Photo by MarkyBon. The CONTACT Photography Festival: it's back, and it's everywhere. Now in its twelfth year, CONTACT 2008 has over 675 artists at 220 venues from May 1–31, making it the largest photography festival in the world—an entirely believable statistic if the amount of CONTACT shows being touted on Facebook Events is any indicator. This year's theme is Between Memory and History, which explores the complex relationships between photography and the human experience,......

This fjord is my fjord, this fjord is your fjord, From the valley Thörsmork to the geyser Strokkur, From Lake Lögurinn to Björk's house in Reykjaviík. Iceland was made for you and me. Our favourite Nordic country just got a little closer: Icelandair will launch direct flights between Toronto and Reykjaviík on May 2. To celebrate, Iceland Naturally is hosting a week-long Taste of Iceland festival from March 10–16 to promote modern Viking culture......

Many of us developed an affection for opera early in life through Looney Tunes versions of Rossini and Wagner. For some, having Elmer Fudd chant “Kill the Wabbit” to the tune of “Ride of the Valkyries” in Chuck Jones's animated masterpiece taught us everything we wanted to know about opera. But if your ambition to appreciate the finer things in life extends beyond Bugs Bunny, real opera could be an intimidating world of old rich......

Tonight the Drake Hotel hosts the second edition of its Nonfiction series. The big idea is that a bunch of journos sit around at the bar swapping stories that never made it to print, like one imagines Charles Foster Kane's newspapermen might have done. Only for a $5.30 cover, civilians are allowed to come listen. The last edition was already somewhat controversial, especially because of the event's somewhat curious and impossible to enforce off-the-record......

When The Ghost Is Dancing played our Back To School Party last September, they described their sound as "GODZILLA POP." Fast-forward to the release of their debut cd, The Darkest Spark (Sonic Unyon), and it's cleary evident why that description is appropriate. They've expanded their lineup since their EP came out, leaving the number of band members at a staggering nine. Not only have they grown in size, but their sound is appropriately more rich......

Would you want to read a book about the middle-aged agoraphobe son of a dead rock star whose life is transformed by a nine year old girl who wants to be a dog? Tish Cohen thinks you will, and Torontoist agrees. The Toronto native has just published her first novel, Town House, which she describes as an “urban anxiety tale”. There’s been a lot of buzz about it, not only in the musty halls of......

For the entire month of May, the Deep Wireless festival will be taking place at various venues, from the west end to your very own living room. Presented by New Adventures in Sound Art, this is the sixth edition of the annual festival that explores the medium of experimental sound and radio art. Don't let the idea of experimental audio art put you off. It's far more accessible than it sounds, and with a......

Toronto-based Oli Goldsmith has embarked on a project both daunting and bizarre, but surely to the delight of pop culture afficionados: he's creating a thousand portraits of...Borat? Yep, Borat. A senior designer at the CBC, former Artist in Residence at the Drake Hotel and creator of Our Lady Peace's Spritual Machines album art, Goldsmith has now set his sights on the infamous character created by Sacha Baron Cohen. The artist spoke with Torontoist about......

As part of Toronto's glorious annual photography festival, CONTACT, the Drake Hotel is hosting a photo scavenger hunt every weekend in May, and registration is open now. Dubbed Shoot Toronto and hosted by the globe-trotting Shoot Experience, participants get clues at the start of the event (this year's theme is "water"), and spend the rest of their day exploring Queen Street "deciphering and taking photographs as answers." After they're done, teams head back to the......

So, this week's most noteworthy film featuring a horrible zombie is obviously Fido, considering it’s Canadian and stuff, but we’ve talked about it more than enough, so in this week’s column we’ll make do with the next best thing—the horrible freaky visage of Cillian Murphy! Well, we think he’s scary looking, anyway. To think he was in 28 Days Later...playing a human! The Wind that Shakes the Barley, which stars the aforementioned Murphy, has done......

Sure, it's only a couple of days into 2007, but that doesn't mean we can't start making predictions of what musicians will be big this year. Don't feel ashamed if you haven't heard of Basia Bulat yet, but you might want to get on the bandwagon now so that you don't look like a fool later on. The incredibly gifted singer-songwriter from London, Ontario (but originally from Toronto) seems to be heading towards big......

For live music junkies, the week between Christmas and New Year's can offer very little in terms of quality shows. The folks at The Drake Hotel are trying to remedy the situation with their What's In The Box? week of shows. Running from the 26th to the 30th, the Drake Underground and Lounge are featuring the best acts from 2006. Each day is five dollars and features five bands, leading to a nice "5 Bands......

Not everyone's December 25th consists of bulging stockings hanging from a mantel, unwrapping presents in the reflection of Christmas tree ornaments, and a grandmother in her pearls and green and red apron carving a turkey at the family dinner. For those not living in a movie, who are boycotting the holidays, or who forgot about Santa’s birthday, Torontoist has the guide to an alternative Christmas. Those Charity Drives Were for a Reason Remember the......

Windy enough for ya? Those heavy gusts that left you scrambling for your scarves yesterday also knocked out power to some of Toronto's east end, and much of Atlantic Canada and Quebec. Michael Ignatieff isn't the only local politician using the internet to reach younger voters. Mayoral candidates David Miller, Jane Pitfield and Stephen LeDrew are hoping to YouTube themselves into City Hall by releasing campaign videos on the popular website. How are the candidates......

