Here are a few photos of city scenes taken in Los Angeles and San Francisco. I found some typical July weather and lots of palms.

Midtown LA

Car culture galore… One can spend a lot of time driving around this state.

Skaters near the waterfront in San Fran

Lovely old car across from Dolores Park in SF

Los Angeles neighbourhood

The City of Angels from the Griffith Observatory

Originally uploaded by Amanda C-U

Mutek’s tenth edition line-up was a reflection of where dance music continues to push the boundaries and maintain its solid foundation. Annually, according to the festival, over 54 per cent of Mutek attendees travel from places outside of Quebec – Chicago, Edmonton, Los Angeles, New York, Vancouver and Europe – for an experience that Time Out New York has called “North America’s leading electronic-music event.” Thus, it should come as no surprise then, that Mutek recently won Quebec’s Tourism Grand Prize for ‘Festivals and Touristic Events’. I was one of many avid techno tourists who attended Mutek’s 10th edition.

Saturday afternoon, after a six-hour drive into Montreal from Toronto, the Strawberry Fields Forever piknic electronique on Île Ste-Hélène was an energizing respite. Partiers reveled under the remnants of Expo 67 in Montreal – the impressively large and expressive sculpture entitled ‘Man’ by the great modern sculptor, Alexander Calder.

Generous in its appeal, the music of Saturday afternoon was full of dub, deeper house, funky disco rhythms and techy hooks. Starting things off was the Canadian premiere of Berlin’s Thomas Fehlmann, an early collaborator with the Orb. His set was groovy and gentle on afternoon ears. He made djing to the crowd look easy, and with so many years in the business (his first work was completed for early UK house labels in the 1980’s) he definitely knows how to get a party started.

The sun shone moderately on those who danced. Up next was the Manchesterite, Trus’Me, whose signature deep house sounds pleased those in attendance and left no one wondering why he is, today, an internationally renowned talent. Finally, former Montrealer and British Colombia born favourite, The Mole was back in town from Berlin, and he closed out the piknic to a fully pumped crowd. As the sun came down, the Mutek crowd looked ready for the evening festivities ahead.

Saturday evening came quickly and Metropolis was the place to be. Upon arrival, Canadian Public Transit Recordings label head, Moonstarr, had a small but growing crowd engaged. He performed with Tony Ezzy, and DJ’d a hip-hop infused set. The beats were deep and the synths, keys and vocals by Ezzy blended well together. Their stage presence was fantastic and the energy between the performers was amicable.

In conversation with Moonstarr prior to his Mutek performance he explained that he would play tracks from his new single called ‘Farfisa 45′, which is named after the organ that Ezzy plays. Moonstarr’s latest full length, Instrumentals Forever, was also showcased in his set. While he’s better known for hip hop and breaks with jazz and funk samples, his set fit in perfectly with the line-up that the festival curators built that night.

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Up next, the French trio, dOP, played a great set with very playful lyrics and beats in a collaborative stage show. However, as nearly a full bottle of vodka disappeared from the stage, as it was drunk, the frontman’s verses became sparser and the set lost a bit of its earlier finesse. But after dOP’s very successful I’m Just a Man EP in 2008, the audience looked eager to experience the live incarnation of the recognizable group. The funniest point in their set was when they invited four ladies onto the stage to dance. Although not particularly musical, it was entertaining never-the-less.

After dOP, Mathew Jonson and Dandy Jack came along. Their collaboration has apparently been an item for months behind the scenes, and they unleashed a fairly pounding and experimental techno set on the crowd. It was interesting to speculate how the two artists, both into musical fusion – techno and jazz, and techno and latin – came together. Maybe it was their love for experimentation or the fact that both artists are living in a home away from home, Berlin, and perhaps sharing the expatriate experience. Jonson is from Victoria, Canada, and Dandy Jack is from Santiago de Chile. In any case, their music was enchanting and exciting – with an energy that is unparalleled by other live techno acts.

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Next, tobias. from Berlin, performed in an exclusive North American premiere. His set was surprisingly refreshing, not because one could underestimate the aptitude of an artist who put out his first single in 1989 and who collaborated with Ricardo Villalobos (as Odd Machine), but more because after such a hard experimental techno set, tobias. brought the atmosphere back down from its cerebral tones. His set was elegantly constructed and made a nice arch toward a great finale performance by Detroit techno icon, Carl Craig. Craig’s set was danceable and superb, taking festival-goers well into the early morning hours.

