Summer music

For music lovers, summer provides a multitude of opportunities to enjoy classical, pop, folk, acoustic, rock, reggae, and jazz at festivals coast to coast.

 Edmonton Folk Festival

NORTH BY NORTHEAST Toronto, June 17-21, nxne.com

This festival’s raison d’être is rooted in the rock tradition. Featuring up-and-coming bands from Toronto, across Canada, and abroad, North by Northeast celebrates the indie musician itching to get out of the garage. With over 50 clubs across T.O. and 500 bands hoping to sign a deal or gain a fan base, the 15th edition of NXNE will be a five night city-wide club crawl filled with pop troubadours and rockin’ metal bands. New this year, NXNE Film Festival has partnered with the National Film Board to showcase classic concerts and music documentaries.

 

FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL DE JAZZ DE MONTRÉAL Montreal, July 1-12, montrealjazzfest.com

One of North America’s foremost musical events, Montreal’s jazz fest celebrates its 30th anniversary by continuing to showcase the vast variety under the umbrella of jazz, from swing to bossa nova and acid jazz to big band. This year’s festival includes chanteuse Madeleine Peyroux, musicians Jeff Beck and Jackson Browne, world music ambassadors King Sunny Adé and Femi Kuti & Positive Force, and the ultimate jazz battle of the bands: the Glenn Miller Orchestra versus the Harry James Orchestra.

 

COUNTRYFEST Dauphin, Manitoba, July 2-5, countryfest.ca 

Bring your camping gear and get ready for music from sun up to way past sundown. Located near the small town of Dauphin, this summer celebration of country music kicks up its heels for a 20th anniversary edition with country superstar Tim McGraw and honours its past with a nostalgia-tinged all-Canadian opening night featuring Prairie Oyster, Neal McCoy, Charlie Major, and the Good Brothers. Head to the amphitheatre to hear other big-name acts including Johnny Reid, Crystal Shawanda, Jaydee Bixby, and Doc Walker.

 

SKAFEST Victoria, July 8-11, victoriaskafest.ca

Skafest celebrates ska and close and distant musical cousins such as soul, Latin jazz, punk, R&B, and reggae. Now in its tenth year, this recognition of the energetic Jamaican-Brit hybrid beat has at one time or another seen memorable performances by the Skatalites, King Django, the Debonaires, the Dubmatix Soundsystem, Los Furios, and local ska standard bearers the Kiltlifters. The lead-up to this year’s festival includes performances by U.K. ska dynamos the English Beat and the Queers.

 

EVOLVE MUSIC FESTIVAL Antigonish County, Nova Scotia, July 17-19, evolvefestival.com

Celebrating music and social awareness, this festival showcases the beauty of Antigonish County as performers from the worlds of electronica, funk, pop, and world music bring a little ’60s Woodstock spirit to the Maritimes. The tenth anniversary lineup includes DJ Falcon, Scientists of Sound, Hey Rosetta!, Superfantastics, Grand Theft Bus, Steve the Viking, and DJ Mark Farina.

 

EDMONTON FOLK MUSIC FESTIVAL Edmonton, August 6-9, 2009, efmf.ab.ca

A diverse festival held in Edmonton’s Gallagher Park each year, the best known of Canada’s folk music festivals heads into its 29th year proudly fulfilling its commitment to showcasing Alberta-based musicians along with folk, country, and pop acts from around the world. This year’s headliners include Kathleen Edwards, Loudon Wainwright III, Rodney Crowell, Fred Eaglesmith, Alex Cuba, The Pine Leaf Boys, and the Steeldrivers.

First published in VIA RAIL Destinations June/July 2009 http://www.viarail.ca/sites/all/files/media/pdfs/via_destinations/2009/vol6n3/34-35.pdf

N+D Best Trendy Tables: Lee

Cutting edge décor, creative food, pedigreed chef and see and be-seen ambience combined with A-list clientele gives these Best Trendy Tables the elusive “it” quality that has the in-crowd fighting for reservations.

