DJ Spotlight - Boys Noize

Boys Noize are playing in Toronto tonight and I am so excited!!! I missed their show last year at The Social, a much smaller venue than This is London, where they will be DJing tonight with Montreal's A Track, brother to the lead singer from Chromeo.

Aside from hosting a pre-drink for 14 of my fun & crazy friends, I also can't wait for tonight because Boys Noize are an extremely talented electro duo that still charge reasonable covers for their gigs (unlike Justice who's ticket prices have gone up 75% since last year).

From Snoop Dogg to Feist, these German musical geniuses have remixed quite the diverse range of artists and made their songs more conducive to partying. Click here for a glimpse of their electrifying performance at Coachella this past April and get ready to dance!

M is for Moose

C is for Charlie. C is for Canada.
C is for Coincidence.


Charles Pachter is a world renowned gifted artist with a penchant for all things Canadian. In the same way that The Group of Seven were famous for their landscapes depicting the beautiful and rustic nature of our homeland, Charles Pachter has become renowned for his social commentary on Canadian values, such as hockey, the Queen and moose.





He recently came out with a gorgeous children's alphabet book full of his favourite images of our country that can also be found in art galleries, private collections and now in the laps of children


(another C!)





C is for Cheer!

Fritz Helder & The Phantoms

What is one of the reasons why Toronto has such a great nightlife/live music/party scene? It's because so many of the talented DJ's and musical acts that are creating a stir, come from Toronto and naturally tend to play at many of the cities' parties and clubs.

Fritz Helder & The Phantoms are a terrific example of a live electronic/dance act that is "making a scene, doing it right, taking the party to another height". Their humourous pop culture songs are full of a raw energy that makes you want to dance, sweat and enjoy living in the moment.

I recently saw them put on a wild & crazy performance at a launch party for a clothing line from L.A., taking place at Lileo in the Distillery District of Toronto. Some of the footage from their performance can be seen by clicking on the link above.

To see this incredibly fantastic dynamic & creative band perform before they get too big, check out Sneaky Dee's tonight, if you live in the Toronto area, for the Shit La Merde 4th year anniversary party.

Be prepared to witness some of the best dance moves since Hammer Time.

A Chocolatey Buzz

I recently tried two different kinds of dark chocolate bars, both offering the exciting addition of espresso. Sometimes one is just too full for a cup of coffee after a meal, which is why a piece from one of these chocolate bars offers the perfect form of dessert, by providing a sweet pick me up to jump start your afternoon, or evening.

The Zing Energizing Maca & Ginseng Espresso Chunk Organic bar, has a 70% cacao content and is part of the Zazubean line of fair trade chocolate bars. It has a rich, delicious, espresso smell but does not have the accompanying bitter taste.


The Ghiradelli Intense Dark Espresso Escape bar, has a slightly lower cacao content of 60% but offers a sharper espresso kick than the former.


As someone who is not an avid coffee drinker, I prefer the Zing bar. As it's name suggests, the Ghiradelli bar is a bit too intense for me and I enjoy reaping the benefits of maca, ginseng and astralagus which are found in the Zing bar. It's nice to know that you're improving your immune system by delighting in a dark chocolate dessert. Seconds please!

Hotel Gansevoort in Toronto

I recently read that the uber trendy Hotel Gansevoort of New York (also with a location in South Beach) will be opening up in Toronto in 2011, most likely at the end of the summer in order to reap the benefits of TIFF.

The picture above is a projection of what the asymmetrical and LEED certified hotel & condo will look like in Toronto.

For those of you who don't follow celebrity gossip, Hotel Gansevoort is a sylish mecca for movie stars, famous DJ's, party girls and high rollers.

Naturally I assumed that the hotel would open in Toronto's trendy King West District which features many upscale dining and entertainment options, but few hotels. Aside from the Soho Metropolitan, the aging Travelodge is the only hotel I can think of in the area and it's truly an eyesore on the rapidly gentrified King & Portland 'hood. With Freed's new high end condo being constructed across the street, the Travelodge would've offered the perfect venue for Gansevoort goodness.

Instead, The Gansevoort will be opening in the John & Richmond Entertainment District which I found quite surprising. Although the notoriously touristy/905ish zone has slightly increased its cool factor with the addition of Circa, drawing hipsters over from Queen West to check out the latest Parisian DJ's, Toronto's Entertainment District is still one worth avoiding if you don't feel like getting your stilletos stuck in puke, or being bombarded with flyers for crappy clubs.

Perhaps The Gansevoort will revive the area with some much needed style? Or will it be transformed by its surroundings and develop a trashy image? Who knows? At least one thing's for sure; it will offer its guests close proximity to the best late night burritos and street meat in town!