Perhaps, nothing better can be said about Mutek’s production than the visuals. They were done to perfection, beautifully crafted with amazing hues on the artists and the crowd in front of them. From almost any vantage point in the multi-level concert venue, the visual spectacle could not be downplayed.

Wrapping up a 24 hour stint in Montreal for Mutek’s tenth year of international experimental sound and digital creativity, we found ourselves back at Parc Jean-Drapeau on Île Ste-Hélène. A short subway ride away, the island oasis with its view of Montreal, was a pleasure, even in the cooler rainy weather that day. For the final piknic, Zip and Ricardo Villalobos played a marathon set. Starting out with dubby low-key minimal vibes, the energy only grew as more people arrived in the later afternoon to listen to the kind of quality electronic music so rarely found in any abundance in North America. The atmosphere was bohemian and hip without being over-done, making this event a real treat for those in attendance.

The 10th anniversary year of Mutek once again showcased the range of international and domestic talent that can only be expected from a festival that has techno tourists roaming the continent for it.

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To see the article on Urb Magazine’s website visit: http://www.urb.com

I’m not witnessing stadium rock or stadium love, like pop band Metric’s new song depicts in their newest album. No – Instead I’m witnessing stadium techno. It’s Saturday night, May 24th 2009 in Detroit, and Carl Cox is playing some pounding techno anthems to a crowd of fans with their hands in the air, fists pumping, feet moving and heads bouncing.

It’s infectious and the crowd from the stage looks like a human mosaic, moving in synch, separately chaotic yet bodily as one. Dancing to Jeff Mills ‘The Bells’, and other now-classic tracks, was what electronic music fans were up to this past weekend at the annual Movement festival.

This year’s Movement marked the 9th year of the Memorial Day Weekend festival that started in 2000. Since 2006, after undergoing several incarnations, a local Detroit promotions company called Paxahau has produced the first-class event.

To read the full article visit: beatportal

You might want to turn your speakers down!
The sound is really distorted in these videos, sorry. The need for some earplugs (which I had) and a proper recording device is evident. However, if you’re interested to know what the Detroit Electronic Music festival was like, this is an alright sampling of a few sets I caught.

Steve Bug
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I’m looking forward to seeing Detroit again, for all its deserted downtrodden streets and buildings just steps from the techno festival that transforms it for one weekend each year. It’s not just that I crave techno music… I enjoy the discordant contrast between the vibrant international musical scene and the nearly abandoned city that hosts it each year. It’s not without some thought that I wander looking for a restaurant each year during quiet moments of the festival. This city and the people here gave so much to the techno scene, as many of the originators came from here. But this city also seems like a ghost of its illustrious past, and it reminds me of the failings of large unsustainable economies and previous recessions that have taken their toll on the human and ecological life that are struggling to survive.

This year’s Detroit Electronic Music Festival (May 23, 24, 25) seems almost as good as previous years with over 70 DJs and producers ranging from hard techno (Marco Carola) to electro (Anthony Rother) to newer acts like The Glitch Mob and one of Detroit’s classic techno DJs, Derrick May.

On April 29th, 2009 Detroit Mayor, Kenneth V. Cockrel, Jr. and Paxahau event promotions group announced a new international partnership between Movement Detroit and the Movement Torino group who are throwing their own Movement festivals in Italy. So the brand is going global.

As for Detroit ticket sales, the official Movement press release tells me that they are more than double the number they were at this time last year. And, according to organizer, Jason Huvaere: “We are pleased that despite the tough economic times facing our country, people see the value in spending their Memorial Day Weekend in Detroit…”

Very optimistic when you consider all of the lay-offs that have happened in and around Michigan. But, I guess it’s not all that surprising considering that many people who come to the festival from places like Toronto, New York, Chicago, and other parts of the US, and even Europe.

If you’ve ever doubted that techno music culture is still a phenomenon today – there’s evidence that it is still popular. Last year nearly 80,000 people passed through the turnstiles at Hart Plaza, according to Movement’s official press release.