 

LEE
603 King St. W., Entertainment District, 416-504-7867
susur.com/lee
The Draw: LEE caters imaginative, trend-setting tapas to both discerning foodies and the eternally stylish.
The Scene: Those in-the-know choose window seats (or a patio perch in the warmer months) for a view of the action along King Street West. Owner/Chef Susur Lee’s menu, inspired from all parts of the globe, includes a Singapore-style slaw, duck confit with pineapple, and okra fritters. As for the wine list, it too is eclectic, drawing on over 30 varieties.
Hot Tip: LEE offers $1 corkage fees on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. Check website for current promotions.

 First published in Night+Day Guide to Toronto http://www.nightanddayguides.com/coolcities/toronto/trendytables.html

From Catwalk to Sidewalk

 Fashion is no longer defined by Paris or Milan. Modern sportswear is blurring the line between what belongs in the gym and what to wear to the club.

Fashion and sport have been intertwined since the early 20^th century, with the collaboration increasing wealth and reach of both, as well as forging an entirely new fashion category.

The TREND

The Fashion V Sport exhibition opened last August at London’s Victoria & Albert Museum, celebrating and exploring the relationship between fashion and global sports brands through drawings, TV and print advertising and clothing. Now on tour, the exhibition highlights the ambition of sports brands to be recognized for their design and style in the same way as fashion icons Gucci or Chanel.

The BEGINNINGS

First to the finish line was Rene Lacoste, a celebrated tennis player in the 1930s. When he retired, he created La Chemise Lacoste company with fellow Frenchman Andre Gillier, who at the time owned the largest knitwear company in France. In 1933, they redesigned Lacoste’s signature tennis shirt, he had made popular during his career. Choosing an alligator as the house logo made history; this was the first time a logo had appeared on the outside of a garment, thus the birth of consumer branding.

Lacoste’s designs, including shirts for golf and sailing, created a new style for the moneyed set, who wanted style when informally dressed. Dial ahead to the late 1970s, Lacoste partners with Izod and sells millions of polo shirts to preppy teens hungry to show off the little alligator on their chests, cardigans, shorts, shoes and sunglasses.

The OLYMPICS

Canadian retailer ROOTS established a relationship with the Olympics over several years, but in 2002, Roots hit the big time with its design of uniforms for the Canadian and US Olympic teams. The beret was the talk of the fashion world, and became the gold medal style winner at the Salt Lake City games, with sales of over a million of the red hats. Sales of Olympic merchandise topped US$10 million, unprecedented at the time. This profitable strategy continued in 2008 at the Beijing Olympics, with the US Olympic team sporting uniforms designed by Ralph Lauren, the king of American sportswear. Once again fashion and sports shared front pages everywhere.

RUNWAY to SIDEWALK

European companies like Adidas and Puma have looked to fashion’s A-team to infuse their collections with a hit of high style. Having established themselves within the athletic community, Adidas paired up with Japanese high-street designer Yohji Yamamoto in 2002 to create Y-3, a twice yearly collection of men’s and women’s clothing, shoes and accessories. Winning over customers with a mix of Japanese aesthetic and German sleekness, Adidas opened Y-3 retail outlets, first in Tokyo and then in Beijing, Paris, Manchester, New York and Miami.

Adidas then partnered with Brit designer Stella McCartney, creating a line of workout gear and accessories designed for women wanting modern fashion design in their gym gear. Adidas X Originals collection was the next foray into fashion, as part of the celebration of Adidas anniversary. Cementing its street cred, Adidas now works with avant-garde designer Jeremy Scott, who is designing activewear and shoes for both sexes.

