BENEFIT: Best Buddies Canada, a non-profit organization that promotes individual friendships between students and intellectually disabled youth, is having their thirteenth annual gala fundraiser this evening. The gala will be hosted by eTalk Daily's Tanya Kim, and will feature a performance by Chantal Kreviazuk and an appearance by special guest of honour Shirley MacLaine. Muzik (15 Saskatchewan Road), 6:30 p.m., $750. MUSIC: Experimental rock band The Walkmen are in town this evening, playing at The......

Things you may not know about Raine Maida: his mom was Conrad Black's long-time executive assistant. He's written and produced songs for Kelly Clarkson. He went to U of T for Criminology. He's about to help rebuild a school in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He is also launching his first solo album on November 13—a disc that comes wrought with anger and dejection, but also an earnest solemnity. More than a year......

This summer, thousands of Canadian kids are once again at traditional camps, singing "Kumbaya" and crafting art from uncooked macaroni. However, an "adventure camp" just outside of Toronto is aiming at removing the canoe paddles from the hands of children and replacing them with AK-47s. Camp Okutta counsellors hit the pavement downtown last week handing out brochures for the wilderness getaway, which aims to teach kids the "art of war." Ads posted to utility poles......

A lot happens in and around Toronto, but we can only write about so much in a week. Here's the best of the rest, in a new weekly feature we're calling Superfluist. Superfluist will appear every Friday night. Cathy Gordon decided to get very, very publicly divorced on Monday, with an art piece she called "On My Knees." For it, she crawled around Toronto for a while (on her knees!), signed divorce papers, and then......

It was a whirlwind friendship that began in the summer of 2003 between two of Canada's more notable singers. Chantal Kreviazuk and Avril Lavigne had a lot in common from the start: they both left their hometowns to launch careers in Toronto; they each have a contract with Ford models; both are represented by the same management company; the women have appeared in minor film roles; and both are now married to Canadian rock......

L’Oréal Fashion Week officially ends today, but for all intents and purposes it's already over. While work commitments kept us from attending most events, we've been following news coverage keenly and have assembled the following recap. Clap Your Hands, Say "Meh" Fall/Winter 2007, as a whole, left buyers happy as there was plenty of "wearable" (also known as sellable), yet less-than-visionary clothes. As a result, the fashion media was underwhelmed. Off-the-record, journalists covering the event......

Toronto may be the business capital of Canada, but it's often an old dog with few new tricks. We also uncomfortably proclaim ourselves the cultural capital, not because Southern Ontario has much of its own, but because we import the most from elsewhere. Yet, something is drawing our local musicians westward. The "Big Four" record companies and most independent labels are based in our city, but Terry McBride of Nettwerk Management is turning the entire......

Looking to check out some live music this week? Here's your listing of what's happening around the city between August 7-13. If you know of any good shows this week that we missed below, let us know in the comments. Feel free to also let us know about upcoming shows that would be worth checking out. Recently Announced Aug. 12 – OXFAM Music 4 Change Fundraiser feat. The Diableros, The Coast, These Electric Lives......

As you may already know, Toronto is hosting the 2006 International AIDS Conference in August. While you may want to take a vacation during this important conference... those of you still in the city can enjoy a star studded concert with a veritable cornucopia of CanCon to keep your interest. The Time To Deliver benefit concert is part of the opening ceremonies for the conference, and is bringing big swimmers in the mainstream of Canadiana.......

Thus far, rock photographer Andrew MacNaughtan has had a gorgeous and enviable career in photographing Canada’s hottest musicians. Torontoist is sure you are all familiar with his photographic work as he’s captured the likes of K-OS, The Tragically Hip, Avril Lavigne, Sam Roberts (pictured here) and Chantal Kreviazuk over the years. For his latest show "Art Gives Hope: A Decade of Music Portraits" he’s compiled and donated his favourites of the past ten years and......