I remember the excitement and the mix of people that came out. My blog post on the festival last year can be found here: Amanda’s beatportal.com blog

[photos taken by nyex.org]

On a mild Saturday afternoon in March at Dundas Square, twenty-two year old, Kevin Bracken, the organizer of the large outdoor pillow fight which is to take place, waits calmly. Within a number of minutes, there are a few more people gathering. The pillow fight is set to start at 3pm, and so far only twenty of the more than 2700 facebook event ‘Yes’ RSVPs are there. Kevin says unapologetically, “I think everyone had a late night last night. We try and make our events late so that people have time to go out to a party the night before and sleep in.” But he adds, “We want to be conscious of our communities. We don’t want to scare kids and parents away.” So, he said, they do their events before the sun goes down.
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Torontonians proved to be happy clickers for the event, and fewer people turned out than expected. Kevin explained, “They RSVP easily and they aren’t super committed.” But, when all was said and done, it was clear that an eclectic mix and significant number of people came out to enjoy the pillow fight. It’s hard to tell how many, but a conservative estimate might be 350 pillow fight participants, another 200 spectators engaged in laughter and curious delight, and many more people passing by.

The crowds coming out of the Eaton Centre that day saw the spectacle from the street and many had no idea what was going on. One middle-aged man said, “I am glad they are enjoying themselves. Toronto needs more free events like this.” And, even though a costly permit is now required by the privately owned Dundas Square, the pillow fight event did not have one. But, the organizer, Kevin, who took the risk, had no trouble from the authorities. Kevin, who moved from Toronto back to his home, New York City, several months ago said, “I used to be walking on egg shells because I did not want my visa student to get revoked, but now if I get arrested I just want to be bailed out of jail in time for the after-party.”

Since 2004, Newmindspace, the collective Kevin and Lori Kufner co-founded, has been the group behind many public interventions in Toronto and New York City. Kevin says that when he moved to Toronto for the rave scene and to attend University, there was a real need for reclaiming public space in Toronto. According to Kevin, Newmindspace picked up where several other groups left off – people doing train parties, Reclaim the Streets, and the Toronto Public Space Committee. He said, “We were originally inspired by massive public art installation like ‘The Gates’ in Central Park by Christo and Jeanne -Claude….We wanted to transform the landscape with something bright and colorful. We hoped to grow to that grandeur but we took a different direction with people instead of objects.” Kevin said that unlike events by groups like Improv in Toronto, which are geared toward the spectator, his events are geared toward the participants. He said, “Flash mobs have a goal of bewildering passersby. Whereas, I think the laughter we want to get is one created by a genuine feeling of joy and pleasure…Experiencing the peak experience, in the Maslow sense of the word. Being in a pillow fight is euphoric. There is no denying that.”

In addition to Newmindspace’s most recent pillow fight here, they’ve gathered nearly 5000 people at a pillow fight in New York City’s Union Square. In Toronto, their largest event was a light saber battle in front of the ROM in November 2007. Coming up next, on April 4th they’re organizing a pillow fight on International Pillow Fight Day. This time they’ll be bringing signs that say, “Pillows Before Profits” and “Bail Out Newmindspace”. They’re piggy-backing their event onto the protest against the bail out, that same day on Wall Street. Kevin says they decided to do so, after getting criticism from an activist who said, “If you really wanted to reclaim the streets for people – not corporations – then you would work with the Wall Street organizers.” They considered and decided it wasn’t a bad idea. However, Kevin remains skeptical about traditional activism. He said, “We get criticism that we don’t ally with traditional causes. But, the reason they have trouble getting people to go to protests is because sometimes they alienate people…”

Although the Newmindspace project is about reclaiming public space, inventing new ways of having fun, and creating community, the idea is to include as many people as possible without having an explicit political agenda. He says, “We are deconstructionists. We want people to take their own meaning. I don’t want to set out on a course and persuade people to agree with us…. The entry level is low to include anyone who wants to participate… It’s not our job to tell people why they want to come… Some people come for the message, others to loose weight, others to meet girls. As long as some people come for the party and stay for the cause, then it’s ok.”

After the two hour long pillow fight at Dundas Sqaure, exhausted pillow fighters lay down in a large huddle, which Kevin referred to as a “cuddle puddle”. The event was over, and the clean up commenced. With garbage bags and brooms, the group cleaned up the pillows that lay scattered all over the square. By Monday morning, when students and people are off to work, the square will be turned once again into the mundane spot it once was. Maybe memories of the euphoric pillow fight, engraved into the minds of Torontonians, will remain.