Not to be outdone, fellow German brand Puma has worked with German designer Jil Sander, Brit bad boy Alexander McQueen and Japanese shoe designer Mihara Yasuhiro. Looking to extend the fashion and sports marriage beyond a simple collaboration, Puma has hired fashionista fave Hussein Chalayan as creative director of Sports Fashion for Puma, a title that mirrors the high fashion world roles played by Tom Ford at Gucci and Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel. The Brit designer, known for his obsession with technology, aims to create something that will raise Puma’s profile among his devotees as well as injecting a fashion bent into the sports world.

WHAT’S NEXT

The athletes, the runway, where next will sportswear makers look next for inspiration? Reebok, did the celeb turn with A-lister Scarlett Johansson to create Scarlet Hearts Reebok collection, but now is looking to Canada’s Cirque du Soleil. The Jukari Fly to Fit collection is designed to bring a hint of Cirque style to workout clothing.

When it comes to fashion’s relationship with sports, the inspiration may start in the atelier but has definitely made a mark taking a path via the running track or yoga class.

 First published in Access June/July 2009 issue http://www.accessmag.com/99/ACCESS_99_FULLBOOK.pdf

memories of the ’70s – The Mod Squad

Oh how I love police dramas! They hook me at least for a few episodes, some for for several seasons. I had limited options as a child watching television, thanks to the availability of only two channels during my formative years (yes, the days before cable!). I still found time to develop my tv obsession and my first police show love – The Mod Squad.

Three cool and funky crime fighters battling the streets of Los Angeles – a drama that I watched with my parents despite my young age (and early bedtime). Pretty Peggy Lipton as Julie Barnes, dashing Michael Cole as Pete Cochran and uber cool cat Clarence Williams III as Linc Hayes were the key cast members. Tige Andrews as Capt. Greer was their boss, a traditional cop who reigned in the trio and protected them from the uptight police bosses who didn’t understand their modus operandi. Created by a former LAPD officer who used his experiences working with the youth squad in the ‘50s and ‘60s, The Mod Squad set in the backdrop of the early 1970s counterculture, showing what was happening on the urban streets.

The Mod Squad was an Aarron Spelling – Danny Thomas production, the first success of their production team partnership. Promoted as ‘one white, one black, one blonde’, The Mod Squad three were all guilty of crimes themselves, but offered the chance to use their skills to help kids on the streets avoid the evil elements that came with drugs, prostitution, racism and poverty. For five seasons, the trio showed off their police skills and gained a loyal following of viewers.

I liked that the characters spoke with lots of slang and didn’t seem like ‘parents’ which in my reality meant all adults. With their long hair, contemporary clothing and dangerous jobs, The Mod Squad showed me a different view of the adult world, not one that was suburban streets and manicured homes.

In 1999, The Mod Squad was unfortunately pushed on to the big screen – an action film that didn’t garner any criticial or viewer acclaim. I refused to go see it, and was glad to not see the film disappear, allowing the original series to stand up in pop culture history.

All three original actors still show up in various television series and movies, but to me, seeing those three young actors fight the bad guys and embody the hip early ‘70s, reminds me of the beginnings of my love for tv pop culture and the police drama, which still dominates tv.

Life & Fashion – Livia skin care

Livia pure skin care

Created by a Mum who wanted to find something truly organic and that works for skin, Livia is organic, wildcrafted, eco-friendly, raw and vegan. Livia doesn’t contain parabens, fillers, or sulfates.

Made in small batches, Livia pure skin care is a collection of products aimed to deal with skin’s problems with natural healing – body care, moisturizers, masques, serums, cleaners and toners.

The Fresh Peppermint Exfoliating Cleanser has an invigorating scent and is a gentle exfoliator – it will help get the blood flowing first thing in the morning as well as gently get rid of dead skin cells without being harsh.

Organic Comfrey, dandelion and geranium is combined with witch hazel, aloe vera, sunflower, tea tree, peppermint and sweet almond oil and then mixed with fine ground pumice and dead sea salt to create a morning cleanser that will have you jumping out of the shower ready to face the day.

