It's nearing the end of November. For Ryerson and U of T students, this means the dawning of final exams—a time when the only heavy drinking students engage in is downing rounds of extra-large double doubles, the only game of musical chairs is the one for the last vacant chair in the quiet section of the library, and a two-hour nap constitutes a good night's sleep. Well, not for York kids, who are still... [continue]

Image by Kasandra Bracken/Torontoist with photos from Jay McCarroll's and Jay McCarrol's MySpaces. A spelling shortcoming by one writer might become a shortcut into the fashion world for one Ryerson student. When Hailey Eber, writer for Tina Brown's new website The Daily Beast, contacted Jay McCarrol in early October looking for thrifty Inaugural Ball Gown designs for the new first lady, she expected a reply from the season one winner of Project Runway. McCarrol... [continue]

Last time we talked to Kenny and Spenny, they were headed into their third season. We heard a lot from Kenny about Kenny, a lot of Kenny's cheap shots at Spenny, and a little from Spenny, too. This time around, K vs. S are set to duke it out for the fifth year in a row. They are novices no more, up for their third Gemini, and both busy dabbling in their own projects. Dabbling... [continue]

Cheap Thrills is a new bi-weekly column filling you in on fresh ways to get your kicks in the city and on the cheap. Photo by phocrastinating from the Torontoist Flickr Pool. Booze-fuelled fun is pretty much the cheapest thrill in the book. It'll make you giggle at cheap shots and cheap jokes, and maybe even make you laugh about a night with a cheap hooker. But "cheap" doesn't necessarily mean "inexpensive." That's where we... [continue]

As you strut into Extreme, indie-electro is blaring, beautiful twenty-somethings are chugging from flasks and sipping on vodka redbulls, and sushi is offered to all guests on a platter. Attendants dressed in all black-and-white wait in the washroom, eager with hand towels and breath mints. Bars line the perimeter of the underground mecca, a rare place where both hip teens and once-hip businessmen can gather to sip on the same poison. The DJ is... [continue]

Cheap Thrills is a new bi-weekly column filling you in on fresh ways to get your kicks in the city and on the cheap. Photo by lucianvenutian. Whether you're a certified foodie subsisting on caviar and champagne, or a slob scraping by on a modest regimen of ramen noodles, groceries are an essential part of living. Shopping for foodstuffs covers two of the basic necessities of life―and without food and water, shelter is out of... [continue]

We all know the Four Seasons is soo last year for weddings, but what's the number one place to say your wedding vows this year? Why, KFC of course—nothing says "I love you" like a hefty carton of deep-fried chicken. And the best part? They cater, too—even if you're vegan. KFC Canada has got one wing up on its competition—it's where vegan PETA member Alex Bury wed her fiancé Jack Norris earlier today inside of... [continue]

Photo by amy_b. This past weekend, Toronto's 24th annual Vegetarian Food Fair, a veritable food festival presenting an array of edible options for strict vegans and wavering vegetarians alike, took over the Harbourfront Centre. The fair is touted as the largest event of its kind on the continent, so we, being the ravenous sometimes-soybean journalists, in need of a break from Al the Hot Dog Man's mediocre veggie dogs, forged the fair's classes for... [continue]

Cheap Thrills is a new bi-weekly column filling you in on fresh ways to get your kicks in the city and on the cheap. With a chill in the breeze this week, there's no doubt fall is whistling its way to our wind-tunneled city. Shorts and sunnies be shunned, it's time to break out the blazers and boots. And although the recession is looming, gloomy like the clouds overhead, that doesn't mean you can give... [continue]

So, your buddy just flew in from his exotic, six-month trek throughout Thailand. You're at work when he lands, so you send your older sister to go pick him up (she owes you a favour, as per usual). She drives to the airport, picks him up, and he returns, full of coconut curry and stories of full-moon parties. He doesn't bring back any drugs, or snakeskin shoes, but on the ride back he buys... [continue]

