Empire building is not something you hear about in Canadian art. Ever. Until Friday night. Painter, singer/songwriter and photographer, Thrush Holmes was born in September, 1979. Holmes went to OCAD for two weeks and claims that, "I learned all I needed to know in that time." Flash forward five years and he’s opening a new gallery/installation space at 1093 Queen St W called Thrush Holmes Empire. "There is a major ironic wink attached to the......

He was best known to children of the eighties as the iconic host of Canada's first major daily music video show, CFMT's Video Singles in 1983, which pre-dated MuchMusic and led to the legendary Toronto Rocks program on CityTV (click here for a clip of the intro). Perched before multiple TV screens on a tiny set, John Majhor's loose style and low-fi production would foreshadow the oft-copied format that CityTV would make famous over the......

Busy, busy week here in Toronto. There are so many good shows to go to, that it's quite possible to be out almost every night. For example, tonight is so chock full of great shows that it's a shame they weren't spread out better over the week...we'd love to see most of these acts! Death Cab For Cutie are in town tonight and tomorrow, and according to the Toronto Sun they will be doing......

Torontoist has always been a sucker for piano pop. You should see us croon along to Elton John or Billy Joel.... but we think that sometimes it's best to leave piano pop to the professionals, people like Mike Evin. Evin, raised in Montreal but relocated to Toronto, plays an ecletic but catchy mixture of songs inspired by piano greats like Billy Joel but also by jazz standards, '50s rock and roll and more. Evin plays......

This fall is shaping up to be a busy one, as everyone and their dog seems to be touring right now. If you haven't spent all of your OSAP money yet, might want to stash away a few pennies for some concert tix. However, if you've already blown your student loan on cheap beer and (even cheaper) Ikea furniture, take comfort in the fact that you can visit your local public library to catch......

It's fairly commonplace to feel the sting of rejection after a break-up. We often ask ourselves painfully self-conscious questions like "Am I too fat?" or "Will I ever be happy?" and "Now who am I supposed to have sex with?" But resourceful TOist columnists Paige and Adrian are women and men of action. Instead of moping around the house, listening to Elton John's "This Train Don't Stop" on repeat, the energetic blogging duo hit the......

Rap superstar and Wu-Tang Clan co-founder Ol' Dirty Bastard has died over the weekend. Russell Jones, 35, collapsed in a New York studio on Saturday after reportedly complaining of chest pains. The cause of death is still unknown. Jones was best known as the Ol' Dirty Bastard (or ODB), but had a number of colourful names, like Unique Ason, Joe Bananas, Big Baby Jesus ("I have always been Jesus"), Osiris, and Dirt McGirt. Though ODB......