And dismiss the thought of these products not lasting on the shelf without preservatives – kept in a cool, dark place, Livia skin care will last at least a year – but once you start using them, it will be gone much quicker.

Fresh Peppermint Exfoliating Cleanser by Livia pure skin care http://www.liviaskincare.com

P&G Beauty.ca – photoshoot destinations

The Distillery District, Toronto

 

Travel is the envy of many of us – especially when its part of our work. For those who regularly go off on location shoots – always heading to the ocean, sun and fun destinations – the search for the perfect recipe for a location shoot is the key. Stylists find inspiration in the unique cultures and environment, but what happens when budgets are restricted due to the recession?

Donna Bishop of Agency Vert sees the trend turning to interesting areas in our major cities to save money. “Location shooting has been affected by the recession,” explains Bishop,” there’s less staff, more in-studio work and a focus on simple propping to keep costs down.” Stylists are expected to draw from their experience for inspiration, when the exotic destination location is no longer an option. Even with magazine publication schedules still fixed on three to six months in advance, tighter budgets mean stylists are looking to be creative with less.

Locales such as London, South Beach, Iceland and the Mexican Riviera, which had figured prominently for many Canadian magazine location shoots, are replaced by major city hot spots, such as historic neighbourhoods and trendy boutique hotels. Each area presents a challenge for style teams to refocus their efforts for magazine, television and film with smaller budgets.

In Toronto, The Drake Hotel and the Gladstone Hotel are prime location shoot destinations while the historic Distillery District offers another avenue with its 19th century architecture and industrial areas. Cities such as Vancouver and Montreal are also focusing their energies into locations close to home – for west coasters there’s an abundance of photo-worthy landscape with the city’s Stanley Park, as well as ski resort Whistler/Blackcomb. In Montreal, Vieux Montreal and several of their boutique hotels such as W Hotel, Hotel Vogue or Le Saint Sulpice are at the top of the list for photo shoots.

So although stylists aren’t benefitting from lavish budgets of the past – their skills and experience are being challenged in new ways by the big city.

First published in P&G Beauty.ca http://pgbeauty.ca/2009/06/17/photoshoot-destinations-trendy-and-historic-top-the-list/

N+D – Best Trendy Tables: KiWe Kitchen

 

Cutting-edge décor, creative food, pedigreed chef, and see-and-be-seen ambience with A-list clientele gives these best Best Trendy Tables the elusive “it” quality that has the in-crowd fighting for reservations:

 KiWe Kitchen
587 King St. W., Entertainment District, 416-203-0551 kiwekitchen.com

The Draw: Stylish 30-somethings escape their Bay Street jobs and head to this corner resto for after-work dinner and drinks, or as the first stop on a club crawl along trendy King St. West.

The Scene: Chef Chris Straker continues to invent menus that appeal to both corporate CEOs and their young (and significantly less affluent) staffers. Mediterranean faves and Bajan touches bring together both old-world Europe and new-world Caribbean flavours in appetizers, antipasti, and pasta mains.

Hot tip: Request seating at one of the three booths in the middle of the room for the best views of the convivial front bar scene while keeping an eye on the elegant dining room.

 

First published in Night+Day Guide to Toronto World Views http://www.nightanddayguides.com/worldtraveler/world_views.html

Night + Day Guide to Toronto: July love letter

From Ontario Place (ontarioplace.com) to the CNE grounds to Scarborough Bluffs to Mel Lastman Square (toronto.ca/special_events), the entire city of Toronto will set the sky ablaze on July 1 as citizens show off their patriotism with plenty of fireworks. Happy Canada Day!**

One of my favorite summer events is the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition (torontooutdoorart.org), opening on the 10th and showcasing a wide range of visual arts, including painting, photography, ceramics, and sculpture at Nathan Phillip’s Square for three days. There’s a good chance you’ll find something there to add to that burgeoning collection of black and white photography.

