One of Toronto's most respected and best known mic talents, Mic Perri aka MC Flipside, has been busily promoting his 2008 offerings - some of his strongest party-floor-thumping tracks so far.

I recently had a chance to chat him up a little about Toronto's 'scene' and some of his thoughts on Vfest (my favourite performance this year) where he and Deadmau5 (Joel Zimmerman) - a heavy weight electro-house contender also from Toronto - wound up the Blive tent. Here's a little of what he had to say about our music scene...

The Canadian Opera Company is ready to commence their winter season, which will feature two passionately romantic productions, Fidelio and Rusalka.

These intense love stories are sure to heat up the cold winter months, and we've got a pair of tickets for one lucky reader to attend the Jan. 27th performance of Beethoven's only opera, Fidelio, at the magnificent Four Seasons Center for the Performing Arts.

It's that time of year. People stop and reflect on what really matters, and apparently, when it comes to Suresh Dominic of Campaign Life Catholic, what really matters is removing the gay agenda from St. Michael's Hospital.

Though a pride flag has flown in St. Michael's emergency department for almost 10 years (since the merger with Wellesley), LifeSiteNews.com reported their recent discovery of the flag as a "revelation about the hospital".

"It is sad to see St. Michael's hospital promoting the homosexual agenda. In the past the same hospital has funded the Gay Pride parade. A Catholic institution should know well that promoting such a destructive lifestyle is against Christian charity."

And this latest injection of homophobic toxicity is Christian charity? Blasphemy.

One of my favourite electronic acts, The Crystal Method, completely tore up The Social this past Thursday night, much to the delight of 350 fans crowded into this supremely intimate show.




With a spot right up front at the DJ booth, not only did I get to see the duo work their magic on the mixing board, but also got to party alongside some of the most amazing big beat techno DJs to ever grace Toronto's decks.

It's that time of year again, when the city explodes with awesome music events for the Holidays. On Friday, December 19th, the funky Montreal trip-hop duo Beast will roll into the Mod Club, alongside special guest These Electric Lives; and blogTO has your ticket in.

We're giving away a pair of tickets to the show, plus the new Beast CD to one lucky reader. We also have four copies of the Beast CD for our runner-ups... so let's get this Holiday thing started.

It's hard to believe that there's never been a non-documentary film with 'Toronto' in the title. But this was one of the motivating forces driving directors David Weaver and Aaron Woodley to create Toronto Stories, which premiered at this year's TIFF and opens this Friday, December 12th at The Royal Cinema.

Speaking with these relatively new directors (both of TIFF fame, David Weaver for Century Hotel and Siblings, Aaron Woodley for Rhinocerous Eyes and upcoming Tennessee,) I was amazed to learn that affiliating a film with Toronto has something of a reputation for disaster. "We were told, if you put Toronto in the title, no one will want to see it. We decided... let's prove them wrong."