Interview with Brett Gaylor

Check out my interview in audio submitted to CKLN for the Word of Mouth show…. and, below, a different version of my original article which appeared in the Ryerson Free Press.

Many people between the ages of 18 and 25 – that’s ‘Generation Next’ – are downloading music on a frequent basis. For many, it’s a no brainer. Even though Napster in its original version was shut down in the USA, our generation goes onto other websites like Soulseek, BitTorrent, lime wire, and countless other obscure blogs, where we find the latest blockbuster movie or hit album and download – for free. Many people have amassed huge collections which they didn’t even pay for. These eclectic customized collections provide inspiration for art creations, they entertain, influence, and in some cases they get re-fashioned into DJ mixes, or used as examples for school projects. They become fodder for debate and discussion with peers. We’re versed in Web 2.0 and used to having access to large amounts of information, and cultural products at our finger tips and we’d rather support artists directly through attending concerts, than through record sales. For many students downloading is not about being malicious or ripping artists off, but it’s about a different business model. We know that artists need to become popular by many people to make money in any case. It’s the hype machine that hip young lower-income people can provide. To marketers we’ve been identified and sometimes used through mutually beneficial relationships as cool hunters, trend-setters and taste makers.

This kind of practice today almost goes without saying, but in the USA the consequences for downloading copyrighted movies or music for free can be devastating to individuals if they get caught by the Recording Industry Association of America. Here in Canada, new legislation has been proposed by the government under the pressure of the United States’ government and media’s demands. The Conservatives are trying to pass Bill C-61, which includes elements of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act law that the U.S.A. passed in 1997. It is under this act that they issued subpoenas and lawsuits to a dead grandmother, computer novices, people without any computers at all, and children as young as 12. In Canada of course, to try and prevent this kind of law that would crack down on individuals, activists are united through websites such as faircopyrightforcanada.ca, and others to learn about the proposed bills and the implications for artists and all citizens.

‘RiP: A Remix Manifesto’ is a hot new documentary film produced by the National Film Board of Canada (the NFB) about these kinds of media copyright law issues that dominate our times. The film is by director and web producer, Brett Gaylor, who lives in Montreal, who created the film. He also created a fun interactive website (nfb.ca/rip) which invites users to take his original footage, download it, and make remixes of the scenes of his movie. Then content generators can upload their remixed videos to his site, and gain recognition and participate in the conversation that is happening on opensourcecinema.org.

The main subject of this film – how artists use samples of previous works in music, film and art – is not new. Nor is the way that copyright law tries to put limits on creative expression by restricting what can be constituted as ‘fair use’ of digital materials. However, the film itself is wonderfully done and truly radical, because it challenges the assumptions that ownership and use needs to be restricted in a democratic society. This film is one of the firsts of its kind – it’s open source – free to be remixed by others. The fact that this film has created further expressions and praise as a result is a wake-up call to legislators who would otherwise want to limit creative expression in the name of retaining permissions and rights for the world’s largest and most powerful brands and companies.

In RiP, Gaylor follows several main characters and events, and viewers gain further insight into the debates surrounding remixing.

In addition to featuring Girl Talk, a sample-based mash-up artist from Pittsburgh, on copyright and music, the film also features a touching story about Dan O’Neill who is now in his 60’s, who was the cartoonist who made a mockery of Mickey Mouse in the 1970’s. O’Neill’s work was politically provocative, and he called his movement the Mouse Liberation Front. He was one of the unlucky ones sued by Disney.

Another segment of the film follows Lawrence Lessig, Professor at Stanford Law School, to China, where bootlegs and copyright infringements are made left right and centre, and to his lectures, where he espouses on the benefits of open source. In one scene, he so aptly said, to a packed auditorium, “Remixing is the writing of the 21st century, literacy for a new generation. It is building a different democracy and culture where people participate in the creation and the recreation of the culture around them.” The audience applauded loudly and resoundingly clear.

Corey Doctorow, a blogger (for his own boingboing.net) and technology activist also had some inspiring words. His view? “Technology given, technology taketh away. What was a business model in 1909 may be the business model in 2009. What was the business model in 1939 may not be the model in 2007. That’s how it goes.”

Finally, the film takes us to Brazil, to meet the Minister of Culture, Gilberto Passos Gil Moreira. He’s a bossa nova musician, social activist, and he sponsored a program called Culture Points which gives grants for music technology and education to people living in poor areas of the country’s cities. According to Wikipedia, he is interested in creating an internet database of freely downloadable Brazilian music.