For a raucous afternoon, head to BMO Field to watch the crazy football fans imitate their European counterparts as the Toronto FC (torontofc.mls.net) take on the San Jose Earthquakes on the 11th. Or maybe spend the afternoon at the Beaches International Jazz Festival (beachesjazz.com), listening to God Made Me Funky, Toronto All Star Big Band, and The Real Divas with Bill King.

If you just need to relax, pick up some picnic supplies at Kensington Market (kensington-market.ca), catch the ferry over to the Toronto Islands (toronto.ca/parks/island/), and wander the island bike paths at the edge of Lake Ontario.

**due to a city of Toronto strike, most festivities are cancelled, but we can still have a good time celebrating our nation’s birthday….

First published at Night +Day Guide to Toronto http://www.nightanddayguides.com/coolcities/toronto.html

memories of the ’70s – Jaws

Summer and movies go hand and hand. During the 1970s, it seemed to be a lot about disaster. Big buildings on fire, massive ships sinking, and airplane disasters were the favourite themes. But one shark created the blockbuster –a new way to celebrate summer.

Directed by Steven Spielberg, Jaws is credited as the first summer blockbuster, and was Spielberg’s breakout movie. Starring Roy Schieder as the police chief and Richard Dreyfuss as a local marine biologist, the lead characters seek out the blood-thirsty shark who has taken his bite out of a skinny dipping young woman and then a young boy, as the town’s mayor refuses to close the beach, fixated on summer tourism dollars for his small town.

Set in a fictional Amity Island, Jaws was written by Peter Benchley, whose novel had been a moderate success in the world of book publishing. But Jaws the movie, kicked it all up to the next level. Filmed in Martha’s Vineyard, the creation of three mechanical sharks and combined with shark footage filmed in Australia, this thriller/horror film dominated the summer with its aggressive marketing, wide release across North America and effectively reduced beach attendance as the fear of sharks grew amongst us all.

I was very young when this movie was released, and living in Bellingham, Washington as my Dad was studying for his master’s degree. My parents decided to bring me along with their friends, instead of leaving me with a babysitter to see the movie. I was initially more interested in the candy and watching the adults than the actual movie. But then I heard the music, which to this day I recognize instantly as the prelude to the shark attack. Created by film composer John Williams, the simple tune gained him an Oscar and launched his career.

I remember closing my eyes tight and squeezing my Mum’s hand, hoping it would be over soon (although I’m not sure what was coming, I knew it was scary). I could feel the tension in the movie theatre, hear the gasps and small shrieks, and waited as the shark took over as the lead character. I would slowly open one eye and as the swirl of water and the sounds from the screen would collide, I would duck my head down, hoping the seat would block me from seeing anything. I’m sure I only saw a quarter of the movie, as I hid during most of it, eating my licorice and getting reassurances from my parents and their friends.

As the highest grossing box office release until 1977, Jaws was the first film to gross $100 million, beating the former box office champ, The Exorcist. With its unique combination of marketing and movie formula, Jaws is credited with changing the summer movie business model. But for a little girl who loved the ocean, it has always been the reason she has hesitated, looked in the water and then plunged in, hoping to not hear the music.

Life & Fashion – Pangea Organics

Nigerian Ginger, Sweet Lavender and Thyme face cream

This face moisturizer is easily absorbed and perfect for use in the morning or at night. The combination of ginger, lavender and thyme is formulated for combination skin, with the antioxidant properties of ginger, balancing effect of lavender and the astringent effect of thyme helping to calm and hydrate skin.

With its spicy and sweet scent, this face cream will affect all your senses with its clarifying properties. Leaving a matte finish on the skin, this cream is easily used year round to combat the changing seasons, and definitely a secret to share with friends who battle the oily versus dry areas with their skin.

 

 

Sources: Pangeaorganics.com / Your favourite health and natural source stores across Canada and the US.