Ah, another week, another Film Friday. But wait! There’s something special this week to break up the monotony! An extra special review of the (heavily delayed) Pulse brought to us by our superhuman photographer and co-editor David Topping. What do you have to say about it, David? Pulse may be both the worst and best movie of all time. It's not an even halfway-decent horror movie, so don't go expecting something like The Shining -......

Usually a monthly occurrence at the Drake Hotel, Neutrino has a basic premise with an interesting twist. Rather than doing improv in front of the audience, the troupe leaves the theatre equipped with a couple of video cameras and do the show from the streets of Toronto. As someone noted upon leaving, it makes you look at the area differently, knowing that they has just filmed on those steps, near that bush, in the......

The province has given municipalities the power to set closing time for bars. Toronto even gets the power to add additional taxes to booze. The province might even give this power to other municipalities if it works well in Toronto. Was there a link between the man who took a shot at police in Etobicoke yesterday and a series of recent sexual assaults? Council wants to make it illegal to harm law-enforcement animals. The law......

When public debates flare up over whether graffiti is art or vandalism, the heat they generate doesn't even come close to that of the fires that rage within the culture itself over whether art on legal walls, painted in a graffiti style is "real" graffiti. The one thing graffiti opponents and practitioners seem to agree on is the defining element of risk and illegality that is central to the art and act we call graf.......

Tonight Pontiac Quarterly unleashes its second issue this year at The Drake Hotel (8pm). For those of you unfamiliar, PQ is a performance magazine where writers read their fiction, feature stories - even advice columns - on stage in front of a live audience. Coming around only four times a year (it's right there in the title!), The Torontoist looks forward to it like our mom looks forward to gardening season. This issue's theme......

Copyright isn't exactly a sexy topic, there's no blood, no one dies, there are no burnt out houses or flooded streets to get people riled up. Or is it? Bloggers were able to get a lot of people angry over Sam Bulte when she apparently cozied up to record industry bigwigs at a Drake Hotel fundraiser. And with the Junos (or the Canadian Idol reunion) coming up and the RIAA going crazy down south there's......

Everyone knows this lady - she's the one on the wall at the Drake Hotel.......

It goes without saying: This winter's must-have fashion item is the chunky heel. The trendy style of boot, resurrected only this year, appear to be making a lasting impression on the fashion community. This article, entitled "Boots march to superstardom," sets the tone as such:No longer an afterthought to a collection, boots are now seen as an integral part of creating an image for a line, as well as a useful new revenue stream......

'Ladies and Gentlemen, live at the Apollo, all the way from Torontoooo, Canada, it's....Torontoist!' Wouldn't we love to hear that. But wouldn't anyone? Here's your chance: On Saturday, December 3, the Drake Hotel Underground offers the chance at a much-coveted Apollo Theatre spot. Apollo judges will host auditions starting at 11 am till 2 pm. The live spot would be a part of the 71st year of obviously Apollo amateur night. The Harlem theatre is......

If the DJ Socalled's XPACE* performance at the ReJEWvenation (why?) festival on Sunday night (replete with circumcision tent and drunk people dancing as if the Messiah had come) scared you off, muster up some strength to hear SoCalled (aka Josh Dolgin) tonight, when he brings his Yiddish Hip Hop to the Drake Hotel. He manages to bring the house down with the odd combination of a sampler and an accordion, and his hair is......

Sorry, since there's such urgency to this post, we weren't able to throw out one of our always hilarious Bloc Party/Bloc Quebecois jokes in here. But feel free to think up one as you read and Torontoist will happily ammend the post. Here goes: Bloc Party are punching out a DJ set and possibly hooking up a live performance tonight at the Drake Hotel. This secret (shhhh!) information comes via a rumour via a......

Better start brushing up on the cowboy lingo, cause this weekend's could turn into a real hootenanny. What? The cowboys and cowgirls at the Drake Hotel are running a spaghetti and western night this Sunday - that is, a spaghetti dinner and an Italo-Western classic. The movie, which mysteriously hasn't been announced, will play on the Sky Room or Sky Patio or Sky Roof or whatever for a measly ten bucks. Saddle up early, cause......

The Flaming Lips, an institution since appearing playing at the Peach Pit in hit television series Beverly Hills: 90210, have been in music for over 20 years. That career - including their connection with Luke Perry and Tori Spelling - will be on the big screen tonight at the Drake Hotel, with the airing of the Lips doc, The Fearless Freaks. The DVD, which has been heralded as a must-see for any BH 90210 fans,......

Assuming it doesn't rain torrents, you have two options for free filmgoing this evening. Dundas Square offers family fun with The Sound of Music, while Harbourfront capitalizes on its proximity to a large body of (sharkless) water with Jaws. Do neither of these films tickle your fancy? Then why not set up a screening in your own backyard? Rent a projector, pop in your favourite movie, and invite TOist over. We love us some Christopher......

1. The Drake Hotel (1150 Queen St W) Wait a second...Isn't this a hip music venue that serves that nice fresh fruit salad? Yes to the music venue, and doubly so to the fresh fruit salad. But the Drake's hipster appeal is not the reason that there's a ginormous line every weekend - that's more so because of the luv-hungry 905ers go there to get lucky. Perhaps it's just the dichotomy between the Drake Underground......

When Jean Chretien decided not to invade Iraq, he effectively averted both the war and all mentions in the countless anti-war media produced since. For instance, tonight's Robert Taicher produced Rush to War will make no mention of the Chretien government, and will most likely lay off Canada altogether. The Drake Hotel (1150 Queen W) houses the film in its basement (pronounced 'the Drake Underground') tonight at 9:30pm, with the doors at 8:00pm. After-party includes......