The film is really a philosophical one, on some level. Audiences are left asking, where is the future of open source creativity headed? How can we harness legislation in favour of creative expression and the rights of artists, citizens, and idea and culture owners? There is another side to this story, and one that argues for the rights of corporations and individuals to hold ownership of all materials regardless of the potential benefits of
sharing – but that film does not tell that story.

This article was published in the Ryerson Free Press, February 2009 issue. Here’s a look at panhandling and the Safe Streets Act in Toronto. The city needs a better way to deal with real poverty.

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(photo originally on: http://therandomizer.wordpress.com)

George Hill, part-time panhandler, carpenter, and father of five children, sits in front of Blockbuster video store on Parliament Street near Winchester Street, kitty-corner to his friend Chris ‘The Viking’ who sits outside the St. Jamestown Delicatessen.

It’s an early Saturday evening and the guys are about an hour into their regular shift from 5 to 10 p.m. (when the neighbourhood liquor store closes). In the darkening light, each of them holds a paper coffee cup up and asks passers-by to “spare some change”. Most people passing ignore them or nod their head. Chris, who refuses to give his last name because he says it is dangerous, says he has been in the shelter system in the 16 years since his wife died. He says his bed is full of bed bugs. He uses crutches, has long disheveled blonde hair and appears to be middle-aged.

Hill wears heavy working boots and a fall coat. He says that he’s suffered from mental illness and left his wife and kids. Now, he says, he pays child support and rent, buys food and goes to the food bank. In order to make ends meet, he does occasional carpentry work and he panhandles. “It’s my part time job,” he says. On a good shift, he says he makes $5, two sandwiches and a loaf of bread. On rare days, he says, he makes $50.

At the time the province adopted the Safe Streets Act, in 1999, the Toronto Star wrote it was “supposed to protect Ontarians from annoying beggars and squeegee kids”. Nine years later, across the GTA, people are still complaining about panhandlers.

The act made it illegal to panhandle near an ATM, pay phone, public toilet, TTC stop, or on the road. It is also illegal to panhandle and: threaten; use abusive language; obstruct a person’s path; walk in front, behind or beside them; be intoxicated; or ask for money repeatedly. In 2004 police gave out 2725 tickets, and in 2007 that number almost quadrupled, with 10,584 tickets given for aggressive panhandling, according to Toronto Police Services. Panhandlers say the tickets range from $65 to $170.

Even though he knows panhandling can be illegal, Hill claims that he doesn’t know much about the act. But he said the streets are safer with him there. Hill says that the regular residents who get to know him sometimes ask him to look after their dog or bicycle.

Douglas Rowlands, resident of 10 years, and survey writer for the Don Vale Cabbagetown Residents Association, says he regularly gives a panhandler a few bucks for looking after his dog while he shops. He says, “I have no problem with that. He’s doing something respectful. There are some pretty ratty people who come to you and lay it on thick and that’s where my sympathy stops.”

According to the association’s 2007 survey of 468 residents in Cabbagetown, 82 per cent said panhandling is a very serious problem along Parliament Street. Rowlands said residents cite panhandling as the major deterrent to bringing up Parliament Street’s appeal for residents who would like higher-end stores moving in. He said people support the local businesses but at the same time, “People are saying ‘We don’t like going to No Frills.’ Everyone goes to Loblaws at Queens Quay, or to the Danforth.”

According to Rowlands, it’s not only that most people want nicer shops; they don’t want to be panhandled all the time. Rowlands said, “You can be asked four or five times in a few blocks. You can’t get away from it.” He said, “It is about perceived danger rather than actual attacks… There was one tall skinny black guy. He followed me down Wellesley Street, yelling at me. A few years ago there were some Native Canadian men in a state of drunkenness and disrepair, panhandling and yelling awful things about white people.”

Toronto Police Const. Kevin Cummings, with 51 Division, regularly deals with calls in Cabbagetown, but he says they are not for panhandling. When Cummings was told about the association’s survey results about panhandling, he said, “It sound(s) like panhandlers are on every corner … They are not outside every business. It’s not like that at all.”

