King Tut at the AGO

Filed in Arts
November 21, 2009
King Tut AGOKing Tut has returned to the AGO.

30 years ago, when I was eight, my parents attended the Treasures of Tutankhamun exhibit at the Art Gallery of Ontario without me, figuring I was too young and that their evening tickets to the very popular show were past my bedtime. Thankfully they brought home a copy of the catalog, which I read and re-read, again and again. How awesome then, to learn of another chance to see the Tut in person!

Three years in the making, this new show is twice the size of the 1979 one with over 100 antiquities on display. The AGO stop is the only Canadian visit for the tour. I attended a preview of the show on Friday morning and was simply blown away.

Weekend Radar: November 21 + 22, 2009

Posted by Ben Spurr
Filed in Radar
November 21, 2009
Dundas and BayPhoto: "Blues" by Ian Muttoo, member of the blogTO Flickr Pool.

Events on Toronto's Radar for SATURDAY NOVEMBER 21 and SUNDAY NOVEMBER 22, 2009... lovingly handpicked from blogTO's events calendar.

Saturday, November 21:

VIDEO GAMES | Gamercamp
If heaven were designed using 8-bit technology, it would look like Gamercamp. The event brings together developers and enthusiasts to celebrate the games that many of us nearly went blind from playing when we were kids. Speakers will look back at how early video games shaped the gaming industry and continue to influence software development, and current developers including Michael Todd from Spyeart will reveal some new projects. Best of all, the day ends with a party of unlimited game play on vintage games from the Replay Arcade Museum. Time to nerd out, people!
Lower Ossington Theatre, 100 Ossington Ave., $20, 1 pm - 9:30 pm

COMEDY | Laughology and the World Laughter Games
This event isn't about comedy, it's about laughter. As Albert Nerenberg's Laughology explains, laughter has the ability to make your stronger, healthier, and even sexier. The documentary that reportedly caused laugh riots when it premiered at Hot Docs examines the phenomenon of contagious laughter and features Doug Collins, the man with the most contagious laugh in the world. Before the screening there will be a demo of competitive laughing, in which two people go head to head with the goal of making the other person seem the funniest.
Bloor Cinema, 506 Bloor St. W., $8, 7 pm

MUSIC | Bonjay EP Release Party
Dance hall duo Bonjay finally release their debut record Gimme Gimme tonight after years of playing live shows that teased us with their potential. Bonjay only has one goal when they play, and that's to get everybody real sweaty, real fast. The relatively confined space of Terranga is a perfect place for the release party, and no doubt the pair will bring their big, spicy, West-Indian beats. Poirier and Valeo open.
Terranga African Restaurant, 159 Augusta Ave., $8, 10 pm

Saturday Brew: Toronto's Human Egg Market, York University BRT Opens, Cameron House for Sale, Leaf Request, ROM Crystal Among Ugliest Buildings

Posted by Derek
Filed in City
November 21, 2009
Toronto HazePhoto: "Fuzzy Memory" by PJMixer, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.

What's happening in the GTA (and sometimes beyond):

This week's entry in what appears to be an ongoing investigative journalism feature in the Saturday Star examines Toronto's black market in human eggs. Unlike the States, Canada has banned the sale of such eggs, leaving would-be parents with fertility problems to rely on the limited supply provided by altruistic donors. Or Craigslist. There is, of course, a host of problems associated with the unregulated sale of of such a sensitive "product" (which can cost up to $10 000), but those desperate to conceive have few other options within the current system.

Yesterday saw the opening of the York University BRT, which uses the hydro corridor north of Finch to shuttle passengers between Dufferin and Keele streets away from traffic. Although it's estimated that the BRT, which also uses dedicated lanes on campus and a special exit ramp from Downsview station, will shave up to 14 minutes off the previous trip time, I'm pretty sure this'll only be true during the height of rush hour. Having had a chance to ride it yesterday, I have to say that at 3 p.m. it wasn't more than a couple of minutes faster than normal. Maybe it was my bus driver, who was plodding along at a painful pace.

The Cameron House, a staple of the Queen West arts scene, is up for sale. Owners Cindy Matthews, Paul Sannella and Anne-Marie Ferraro hope they can find a buyer sympathetic to the role the Cameron has played in helping local artists and musicians gain both a sense of community and exposure. As their listing reads, "the hippest neighbourhood in the city awaits your style and imagination." That sounds a lot like a condo ad, and I have my suspicions that that's exactly what might eventually replace the arts hub.

WW2-Era Downsview Hangars to be Saved? A (Possible) Happy Ending to a Heritage Battle

Posted by Rick McGinnis
Filed in City
November 20, 2009
Downsview HangarsFor the first time in a very long time, a story about architectural heritage looks like it might have a happy - and relatively swift - ending. Nearly a month ago, two WW2-era airplane hangars on what was once an active air force base in Downsview began to be demolished, but thanks to their prominent location, they got noticed by the right people.

Built by De Havilland of Canada in the final years of the war, the two massive airplane hangars were once located among farms, miles away from Toronto's city limits, but today they're near the intersection of Dufferin and Sheppard streets, just north of the 401 and west of the Allen Expressway, just across the street from the Downsview terminus of the Spadina subway line. They're hard to miss, and it's no surprise that they caught the attention of Paul Oberman, a property developer notable for his willingness to take on and restore heritage properties.

Call & Response: Nitin

Posted by Gary
Filed in Music
November 20, 2009
nitinNitin is a Toronto-based house/techno DJ/producer who has been moving up the international ranks thanks to his new Silent Scales EP on local underground label No. 19. Renowned producer Osunlade lends his popular touch to Nitin's new track which has been played by some of the biggest names in electronic music.

Nitin is part of an amazing underground tech house movement going on in the city right now. Quality events are being put on by people dedicated to making every night count - and top international talent are pouring into this scene.

Nitin is DJing three big events this week alongside M.A.N.D.Y. (last night), Audion (aka Matthew Dear from Detroit), and Cassy (from Berlin). I spoke to Nitin about these big gigs, his influences, and his neighbourhood.

Ad Man Terry O'Reilly on Marketing Toronto, Illegal Advertising and Russell "Cashman" Oliver

Posted by Tim
Filed in City
November 20, 2009


I don't watch a lot of Citytv programming but when I do I inevitably get nailed with a Cashman commercial. You know, the one with the dancing girls, club beats and aging Russell "Cashman" Oliver wanting to trade cash for my used gold and jewellery. His ads have been running for years and actually have garnered him a fair amount of publicity including an interview on CBC last year when DC Comics sued him for one that had a Superman theme.

His ads keep appearing which means they must be successful enough for him to keep paying his bills. When Terry O'Reilly, famed ad man on CBC Radio's the Age of Persuasion spoke at Marketing Week in Toronto last week I fugured he'd be the perfect person to ask about them. Keep reading for our Q&A in which we discuss these ads plus other salient Toronto advertising related topics like marketing the city, ad creep and the influx of illegal advertising.