY HOURS ON SUNDAYS FROM 1-3At the Tranzac - 292 Brunswick Ave., next to Future's Bakery - UPSTAIRS IN THE REHEARSAL HALL. During these hours zine librarians will be on hand to answer any questions you may have and help you find what you're looking for. The zines are otherwise available during the Tranzac's open hours (weekdays after 5, weekends after 1) as long as the REHEARSAL HALL (upstairs, remember!) isn't in use.

http://torontozinelibrary.blogspot.com/ For an index of everything on file.

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=83562653 for updates

WEB NEWS: Bloggie Thing

Wow-Zah. We have a FACEBOOK group now? I hear that’s the new hip thing to do.

TELL YOUR FRIENDS OR BE REJECTED.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=21794231092

COMIX: Rex Libris VOL 1: I Librarian REVIEW

Rex Libris: I Librarian.
Written and Drawn by: James Turner

The day I read a comic that features a pistol packing librarian fighting a demon samurai over a library crad is the day I can die. What’s that? It happens in the first two pages of Toronto native James Turner’s “Rex Libris: I Librarian”? My bad. I meant the first day I see an army of partially mechanical snow men take on a libr--- That’s in there too? Jeez. There can’t be a wise cracking sparrow bent on world domination can there? Really? Wow. I’d better get my noose ready.

“The series follows the adventures of Rex Libris, the Head Librarian at the Middleton Public Library. Unbeknownst to the general public, Rex is actually over a thousand years old, and was the original librarian at the Library of Alexandria. He is a member of the the Ordo Bibliotecha, an international secret society of librarians. With the aid of the ancient god Thoth, who lives beneath the Library, Rex travels to the fartherest reaches of the universe to collect late book fees, and to fight the powers of ignorance and darkness.”

The first thing you’ll notice when cracking open the book is the odd way Mr. Libri’s world is brought to life. Completely created in Adobe Illustrator through the use of Vectors (A complex version of Connect the Dots) the result is a clean cut style is like nothing you’ve ever seen in comic form (Well, it’s new to me!) James Turner has been working in advertising for 15 years and it’s obvious on the page that he’s done nothing but perfect his style. The storytelling is spot on, if a little slow paced at first, but read in the paperback format it flows surprisingly well.

Silly without ever become grating, Rex Libris succeeds where most so called graphic “comedy” fails. It creates a believable world where our relatively straight laced heroes can bounce his working man’s view of the world off the odd-balls around him. This could have all easily collapses on itself, but Turner keeps it all the plates spinning without breaking a sweat. It’s the fact that the comedy is played on an epic canvas that it works. The heroics on display are everyday occurrences for all these characters, but they’re still given the wide-screen treatment they deserve. You’d almost believe this is all based on true events. Which it is.

The thing that will make or break your enjoyment of this brilliant piece of brilliance is the fact that Rex Libris is wordy to the point that you go “Ugh! Why are there so many pictures in all these words?”. Text crowds the page as if it was attempting to escape. It’s not the kind of book you read standing on a crowded subway at eight AM in the morning. It’s the kind of entertainment you enjoy in a comfy leather chair with iced tea and a corn cob pipe. Every now and then you have to go “Hmmm” in a slightly British fashion to get maximum fun out of it. And as odd as that sounds, that’s a hugely positive plug, and I can’t wait to read the further adventures of everyone’s favorite Kick-Ass Sesquepedalian Librarian.

NOTE: You can pick up this book and a slew of other classy indie four colour fun times at The Beguiling. All the cool kids are doing it.

The Beguiling
601 Markham StreetToronto,
ON M6G
2L7
(416) 533-9168

PERSONAL: The House of Lords Cut It All Off

My hair and I have a shaky allegiance. I let it do its own thing and it lets me live. Even if it’s own thing includes growing into a huge curly ‘fro that kills anyone that dares call it "Sheep-Like". But eventually (And under pressure from certain female figures) the whole “getting it cut” thing must come into play. And even though I’ve been in Toronto for almost a year now, I have no set place to get the operation done. Doing a quick search on Google, a salon called ‘House of Lords’ rose to the top as the most recommended venue. I had actually walked by it a few times and been confused, because it looks more like a concert hall then a hair salon. No matter. If it’s cheap. I’m in.