He says he comes across panhandlers on his bike, and he’ll give them several warnings before he writes a ticket. He explains, “I am fair. I am not going to see one guy and say ‘you’re going to jail today.’ There are bigger fish to fry. I’m not going to go after the one guy that has a problem. On the flip side… If we get community complaints we have to answer to those. Our primary goal is the community’s enjoyment…”

Cummings says he wouldn’t classify panhandlers as criminals, “Essentially we are giving the same kinds of tickets like you would get when you drive through a stop sign. It’s a nuisance.”

Chris says he believes the way the law is written it is illegal to panhandle, whether aggressively or not. When he gets stopped Chris said the police usually don’t say much. “Most of them know me. Some of them say, ‘Chris, Move on.’ Some of them are harsh. Some of them wave and I know it’s time to move. Out of respect I move. I am not here to cause trouble. I just sit here with my cup.” He said, “I don’t know what goes on in the precinct, but it seems like they say ‘lets go hit Parliament Street and clean it up.’ Then next week they might go to Yonge Street.” He said he’s been ticketed at least once for drunken disorderliness, and on one day he said he got $750 worth of tickets. He and Hill say they post the tickets up on their walls and call them ‘wallpaper.’

Hill, who said he racked up 29 tickets in three years, said he paid his first one, and then he met Chris, who told him he didn’t have to pay. Hill laughed and said, “I stopped paying. Every time the police stop me they check to see if I’m wanted, and it doesn’t come up on their computer.” Hill said “police tell us here’s a ticket, but you know you guys don’t have to pay.” He asked “Why give me a ticket if I don’t have to pay? I don’t know what they are thinking.”

Cummings said he doesn’t think ticketing is effective. He says if panhandlers get a short jail sentence it isn’t going to get people off the street. He said a panhandler will “be back out there because he has a problem. He can’t work. He has an addiction, or no housing.”

Doug Fisher, from the Old Cabbagetown Business Improvement Area, said, “Panhandling is not an issue where the police are very effective. They can’t haul everyone to jail. They don’t have the legal authority to do it, and they don’t have the space to do it.”

A.J. Withers, from Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, says that there are already criminal laws in place to deal with assault and harassment and she doesn’t see why there needed to be law directed specifically toward panhandling. Withers said, “This law was the province’s way of criminalizing regular behaviours that people do under extreme poverty.”

Withers says their coalition used to refer people to Downtown legal Services and Parkdale Community Legal Services, but these organizations recently stopped dealing with panhandling cases. According to Withers, from 2000 to 2006, panhandlers could bring their tickets to the coalition. Withers says that with law students they fought thousands of tickets and had the vast majority thrown out. She says the coalition stopped because they only have one full-time and two part-time staff members. She said, “We could do it again, but the provincial government passed when the access to justice act, which means you need a registered paralegal. We can’t afford registered legal aid.” She says that since poor people cannot afford legal defense they will be increasingly convicted. Research done at the Centre for Urban Community Studies at University of Toronto suggested that there is a sizeable sub-group of homeless people committing minor offenses who are stuck in a cycle between shelters, jails, and hospitals, and who are becoming alienated from community life. The report recommends that affordable housing be provided for this sub-group as a more cost-effective strategy.

The coalition says it wants poor people to have their basic needs met through the provision of adequate shelter beds downtown. Members said they want the safe streets act to be cancelled. Withers said the police need to stop giving tickets and the city needs to provide more free legal services.

This past spring, the City of Toronto said it would use a ‘homes first’ approach to get panhandlers and homeless people off the streets. Fisher, who has had some contact with staff from the city’s new Streets to Homes program, said it sounds positive. He said the staff are supposed to work with individuals in the community to figure out what they need –housing, a meal or clothing program, or community contact.

On the other hand, Withers said she doesn’t like the program because she said it pushes homeless people out of downtown. She said she hears complaints from the homeless that the housing provided is far away and sometimes in disrepair. She said people have little money to pay for food or TTC to access services downtown. She said, “It makes space for rich people to not have to look at the poor… The city is working to gentrify the downtown.”

Rowlands said, “I’d like that the social and economic conditions are such that we wouldn’t have panhandlers. But we’re a long way from that. …”

Cabbagetown was my local neighbourhood beat for my reporting class last term. I wrote this article in November 2008 . It appeared in the
Ryerson Free Press in February. Read the whole article below for details on the ever-changing Cabbagetown neighbourhood!