Cheap Thrills is a new bi-weekly column filling you in on fresh ways to get your kicks in the city and on the cheap. Photo by DAVID BOOGIE. So, you finally made the move. You popped the question, fumbled over exchanged numbers, and set a date for a date―soon, but not desperately soon. Now it's the day, and due to unforeseen circumstances (gas pumps, anyone?), your pockets are looking a little lonely for your big... [continue]

The combination of DJs, electronica, and dancing usually renders images of dark, sweaty clubs pulsing with drum 'n' bass into the late hours of the night (or the wee hours of the morning). Sometimes it's hard to put a face to your favorite spin doctors between black lights and dry ice, dimly lit clubs and small DJ booths. But on the west side music scene this weekend, the times, they are a-changin'. This Sunday's... [continue]

Kenny Hotz of Kenny vs. Spenny pisses people off like it's his job. Well, actually, it is his job. He's seen downtown scantily clad more often than not. He's known to hit on much, much older women. He's fed his best friend acid while he had an octopus on his head. And yesterday he went for the biggest-hitting blow in the books, advertising his asshole ways to the masses―with mile-high blasphemy in the sky.... [continue]

In Toronto, a lot of people like to eat street meat. This is a fact. With a selection of sausages to brag about and toppings to tumble for, Toronto's meat reigns top dog even over bigger breeds like NYC. With juicy, succulent sausage and that perfectly-grilled, mustard-coloured bun, it's easy to dress your own decadent hunk of street meat. And when there's a million ways to craft the perfect wiener, you know someone's going... [continue]

When you're feeling the need to flip through a comic, but good and clean Calvin & Hobbes won't curb your controversial cravings, and Manga shows off more than you bargained for—worry not, we've all been there. And after years of pursuit of the perfect graphic saga, we've finally come across a strip with the just the right amount of moral compromise. Jesus: The Awkard Years is the web comic started last year by a couple... [continue]

Graffiti, electronica(rt), haircuts, DJs, vogueing ninjas... ah, yet another weekend festival in Toronto. Club beats and street breaks intersect at Queens Quay West this weekend as part of the Harbourfront's World Routes weekly summer festival series. There's a full event listing here, but we've picked and panned out a few points of interest for your pleasure at the pier. Ladytron, Woodhands, Thunderheist, Crystal Castles―it's all here. Normally this kind of thing would set you... [continue]

This just in—beavers are making a comeback in the mainstream. It's not that they ever disappeared since the days of June Cleaver (at least if you still count your nickels), it's just that the fuzzy, big-toothed creature has emerged from the dam with a little bit of groove, and this time, it's still a little bit wet. This weekend, Moist Beaver Magazine is dropping its summer issue like it's hot—with a summer solistice party.... [continue]

After a barrage of bands and countless bottles of cheap beer, the only survivors of a noisy weekend at NXNE are the photos. Our first two nights were spent hopping between the Reverb, the Silver Dollar, and El Mocambo, while Saturday night brought many oversold tickets, overpacked venues (ah-hem, Wrongbar), and a few unimpressed fans. Alas, the cheap wristband held its worth—the proof is in the pictures.... [continue]

Photo of White Cowbell Oklahoma at last year's festival from Word Freak What comes from twenty-five different countries, takes over fifty hoppin' clubs, twelve lush city parks, two airport terminals, an island, a subway station, a central city square and a city hall in just three days? No, it's not a virus with the half-life of thirty seconds. Fear not; it isn't a swarm of blood-thirsty, West-Nile-carrying mosquitoes. We'll give you a hint: it's... [continue]

He writes about going to town in Paris, Barcelona, and Tulsa. The American-born, Canadian-raised operatic-pop-piano-rock singer says he loves Iceland, Greece, and Costa Rica. But the one place that he can't stand? Deny the claim all you want, Torontonians, but it's us. Although he grew up in our French sister city, Wainwright blacklisted our city as his least-favourite in Sunday's Q&A in the Guardian. Hurt? Shamed? We kid you not. When asked where he'd never... [continue]