The lady at the counter popped her gum and glanced at me disapprovingly. The place was packed. A kid stared at me miserably beside his long haired father. He shot daggers at me as if it completely my fault he was about to have his scalp tortured.
I tried to yell over “Back in Black” as it roared on the loudspeaker. I didn't win.
“How long do I have to---“ I sputtered before being cut off with a bubble gum popped glance.
“Ten minutes. Sit down.”
Meekly, I shuffled over to the waiting area . Ten SECONDS later a small Asian woman poked me in the ribs. I think she wanted to steal one.
“You fjadlkaldjks?” she said in under the blaring pop music.
“Pardon?” I asked.
“kjdsakdkljskla” she said. This time her eyebrows arched as if saying “Last time now. Answer or get out of my sight YOU FOOL”
“Yes” I said with a smile and and nod. I hoped deep down I wasn’t agreeing to anything illegal.
She hustled me over across the casualties of snipping and I sat down in a barbers chair and started to sweat. I really hoped this wasn't going to hurt. And if it did, I hoped I'd fall unconcious quick.
“How you want hair?” she asked as she attempted to drown the matted black stuff on the top of my head.
“Ughhhh”. I hate this part. It doesn’t help that my instructions mostly involving miming scissors cutting with the phrase “Short, but not TOO short” repeated till it sounded right. I really hoped I don’t get a skinhead job like last time.
I finish my performance and the woman nods as if the universe’s infinite puzzle has finally been solved.
“We make you sexy.” She said “Now hunch down in the chair.”
What? Is there a sniper with a bead trained on my forehead?
“HUNCH down” she said with a shove and I slumped in my chair. Oh, I guess chairs here don’t lift. Or her foot was severed in a horrible alligator related incident and she can’t maneuver the lifting pedal anymore. Both plausible excuses.
Before the words "How was your day? Any fatalities?" the buzzer was out and wanted revenge on all those hairs that dared grow. VROOOOM. It went high. Too high. I tried to swallow but my saliva had seeked refuge. I blinked. The scissors where unsheathed . I could barely feel them as they SNIPPED-SNIPPED every which way but loose. She was a pro. Usually I get the feeling the barber would rather rip the hairs from my head then cut them. I think I could finally rela----
“All done!” my surgeon screamed into my ear.
I stared for a second and squinted. I looked good. Well, as good as bespectacled kid with a Transformers t-shirt could look.

While it was a bit disorientating at first, House of Lords was very quick, cheap (14$ for me) and didn’t end with my ear on the ground as I screamed and grasped at a the squirting wound. Check it out if you don’t know where to go and want nothing more then a simple slash and dash.

House of Lords

639 Yonge Street

Toronto, ON M4Y 1Z9

(416) 962-1111

CONCERT: Spiral Beach REVIEW

Spiral Beach, The Opera House, May 18th 2008


The pre-teen looking Spiral-Beach started off with a bang with their song “New Cloud” on a stage decorated to reflect their wacky and off-beeat (if slightly forced) attitude. Hundreds of helium filled balloons floated (and where batted at) and orange traffic cones littered the stage. There where old cartoons and the live footage of the band projected on the back wall through a few wonky distortion filters. The music was energetic and loud, but suffered from sounding all the same. It was GIANT WALL OF SOUND syndrome. The crowd seemed to be into it, but then again, it also felt like they were all classmates of the people pretending to be rock stars on stage. That’s was the other problem, the lead singer/keyboardist Maddy Wilde was way too busy TRYING to be a rock diva then actually being one(Strutting does not = Stage Precense) Guitarist and Basist Daniel Woodhead and Dorian Thornton came off much better as being humble and human as they interacted with the crowd and strummed their instruments with all the enthusiasm they could muster. The headlining affair lasted a mere 45 minutes and ended with a bit of a clunker, instead of their new UK single, the perfect pop-electro composition Voodo (which they pumped out halfway through the show). Spiral Beach is an energetic little band that needs to work on a longer set that ditches all the novelties for pure musical performance.

CONCERT: "The Cure at the ACC" Review

The Cure, ACC, Thursday May 15, 2008

Review by Emily Taylor

The Cure, on their '4Tour World Tour 2007-08' opened strong with “Open” and it didn’t stop. Though a few songs from their new, unreleased and untitled album (scheduled for Fall 2008 release) did make the set list, this was a concert that spanned a lot of The Cure’s considerable repertoire. The show was a long one: three hours long, with three encores, but it was a concert with something for every type of fan. Both crowd pleasers and obscurities peppered the set list, from “Friday I’m in Love” to “The Walk”. Unfortunately, the crowd seemed enthusiastic only at times (especially during the fan favourites), but for the most part seemed more subdued given the efforts from the band and the amazing range of repertoire being presented.

The music was good, but some songs were glaringly missing their keyboard parts (“Lullaby” without keyboards just isn’t the same!) but the band did a great job adding them in where they could. Still, the show would have been improved with an actual keyboard player. Still, Robert Smith’s howling, characteristic voice hasn’t changed a bit since the band’s inception in 1976, and he was in top form.

Porl Thompson on lead guitar (decked out in sparking ruby platform shoes), Simon Gallup on bass, and drummer Jason Cooper rounded out the band members headed by Robert Smith, characteristically decked out with long stringy black hair, white face, black eyeliner and uneven red lipstick. The show was great: as a huge fan of The Cure for as long as I can remember, the 4Tour Toronto show was both entertaining and well put together, and made me remember the reasons why I loved The Cure in the first place: epic songs, introspective lyrics, and a sound like no other.

Set List:
Open, Fascination Street, The Walk, End of the World, Lovesong, Pictures of You, Lullaby, The Perfect Boy, From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea, Hot Hot Hot, Sleep When I'm Dead, Push, Friday I'm in Love, Inbetween days, Just Like Heaven, Primary, Shake Dog Shake, Never Enough, The Only One, Wrong Number, One Hundred Years, End

E1: The Lovecats, Let's Go to Bed, Freakshow, Close to Me, Why Can't I Be You?,

E2: Boys Don't Cry, Jumping Someone Else's Train, Grinding Halt, 10:15 Saturday Night, Killing an Arab

E3: Play for Today, A Forest