The grey-haired former restauranteur known as Trevor Barryman sits on a bar stool, to eat his gourmet burger with onion rings. He faced the window, looking at Parliament Street, on a Tuesday afternoon. He’s having his second burger in a week at the newly opened Gourmet Burger Co. in Cabbagetown.

Finishing a bite, Barryman says that people have been predicting the complete gentrification of this commercial strip for the last 30 years. He explained, “They told me it would be the next Yorkville.” He continued, “They were wrong.”

He said, “If someone told me they were opening up a hamburger place here I would have told them it was a terrible idea. Who would pay for a $13 lunch in this neighbourhood?” But, Barryman said that when he came in for his first burger on Saturday there was a line-up out the door.

This new burger joint faces the usual challenges of setting itself apart from the other restaurants that sell burgers in Toronto, and begs the question, can a gourmet burger joint do well and bring people in from other neighbourhoods?

In November, John Ward, 39, who is an experienced restauranteur and caterer from Australia, opened this burger restaurant at 482 Parliament Street. His new take out and small sit-in spot can appeal to a wide range of people with varying budgets – from those who want to pay $6 for a gourmet burger, to those would can afford $13 for a deluxe burger with sides and a drink.

Because of the diversity in income levels in the neighbourhood, Doug Fisher, staff of the Old Cabbagetown Improvement Area (BIA), says the businesses that do best here appeal to the largest spectrum of incomes. Fisher said that like a hardware store, which everyone likes, the same may be true for buying lunch. According to Fisher, “A burger place also appeals to everyone.” Fisher says the Gourmet Burger Co. has a great chance of gaining loyal customers from across the city.

A walk along Parliament Street reveals a real mix of restaurants. There are older dinners, ethnic take-away places and gourmet restaurants, alongside organic butchers, dollar stores and the discount no-frills grocery store. According to Fisher, the rents in this commercial sector range from $1,500 to $5,000 a month. He said, “Our rents are lower that those on Church Street, so they are a bargain for business owners because they can still get customers from some of the nearby neighbourhoods for a third the rental price.” He said that the rental costs have been inching up, but not to the point that older businesses are being priced out.

Walking the streets there are panhandlers, renters from James Town and Regent Park, students and home-owning professionals. On Parliament there are no exquisite floral or chocolate stores, upscale clothing boutiques or bookstores. For a long time the area has not even had a Starbucks (although one is going to open soon in the same block as Gourmet Burger Co.) If you were walking along Parliament Street, you might never guess that just a few blocks east is a neighbourhood that boasts million-dollar homes.

On the west side of Parliament Street, in the first block north of Cartlon, Spiros Maniatos owns the block of buildings. They currently house a dollar store, Johnny G’s Diner, and now – Gourmet Burger Co.

Fisher said, “Based on my blog research, there seems to be a lot of talk about Gourmet Burger Co.” He said the key for businesses in Cabbagetown that aim to attract people with higher incomes is to draw people into the neighbourhood. Fisher said he thinks that Gourmet Burger Co. can potentially draw people from outside, as a few other businesses in the area have done.

John Lee, the owner of Omi, a sushi restaurant that moved into the area in November, said that business has been very good since the move from Church Street. He said, “We have a lot of our existing customers and the neighbourhood locals coming to our new location.” He said he gets around 70 per cent of his business from his existing customers, and the remaining 30 per cent from Cabbagetowners.

At a home furnishing store, Mi Casa, which has been in the area for 20 years, the manager, Andrew Halkewycz, said they draw roughly 60 per cent of their customers from outside of the neighbourhood, and around 40 per cent are Cabbagetowners.

In spite of the few stores that regularly draw people into the neighbourhood, Fisher said Cabbagetown has not become a destination spot, like the Distillery District or Church Street. “People don’t wake up on a Saturday and say ‘Let’s go to Cabbagetown.’ The neighbourhood is still a locally serving area, with businesses largely there to suit the local populations,” he said.

There are many well-known long-standing restaurants on Parliament Street that Cabbagetowners frequent. Fisher said, “Gourmet Burger Co has a good chance to compete.”

Sure enough, every pub in the area serves a burger; but, Gourmet Burger Co. is the only place specializing in various kinds of unique burgers. Fisher said, “I had a smokey bacon burger with fries and spent around $10. I could have spent less on their normal burger with condiments for $5.50, but I was happy to pay more for the unique toppings. I think they have a good broad price range for their customers.”

