Results tagged “cameronhouse”

              

If you're into Feist, chances are you were at Saturday's sold-out show at Massey Hall, stink-eyeing anyone bragging within earshot about getting into last week's much smaller and much secret-er show at Cameron House. Like we said, we didn’t get in either (nor did we get into her impromptu show at Rivoli, but since that’s like quadruple the capacity, it's quadrupley less interesting). BUT! we did manage to track down one of the 50-odd people who witnessed this supposed fairytale magic that was the tiny little Queen West one-off, a Torontoist reader named Michelle who would like her last name to remain sexily mysterious. And that suits us just fine, so long as we get to share her pretty pictures and video, and a little firsthand commentary.

The history of Michael Hollingsworth's "epic play-cycle" The History of the Village of the Small Huts is almost as storied (and confusing) as the events they represent. Many are familiar with the plays only since 2000, when VideoCabaret's residency began in the back room at the Cameron House. Since then, they have produced a new Hollingsworth play every year (with the exception of 2004), making the currently-running Laurier the eighth play in the cycle. However, the original play-cycle began all the way back in 1985 with the play New France, and ended in 1999 with The Life & Times of Brian Mulroney (the only Small Huts show to be co-written with other VideoCabaret playwright-in-residence Deanne Taylor). There was even a Laurier show back in 1991. Since the Cameron House residency began, the shows have been re-imagined and re-written, and some entirely new shows have been inserted to more fully flesh out the nation's history. So, while this Laurier is the eighth in the cycle, the original was only the fifth.

They’ve got Hank’s seal of approval, so you know they’re at least half-way decent. Since receiving some "big-ups" on Henry Rollins’ show on L.A.’s Indie 103.1, The Harold Wartooth’s grunge-y star has been rising, with support coming in from the likes of CBC’s seminal Definitely Not the Opera and UK-based Catacomb Records. With a solitary self-titled EP under their belts, the band have demonstrated a propensity for writing Fun House-era Stooges-style riffs and burying them in Rated R-era Queens of the Stone Age-esque heaviness. The result is a mix of drunken garage punk and wanking classic rock, a combination that has done right by the band so far. You can thank the good folks at Sleepytown Sound for bringing out the best of the band's sound, letting the grime shine through their Hendrix-inspired solos and aviator-sunglass-wearing ways.

Developers RioCan bought the parking lot at the corner of Queen Street West and Portland back in 2005. Immediately, rumours started to circulate that a big box store, like Home Depot, was going to be built at the site. At the time, The Globe and Mail reported that RioCan planned to start building in 2007. Which is now. So what's happening with the project?

They were built in 1856 in the Georgian style and were Toronto's last standing townhouses from the 19th century, but now Walnut Hall is no more. The historically-designated property began collapsing yesterday at about 4 p.m. and is now almost entirely rubble [CityTV video]. Shuter Street was closed from Jarvis east to Pembroke Street until late this afternoon.

IndieCan Radio and several loyal podcasters. XM Radio and local broadcasters are starting to catch the buzz as well.

Tonight marks the first installment of Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School at the Cameron House. The event provides a night of drawing from the live model with a series of cheeky twists. Firstly, the model is not some random naked person, but rather a cabaret star dressed in appropriately Vaudevillian costume. And at this life drawing session, the art-making is accompanied by alcoholic beverages and groovy tunes, not to mention kooky contests (best incorporation of a woodland animal, anyone?) and flashy prizes.

The year is winding down and so is the music, which is kind of nice, actually, because there seem to be a lot of tours already gearing up for 2007. Hopefully Alexisonfire isn't one of them...we have no idea how they can manage to go onstage and scream for 7 solid days (they have a few more shows this week). Insanity.

Here's an event for those who aren't inclined to watch the Grey Cup and are still searching for something to do tonight. That venerable Toronto small-press Coach House is holding a book launch alongside Montreal's Conundrum Press. The event celebrates the launch of three books: The Coward Files by Ryan Arnold, Gilded Lillies by Jillian Tamaki, and the marvellous King, by Tanya Chapman (watch for a review and interview with Ms. Chapman this week). The event takes place at the Cameron House starting at 8. It's free.

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