A glance at the menu at Gourmet Burger Co posted on the meticulously hand-written signs above the ordering counter reveals that in addition to the cheaper basic burger, the signature suggestions made by owner John Ward, range in price from $5.95 to $9.95.

Down the street, the popular House on Parliament pub offers their basic burger with sweet potato fries for $12.38, around $4 more than at Gourmet Burger Co. The Pear Tree, Ben Wicks Bar & Bistro, Big Mamma’s Boy, JAM café, and Stonegrill all offer burgers with sides ranging in price from $7.99 to $16. At these restaurants the burgers are among the lowest-priced items on their menus.

Fisher said, “If you sell only a burger, you need to sell more.” John Ward says he is selling between 100 to 175 burgers a day, which is quite good, according to Geoff Wilson, a restaurant consultant in Mississauga, who did a quick calculation of Ward’s sales and costs.

Wilson said that the decision a potential customer makes to buy a gourmet burger versus one from McDonalds will be based on a couple of factors. “Is the customer in the group that has been significantly influenced by the trend of ‘premiumization’? If so, that customer will be looking for more than just a regular burger, and if it’s different they are prepared to pay more. It has to have an enhanced flavour profile and a more appealing quality proposition. They have to want to buy it for the experience rather than just for filling up their stomach,” he said.

Ward says he has the differential gourmet aspect covered. He’s offering customizable burgers with the toppings they want, and including some unique Australian options – fried egg and beets – which are common in his home country’s standard burger, but found rarely (if ever) in Toronto. Furthermore he says he’ll soon be introducing a burger of the week with either salmon, bison, or pulled pork. Currently he has chicken, beef, and lamb burgers on offer with toppings like avocado, bacon, pineapple, gouda and brie.

At around 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Ward’s wife and two-month-old son visit the restaurant. Ward says he’s happy to have started this new business, after owning six other successful ones in the last 14 years. He says he’s glad, because with the restaurant he won’t be working late night pub hours, and he can spend more time with his son. Ward says he is up for the challenge of serving anyone who enjoys good food. He said he wants Gourmet Burger Co. to be like a good pizza place: “Everyone enjoys it… 12 year olds and grandmothers. It transcends age. I want people to leave here saying it was the best burger they ever had.”

I wrote this article for Beatportal.com in September 2008.

Sunday night in Toronto during the Toronto International Film Festival in the heart of downtown (Little Italy to be exact), Paul Kalkbrenner stood outside of the Royal Theatre as people lined up to go inside.

He, as the star actor, along with film director Hannes Stohr of the new film Berlin Calling, waited in anticipation of the North American premiere of their film.

The rogue screening organizers, Platform Events and Xanuradio.com were bustling around – promoting, and doing press releases and media outreach – earlier that week up until the last minute to ensure that things went smoothly.

That night as people entered the theatre and seats began to fill, the anticipation started to dissipate.

It was clear that the screening would be well-attended by electronic music fans in Toronto.

As the lights dimmed and the opening credits rolled, the audience cheered as Paul Kalkbrenner’s impressive soundtrack kicked in.

After the film, which portrays DJ Ikarus in a journey through drug addiction, the creation of his full-length album, and mental health illness and recovery, the audience clapped and cheered.

The lights came up and Paul Kalkbrenner and Hannes Storh walked to the front of the theatre stage and invited everyone to the after-party at the TIFF after-hours hot spot, The Drake Hotel.

At the Drake guests were treated to some sets by Greg Gow, Jamie Kidd, and Felix and Gani.

In addition, Paul Kalkbrenner’s live set was energetic and full of passion.

He dropped some of his hit and recognizable tracks (also featured in Berlin Calling): ‘Sky and Sand’ (which is produced and arranged by Paul Kalkbrenner, written and performed by Fritz Kalkbrenner – and is not yet available on Beatport), and ‘Gebrunn, Gebrunn’.

People at the event seemed thrilled to have a chance to hear the man from the film play.

Paul’s work as an electronic music artist continues to impress as did his surprisingly good ability to act for cinema!

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People interested in Montreal can see Berlin Calling in the 2nd screening ever in North America.

The Montreal screening takes place at Cinema du Parc (3575, av. du Parc) on September 15th at 7pm.

Tickets can be obtained at 6pm at the theatre or in advance online at wanttickets.com.
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Photo for this article taken by Jofus (www.thefuss.ca)